President Barack Obama still aims to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Bali from Oct. 7-8 despite the on-going government shutdown, according to the White House (here). The U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman previously called the APEC summit a “milestone” opportunity for Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
Government agencies should be updating plans for operations in the absence of appropriations, but Congress can still prevent a government shutdown before the Oct. 1 outset of Fiscal Year 2014, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Burwell said in a memo to agency leaders (here) dated Sept. 17. Those plans (here) involve preparation for orderly shutdown in both the short-term, one to five day period, and the long term. Congressional leaders on Sept. 25 continued to conflict over stopgap funding legislation (see 13092501).
The U.S. export business community currently sells more goods overseas than throughout history partially because of stabilized health care costs produced by the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama said on Sept. 19 during a ceremony to appoint seven new members to the administration’s Export Council (see 13091915). Obama also urged lawmakers to pass Trade Promotion Authority legislation.
The private sector members of the President’s Export Council (PEC) endorse the administration’s decision to secure Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in collaboration with Congress, said PEC Chair James McNerney in a Sept. 19 letter to President Barack Obama marked “draft only.” McNerney submitted the letter the day after Obama appointed seven new members to the PEC (see 13091915). The U.S. faces different trade challenges since the last passage of TPA more than 10 years ago, said McNerney, adding that TPA will ensure internal U.S. trade negotiating functionality and foreign confidence in U.S. “footing.”
President Barack Obama on Sept. 18 announced the appointment of the following individuals to administration positions in the President’s Export Council: Kenneth C. Frazier, Andrés R. Gluski, Marillyn A. Hewson, Vanessa Keitges, Ian C. Read, Virginia M. Rometty and Arne M. Sorenson.
The White House will extend for one-year the authorities granted under the Trading With the Enemy Act with respect to Cuba, the White House said Sept. 12 in a memorandum. The relevant authorities include oversight and discretion over bilateral, commercial interaction. Those authorities were scheduled to terminate on Sept. 14.
The administration’s first intellectual property officer, Victoria Espinel, stepped down on Aug. 9, a White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official confirmed on Aug. 13. The official said the administration appointed Howard Shelanski as acting head of the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), effective Aug. 10. Shelanski will balance that position with his current role as head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The OMB declined to comment on whether Shelanski’s shared responsibilities present a challenge to either office.
The Obama Administration on Aug. 1 sent a total of 23 nominations to the Senate to seek confirmation, including Stevan Eaton Bunnell, of the District of Columbia, to be General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security and Karen Dynan, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
President Barack Obama issued an executive order July 1 establishing a task force to combat trafficking of protected species. A press release said the task force will be co-chaired by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Interior and the Attorney General, or their respective designees. Officials throughout the presidential cabinet, USTR, USAID and other agencies, will form the rest of the task force membership. The group will report to the president through the National Security Advisor.
The White House is launching a new trade partnership on July 1 that targets increased economic ties between Africa and the United States. Dubbed Trade Africa, the partnership will initially focus on expanding internal and external trade among East African Community (EAC) countries, according to a White House press release. Building off skyrocketing GDP growth within the EAC over the past decade, the Trade Africa initiative seeks to increase regional exports to the U.S. by 40%, while reducing by 15% the average time needed to import or export cargo from the Mombasa or Dar es Salaam ports, the White House said. The U.S. is also encouraging decreased regional border barriers and the transition to a single EAC customs and revenue sharing authority, it said.