Podcasts about united states trade representative

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The [DS]/[CB] are trying to convince the people that the earth axis are out of balance and people are causing it. ECB cut rates again, Fed is not. Trump slaps China back into place in regards to tariffs. Elon is going hard against Trump, Trump responds. OBBB didn't have the votes, this will change everything. Trump trapped the [CB]/[DS],RINOs and the D's. The [DS] has been going after Elon since Trump brought him in. Since Elon aligned with Trump federal lawsuits have been filed against him and his companies, the [DS] is trying to destroy him, by going against Trump the D's will most likely backoff. Elon by attacking Trump will push the RINOS and the D's to release Epstein files and others. Trump and Elon are creating chaos, welcome to the information war. Trump specifically mentioned Elon's black eye, he sent a message.   Economy https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1930537022164291824  this is part of its natural, long-term cycles. The tilt of Earth's axis, currently about 23.5 degrees, undergoes a slow variation known as obliquity over a cycle of approximately 41,000 years. This tilt oscillates between roughly 22.1 and 24.5 degrees, driven by gravitational interactions with other planets, primarily Jupiter and Saturn. Right now, we're in a phase where the tilt is gradually decreasing, moving toward the lower end of that range over thousands of years. There's no evidence of sudden or anomalous tilting outside these cycles.   ECB Cuts Rates Again, Widening Gap With Federal Reserve Source: wsj.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); China deploys rare earths as economic weapon As U.S. tariffs tighten the screws on China's export machine, Beijing is striking back with strategic precision. Export restrictions on rare earths are now Beijing's latest move to break down European trade barriers and push back against escalating pressure from Washington.   Source: americanthinker.com    Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer. During the conversation, President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated. As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing. The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE. Nothing was discussed concerning Russia/Ukraine, or Iran. We will inform the Media as to scheduling and location of the soon to be meeting. Thank you for your attention to this matter! https://twitter.com/JamesBlairUSA/status/1930392677226557565   deal with Schumer & Democrats - who will charge a generational fortune in spending and policy in return for their votes. But then he could avoid a tough vote. That's all it's about. https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1930451665305428231 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1930390978436968869 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1930667063313633635 https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1930590279163167003 https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1930454376000217304   US Trade Deficit Shrinks By Most On Record In April As Imports Plunged  As the front-running of tariffs abruptly ended,

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that he will authorize the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to institute a 100% tariff on movies produced in foreign countries. “Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”Ad-free podcasts are here!Many listeners have been asking for an ad-free version of this podcast that they could subscribe to — and we finally launched it. You can go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today's “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.Take the survey: What do you think of Trump's proposed tariff? Let us know!You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by Isaac Saul and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Hunter Casperson, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he is authorizing to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 percent tariff on all movies "produced in Foreign Lands."In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death.""Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the USA., are being devastated," Trump said in the post, calling the situation "a National Security threat.""Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100 percent Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. we WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!" he added.Trump's announcement caused a stir nationwide, especially in the film industry. The Hollywood Reporter, a major Hollywood industry magazine, wrote that it "could shake up the entertainment industry.""There are a number of expensive tentpoles due out in the coming months that filmed overseas. Would they be grandfathered in via a grace period or hit with a tariff?" the news outlet asked.Variety, another major industry news outlet, also said that it's "a move that sent shockwaves through Hollywood.""Studio executives convened emergency calls after Trump issued his declaration, though there is enormous uncertainty about whether the president has the authority to institute these tariffs, as well as how they would work practically," Variety reported. "It was also unclear what the impact would be on the many films that shoot overseas.""Trump has complained about trade deficits as he has imposed tariffs on other countries, but the movie industry has been a bright spot," said Deadline, a premier publication for Hollywood business, adding that the industry generated a positive balance of trade in every major market in the world, with exports 3.1 times that of imports."Other countries also could respond to the 100 percent tariff with their own duties on US films, which would have an impact on international box office returns, which are a huge chunk of major studio revenue," the news outlet warned.

United States President Donald Trump's ‘reciprocal tariffs' have been compared to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of the 1930s, which many say hastened the slide into the Great Depression. The difference between the 1930s and now is that we have the World Trade Organization (WTO) to oversee and enforce global trade rules. However, some argue that over the years, the WTO has gradually lost its compass and is in need of massive reforms. Is the WTO still relevant? Here we discuss the question. Guests: Mohan Kumar, Professor of Diplomatic Practice at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University. He previously served as India's lead negotiator at GATT and WTO; Mark Linscott, Senior Adviser with the U.S.India Strategic Partnership Forum and former assistant, United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Host: Samreen Wani You can now find The Hindu's podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

The Global Impact of US Economic Policies The international economic policies of the United States have shifted dramatically since the inauguration of Donald Trump as president at the end of January. Thus far, the most impactful have been a series of historically large tariff announcements on most countries in the world. Former US Treasury Economist, Brad Setser examines these policy changes and their implications for the US economy, global trade and investment flows, financial markets, and the role of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. He also discusses his work on US corporate tax strategies. Brad Setser is the Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr Setser served as a Senior Advisor to the United States Trade Representative from 2021 to 2022, where he worked on the resolution of a number of trade disputes. He had previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Economic Analysis in the U.S. Treasury from 2011 to 2015, and as a Director for International Economics on the staff of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. He has published widely, including co-authoring, with Nouriel Roubini, Bailouts and Bail-ins: Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Economies, and has contributed to publications such as Foreign Affairs, Finance and Development and Global Governance. He regularly blogs at Follow the Money.

This is a special edition of the Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition podcast. Subscribe to the show: on Apple: http://bit.ly/3DWYoAN on Spotify: http://bit.ly/3jGRYiB Anywhere: http://bit.ly/3J1bct9On today's episode: President Donald Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century as he steps up his campaign to reshape the global economy, sparking threats of retaliation and a selloff in markets around the world.Trump announced Wednesday he will apply at least a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US, with even higher duties on some 60 nations, to counter large trade imbalances with the US. That includes some of the country’s biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of well above 50% on many goods — as well as the European Union, Japan and Vietnam.“For years, hard-working American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense,” Trump said during an event in the White House Rose Garden to unveil the so-called reciprocal tariffs. “Now it’s our turn to prosper.”The move marks a dramatic escalation in Trump’s trade war, one that risks triggering retaliation from other countries and upends calculations for businesses and consumers at home. China and the EU, America’s largest trading partner, both said they were preparing to take countermeasures in response.The US president has embraced tariffs as a tool to assert US power, revive manufacturing at home and exact geopolitical concessions — counter to the decades-old consensus that lower trade barriers help to foster ties among nations and prevent conflicts. Economists say the near-term result of his measures will likely be higher US prices and slower growth — or perhaps even a recession.Global financial markets were hit by a sweeping selloff after Trump’s announcement, with US equity futures slumping as much as 4%.Gold hit an all-time high and the traditional haven Japanese yen soared, while China maintained its daily support of the yuan. Ten-year Treasury yields fell toward the closely-watched 4% level, their lowest since October.Read More: Fear Grips Markets as Trump Tariffs Raise Risks to Global GrowthLess than three months after returning to the White House, Trump has already erected trade barriers that are bigger by some measures than those imposed in the notoriously protectionist 1930s. Bloomberg Economics calculates that the effective tax rate the US now charges on more than $3 trillion of imported goods may climb to around 23% — higher than any point in more than a century.A statement published Wednesday by the United States Trade Representative explained the Trump administration calculated its raft of new tariffs primarily based on existing trade balances. Countries running a trade surplus with the US faced a flat 10% rate regardless, as did nations where trade was roughly even.There’s a small difference in the tariff rates first announced by Trump and more than a dozen of those listed in the annex that accompanied the White House executive order. For countries like South Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan and India, the rates in the annex are about 1 percentage point higher than the initial announcement.The 10% baseline charge on everyone takes effect after midnight Saturday. The higher duties on targeted countries — which replace, rather than add on top of the 10% rate — are due to kick in on April 9, the White House said.Read More: List of Reciprocal Tariffs by CountryFor now, the new measures don’t include Canada and Mexico, which are embroiled in a separate on-and-off tariff dispute with the US. They also won’t apply to some products that are subject to separate duties tied to so-called Sec. 232 investigations such as autos, semiconductors and lumber.The reciprocal tariffs were “much worse than we feared,” said Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. There’ll be “huge implications for rerouting of trade,” she said.The president, who’s sought to frame his trade plans as a boost for his blue-collar voters, was joined in the Rose Garden by union members and workers from various industries — including a retired autoworker who spoke on stage. Later, Trump brandished large boards during his 48-minute address to display each nation’s new rate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a special edition of the Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition podcast. Subscribe to the show: on Apple: http://bit.ly/3DWYoAN on Spotify: http://bit.ly/3jGRYiB Anywhere: http://bit.ly/3J1bct9On today's episode: President Donald Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century as he steps up his campaign to reshape the global economy, sparking threats of retaliation and a selloff in markets around the world.Trump announced Wednesday he will apply at least a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US, with even higher duties on some 60 nations, to counter large trade imbalances with the US. That includes some of the country’s biggest trading partners, such as China — which now faces a tariff of well above 50% on many goods — as well as the European Union, Japan and Vietnam.“For years, hard-working American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense,” Trump said during an event in the White House Rose Garden to unveil the so-called reciprocal tariffs. “Now it’s our turn to prosper.”The move marks a dramatic escalation in Trump’s trade war, one that risks triggering retaliation from other countries and upends calculations for businesses and consumers at home. China and the EU, America’s largest trading partner, both said they were preparing to take countermeasures in response.The US president has embraced tariffs as a tool to assert US power, revive manufacturing at home and exact geopolitical concessions — counter to the decades-old consensus that lower trade barriers help to foster ties among nations and prevent conflicts. Economists say the near-term result of his measures will likely be higher US prices and slower growth — or perhaps even a recession.Global financial markets were hit by a sweeping selloff after Trump’s announcement, with US equity futures slumping as much as 4%.Gold hit an all-time high and the traditional haven Japanese yen soared, while China maintained its daily support of the yuan. Ten-year Treasury yields fell toward the closely-watched 4% level, their lowest since October.Read More: Fear Grips Markets as Trump Tariffs Raise Risks to Global GrowthLess than three months after returning to the White House, Trump has already erected trade barriers that are bigger by some measures than those imposed in the notoriously protectionist 1930s. Bloomberg Economics calculates that the effective tax rate the US now charges on more than $3 trillion of imported goods may climb to around 23% — higher than any point in more than a century.A statement published Wednesday by the United States Trade Representative explained the Trump administration calculated its raft of new tariffs primarily based on existing trade balances. Countries running a trade surplus with the US faced a flat 10% rate regardless, as did nations where trade was roughly even.There’s a small difference in the tariff rates first announced by Trump and more than a dozen of those listed in the annex that accompanied the White House executive order. For countries like South Korea, Myanmar, Pakistan and India, the rates in the annex are about 1 percentage point higher than the initial announcement.The 10% baseline charge on everyone takes effect after midnight Saturday. The higher duties on targeted countries — which replace, rather than add on top of the 10% rate — are due to kick in on April 9, the White House said.Read More: List of Reciprocal Tariffs by CountryFor now, the new measures don’t include Canada and Mexico, which are embroiled in a separate on-and-off tariff dispute with the US. They also won’t apply to some products that are subject to separate duties tied to so-called Sec. 232 investigations such as autos, semiconductors and lumber.The reciprocal tariffs were “much worse than we feared,” said Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. There’ll be “huge implications for rerouting of trade,” she said.The president, who’s sought to frame his trade plans as a boost for his blue-collar voters, was joined in the Rose Garden by union members and workers from various industries — including a retired autoworker who spoke on stage. Later, Trump brandished large boards during his 48-minute address to display each nation’s new rate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If Chinese shipyards are feeling uneasy right now, it's perfectly understandable. Last month, in an effort to revive its nearly non-existent domestic shipbuilding industry, the United States Trade Representative's office unleashed its most potent tax weapon yet against Chinese ships. The US plans to levy exorbitant port fees — in some cases, over a million dollars — for every US port call by Chinese operators, China-built ships, all operators that have any ships on order at Chinese yards, and according to one interpretation of the proposal, based on a presidential draft order obtained by Lloyd's List, all operators with any China-built ships in their fleets. If the goal is to revive the US commercial shipbuilding sector, these port fees may have a very limited impact, at least in the short term. Historically, overly aggressive reforms often fail due to a lack of execution or a systemic collapse caused by excessive shock. However, if the aim is to undermine China's dominance in the global shipbuilding industry, the effects may become apparent much more quickly. Brokers have already reported that China-built ships are losing their appeal in the long-term charter market, simply because of the possibility that they may not be able to visit the US in the future. This also highlights the fact that the problem faced by China-built ships isn't as simple as avoiding the US market and turning to other destinations. Losing the ability to go to the US means that these ships, especially those used for tramp trade, have reduced applicability in the charter market, which will inevitably be reflected in their charter rates. And if charter rates are discounted relative to more widely applicable Japanese and South Korean-built vessels, that discount will also inevitably be passed on to the value of newbuildings. In a nutshell, the products of Chinese shipyards will depreciate due to a loss of competitiveness. And the worst-case scenario is that they will have to give up at least some of their market share to their foreign competitors. It's fair to say that those from South Korea and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest shipbuilding nations respectively, are probably eagerly awaiting this opportunity. The US port fees could be a “game changer” in reshaping market dynamics for the global shipbuilding industry. This edition of the podcast features: • SM Kim, Executive Director of Korea Equity Research, JP Morgan • Dimitris Roumeliotis, Head of Research, Xclusiv Shipbrokers • Rob Willmington, Markets Editor, Lloyd's List

Stephen Burke discussed the shifting inflation risks, noting a decline from 9% to 3% but rising concerns. He highlighted the impact of high public debt, sluggish productivity, and global economic uncertainties on policy makers. The global inflation rate spiked in 2023 and remains above the 2% target, complicating Fed decisions. Chair Powell's testimony indicated a tight labor market and stubborn mortgage rates. Tariffs aim to support domestic manufacturing, raise revenues, and wield diplomatic power, but their effectiveness is debated. The discussion also covered the impact of tariffs on consumer prices, the role of tech companies in productivity improvements, and the challenges posed by China's resource control. Issues & Risks -Inflation risks have become more two-sided, with concerns about rising inflationary pressures. -High public debt, growing economic divergences, and sluggish productivity growth are limiting policymakers' choices. -Global inflation rates have spiked up and remain above the 2% target. -There are concerns about the impact of tariffs on inflation and economic growth. -Questions about whether the massive spending by tech companies will lead to expected productivity improvements. -Concerns about debt and deficits complicating policy decisions. Questions discussed -Who pays for the tariffs imposed by the government? -Is there an argument that real rates have seen their upside for now and aren't likely to rise much from here? -What is the impact of the return on cash to earnings for companies holding large amounts of cash? -What forms of retaliation are meaningful as a negotiating tool from Asia, Europe, UK, etc., particularly as it relates to tech companies? -Why doesn't the United States Trade Representative use the WTO framework to address trade issues with China? -What exactly is Trump trying to achieve with the sanctions outside of bringing manufacturing into the country? 360 One Firm (361Firm) is an independent global platform to collaborate on investments & philanthropies by/for family offices, institutional investors, and thought leaders. We collaborate across asset classes, industries and borders, in funds and direct (co-)investments as well as in both impact and charitable organizations and causes. Co-founded by ex-Andersen partners, we have a collaborative "one firm"​ culture, tailored to family offices who can add extraordinary value from industry experience and relationships. We believe in active engagement, facilitated by Weekly Briefing Roundtables, "Deep Dive" (web) conferences, and monthly Global Conferences (www.361firm.com/subs). Website: http://www.361firm.com/home LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/360onefirm/ Important Notice for 361Firm Events: Rule #1: Teach. No Pitching or Politics. Our 361 forums are designed to facilitate connecting and open, respectful discussions and sharing of data, macro-level ideas, strategies, and insights across industries, asset classes, regions, philanthropies, or other topics. It is prohibited to discuss specific investment offerings or products in these events or our App, but of course you build relationships that can organically lead to offline discussions. Rule #2 - be sure to register. Qualified Purchasers (QPs) can join certain invite-only sessions. Sessions May Be Recorded. By participating in person or virtually, you agree to our sharing recordings, e.g. 361firm.com/synopses. 360 One Firm Capital LLC (361Firm) may include in these materials or events companies (1) in which 361Firm may have invested in or alongside and/or (2) which are clients for which 361Firm could earn a fee from raising capital or connecting to talent or strategic partners. www.youtube.com/361firm (the “361Firm YouTube Channel") is operated by 361Firm, a privately held limited liability company registered in the State of Delaware. 361Firm provides strategic and financial services. 361Firm offers Securities through Finalis Securities LLC Member FINRA (https://www.finra.org/) / SIPC (https://www.sipc.org/). 361Firm and Finalis Securities LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities. You can subscribe to various 361 events and content at https://361firm.com/subs. For reference: Web: www.361firm.com/homeOnboard as Investor: https://361.pub/shortdiagOnboard Deals 361: www.361firm.com/onbOnboard as Banker: www.361firm.com/bankersEvents: www.361firm.com/eventsContent: www.youtube.com/361firmWeekly Digests: www.361firm.com/digest

Robert (Bob) DeHaan is the executive vice-president and general counsel of the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the USA's largest commercial seafood trade organization. In that capacity, he leads NFI regulatory and international trade advocacy. Prior to joining NFI, DeHaan held multiple trade and transportation roles in the administration of President George W. Bush. He began his professional career as an aviation attorney in Washington, D.C., focusing on international aviation litigation and regulation. He currently serves on several public-private groups associated with seafood trade, among them the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee convened by the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For this episode of the Global Exchange podcast, Colin Robertson talks with Derek Burney and Robert Zoellick about managing the North American relationship under Donald Trump. // Participants' bios - Derek Burney is a former diplomat with assignments including ambassador to Korea and the United States. He served as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney during the negotiation of the Canada-US FTA and he was our ambassador in Washington during the negotiation of the NAFTA. - Robert Zoellick is senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Heserved in the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W Bush His positions included that of United States Trade Representative, Counsellor, Undersecretary and then Deputy Secretary of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to the president. He later became President of the World Bank. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, www.cgai.ca/colin_robertson // // Reading Recommendations: - "For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind", by Tulsi Gabbard: https://www.amazon.ca/Love-Country-left-Democratic-Party-ebook/dp/B0BV1CK6TV - "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free", by Pete Hegseth: https://www.amazon.ca/War-Warriors-Behind-Betrayal-Keep/dp/0063389428 - "Reagan: His Life and Legend", by Max Boot: https://www.amazon.ca/Reagan-Life-Legend-Max-Boot/dp/0871409445 - "The Eastern Front: A History of the Great War, 1914-1918", by Nick Lloyd: https://www.amazon.ca/Eastern-Front-History-Great-1914-1918/dp/1324092718 // Recording Date: November 27, 2024.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (11/19/2024): 3:05pm- Trump Announces Secretary of Commerce Pick. In a statement, Donald Trump announced: “I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In his role as Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team, Howard has created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.” 3:15pm- Last week, Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which will seek to find and eliminate wasteful spending practices throughout the federal government. During a segment of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart admitted that the 2024 election proved to be a repudiation of the bureaucratic system. 3:30pm- Daniel Turner—Founder and Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to Donald Trump's cabinet picks including former Congressman Lee Zeldin's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To learn more about Power the Future, visit: https://x.com/DanielTurnerPTF 3:50pm- Gaetz Has Less Than Even Odds of Being Confirmed by Senate. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan of The New York Times report: “The president-elect is taking a flood-the-zone approach to his cabinet nominations, betting that the Senate won't dare to turn them all down…In his private conversations over the past few days, President-elect Donald J. Trump has admitted that his besieged choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has less than even odds of being confirmed by the Senate. But Mr. Trump has shown no sign of withdrawing the nomination, which speaks volumes about his mind-set as he staffs his second administration. He is making calls on Mr. Gaetz's behalf, and he remains confident that even if Mr. Gaetz does not make it, the standard for an acceptable candidate will have shifted so much that the Senate may simply approve his other nominees who have appalled much of Washington.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/us/politics/trump-cabinet.html 3:55pm- On Tuesday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell testified during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing. In notable exchanges with Congressmen Scott Perry and Jeff Van Drew, Criswell was asked about reports that FEMA withheld vital hurricane relief aid from Trump supporters. 4:00pm- Trump Picks Administrator for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In a statement, Donald Trump announced: “I am very pleased to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator. America is facing a Healthcare Crisis, and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again. He is an eminent Physician, Heart Surgeon, Inventor, and World-Class Communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades. Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.” 4:10pm- Does Cory Booker Agree with RFK Jr.? In a video posted to social media, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said he is “raising the alarm of the dangers of our current food system.” 4:20pm- Philly City Soda Tax: Where'd the Money Go? Journalist John Stossel investigated the Philadelphia soda tax—which politicians pledged would go towards funding public schools. However, less than half the money raised ultimately ended up in the school systems and the tax harmed local businesses. 4:40pm- Dr. EJ Antoni—Research Fellow in The Heritage Foundation's Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss Donald Trump's tariff policy an ...

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: 3:05pm- Trump Announces Secretary of Commerce Pick. In a statement, Donald Trump announced: “I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce. He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In his role as Co-Chair of the Trump-Vance Transition Team, Howard has created the most sophisticated process and system to assist us in creating the greatest Administration America has ever seen.” 3:15pm- Last week, Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which will seek to find and eliminate wasteful spending practices throughout the federal government. During a segment of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart admitted that the 2024 election proved to be a repudiation of the bureaucratic system. 3:30pm- Daniel Turner—Founder and Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show and reacts to Donald Trump's cabinet picks including former Congressman Lee Zeldin's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To learn more about Power the Future, visit: https://x.com/DanielTurnerPTF 3:50pm- Gaetz Has Less Than Even Odds of Being Confirmed by Senate. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan of The New York Times report: “The president-elect is taking a flood-the-zone approach to his cabinet nominations, betting that the Senate won't dare to turn them all down…In his private conversations over the past few days, President-elect Donald J. Trump has admitted that his besieged choice for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, has less than even odds of being confirmed by the Senate. But Mr. Trump has shown no sign of withdrawing the nomination, which speaks volumes about his mind-set as he staffs his second administration. He is making calls on Mr. Gaetz's behalf, and he remains confident that even if Mr. Gaetz does not make it, the standard for an acceptable candidate will have shifted so much that the Senate may simply approve his other nominees who have appalled much of Washington.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/us/politics/trump-cabinet.html 3:55pm- On Tuesday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell testified during a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing. In notable exchanges with Congressmen Scott Perry and Jeff Van Drew, Criswell was asked about reports that FEMA withheld vital hurricane relief aid from Trump supporters.

Brad Setser is the Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. His expertise includes global trade and capital flows, financial vulnerability analysis, and sovereign debt restructuring. He regularly blogs at Follow the Money. Brad served as a senior advisor to the United States Trade Representative from 2021 to 2022, where he worked on the resolution of a number of trade disputes. He had previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for international economic analysis in the US Treasury from 2011 to 2015 and as a director for international economics on the staff of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. This podcast covers yen carry trade dynamics, FX intervention, Japan fiscal dynamics, and much more.    Follow us here for more amazing insights: https://macrohive.com/home-prime/ https://twitter.com/Macro_Hive https://www.linkedin.com/company/macro-hive

Der Handelskrieg nimmt eine neue Dimension an: Joe Biden verhängt hohe Zölle auf chinesische E-Autos. Die Chinesen haben in den vergangenen Jahren erstaunliche Entwicklungen in der E-Mobilität vollbracht. Auch auf dem europäischen Markt werden sowohl günstige PKWs als auch Luxuslimousinen aus der Volkrepublik beliebter. Es sind nicht nur niedrigere Preise, sondern auch Innovationen bei der Digitalisierung und den Batterien, die ein ausländisches Publikum begeistern. Dem schiebt die US-Regierung nun den Riegel vor und knüpft damit direkt an Donald Trumps Protektionismus an, der vor ein paar Jahren von Biden selbst noch kritisiert wurde. Ist das nun das Ende der Globalisierung? Nein, denn völlige Handelsfreiheit war immer eine Illusion. In der neuen Folge von „Wohlstand für Alle“ sprechen Ole Nymoen und Wolfgang M. Schmitt über die US-Zölle, die Autoindustrie und den Freihandel. Literatur/Quellen: Congressional Research Service: “Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974”, in: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11346#:~:text=Section%20301%20provides%20a%20statutory,commerce Christian Masengarb: “USA erlassen Strafzölle”, in: https://m.focus.de/finanzen/boerse/usa-erlassen-strafzoelle-china-e-autos-stauen-sich-in-deutschen-haefen-was-uns-jetzt-noch-erwartet_id_259948416.html Der China-Bericht des Office of the United States Trade Representative: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/05.13.2024%20Four%20Year%20Review%20of%20China%20Tech%20Transfer%20Section%20301%20(Final)%20rev.pdf Quinn Slobodian: “Nixon and the art of trade war”, in: https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2024/05/joe-biden-tariffs-nixon-art-trade-war. Hinweise/Veranstaltungen: Wolfgang spricht am 25.5. in Wiesbaden über Richard Wagners RING: https://www.staatstheater-wiesbaden.de/programm/spielplan/operntalk-ring-imf-2024/10368/ Oles Diskussion mit Sabine Nuss und Jonna Klick im Brecht-Haus findet ihr unter: https://www.youtube.com/live/17Bi6xS94NE?si=2Rj3y7SPRMzndDbC Unsere Zusatzinhalte könnt ihr bei Steady und Patreon hören. Vielen Dank! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/oleundwolfgang Steady: https://steadyhq.com/de/oleundwolfgang/about Ihr könnt uns unterstützen - herzlichen Dank! Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/oleundwolfgang Konto: Wolfgang M. Schmitt, Ole Nymoen Betreff: Wohlstand fuer Alle IBAN: DE67 5745 0120 0130 7996 12 BIC: MALADE51NWD Social Media: Instagram: Unser gemeinsamer Kanal: https://www.instagram.com/oleundwolfgang/ Ole: https://www.instagram.com/ole.nymoen/ Wolfgang: https://www.instagram.com/wolfgangmschmitt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oleundwolfgang Twitter: Unser gemeinsamer Kanal: https://twitter.com/OleUndWolfgang Ole: twitter.com/nymoen_ole Wolfgang: twitter.com/SchmittJunior Die gesamte WfA-Literaturliste: https://wohlstand-fuer-alle.netlify.app

Westwater Resources SVP and CFO Steve Cates joined Steve Darling from Proactive to express strong support for the initiatives taken by the United States Trade Representative and the White House regarding tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) and critical minerals. This endorsement came in response to the White House's announcement detailing the outcomes of a comprehensive four-year review of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. Notably, this review has resulted in significant policy changes, including a substantial increase in tariffs on Chinese EV imports, which will rise from 25% to 100% by 2024. Additionally, a new 25% tariff on natural graphite imports from China is set to take effect in 2026. Cates emphasized Westwater Resources' strategic focus on producing high-quality, battery-grade natural graphite anode material within the United States. This initiative is specifically aimed at supporting the burgeoning market for non-Chinese electric vehicles. Cates articulated the company's unwavering commitment to establishing a robust and reliable domestic supply chain for these critical materials. Westwater Resources firmly believes that these recent tariff measures send a clear and powerful message about the United States' dedication to reshoring its supply chain for essential minerals like graphite. This move is seen as a pivotal step in bolstering domestic production capacities for both batteries and electric vehicles. The company is optimistic that these tariffs will serve as a crucial catalyst for the nascent and vital U.S.-based natural graphite industry, enabling it to compete effectively against the current market dominance held by China. #proactiveinvestors #westwaterresources #nyseamerican #wwr #Graphite #EVManufacturing #USSupplyChain #ElectricVehicles #TreasuryDepartment #ForeignEntities #China #BatteryManufacturers #DomesticProduction #GovernmentIncentives #USGraphite #NaturalGraphite #EVTaxCredit #USImports #TradeTariffs #WhiteHouse #SupplyChainSecurity #SKBattery #CFOInterview #USMarket #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

It's a powerful message to look at what one farm can grow in Wisconsin, and how many families it supports.  Supports not only with good paying jobs, but produce that keeps them fed.  Meet Roderick Gumz from Endeavor.  Their diversified farm grows corn and soybeans, carrots, onions, potatoes and mint!  Pam Jahnke finds out about the marketing side.HPAI in dairy, and now testing in beef, has federal officials monitoring results and world reaction.  Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, says they're putting the emphasis on science.Mikaela King from Big Bend knew she wanted to be "Alice in Dairyland" since she first met "Alice" as a fair youth in Waukesha County.  King grew up on a beef farm, but kept the passion for story-telling through her educational process at the Univ. of Minnesota.  Now she's ready for the next step. Native plants might be an option your considering for your garden this year.  Charitee Seebecker talks to Amy Staffen - DNR Conservation Biologist about how to get things started. John Heinberg, market advisor with Total Farm Marketing catches up with Pam Jahnke.  The wet weather and severe storms over the weekend slowed spring planting, but it's still too early to be a market influence. Heinberg says the continued focus on HPAI in dairy, and now testing of beef has the market anxious.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambassador Robert Lighthizer is the former United States Trade Representative in the Trump administration and the author of the 2023 book, “No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers.” He sat down with Jack Goldsmith to talk about his work as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under President Reagan, why extreme neoliberal trade policy took hold in the 1990s, his core philosophy on trade and how it departed from the 1990s neoliberal consensus, and the main ways he implemented this view in the Trump administration and with what results. They also discussed the importance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and why it was controversial, the extent to which the Biden administration adopted Lighthizer's views on free trade, and the relationship between national security and trade policy.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/c/trumptrials.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

100 members of the U.S. Senate were sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on April 17. The articles of impeachment were approved by the House of Representatives on Feb. 13, and officially read in the Senate chamber on Tuesday. Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he'll allow floor debate on the articles, but called for a dismissal of the charges. President Joe Biden will propose a boost in tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China, a move viewed by some as a strategic one designed to increase support among blue-collar voters for the 2024 election. The president will ask the United States Trade Representative to consider tripling the existing Section 301 tariff rate on Chinese steel and aluminum as part of a four-year review. He was expected to announce this request during his Wednesday visit to the United Steelworkers headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A Boeing whistleblower has raised concerns about the company's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, warning that the plane's quality issues could make it “fall apart” in midair. Sam Salehpour, a quality engineer at Boeing who has worked with the company for fifteen years, is scheduled to testify Wednesday on the aircraft manufacturer's quality issues during a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing. ⭕️Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

Former Senator Rob Portman joins the show to talk about all the benefits and pitfalls of American trade policy. We examine the history and evolution of trade policy, the debate over free trade vs protectionism, tariffs vs subsidies, and finding the right balance to create fair competition and the movement of goods between nations. We also discuss the prospects for the TikTok bill passing the Senate, and get into some Civics 101 on the differences between legislating in the Senate vs the House. Prior to serving as Ohio's Senator from 2011 to 2023, Sen. Portman served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget and United States Trade Representative in the George W. Bush administration. Today he is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at American Enterprise Institute with a focus on public policy and free trade expansion. Follow him on Twitter at @robportmanOH.

National Ethanol Conference wrap up  The Renewable Fuels Association was pleased to welcome USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to the NEC this year, as well as Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. This edition of the Ethanol Report includes comments from both of them, as well as RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper, RFA Chairman Erik Huschitt of Badger State Ethanol, Dr. Michael Wang with Argonne National Laboratory, and RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development Robert White.

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai addresses the White House Tribal Nations Summit on December 6, 2023. In her remarks, Tai highlighted USTR's tribal consultation efforts and engagements with Native and Indigenous communities. Tai also underscored the importance of using trade as a force for good to address key issues facing Indian Country. Remarks as prepared for delivery: https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/speeches-and-remarks/2023/december/remarks-ambassador-katherine-tai-2023-white-house-tribal-nations-summit

China has had a dismissive attitude about its obligations as a member of World Trade Organization (WTO) ever since it joined the organization. Rob and Jackie sat down with Dennis Shea, executive director of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, to discuss how China's current non-market economic system is simply incompatible with WTO norms. MentionedDennis Shea. China's Trade-Disruptive Economic Model and the Implications for the WTO. (U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Geneva, 2018).2022 Report to Congress On China's WTO Compliance. United States Trade Representative, February 2023.Robert D. Atkinson. How China's Mercantilist Policies Have Undermined Global Innovation in the Telecom Equipment Industry. (ITIF, 2020).Stephen Ezell. False Promises II: The Continuing Gap Between China's WTO Commitments and Its Practices. (ITIF, 2021).

Around the world, green industrial policy is driving a surge of new investment into clean energy. This is good news for the climate, but it puts the international trading system under intense strain.  As countries around the world vie for influence over the growing market for clean energy, new fault lines are emerging and old rivalries are re-igniting. With energy security still top of mind, policymakers face the difficult task of balancing access to an open market against control over the energy supply chains of the future. The risks of failure are immense—a fractured global market could slow clean energy uptake, which is vital for solving the ever-worsening climate crisis.  What risks do trade tensions pose for the energy transition? What are the major areas of dispute? And how can policymakers improve the global trading system to support rapid clean energy growth? This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Maureen Hinman about the challenges facing global clean energy trade. Maureen is the co-founder and executive chair of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a nonprofit organization that uses a venture capital approach to address policy challenges in cybersecurity, trade, geopolitics, and energy.  Before founding Silverado, she served as director for Environment and Natural Resources at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, where she led a range of trade policy initiatives focused on natural resource conservation. She has also served as the U.S. Department of Commerce's senior industry trade specialist and as a consultant for Nathan Associates.

Newt Gingrich. Book- No Trade Is Free. FreedomToons- When your Pilot is an Affirmative Action Hire.   No Trade Is Free In his new book, “No Trade Is Free,” Robert Lighthizer challenges the way we think about trade policy in the United States. The establishments of both political parties, under the influence of multinational corporations and importers, have been unwilling or unable to recognize their trade policy mistakes which have put the American worker and manufacturer at risk while trying to maximize corporate profits, economic efficiency, and cut the price of products. Newt's guest is Robert Lighthizer. He served in President Trump's cabinet as the United States Trade Representative from 2017 to 2021 and was a deputy USTR under President Reagan. Newt's World  Jul 16 2023      When your Pilot is an Affirmative Action Hire FreedomToons 879K subscribers 389,945 views Jul 7, 2023 diversity haha so great yeahh wowwww.. BECOME A MEMBER AT http://freedomtoons.com/members/ to help us make more! HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! 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In Today's episode of "Moment of Truth," Saurabh and Nick sit down before a live audience with Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, 18th United States Trade Representative during the Trump Administration and former Deputy Trade Representative during the Reagan Administration, to discuss his new book "No Trade is Free," the economic and security consequences of trade deficits, pros and cons of tariffs, his negotiations with China, and what can be done to make America secure and prosperous again.#NoTradeIsFree #RobertLighthizer #Trade #TradeDeficit #Tariffs #China #FreeTrade #TrumpRobert Lighthizer served in President Trump's cabinet as the United States Trade Representative from 2017 to 2021 and was a deputy USTR under President Reagan. He is one of America's most respected experts on international trade, having negotiated dozens of international agreements and practiced trade law for more than forty years. Lighthizer was born in Ohio and now lives in Palm Beach, Florida.Learn more about Ambassador Robert Lighthizer's work:https://americafirstpolicy.com/team/bio/robertlighthizerPurchase Lighthizer's new book, "No Trade is Free"https://www.harpercollins.com/products/no-trade-is-free-robert-lighthizer––––––Follow American Moment across Social Media:Twitter – https://twitter.com/AmMomentOrgFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmMomentOrgInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/ammomentorg/YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4qmB5DeiFxt53ZPZiW4TcgRumble – https://rumble.com/c/ammomentorgOdysee – https://odysee.com/@AmMomentOrgCheck out AmCanon:https://www.americanmoment.org/amcanon/Follow Us on Twitter:Saurabh Sharma – https://twitter.com/ssharmaUSNick Solheim – https://twitter.com/NickSSolheimAmerican Moment's "Moment of Truth" Podcast is recorded at the Conservative Partnership Center in Washington DC, produced by American Moment Studios, and edited by Jake Mercier and Jared Cummings.Subscribe to our Podcast, "Moment of Truth"Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-truth/id1555257529Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/5ATl0x7nKDX0vVoGrGNhAj Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book, “No Trade Is Free,” Robert Lighthizer challenges the way we think about trade policy in the United States. The establishments of both political parties, under the influence of multinational corporations and importers, have been unwilling or unable to recognize their trade policy mistakes which have put the American worker and manufacturer at risk while trying to maximize corporate profits, economic efficiency, and cut the price of products. Newt's guest is Robert Lighthizer. He served in President Trump's cabinet as the United States Trade Representative from 2017 to 2021 and was a deputy USTR under President Reagan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20:57 - Elizabeth Birkemeyer - Red River Valley Fair Director of Marketing and Events 1:21:52 - Greg Tehven - Emerging Prairie Co-Founder and CEO 1:42:20 - Robert Lighthizer - Former United States Trade Representative What's on your mind? We want to know! Email us at StudioFlagFamily [dot] com Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, & Google  

The Supreme Court finally declares affirmative action, one of the most counter-productive policies of the last half-century, to be unconstitutional.  The Left immediately moves to “the sky is falling” mode… Affirmative Action has caused much more harm than good. The Supreme Court has wisely ended it. Merit should be the only standard... The vote was 6-3, the three leftists on the court dissenting… How long before colleges dream up a new ways to get around this decision?...Dennis talks to Joseph Fornieri, professor of political science at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He presents their new PragerU video and the latest installment in our Presidents series. “Franklin Pierce: A Torn President in a Torn Country. Dennis talks to Robert Lighthizer, a member of President Trump's cabinet as the United States Trade Representative. His new book is No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers. Thanks for listening to the Daily Dennis Prager Podcast. To hear the entire three hours of my radio show as a podcast, commercial-free every single day, become a member of Pragertopia. You'll also get access to 15 years' worth of archives, as well as daily show prep. Subscribe today at Pragertopia dot com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 28, 2023 ~ Robert E. Lighthizer, the 18th United States Trade Representative under the Trump administration, joins Tom to talk about his new book, “No Trade is Free.”

The Office of the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) most recent Special 301 report continued to identify India as “one of the world's most challenging major economies with respect to protection and enforcement of IP.”  The USTR has long argued that India fails to provide adequate patent protection and enforcement.  What exactly are the USTR's objections? How does this impact India's trade relations with the United States?  Expert guest Professor Srividhya Ragavan, Professor of Law and Director of International Programs at Texas A&M University School of Law will shed light on these and other questions. 

The annual war authorization (NDAA) is an excellent opportunity to examine our military's roles and goals in the world. In this episode, learn about how much of our tax money Congress provided the Defense Department, including how much of that money is classified, how much more money was dedicated to war than was requested, and what they are authorized to use the money for. This episode also examines our Foreign Military Financing programs with a deep dive into a new partner country: Ecuador. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd269-ndaa-2023-plan-ecuador Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD244: Keeping Ukraine CD243: Target Nicaragua CD230: Pacific Deterrence Initiative CD229: Target Belarus CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD191: The “Democracies” Of Elliott Abrams CD187: Combating China CD176: Target Venezuela: Regime Change in Progress CD172: The Illegal Bombing of Syria CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico CD128: Crisis in Puerto Rico CD108: Regime Change CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? World Trade System “IMF vs. WTO vs. World Bank: What's the Difference?” James McWhinney. Oct 10, 2021. Investopedia. The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World. Sally Denton. Simon and Schuster: 2017. Littoral Combat Ships “The Pentagon Saw a Warship Boondoggle. Congress Saw Jobs.” Eric Lipton. Feb 4, 2023. The New York Times. “BAE Systems: Summary.” Open Secrets. Foreign Military Sales Program “Written Testimony of Assistant Secretary of State Jessica Lewis before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a hearing on the ‘Future of Security Sector Assistance.'” March 10, 2022. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Ecuador “Ecuador - Modern history.” Encyclopedia Britannica. “Ecuador Tried to Curb Drilling and Protect the Amazon. The Opposite Happened.” Catrin Einhorn and Manuela Andreoni. Updated Jan 20, 2023. The New York Times. “Ecuador: An Overview,” [IF11218]. June S. Beittel and Rachel L. Martin. Sep 9, 2022. Congressional Research Service. “Ecuador: In Brief,” [R44294]. June S. Beittel. Updated Feb 13, 2018. Congressional Research Service. “Ecuador's 2017 Elections,” [IF10581] June S. Beittel. Updated April 20, 2017. Congressional Research Services. Debt Default “Ecuador's Debt Default: Exposing a Gap in the Global Financial Architecture.” Sarah Anderson and Neil Watkins. Dec 15, 2008. Institute for Policy Studies. “Ecuador: President Orders Debt Default.” Simon Romero. Dec 12, 2008. The New York Times. Violence and Drugs “Ecuador's High Tide of Drug Violence.” Nov 4, 2022. International Crisis Group. “Lasso will propose to the US an Ecuador Plan to confront drug trafficking.” Jun 8, 2022. EcuadorTimes.net. “‘Es hora de un Plan Ecuador': el presidente Lasso dice en entrevista con la BBC que su país necesita ayuda para enfrentar el narcotráfico.” Vanessa Buschschluter. Nov 4, 2021. BBC. “Ecuador declares state of emergency over crime wave.” Oct 19, 2021. Deutsche Welle. Mining “An Ecuadorean Town Is Sinking Because of Illegal Mining.” Updated Mar 28, 2022. CGTN America. “New Mining Concessions Could Severely Decrease Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Ecuador.” Bitty A. Roy. Jun 19, 2018. Tropical Conservation Science. Foreign Infrastructure Investments “Ecuador prioritizing 4 road projects involving more than US$1bn.” Nov 28, 2022. BNamericas. “USTDA Expands Climate Portfolio in Ecuador.” May 27, 2022. U.S. Trade and Development Agency. “Ecuador's controversial and costliest hydropower project prompts energy rethink.” Richard Jiménez and Allen Panchana. Dec 16, 2021. Diálogo Chino. “Ecuador's Power Grid Gets a Massive Makeover.” Frank Dougherty. Mar 1, 2021. Power. Fishing “China fishing fleet defied U.S. in standoff on the high seas.” Joshua Goodman. Nov 2, 2022. Chattanooga Times Free Press. “Report to Congress: National 5-year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (2022-2026).” October 2022. U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing. “United States Launches Public-Private Partnership In Peru And Ecuador To Promote Sustainable, Profitable Fishing Practices.” Oct 7, 2022. U.S. Agency for International Development. “US Coast Guard Conducts High Seas Boarding for First Time in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization Convention Area.” U.S. Coast Guard. Oct 5, 2022. Diálogo Americas. “Walmart, Whole Foods, and Slave-Labor Shrimp.” Adam Chandler. Dec 16, 2015. The Atlantic. South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Cutter Ships 22 USC Sec. 2321j, Update “Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress,” [R42567]. Ronald O'Rourke. Updated August 30, 2022. Congressional Research Service. Julian Assange “How Julian Assange became an unwelcome guest in Ecuador's embassy.” Luke Harding et al. May 15, 2018. The Guardian. “Ecuador Expels U.S. Ambassador Over WikiLeaks Cable.” Simon Romero. Apr 5, 2011. The New York Times. Chevron Case “Controversial activist Steven Donziger is a folk hero to the left, a fraud to Big Oil.” Zack Budryk. Dec 27, 2022. The Hill. Venezuela “Ecuador: Lasso Calls for Increased Pressure on Venezuela.” Apr 14, 2021. teleSUR. China Trade Deal “Ecuador reaches trade deal with China, aims to increase exports, Lasso says.” Jan 3, 2023. Reuters. “On the Ecuador-China Debt Deal: Q&A with Augusto de la Torre.” Sep 23, 2022. The Dialogue. “Ecuador sees trade deal with China at end of year, debt talks to begin.” Alexandra Valencia. Feb 5, 2022. Reuters. Business Reforms “Will Ecuador's Business Reforms Attract Investment?” Ramiro Crespo. Mar 3, 2022. Latin American Advisor. U.S. Ecuador Partnership “Why Ecuador's president announced his re-election plans in Washington.” Isabel Chriboga. Dec 22, 2022. The Atlantic Council. “USMCA as a Framework: New Talks Between U.S., Ecuador, Uruguay.” Jim Wiesemeyer. Dec 21, 2022. AgWeb. “US seeks to bolster Ecuador ties as China expands regional role.” Dec 19, 2022. Al Jazeera. “As China's influence grows, Biden needs to supercharge trade with Ecuador.” Isabel Chiriboga. Dec 19, 2022. The Atlantic Council. “The United States and Ecuador to Explore Expanding the Protocol on Trade Rules and Transparency under the Trade and Investment Council (TIC).” Nov 1, 2022. Office of the United States Trade Representative. “A delegation of U.S. senators visits Ecuador.” Oct 19, 2022. U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador. Referendum “Guillermo Lasso Searches for a Breakthrough.” Sebastián Hurtado. Dec 19, 2022. Americas Quarterly. State Enterprise Resignation “Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso asks heads of all state firms to resign.” Jan 18, 2023. Buenos Aires Times. Lithium Triangle “Why the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act Could Benefit Both Mining and Energy in Latin America.” John Price. Aug 22, 2022. Americas Market Intelligence. Colombia “Latin America's New Left Meets Davos.” Catherine Osborn. Jan 20, 2023. Foreign Policy. “How Colombia plans to keep its oil and coal in the ground.” María Paula Rubiano A. Nov 16, 2022. BBC. “Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations.” June S. Beittel. Updated December 16, 2021. Congressional Research Service. Tax Reform “In Colombia, Passing Tax Reform Was the Easy Part.” Ricardo Ávila. Nov 23, 2022. Americas Quarterly. “U.S. Government Must Take Urgent Action on Colombia's Tax Reform Bill.” Cesar Vence and Megan Bridges. Oct 26, 2022. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Letter from ACT et. al. to Sec. Janet Yellen, Sec. Gina Raimondo, and Hon. Katherine Tai.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Relationship with U.S. “Does glyphosate cause cancer?” Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Jul 8, 2021. City of Hope. “Colombian Intelligence Unit Used U.S. Equipment to Spy on Politicians, Journalists.” Kejal Vyas. May 4, 2020. The Wall Street Journal. “Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A meta-analysis and supporting evidence.” Luoping Zhang et al. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research Vol. 781, July–September 2019, pp. 186-206. “Colombia to use drones to fumigate coca leaf with herbicide.” Jun 26, 2018. Syria “Everyone Is Denouncing the Syrian Rebels Now Slaughtering Kurds. But Didn't the U.S. Once Support Some of Them?” Mehdi Hasan. Oct 26, 2019. The Intercept. “U.S. Relations With Syria: Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet.” Jan 20, 2021. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. “Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria.” Mark Mazzetti et al. Aug 2, 2017. The New York Times. “Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, With Aid From C.I.A.” C. J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt. Mar 24, 2013. The New York Times. Government Funding “House Passes 2023 Government Funding Legislation.” Dec 23, 2022. House Appropriations Committee Democrats. “Division C - Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2023.” Senate Appropriations Committee. Jen's highlighted version “Division K - Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023.” Senate Appropriations Committee. Laws H.R.2617 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 H.R.7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Jen's highlighted version Bills H.R. 8711 - United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 S. 3591 - United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 Audio Sources A conversation with General Laura J. Richardson on security across the Americas January 19, 2023 The Atlantic Council Clips 17:51 Gen. Laura Richardson: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that has been ongoing for the last over a decade in this region, 21 of 31 countries have signed on to this Belt and Road Initiative. I could take Argentina last January, the most recent signatory on to the Belt and Road Initiative, and $23 billion in infrastructure projects that signatory and signing on to that. But again, 21 of 31 countries. There are 25 countries that actually have infrastructure projects by the PRC. Four that aren't signatories of the BRI, but they do actually have projects within their countries. But not just that. Deepwater ports in 17 countries. I mean, this is critical infrastructure that's being invested in. I have the most space enabling infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere in Latin America and the Caribbean. And I just caused question, you know, why? Why is all of this critical infrastructure being invested in so heavily? In terms of telecommunications, 5G, I've got five countries with the 5G backbone in this region. I've got 24 countries with the PRC Huawei 3G-4G. Five countries have the Huawei backbone infrastructure. If I had to guess, they'll probably be offered a discount to upgrade and stay within the same PRC network. And so very, very concerning as we work with our countries. 20:00 Gen. Laura Richardson: What I'm starting to see as well is that this economy...the economy impacts to these partner nations is affecting their ability to buy equipment. And you know, as I work with our partner nations, and they invest in U.S. equipment, which is the best equipment, I must say I am a little biased, but it is the best equipment, they also buy into the supply chain of spare parts, and all those kinds of things that help to sustain this piece of equipment over many, many years. So in terms of the investment that they're getting, and that equipment to be able to stay operational, and the readiness of it, is very, very important. But now these partner nations, due to the impacts of their economy, are starting to look at the financing that goes along with it. Not necessarily the quality of the equipment, but who has the best finance deal because they can't afford it so much up front. 24:15 Gen. Laura Richardson: This region, why this region matters, with all of its rich resources and rare earth elements. You've got the lithium triangle which is needed for technology today. 60% of the world's lithium is in the lithium triangle: Argentina Bolivia, Chile. You just have the largest oil reserves -- light, sweet, crude -- discovered off of Guyana over a year ago. You have Venezuela's resources as well with oil, copper, gold. China gets 36% of its food source from this region. We have the Amazon, lungs of the world. We have 31% of the world's freshwater in this region too. I mean, it's just off the chart. 28:10 Gen. Laura Richardson: You know, you gotta question, why are they investing so heavily everywhere else across the planet? I worry about these dual-use state-owned enterprises that pop up from the PRC, and I worry about the dual use capability being able to flip them around and use them for military use. 33:30 Interviewer: Russia can't have the ability to provide many of these countries with resupply or new weapons. I mean, they're struggling to supply themselves, in many cases, for Ukraine. So is that presenting an opportunity for maybe the US to slide in? Gen. Laura Richardson: It is, absolutely and we're taking advantage of that, I'd like to say. So, we are working with those countries that have the Russian equipment to either donate or switch it out for United States equipment. or you Interviewer: Are countries taking the....? Gen. Laura Richardson: They are, yeah. 45:25 Gen. Laura Richardson: National Guard State Partnership Program is huge. We have the largest National Guard State Partnership Program. It has come up a couple of times with Ukraine. Ukraine has the State Partnership Program with California. How do we initially start our great coordination with Ukraine? It was leveraged to the National Guard State Partnership Program that California had. But I have the largest out of any of the CoCOMMs. I have 24 state partnership programs utilize those to the nth degree in terms of another lever. 48:25 Gen. Laura Richardson: Just yesterday I had a zoom call with the U.S. Ambassadors from Argentina and Chile and then also the strategy officer from Levant and then also the VP for Global Operations from Albermarle for lithium, to talk about the lithium triangle in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile and the companies, how they're doing and what they see in terms of challenges and things like that in the lithium business and then the aggressiveness or the influence and coercion from the PRC. House Session June 15, 2022 Clips Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): The GAO found that the LCS had experienced engine failure in 10 of the 11 deployments reviewed. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): One major reason for the excessive costs of LCS: contractors. Unlike other ships where sailors do the maintenance, LCS relies almost exclusively on contractors who own and control the technical data needed to maintain and repair. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): Our top priority and national defense strategy is China and Russia. We can't waste scarce funds on costly LCS when there are more capable platforms like destroyers, attack submarines, and the new constellation class frigate. A review of the President's Fiscal Year 2023 funding request and budget justification for the Navy and Marine Corps May 25, 2022 Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Defense Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Carlos Del Toro, Secretary, United States Navy Admiral Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps Clips Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS): I think the christening was just a few years ago...maybe three or so. So the fact that we christened the ship one year and a few years later we're decommissioning troubles me. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS): Are there not other uses, if there's something missing from this class of ships, that we would avoid decommissioning? Adm. Michael Gilday: We need a capable, lethal, ready Navy more than we need a larger Navy that's less capable, less lethal, and less ready. And so, unfortunately the Littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against a peer competitor in China. Adm. Michael Gilday: And so we refuse to put an additional dollar against that system that wouldn't match the Chinese undersea threat. Adm. Michael Gilday: In terms of what are the options going forward with these ships, I would offer to the subcommittee that we should consider offering these ships to other countries that would be able to use them effectively. There are countries in South America, as an example, as you pointed out, that would be able to use these ships that have small crews. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary ofDefense Lloyd J. Austin III Remarks to Traveling Press April 25, 2022 China's Role in Latin America and the Caribbean March 31, 2022 Senate Foreign Relations Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Kerri Hannan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Policy, Planning, and Coordination, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Peter Natiello, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Latin America and Caribbean Bureau, U.S. Agency for International Development Andrew M. Herscowitz, Chief Development Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Margaret Myers, Director of the Asia & Latin America Program, Inter-American Dialogue Evan Ellis, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic and International Studies Clips 24:20 Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): Ecuador for example, nearly 20 years ago, former President Rafael Correa promised modernization for Ecuador, embracing Chinese loans and infrastructure projects in exchange for its oil. Fast forward to today. Ecuador now lives with the Chinese financed and built dam that's not fully operational despite being opened in 2016. The Coca Codo Sinclair Dam required over 7000 repairs, it sits right next to an active volcano, and erosion continues to damage the dam. The dam also caused an oil spill in 2020 that has impacted indigenous communities living downstream. And all that's on top of the billions of dollars that Ecuador still owes China. 56:40 Peter Natiello: One example that I could provide is work that we've done in Ecuador, with Ecuadorian journalists, to investigate, to analyze and to report on the issue of illegal and unregulated fishing off Ecuador's coast. And we do that because we want to ensure that Ecuadorian citizens have fact-based information upon which they can make decisions about China and countries like China, and whether they want their country working with them. 1:23:45 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): There are 86 million tons of identified lithium resources on the planet. On the planet. 49 million of the 86 million are in the Golden Triangle. That's Argentina, Bolivia, Chile. So what's our plan? 1:54:10 Evan Ellis: In security engagement, the PRC is a significant provider of military goods to the region including fighters, transport aircraft, and radars for Venezuela; helicopters and armored vehicles for Bolivia; and military trucks for Ecuador. 2:00:00 Margaret Myers: Ecuador is perhaps the best example here of a country that has begun to come to terms with the challenges associated with doing business with or interacting from a financial or investment perspective with China. And one need only travel the road from the airport to Quito where every day there are a lot of accidents because of challenges with the actual engineering of that road to know why many Ecuadorians feel this way. Examining U.S. Security Cooperation and Assistance March 10, 2022 Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Watch Full Hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Jessica Lewis, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State Mara Elizabeth Karlin, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities, U.S. Department of Defense Clips 1:23:17 Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): According to one study, the DoD manages 48 of the 50 new security assistance programs that were created after the 9/11 attacks and out of the 170 existing security assistance programs today, DOD manages 87, a whopping 81% of those programs. That is a fundamental transition from the way in which we used to manage security assistance. And my worry is that it takes out of the equation the people who have the clearest and most important visibility on the ground as to the impact of that security assistance and those transfers. Sen. Chris Murphy: We just spent $87 billion in military assistance over 20 years in Afghanistan. And the army that we supported went up in smoke overnight. That is an extraordinary waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars, and it mirrors a smaller but similar investment we made from 2003 to 2014 in the Iraqi military, who disintegrated when they faced the prospect of a fight against ISIS. Clearly, there is something very wrong with the way in which we are flowing military assistance to partner countries, especially in complicated war zones. You've got a minute and 10 seconds, so maybe you can just preview some lessons that we have learned, or the process by which we are going to learn lessons from all of the money that we have wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jessica Lewis: Senator, I'll be brief so that Dr. Karlin can jump in as well. I think we do need to learn lessons. We need to make sure, as I was just saying to Senator Cardin, that when we provide security assistance, we also look not just at train and equip, but we look at other things like how the Ministries of Defense operate? Is their security sector governant? Are we creating an infrastructure that's going to actually work? Mara Elizabeth Karlin: Thank you for raising this issue, Senator. And I can assure you that the Department of Defense is in the process of commissioning a study on this exact issue. I will just say in line with Assistant Secretary Lewis, it is really important that when we look at these efforts, we spend time assessing political will and we do not take an Excel spreadsheet approach to building partner militaries that misses the higher order issues that are deeply relevant to security sector governance, that will fundamentally show us the extent to which we can ultimately be successful or not with a partner. Thank you. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): You know, in Iraq, last time I was there, we were spending four times as much money on security assistance as we were on non-security assistance. And what Afghanistan taught us amongst many things, is that if you have a fundamentally corrupt government, then all the money you're flowing into the military is likely wasted in the end because that government can't stand and thus the military can't stand. So it also speaks to rebalancing the way in which we put money into conflict zones, to not think that military assistance alone does the job. You got to be building sustainable governments that serve the public interests in order to make your security assistance matter and be effective. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activity in North and South America March 8, 2022 House Armed Services Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Melissa G. Dalton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Office of the Secretary of Defense General Laura Richardson, USA, Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Glen D. VanHerck, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command Clips 17:30 General Laura Richardson: Colombia, for example, our strongest partner in the region, exports security by training other Latin American militaries to counter transnational threats. 1:20:00 General Laura Richardson: If I look at what PRC (People's Republic of China) is investing in the [SOUTHCOM] AOR (Area of Responsibility), over a five year period of 2017 to 2021: $72 billion. It's off the charts. And I can read a couple of the projects. The most concerning projects that I have are the $6 billion in projects specifically near the Panama Canal. And I look at the strategic lines of communication: Panama Canal and the Strait of Magellan. But just to highlight a couple of the projects. The nuclear power plant in Argentina: $7.9 billion. The highway in Jamaica: $5.6 billion. The energy refinery in Cuba, $5 billion. The highway in Peru: $4 billion. Energy dam in Argentina: $4 billion, the Metro in Colombia: $3.9 billion. The freight railway in Argentina: $3 billion. These are not small projects that they're putting in this region. This region is rich in resources, and the Chinese don't go there to invest, they go there to extract. All of these projects are done with Chinese labor with host nation countries'. U.S. Policy on Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean November 30, 2021 Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Watch full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Brian A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Todd D. Robinson, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, U.S. Department of State Clips 1:47:15 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): I'd like to start with Mexico. I am increasingly concerned that the Mexican government is engaged in a systematic campaign to undermine American companies, and especially American energy companies that have invested in our shared prosperity and in the future of the Mexican people and economy. Over the past five months, Mexican regulators have shut down three privately owned fuel storage terminals. Among those they shut down a fuel terminal and Tuxpan, which is run by an American company based in Texas, and which transports fuel on ships owned by American companies. This is a pattern of sustained discrimination against American companies. And I worry that the Mexican government's ultimate aim is to roll back the country's historic 2013 energy sector liberalisation reforms in favor of Mexico's mismanaged and failing state-owned energy companies. The only way the Mexican government is going to slow and reverse their campaign is if the United States Government conveys clearly and candidly that their efforts pose a serious threat to our relationship and to our shared economic interests. 2:01:50 Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): Mr. Nichols, can you can you just be a little more specific about the tactics of the GEC? What are some of the specific activities they're doing? And what more would you like to see them do? Brian A. Nichols: The Global Engagement Center both measures public opinion and social media trends throughout the world. They actively work to counter false messages from our strategic competitors. And they prepare media products or talking points that our embassies and consulates around the hemisphere can use to combat disinformation. I think they do a great job. Obviously, it's a huge task. So the the resources that they have to bring to bear to this limit, somewhat, the ability to accomplish those goals, but I think they're doing vital, vital work. 2:13:30 Todd D. Robinson: We are, INL (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement) are working very closely with the Haitian National Police, the new Director General, we are going to send in advisors. When I was there two weeks ago, I arrived with -- they'd asked for greater ability to get police around the city -- I showed up with 19 new vehicles, 200 new protective vests for the police. The 19 was the first installment of a total of 60 that we're going to deliver to the Haitian National Police. We're gonna get advisors down there to work with the new SWAT team to start taking back the areas that have been taken from ordinary Haitians. But it's going to be a process and it's going to take some time. Sen. Bob Menendez: Well, first of all, is the Haitian National Police actually an institution capable of delivering the type of security that Hatians deserve? Todd D. Robinson: We believe it is. It's an institution that we have worked with in the past. There was a small brief moment where Haitians actually acknowledged that the Haitian National Police had gotten better and was more professional. Our goal, our long term goal is to try to bring it back to that Sen. Bob Menendez: How much time before we get security on the ground? Todd D. Robinson: I can't say exactly but we are working as fast as we can. Sen. Bob Menendez: Months, years? Todd D. Robinson: Well, I would hope we could do it in less than months. But we're working as fast as we can. Global Challenges and U.S. National Security Strategy January 25, 2018 Senate Committee on Armed Services Watch the full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Chairman of Kissinger Associates and Former Secretary of State Dr. George P. Shultz, Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and Former Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage, President, Armitage International and Former Deputy Secretary of State Clips Dr. George Shultz: Small platforms will carry a very destructive power. Then you can put these small platforms on drones. And drones can be manufactured easily, and you can have a great many of them inexpensively. So then you can have a swarm armed with lethal equipment. Any fixed target is a real target. So an airfield where our Air Force stores planes is a very vulnerable target. A ship at anchor is a vulnerable target. So you've got to think about that in terms of how you deploy. And in terms of the drones, while such a system cannot be jammed, it would only serve to get a drone—talking about getting a drone to the area of where its target is, but that sure could hit a specific target. At that point, the optical systems guided by artificial intelligence could use on-board, multi-spectral imaging to find a target and guide the weapons. It is exactly that autonomy that makes the technologic convergence a threat today. Because such drones will require no external input other than the signature of the designed target, they will not be vulnerable to jamming. Not requiring human intervention, the autonomous platforms will also be able to operate in very large numbers. Dr. George Shultz: I think there's a great lesson here for what we do in NATO to contain Russia because you can deploy these things in boxes so you don't even know what they are and on trucks and train people to unload quickly and fire. So it's a huge deterrent capability that is available, and it's inexpensive enough so that we can expect our allies to pitch in and get them for themselves. Dr. George Shultz: The creative use of swarms of autonomous drones to augment current forces would strongly and relatively cheaply reinforce NATO, as I said, that deterrence. If NATO assists frontline states in fielding large numbers of inexpensive autonomous drones that are pre-packaged in standard 20-foot containers, the weapons can be stored in sites across the countries under the control of reserve forces. If the weapons are pre-packaged and stored, the national forces can quickly deploy the weapons to delay a Russian advance. So what's happening is you have small, cheap, and highly lethal replacing large, expensive platforms. And this change is coming about with great rapidity, and it is massively important to take it into account in anything that you are thinking about doing. Foreign Military Sales: Process and Policy June 15, 2017 House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Watch the full hearing on YouTube Witnesses: Tina Kaidanow, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey, Director, U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency Clips 14:40 Tina Kaidanow: Arms Transfers constitute an element of foreign policy. We therefore take into account foreign policy considerations as we contemplate each arms transfer or sale, including specifically, the appropriateness of the transfer in responding to U.S and recipient security needs; the degree to which the transfer supports U.S. strategic foreign policy and defense interests through increased access and influence; allied burden sharing and interoperability; consistency with U.S. interests regarding regional stability; the degree of protection afforded by the recipient company to our sensitive technology; the risk that significant change in the political or security situation of the recipient country could lead to inappropriate end use or transfer; and the likelihood that the recipient would use the arms to commit human rights abuses or serious violations of international humanitarian law, or retransfer the arms to those who would commit such abuses. As a second key point, arms transfers support the U.S. Defense industrial base and they reduce the cost of procurement for our own U.S. military. Purchases made through the Foreign Military Sales, known as the FMS, system often can be combined with our Defense Department orders to reduce unit costs. Beyond this, the US defense industry directly employs over 1.7 million people across our nation. 20:20 Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey: FMS is the government-to-government process through which the U.S. government purchases defense articles, training, and services on behalf of foreign governments, authorized in the Arms Export Control Act. FMS is a long standing security cooperation program that supports partner and regional security, enhances military-to-military cooperation, enables interoperability and develops and maintains international relationships. Through the FMS process, the US government determines whether or not the sale is of mutual benefit to us and the partner, whether the technology can and will be protected, and whether the transfer is consistent with U.S. conventional arms transfer policy. The FMS system is actually a set of systems in which the Department of State, Department of Defense, and Congress play critical roles. The Department of Defense in particular executes a number of different processes including the management of the FMS case lifecycle which is overseen by DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency). Technology transfer reviews, overseen by the Defense Technology Security Administration, and the management of the Defense Acquisition and Logistics Systems, overseen by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and the military departments. This process, or a version of it, also serves us well, in the DoD Title X Building Partnership Capacity arena, where the process of building a case, validating a requirement and exercising our U.S. acquisition system to deliver capability is modeled on the FMS system. I want to say clearly that overall the system is performing very well. The United States continues to remain the provider of choice for our international partners, with 1,700 new cases implemented in Fiscal Year 2016 alone. These new cases, combined with adjustments to existing programs, equated to more than $33 billion in sales last year. This included over $25 billion in cases funded by our partner nations' own funds and approximately $8 billion in cases funded by DOD Title X program or Department of State's Appropriations. Most FMS cases move through the process relatively quickly. But some may move more slowly as we engage in deliberate review to ensure that the necessary arms transfer criteria are met. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Erin is joined by Robert Zoellick, former President of the World Bank and United States Trade Representative, for a discussion on Russia, China and the need for a renewed North American relationship to rise to the challenges facing the democratic world. Like, subscribe, and share the Blue Skies political podcast to show you support serious and long-form political debate.

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, was formed jointly by the US and partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo on the 23rd of May this year. IPEF is an important part of US President Joe Biden's strategy to counter growing Chinese clout in the Asian economic sphere. The first in-person ministerial meeting of the 14-nation bloc took place in Los Angeles last week. And its joint declaration was on the expected lines. India decided to join three pillars of the IPEC. These relate to supply chains, tax and anti-corruption, and clean energy.  However, it has decided to opt out of the trade pillar for now. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal cited the lack of a broader consensus on issues such as environment, digital trade, labour and public procurement. Stating that the final contours of the framework on trade were yet to emerge, Goyal said that India was yet to ascertain what benefits member countries would derive. And whether any of the conditions, for example on the environment, might discriminate against developing countries. The minister also pointed out that India was in the process of firming up its digital framework and laws, especially on privacy and data. According to Goyal, while India would continue to engage with IPEF on trade, it would wait for the final contours to emerge before finally associating with that particular pillar. Apart from India and the US, the 12 other members of the IPEF are Australia, Brunei, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. All the other member nations have joined IPEF's four pillars. The IPEF partner countries represent over 40 per cent of the global economy. The IPEF has four pillars. The first is supply-chain resilience. The second involves clean energy, decarbonisation, and infrastructure. The third deals with taxation and anti-corruption. And, the fourth one is fair and resilient trade. The US is also seeking to include issues like the cross-border flow and localisation of data under the framework.   According to a February report by the US Congressional Research Service, member countries have to sign up to all of the components within a particular pillar, but do not have to participate in all the pillars.  The “fair and resilient trade” pillar is being led by the United States Trade Representative and includes digital, labour, and environment issues, with some binding commitments. However, the IPEF does not include market access commitments such as lowering tariff barriers. IPEF is the first plurilateral deal that India has agreed to join after exiting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, deal in 2019. The decision to opt out of the trade pillar for now may make sense since it is possible that India is not adequately prepared to handle negotiations on labour, environment standards and digital trade. After all, domestic regulations in all of these areas are yet to reach a level of maturity. But, there is need for a nuanced view because while India's domestic limitations may have driven its decision, there will be an impact on how member nations, especially the US, view it. Also, the impact of the decision on India's ambition to be a part of the global value chain needs to be looked at closely. While the decision may be the right step as far as India's domestic sensitivities are concerned in the short-term, there is also a counter argument when it comes to how competent the country is in negotiating on complex trade issues. Remember that at present, India is negotiating trade deals with the UK, Canada and EU. It has also agreed to including chapters regarding new-generation trade issues.

Ali Velshi is joined by Ryan Reilly, Justice Reporter at NBC News Digital, Eddie Glaude, Jr. Professor and Chair of the Dept. of African American Studies at Princeton University, Joanne Freeman, Professor of History & American Studies at Yale University, Dr. Daniel James Baker, Executive Director of Lenox Hill Hospital, Caleb Silver, Editor-in-Chief at Investopedia, Amb. Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative, Hugo Lowell, Congressional Reporter at The Guardian, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D) Illinois, Michael Beschloss, NBC News Presidential Historian, Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School, and Margaret Atwood, Author of ‘The Handmaid's Tale

1:00 - Building a Hydrogen Sector: Can the US help Saudi Arabia?Saudi Arabia seeks to become a global supplier of hydrogen and create a home-grown industry. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia should (and already are) working together to help Saudi Arabia realize this goal and to help power the energy transition. 9:50 - Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Scholarship Program has a new name and a new, refreshed mandate.The refreshed scholarship program will send 70,000 Saudi students abroad to top-ranked universities and training institutes by 2030.They'll go to not just any schools but to 200 approved foreign institutions….Eligible students will be streamed into one of four paths under the new strategy – the Pioneers Path, the Research & Development Path, the Providers Path, and the Promising Path.The hosts discuss these changes within the context of the decades-long history of the program, King Abdullah's legacy, and why the new program makes sense for a changing Saudi Arabia. 20:36 - The venerable Dr. Jon Alterman from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) thinktank in Washington joins The 966 to talk about a changing global order and the Middle East's role in it. The hosts ask Jon about his work to-date, including building the fascinating and informative podcast series for CSIS, Babel: Translating the Middle East, which is available anywhere you get your podcasts. They also discuss Yemen, U.S.-Saudi diplomacy and the relationship, China's role in the region, and so much more.Jon is an expert in the region. He holds the Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and is Director, Middle East Program at CSIS; received his PhD from Harvard University, and worked for the State Department. His very latest among many accomplishments is the recent Podcast mini-series, Babel: Translating the Middle East, which The 966 hosts enthusiastically recommend. For the concluding episode in that series, Jon interviews U.S. Envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, about the status of the fragile peace in the country and whats at stake there. 1:23:24 - Yallah! Six top storylines in Saudi Arabia to get you up to date heading into the weekend. •Saudi Arabia launches the Tawakkalna Services app in a tech-forward leap for Saudi Arabia and its e-government focus...The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority has launched a new app, Tawakkalna Services, to help improve the quality of life in the Kingdom, according to a report in Arab News. It provides 140 services that cover health, education, transport, Islamic and public services, and entertainment through 40 strategic partnerships. These include rendering a driving license, insurance documentation, passport inquiries and requests, a digital wallet approved by government agencies, charitable donations, data correction, and information verification.•US removes Saudi Arabia from intellectual property protection concern list, a big win for the Kingdom...According to a report in Arab News, The Office of the United States Trade Representative has taken the Kingdom off its Priority Watch List in its annual Special 301 Report, after Saudi Arabia tightened up its IP enforcement procedures.•Video asking Saudis not to offer census takers coffee sparks pride in hospitalityA public service advert from Saudi Arabian authorities asking residents not to invite census takers into their homes for coffee is proving a hit with the public, according to a report in The National. The video, released by the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, has been viewed almost 800,000 times since its release earlier this week. The Saudi census starts on May 10, the first since 2010. Before that, the official census took place in 2004, 1992 and 1974. Authorities are expecting to record a big increase in the population. The 2010 census recorded a population of 27,136,977, while a preliminary estimate in mid-2020 was just over 35,000,000.•Number of Saudi universities rises to 22 in UK Times Higher Education's Impact RankingsThe number of the Saudi universities jumped to 22 universities in the UK Times Higher Education (THE)'s Impact Rankings in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2022, Zawya reports. Three Saudi universities were included in 2019; increasing to 5 universities in 2020. In 2021, the number was increased to 12 universities, and it reached 22 universities this year.•Cash-strapped Pakistan gets $8 billion in financial support from Saudi Arabia, a significant lifeline...According to the Economic Times, during the recent visit of Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide Pakistan with a "sizeable package" of around USD 8 billion to help the cash-starved country bolster dwindling forex reserves and revive its ailing economy. It was also agreed that the existing deposits of USD 3 billion would be rolled over for an extended period of up to June 2023, according to an official.•Diriyah in Saudi Arabia will be home to Armani Hotels & Resorts' first Saudi Arabian outpost Giorgio Armani has decided to open a new hotel—the company's third in the world in the city of Diriyah, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and located near the Saudi capital of Riyadh. According to Architectural Digest, overlooking Diriyah's luxury shopping and hospitality district, the hotel will include approximately 70 luxuriously appointed suites plus two restaurants and a spa with a swimming pool, which offers a variety of wellness and relaxation experiences.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has reinstated 352 products into its exclusion list, which governs the Chinese imports subject to increased, punitive tariffs as part of the US-China trade war. The revised listing now once again excludes Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) from the added duties. PCBs are used to manufacture motherboards, GPUs, and a range of other electronic components.      The exclusions include “graphics processing modules” and “printed circuit assemblies, constituting unfinished logic board,” which cover PC graphics cards and motherboards. Additional exclusions were granted for PC desktop cases and trackpad units valued at over $100, but not for power supplies exceeding 500 watts.    The development means PCBs coming from China are now free from the 7.5%-25% additional import duties levied at them, which went into effect in January 2021 when the provisions excluding these products expired.   Asus has confirmed that it is slashing graphics card prices by up to 25%. In an email statement earlier today, an Asus representative added that price reductions will be applied to its entry-level, mid-range and high-performance models (not just the RX 6500 XT thankfully). The company cited cuts to the tariffs on US imports from China as a major reason behind the MSRP reductions.   "As a result of the latest tariff lift on Chinese imports from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Gamers and PC enthusiasts will see lower prices on ASUS GeForce RTX 30-series graphic cards starting on April 1st, 2022," an Asus rep   USTR enacted the exclusions to prevent the Trump-era tariffs from causing “severe economic harm” to US interests, including for small businesses and critical supply chains. Numerous tech companies—including Nvidia, Apple, and HP—had urged the Biden administration to lift the tariffs on electronics components that continue to be chiefly made in China.    GPUs "are not manufactured in the US and in only limited amounts in Taiwan,” Nvidia told the USTR in December. “Efforts to create new capacity in countries that presently do not manufacture such products (such as the US and Vietnam) were unsuccessful and were severely hampered by the fallout from COVID-19.”

This episode focuses on how the private sector, particularly the financial sector, is a driver for peace, and how it synergizes with trade and trade policy to assist fragile and conflict-affected situations. With a wealth of experience in both the private and public sector, Ambassador Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President for Strategic Growth at Mastercard and former United States Trade Representative (2013-2017), discusses the importance of shaping a favourable digital governance landscape and integrating financial inclusion into the framework of trade.   Guest: - Ambassador Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President for Strategic Growth at Mastercard and former United States Trade Representative (2013-2017) Host: - Mr. Axel M. Addy, former Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Negotiator of Liberia's accession to the WTO.

The infrastructure law provides the most significant investment in passenger rail in U.S. history, but substantial hurdles - including a powerful cartel - stand firmly in the way of a real national network. In this episode, learn the ways the infrastructure law paves the way for a better future for passenger rail along with the significant obstacles that it failed to address. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish YouTube Video What is the World Trade System? Contributors to Supply Chain Issues Matthew Jinoo Buck. February 4, 2022. “How America's Supply Chains Got Railroaded.” The American Prospect. “Cartel.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2022. “Energy Group Joins Shippers Alleging Price Fixing in Rail Transport.” January 6, 2020. The Houston Chronicle. Testimony of Dennis R. Pierce. Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead. October 21, 2020. 116th Cong. U.S. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2019. “IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2020.” Dangers of Monster Trains and Rail Profiteering Aaron Gordon. Mar 22, 2021. “‘It's Going to End Up Like Boeing': How Freight Rail Is Courting Catastrophe.” Vice. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Dec 29, 2020. “Accident Report: Collision of Union Pacific Railroad Train MGRCY04 with a Stationary Train, Granite Canyon, Wyoming, October 4, 2018” [NTSB/RAR-20/05 / PB2020-101016.] Marybeth Luczak. Nov 30, 2020. “Transport Canada Updates Rail Employee Fatigue Rules.” Railway Age. U.S. Government Accountability Office. May 30, 2019. “Rail Safety: Freight Trains Are Getting Longer, and Additional Information Is Needed to Assess Their Impact” [GAO-19-443.] Christina M. Rudin-Brown, Sarah Harris, and Ari Rosberg. May 2019. “How shift scheduling practices contribute to fatigue amongst freight rail operating employees: Findings from Canadian accident investigations.” Accident Analysis and Prevention. Jessica Murphy. Jan 19, 2018. “Lac-Megantic: The runaway train that destroyed a town.” BBC. Eric M. Johnson. Dec 6, 2017. “Growing length of U.S. freight trains in federal crosshairs after crashes: GAO.” Reuters. Cumberland Times-News. Aug 12, 2017. “Last of Hyndman's evacuated residents return home.” The Tribune Democrat. Jeffrey Alderton. Aug 5, 2017. “Propane fire out at Hyndman train crash site, residents await news of when they can return.” The Tribune Democrat. Jeffrey Alderton. Aug 3, 2017. “Train derailment destroys Bedford County home, forces evacuation.” The Tribune Democrat. New Jersey Department of Health. Revised June 2011. “Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Sodium Chlorate.” Stephen Joiner. Feb 11, 2010 “Is Bigger Better? 'Monster' Trains vs Freight Trains.” Popular Mechanics. Lobbying and Corruption “CSX Corp: Recipients.” 2020. Open Secrets. CSX Corporation Lobbying Report. 2020. Senate.gov. “Union Pacific Corp: Summary.” 2020. Open Secrets. “Union Pacific Corp: Members Invested.” 2018. Open Secrets. Union Pacific Corporation Lobbying Report. 2020. Senate.gov. What you really pay for TV Gavin Bridge. Oct 27, 2020. “The True Cost to Consumers of Pay TV's Top Channels.” Variety. Laws H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Sponsor: Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) Status: Became Public Law No. 117-58 Law Outline DIVISION A: SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TITLE I - FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAYS Subtitle A - Authorizations and Programs Sec. 11101: Authorization of appropriations Authorizes appropriations for Federal-Aid for highways at between $52 billion and $56 billion per year through fiscal year 2026 (over $273 billion total). Authorizes $300 million for "charging and fueling infrastructure grants" for 2022, which increases by $100 million per year (maxing out at $700 million in 2026) Authorizes between $25 million and $30 million per year for "community resilience and evacuation route grants" on top of equal amounts for "at risk coastal infrastructure grants" Authorizes a total of $6.53 billion (from two funds) for the bridge investment program Sec. 11102: Obligation ceiling Caps the annual total funding from all laws (with many exceptions) that can be spent on Federal highway programs. Total through 2026: $300.3 billion Sec. 11109: Surface transportation block grant program: Allows money from the surface transportation block grant program to be used for "planning and construction" of projects that "facilitate intermodel connections between emerging transportation technologies", specifically naming the hyperloop Sec. 11508: Requirements for Transportation Projects Carried Out Through Public Private Partnerships For projects that cost $100 million or more, before entering into a contract with a private company, the government partner has to conduct a "value for money analysis" of the partnership. Three years after a project is opened to traffic, the government partner has to review the compliance of the private company and either certify their compliance or report to the Secretary of Transportation the details of the violation. The certifications or violation notifications must be publicly available "in a form that does not disclose any proprietary or confidential business information." DIVISION B - SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT ACT OF 2021 TITLE I - MULTIMODAL AND FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION Subtitle A - Multimodal Freight Policy Sec. 21101: Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy Restructures/eliminates offices at the Department of Transportation to create an Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy The person in charge will be appointed by the President and has to be confirmed by the Senate Authorizes "such sums as are necessary" Subtitle B - Multimodal Investment Sec. 21201: National infrastructure project assistance Authorizes $2 billion per year until 2026 ($10 billion total) on projects that cost at least $100 million that include highways, bridges, freight rail, passenger rail, and public transportation projects. The Federal government will pay a maximum of 80% of the project costs. Sec. 21202: Local and regional project assistance Authorizes $1.5 billion per year until 2026 ($7.5 billion) (which will expire after 3 years) for grants for local transportation projects in amounts between $1 million and $25 million for projects that include highway, bridge, public transportation, passenger and freight rail, port infrastructure, surface transportation at airports, and more. Sec. 21203: National culvert removal, replacement, and restoration grant program Authorizes $800 million per year through 2026 ($4 billion) for grants for projects that replace, remove, or repair culverts (water channels) that improve or restore passages for fish. Subtitle C - Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Reforms TITLE II - RAIL Subtitle A - Authorization of Appropriations Sec. 22101: Grants to Amtrak Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor at between $1.1 billion and $1.57 billion per year through 2026 ($6.57 billion total). Authorizes appropriations for Amtrak in the National Network at between $2.2 billion and $3 billion per year through 2026 ($12.65 billion total). Sec. 22103: Consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements grants Authorizes $1 billion per year through 2026 ($5 billion total) for rail infrastructure safety improvement grants Sec. 22104: Railroad crossing elimination program Authorizes $500 million per year through 2016 ($2.5 billion total) for the elimination of railroad crossings Sec. 22106: Federal-State partnership for intercity passenger rail grants Authorizes $1.5 billion per year through 2026 ($7.5 billion total) for grants to states to expand intercity passenger rail grants Subtitle B - Amtrak Reforms Sec. 22201: Amtrak findings, mission, and goals Changes the goal of cooperation between Amtrak, governments, & other rail carriers from "to achieve a performance level sufficient to justify expending public money" to "in order to meet the intercity passenger rail needs of the United States" and expands the service areas beyond "urban" locations. Changes the goals of Amtrak to include... "Improving its contracts with rail carriers over whose tracks Amtrak operates." "Offering competitive fares" "Increasing revenue from the transportation of mail and express" "Encourages" Amtrak to make agreement with private companies that will generate additional revenue Sec. 22203: Station agents Requires that at least one Amtrak ticket agent works at each station, unless there is a commuter rail agent who has the authority to sell Amtrak tickets Sec. 22208: Passenger Experience Enhancement Removes the requirement that Amtrak's food and beverage service financially break even in order to be offered on its trains Creates a working group to make recommendations about how to improve the onboard food and beverage service The report must be complete within one year of the working group's formation After the report is complete, Amtrak must create a plan to implementing the working group's recommendations and/or tell Congress in writing why they will not implement the recommendations The plan can not include Amtrak employee layoffs Sec . 22209: Amtrak smoking policy Requires Amtrak to prohibit smoking - including electronic cigarettes - on all Amtrak trains Sec. 22210: Protecting Amtrak routes through rural communities Prohibits Amtrak from cutting or reducing service to a rail route if they receive adequate Federal funding for that route Sec. 22213: Creating Quality Jobs Amtrak will not be allowed to privatize the jobs previously performed by laid off union workers. Sec. 22214: Amtrak Daily Long Distance Study Authorizes $15 million for an Amtrak study on bringing back long distance rail routes that were discontinued. Subtitle C - Intercity Passenger Rail Policy Sec. 22304: Restoration and Enhancement Grants Extends the amount of time the government will pay the operating costs of Amtrak or "any rail carrier" partnered with Amtrak or a government agency that provides passenger rail service from 3 years to 6 years, and pays higher percentages of the the costs. Sec. 22305: Railroad crossing elimination program Creates a program to eliminate highway-rail crossings where vehicles are frequently stopped by trains Authorizes the construction on tunnels and bridges Requires the government agency in charge of the project to "obtain the necessary approvals from any impacted rail carriers or real property owners before proceeding with the construction of a project" Each grant will be for at least $1 million each The Federal government will pay no more than 80% of the project's cost Sec. 22306: Interstate rail compacts Authorizes up to 10 grants per year valued at a maximum of $1 million each to plan and promote new Amtrak routes The grant recipient will have to match the grant by at least 50% of the eligible expenses Sec. 22308: Corridor identification and development program The Secretary of Transportation will create a program for public entities to plan for expanded intercity passenger rail corridors (which are routes that are less than 750 miles), operated by Amtrak or private companies. When developing plans for corridors, the Secretary has to "consult" with "host railroads for the proposed corridor" Subtitle D - Rail Safety Sec. 22404: Blocked Crossing Portal The Administration of the Federal Railroad Administration would establish a "3 year blocked crossing portal" which would collect information about blocked crossing by trains from the public and first responders and provide every person submitting the complaint the contact information of the "relevant railroad" and would "encourage" them to complain to them too. Information collected would NOT be allowed to be used for any regulatory or enforcement purposes Reports to Congress will be created using the information collected Sec. 22406: Emergency Lighting The Secretary of Transportation will have to issue a rule requiring that all carriers that transport human passengers have an emergency lighting system that turns on when there is a power failure. Sec. 22408: Completion of Hours of Service and Fatigue Studies Requires the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to start pilot programs that were supposed to be conducted no later than 2010, which will test railroad employee scheduling rules designed to reduce employee fatigue. They will test... Assigning employees to shifts with 10 hours advance notice For employees subject to being on-call, having some shifts when those employees are not subject to being on-call. If the pilot programs have not begun by around March of 2023, a report will have to be submitted to Congress explaining the challenges, including "efforts to recruit participant railroads" Sec. 22409: Positive Train Control Study The Comptroller General will conduct a study to determine the annual operation and maintenance costs for positive train control. Sec. 22418: Civil Penalty Enforcement Authority Requires the Secretary of Transportation to provide notice and an opportunity for a hearing to "persons" who violate regulations requiring railroads to report information about railroad crossings. Eliminates the minimum $500 fine for violating the regulations Allows the Attorney General to take the railroad to court to collect the penalty but prohibits the amount of the civil penalty from being reviewed by the courts. Sec. 22423: High-Speed Train Noise Emissions Allows, but does not require, the Secretary of Transportation to create regulations governing the noise levels of trains that exceed 160 mph. Sec. 22425: Requirements for railroad freight cars placed into service in the United States Effective 3 years after the regulations are complete (maximum 5 years after this becomes law), freight cars will be prohibited from operating within the United States if it has sensitive technology originating from or if more than 15% of it is manufactured in... "A country of concern" (which is defined as a country identified by the Commerce Department "as a nonmarket economy country"). Countries on the nonmarket economy list include... Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus China Georgia Kyrgyz Republic Moldova Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam A country identified by the United States Trade Representative on its priority watch list, which in 2020 included... China Indonesia India Algeria Saudi Arabia Russia Ukraine Argentina Chile Venezuela State owned enterprises The Secretary of Transportation can assess fines between $100,000 and $250,000 per freight car. A company that has been found in violation 3 times can be kicked out of the United States transportation system until they are in compliance and have paid all their fines in full. These rules will apply regardless of what was agreed to in the USMCA trade agreement. Sec. 22427: Controlled substances testing for mechanical employees 180 days after this becomes law, all railroad mechanics will be subject to drug testing, which can be conducted at random. Bills H.R.1748 - Safe Freight Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Don Young (R-AK) Status: Referred to Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials 03/14/2019 Hearings Leveraging IIJA: Plans for Expanding Intercity Passenger Rail House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials December 9, 2021 During the hearing, witnesses discussed plans for expanding intercity passenger rail in their states, regions, and networks, and how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was recently signed into law, will support these efforts. Witnesses: Stephen Gardner, President, Amtrak David Kim, Secretary, California State Transportation Agency Kevin Corbett, President and CEO of New Jersey Transit, Co-Chair, Northeast Corridor Commission, On behalf of Northeast Corridor Commission Julie White, Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Commission Chair, Southeast Corridor Commission, On behalf of the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Southeast Corridor Commission Ms. Donna DeMartino, Managing Director, Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency Knox Ross, Mississippi Commission and Chair of the Southern Rail Commission Clips 8:52 - 9:12 Rep. Rick Crawford: Finally, any potential expansion of the Amtrak system must include the full input of the freight railroads on capacity and track sharing issues. The ongoing supply chain crisis only further emphasizes the value of freight railroads and efficiently moving goods across the nation. The important work the freight railroads cannot be obstructed. 16:49 - 17:10 Rep. Peter DeFazio The law is pretty clear: preference over freight transportation except in an emergency. Intercity and commuter rail passenger transportation provided for Amtrak has preference over freight transportation and using a rail line junction crossing unless the board orders otherwise under this subsection. Well, obviously that has not been observed. 22:05 - 22:24 Stephen Gardner: With the $66 billion provided to the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak we and our partners can finally have the chance to renew, improve or replace antiquated assets like the century old bridges and tunnels in the Northeast, inaccessible stations around the nation, and our vintage trains. 23:44 - 24:11 Stephen Gardner: Additionally, we'll continue to work collaboratively with our partners where they see value in working with other parties to deliver parts of their service and with new railroad entities that aim to develop or deliver their own service. We simply ask that key railroad laws like the Railway Labor Act and railway retirement apply to new entrants, that the federal government gets equity and accountability for investments it makes in private systems, and that any new services create connections with Amtrak's national network 1:25:00 - 1:25:37 Stephen Gardner: We've been working very closely with a variety of host railroads on opportunities to expand, notably Burlington Northern Santa Fe and our work to expand the Heartland Flyer service between Texas and Oklahoma and potentially extend that North to Wichita, Newton, in Colorado along the front range also with BNSF, to look at opportunities there. With Canadian Pacific we've been having really good conversations about launching a new service between the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Chicago. Similarly, I think there's opportunities for that Baton Rouge to New Orleans service that Mr. Ross mentioned. 1:54:24 - 1:55:10 Rep. Chuy Garcia: You've each had different experiences with freight railroads as the host railroad for your respective services. What can Congress do to help you as you discuss expanding and improving passenger rail service with your freight railroad? You'll have about 15 seconds each. Knox Ross: Congressman, thank you. I think it's enforcing the will of Congress and the law that set up Amtrak in the beginning is, as the Chairman talked about, in the beginning, that people have a preference over freight. Now we understand that we all have to work together to do that. But we think there are many ways that Amtrak and other other hosts can work together with the fright to get this done, but the law has to be enforced. 1:55:14 - 1:55:30 Julie White: I would say that the money in the IIJA is going to be really important as we work, for example, on the S Line it is an FRA grant that enables us to acquire that line from CSX and enables us to grow freight rail on it at the same time as passenger. 1:58:05 - 1:58:23 Rep. Tim Burchett: Also understand that Amtrak is planning to either expand or build new rail corridors in 26 states across the country over the next 15 years and I was wondering: what makes you think Amtrak will turn a profit in any of those communities? 1:58:43 - 1:59:29 Stephen Gardner: But I would be clear here that our expectation is that these corridors do require support from states and the federal government, that they produce real value and support a lot of important transportation needs. But we measure those not necessarily by the profit of the farebox, so to speak, even though Amtrak has the highest farebox recovery of any system in the United States by far in terms of rail systems, we believe that Amtrak mission is to create mobility, mobility that creates value. We do that with as little public funding as we can, but the current services do require support investment and I think that's fair. All transportation modes require investment. 2:00:12 - 2:00:24 Rep. Tim Burchett: Since you mentioned that you needed more funding down the line, don't you think it'd be better to make your current service corridors more profit -- or just profitable before you build new ones in other parts of the country? When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials May 6, 2021 This hearing featured twelve witnesses from a range of perspectives, exploring the opportunities and limitations associated with high-speed rail and emerging technologies, including regulatory oversight, technology readiness, project costs, and available federal resources. Witnesses: John Porcari, Former Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Transportation Rachel Smith, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Phillip Washington, CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Danielle Eckert, International Representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Carbett "Trey" Duhon III, Judge in Waller County, TX Andy Kunz, President and CEO of the US High Speed Rail Association Carlos Aguilar, President and CEO of Texas Central High Speed Rail William Flynn, CEO of Amtrak Josh Giegel, CEO and Co-Founder of Virgin Hyperloop Andres de Leon, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Michal Reininger, CEO of Brightline Trains Wayne Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Northeast Maglev Clips 8:37 - 8:48 Rep. Rick Crawford: Rail is also considered one of the most fuel efficient ways to move freight. On average freight rail can move one ton of freight over 470 miles on one gallon of fuel. 18:05 - 18:46 Rep. Peter DeFazio: You know we have put aggregate with the essentially post World War Two, mostly the Eisenhower program, $2 trillion -- trillion -- into highways, invested by the federal government, a lot of money. But post World War Two $777 billion into aviation, airports, runways, air traffic control etc. And, and we have put about $90 billion total into rail. 22:45 - 23:25 John Porcari: As I evaluated ways to increase capacity in the Baltimore-New York City corridor, these were my choices: I could add air capacity between BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and New York with 90% federal funding for runway and taxiway improvements, I could add highway capacity on I-95 to New York with 80% federal funding, or add passenger rail capacity with zero federal funding for that 215 mile segment. A passenger rail trip makes far more sense than driving or flying, yet passenger rail capacity was the least likely alternative to be selected. So if you wonder why we have the unbalanced transportation system we have today, follow the money. 23:26 - 23:54 John Porcari: It's an extraordinary statement of state priorities that the California High Speed Rail Authority's 2020 Business Plan anticipates 85% of its funding from state sources and only 15% federal funding for this project of national and regional significance. This is a remarkable state financial commitment and a clear declaration of the state's project priorities. Yet there's no ongoing sustained federal financial partner for this multi year program of projects. 23:54 - 24:28 John Porcari: To match the people carrying capacity of phase one of the high speed rail system, California would need to invest $122 to $199 billion towards building almost 4200 highway lane miles, the equivalent of a new six lane highway and the construction of 91 new airport gates and two new runways. The San Francisco-Los Angeles air loop is already the ninth busiest in the world, and the busiest air route in America. Doesn't it make sense to prioritize this finite and expensive airport capacity for trans continental and international flights? 24:28 - 24:40 John Porcari: For California the 120 to 209 billion of required highway and airport capacity as an alternative to high speed rail is double the 69 to 99 billion cost estimate for phase one of the high speed rail system. 25:05 - 25:18 John Porcari: Providing real transportation choices at the local and state level requires the establishment of a Passenger Rail Trust Fund on par with our Highway Trust Fund and Airport and Airway Trust Fund. 48:00 - 48:23 Trey Duhon: Texas Central promised this project was privately financed, and everything they've done today, including the EIS was based on that. So we say let it live or die in the free market and invest our tax dollars in more equitable transportation solutions. We should not have to pay for another train to nowhere while having our communities destroyed by the very tax dollars that we work hard to contribute. 49:48 - 50:42 Andy Kunz: High Speed Rail can unlock numerous ridership opportunities. Essential workers like teachers, police and firemen in the high price Silicon Valley could find affordable housing options with a short train ride to Merced or Fresno in California's Central Valley. Residents of Eugene, Oregon could access jobs in Portland's tech sector or booming recreational industry with a 35 minute commute. A Houston salesperson could prepare for an important client meeting in Dallas with dedicated Wi Fi and ample workspace while gliding past the notorious congestion on I-45. A college student in Atlanta could make it home for Thanksgiving in Charlotte while picking up grandma along the way in Greenville, South Carolina. International tourists visiting Disney World in Orlando could extend their vacation with a day trip to the Gulf beaches of the Greater Tampa Bay area. 51:41 - 54:58 Andy Kunz: High Speed Rail has an unmatched track record of safety. Japan, with the world's first high speed rail network, has carried millions of people over 50 years without a single fatality, in comparison as many as 40,000 Americans are killed every year in auto accidents on our highways. 52:22 - 52:45 Andy Kunz: China has invested over a trillion dollars in high speed rail, allowing them to build a world class 22,000 mile network in 14 years. Not taking a pause, China plans to construct another 21,000 miles of track over the next nine years. Modern infrastructure like this fuels China's explosive economic growth, making it challenging for us to compete with them in the 21st century. 52:46 - 53:10 Andy Kunz: On the other side of the globe, the United Kingdom is currently doubling their rail network with $120 billion investment. France has invested over $160 billion in constructing their system. Spain's 2000 mile High Speed Rail Network is the largest in Europe, costing more than 175 billion. These are considerable investments by nations that are similar in size to Texas. 1:08:00 - 1:09:00 Rep. Peter DeFazio: Are you aware of any high speed rail project in the world that isn't government subsidized? I know, Virgin in, you know, in Great Britain says, well, we make money. Yeah, you make money. You don't have to maintain the rail, the government does that, all you do is put a train set on it and run it. John Porcari: Yeah, that's a really important point, Mr. Chairman, virtually every one that I'm aware of in the world has had a very big public investment in the infrastructure itself, the operation by a private operator can be very profitable. I would point out that that is no different, conceptually from our airways system, for example, where federal taxpayer investments make possible the operations of our airlines, which in turn are profitable and no different than our very profitable trucking industry in the US, which is enabled by the public infrastructure investment of the highway system itself. 1:09:46 - 1:10:37 Philip Washington: The potential is very, very good to make that connection with the private railroad. And actually that is the plan. And we are working with that, that private railroad right now to do that. And that connection with the help of some twin bore tunnel will allow train speeds to be at anywhere from 180 to 200 miles an hour, getting from that high desert corridor to Los Angeles. And so it's a it's a huge, huge effort. It links up with high speed rail from the north as well, with the link up coming into Union Station as well. So I think the potential to link up both of these are very, very great. And we're working with both entities. 1:11:31 - 1:12:13 Philip Washington: Well one of our ideas very quickly is right now we have as you know, Mr. Chairman, assembly plants, assembly plants all over the country what we are proposing is a soup to nuts, all included manufacturing outfit in this country that manufactures trains from the ground up, forging steel, all of those things. So we have proposed an industrial park with suppliers on site as well to actually build again from the ground up, rail car passenger rail car vehicles and locomotives. It is the return of manufacturing to this country as we see it. 1:21:16 - 1:21:50 John Porcari: We have 111 year old tunnel in New York, we have a B&P tunnel in Baltimore, that Civil War era. Those are not the biggest obstacles. It is more a question of will. What we want to do as a country in infrastructure, we do, and we've never made rail, really the priority that that I think it needs to be. And we've never provided meaningful choices for the states to select rail and build a multi year rail program because we don't have the funding part of it. 1:21:55 - 1:22:19 John Porcari: Our passenger rail system in the US is moving from a survival mode to a growth mode. And I think that's a very healthy thing for the country. Whether you're talking about our cross country service, one of the coastal corridors or the Midwest service, all of that is really important. In just the same way we built the interstates, city pairs aggregating into a national system, we can really do that with the passenger rail system if we have the will. 1:27:13 - 1:27:41 Rep. Michelle Steel: My constituents are already taxed enough, with California state and local taxes and skyrocketing gas prices making it unaffordable to live. I just came back from Texas, their gas price was $2 something and we are paying over $4 in California. We must preserve our local economy by lowering taxes not raising them. And we must not continue throwing tax dollars into a high speed money pit. 1:30:53 - 1:31:11 Trey Duhon: The folks in Waller county the folks that I know, a family of four is not going to pay $1,000 To ride a train between Houston and Dallas, when they can get there on a $50 tank of gas an hour and a half later. It's just not going to happen. So it's not a mass transit solution, at least not for this corridor. 1:48:56 - 1:49:25 Andy Kunz: The other big thing that hasn't been mentioned is the the cost of people's time and waste sitting stuck in traffic or stuck in airports. It's estimated to be several 100 billion dollars a year. And then as a business person, time is money. So if all your people are taking all day to get anywhere your entire company is less competitive, especially against nations that actually have these efficient systems, and then they can out compete us 2:03:52 - 2:04:13 Seth Moulton: And I would just add, you know, we build high speed rail, no one's gonna force you to take it. You have that freedom of choice that Americans don't have today and yet travelers all around the world have. I don't understand why travelers in China should have so much more freedom than we do today. In America, high speed railway would rapidly rectify that 3:01:09 - 3:01:27 Josh Giegel: In 2014 I co-founded this company in a garage when Hyperloop was just an idea on a whiteboard. By late 2016 We began construction of our first full system test set, dev loop, north of Las Vegas. To date we've completed over 500 tests of our system. 3:01:38 - 3:01:48 Josh Giegel: Today we have approximately 300 employees and are the leading Hyperloop company in the world and the only company, the only company to have had passengers travel safely in a Hyperloop. 3:01:48 - 3:02:33 Josh Giegel: Hyperloop is a high speed surface transportation system. Travel occurs within a low pressure enclosure equivalent to 200,000 feet above sea level, in a vehicle pressurized to normal atmospheric conditions, much like a commercial aircraft. This, along with our proprietary magnetic levitation engine, allows us to reach and maintain airline speeds with significantly less energy than other modes of transportation. Not only is Hyperloop fast, it's a high capacity mass transit system capable of comfortably moving people and goods at 670 miles per hour with 50,000 passengers per hour per direction, on demand and direct to your destination, meaning no stops along the way. 3:02:54 - 3:02:58 Josh Giegel: We achieve all this on a fully electric system with no direct emissions. 3:11:34 - 3:11:53 Mike Reininger: Since our 2018 launch in Florida, we operate the only private high speed system in the US, showcasing the potential of American high speed passenger rail. We carried more than a million passengers in our first full year and learned a lot that is worth sharing from the investment of over $4 billion over the last 10 years. 3:12:45 - 3:12:57 Mike Reininger: We use existing road alignments and infrastructure corridors to leverage previous investments, reduce environmental impacts, lower costs, and speed execution as a basis for profitability. 3:13:00 - 3:13:28 Mike Reininger: In 2022, we will complete the extension into the Orlando International Airport, making our total route 235 miles, linking four of the largest cities in America's third largest state. 400 million annual trips occur between these cities today, 95% of them by car. By upgrading a freight railway first built in the 1890s and building along an Express Highway, we leveraged 130 years of previous investment to support our 21st century service. 3:13:31 - 3:13:51 Mike Reininger: Brightline West will connect Las Vegas to Los Angeles, where today 50 million annual trips and over 100 daily flights occur. Traveling on trains capable of speeds of 200 miles an hour using the I-15 corridor, but cutting the drive time in half, Brightline West's better option expects to serve 11 million annual riders. 3:14:56 - 3:15:08 Mike Reininger: Consider allowing private entities to become eligible parties for FRA grant programs by partnering with currently eligible applicants as a simple way to stretch direct government investment. 3:29:39 - 3:29:54 Rep. Rick Crawford: Amtrak announced plans to expand its routes including to several small cities where there doesn't appear to be enough demand or population to warrant those new lines. Can you guarantee that those new routes will be self sustaining and turn a profit or will they lose money? 3:38:42 - 3:38:55 Bill Flynn: 125 miles an hour on existing track infrastructure is high speed. The newest Acelas we ordered will have a top speed of 186 miles an hour. 3:36:46 - 3:37:05 Rep. Seth Moulton: What is the top speed of the Acela service? Bill Flynn: The Acela service in the southern network, Washington to New York, top speeds 135 miles an hour, and then in New York to Boston top speed of 150 miles an hour across different segments of the track. 4:11:57 - 4:12:30 Bill Flynn: When we think about NEPA and the other permitting processes that take place, and then ultimately into construction, on many major projects, we're talking a decade or more. So without the visibility and predictability and the certainty of funding, these projects are all affected, they ultimately become more high cost, and they take longer than they should. So if I were to recommend one policy action, creating a trust fund, or trust fund like structure, for intercity passenger rail would be key. Full Steam Ahead for Rail: Why Rail is More Relevant Than Ever for Economic and Environmental Progress House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials March 10, 2021 The hearing explored the importance of rail to the U.S. economy and as a tool to mitigate climate change. Witnesses: Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation, The Commonwealth of Virginia Caren Kraska, President/Chairman, Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Greg Regan, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO Tom Williams, Group Vice President for Consumer Products, BNSF Railway Clips 18:17 - 18:50 Shannon Valentine: One of the worst rail bottlenecks, mentioned by Chairman DeFazio, along the east coast is at the Potomac River between Virginia and DC and it's called the long bridge which is owned by CSX. The bridge carries on passenger, commuter, and freight rail, nearly 80 trains a day and is at 98% capacity during peak periods. Due to these constraints, Virginia has been unable to expand passenger rail service, even though demand prior to the pandemic was reaching record highs. 18:50 - 19:42 Shannon Valentine: Virginia has been engaged in corridor planning studies, one of which was the I-95 corridor, which as you all know, is heavily congested. Even today as we emerge from this pandemic, traffic has returned to 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Through this study, we learned that adding just one lane in each direction for 50 miles would cost $12.5 billion. While the cost was staggering, the most sobering part of the analysis was that by the time that construction was complete, in 10 years, the corridor would be just as congested as it is today. That finding is what led Virginia to a mode that could provide the capacity at a third of the cost. 20:34 - 20:43 Shannon Valentine: According to APTA rail travel emits up to 83% fewer greenhouse gases than driving and up to 73% fewer than flying. 20:58 - 21:22 Shannon Valentine: Benefits can also be measured by increased access to jobs and improving the quality of life. The new service plan includes late night and weekend service because many essential jobs are not nine to five Monday through Friday. That is why we work to add trains leaving Washington in the late evening and on weekends, matching train schedules to the reality of our economy. 52:23 - 53:06* Rep. Peter DeFazio: I am concerned particularly when we have some railroads running trains as long as three miles. And they want to go to a single crew for a three mile long train. I asked the the former head of the FRA under Trump if the train broke down in Albany, Oregon and it's blocking every crossing through the city means no police, no fire, no ambulance, how long it's going to take the engineer to walk three miles from the front of the train to, say, the second car from the rear which is having a brake problem. And he said, Well, I don't know an hour. So you know there's some real concerns here that we have to pursue. 1:23:25 - 1:24:15 Shannon Valentine: When we first launched the intercity passenger rail, Virginia sponsored passenger rail, back in 2009, it really started with a pilot with $17 million for three years from Lynchburg, Virginia into DC into the new Northeast Corridor. And, and I had to make sure that we had 51,000 riders and we didn't know if we were going to be able to sustain it. And in that first year, we had 125,000 passengers. It always exceeded expectations for ridership and profitability. And today, that rail service which we now extend over to Roanoke, and we're working to get it to Blacksburg Christiansburg is really one of our most profitable rail services. In fact, probably in the country. It doesn't even need a subsidy because they're able to generate that kind of ridership. 2:10:21 - 2:12:11 Shannon Valentine: Our project, in my mind, is really the first step in creating a southeast high speed corridor, we have to build the bridge. In order to expand access, we need to be able to begin separating passenger and freight. And even before that is able to occur, building signings and creating the ability to move. We took a lot of lessons from a study called the DC to RDA again, it's the first part of that high speed southeast corridor. For us, it was recommended that we take an incremental approach rather than having a large 100 billion dollar project we're doing in increments. And so this is a $3.7 billion which is still going to help us over 10 years create hourly service between Richmond and DC. It was recommended that we use existing infrastructure and right of way so in our negotiations with CSX, we are acquiring 386 miles of right of way and 223 miles of track. We are also purchasing as part of this an S line. It's abandoned. It goes down into Ridgeway, North Carolina from Petersburg, Virginia, just south of Richmond. Because it's abandoned, we have a lot of opportunity for development for future phases or even higher speed rail. And we actually included part of Buckingham branch, it's an East West freight corridor that we would like to upgrade and protect for, for East West connection. All of these were incremental steps using existing right of way and tracks and achieving higher speeds where it was achievable. Examining the Surface Transportation Board's Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials November 18, 2020 Witnesses: Ann D. Begeman, Chairman, Surface Transportation Board Martin J. Oberman, Vice Chairman, Surface Transportation Board Romayne C. Brown, Chair of the Board of Directors, Metra Stephen Gardner, Senior Executive Vice President, Amtrak Ian Jefferies, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads Randal O'Toole, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute Paul Skoutelas, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Public Transportation Association Clips 27:31 - 27:59 Daniel Lipinski: Unlike Amtrak, Metra and other commuter railroads do not have a statutory federal preference prioritizing commuter trains over freight trains. Additionally, commuter railroads generally do not have standing to bring cases before the STB. Therefore, commuter railroads have very limited leverage when it comes to trying to expand their service on freight rail lines and ensuring that freight railroads Do not delay commuter trains. 35:42 - 36:27 Rep. Peter DeFazio: In fact, Congress included provisions to fix Amtrak on time performance in 2008. That is when PRIA added a provisions directing the FRA and Amtrak to work to develop on time performance metric standards to be used as a basis for an STB investigation. Unfortunately, those benefits haven't been realized. It's been 12 years since PRIA was passed. If our eyes metric and standards for on time performance were published this last Monday 12 years later, for the second time, and after this long and unacceptable delay, I look forward to seeing an improvement on Amtrak's performance both in in my state and nationwide. 38:01 - 38:32 Rep. Peter DeFazio: Worldwide, I'm not aware of any railroads, passenger railroads, that make money, although Virgin claims they do in England because they don't have to maintain the tracks. Pretty easy to make money if all you have to do is put a train set on it, run it back and forth. That's not the major expense. So, you know, to say that we shouldn't be subsidizing commuter or we shouldn't be subsidizing Amtrak is, you know, is just saying you don't want to run trains. Because everywhere else in the world they're subsidized. 43:45 - 44:30 Ann Begeman: Most intercity passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak, which is statutorily excluded from many of the board's regulatory requirements applicable to freight carriers. However, with the enactment of the Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIA) which both Chairman Lipinski and Chairman De Fazio has have mentioned in their opening comments, as well as the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of 2015. FAST Act, the board assumed additional Amtrak oversight responsibilities, including the authority to conduct investigations under certain circumstances, and when appropriate, to award relief and identify reasonable measures to improve performance on passenger rail routes. 1:02:24 - 1:03:07 Stephen Gardner: Congress created Amtrak in 1970 to take on a job that today's freight railroads no longer wanted. In exchange for contracts assumption of these private railroads common carrier obligation for passengers and the associated operating losses for passenger service, the freights agreed to allow Amtrak to operate wherever and whenever it wanted over their lines, to provide Amtrak trains with dispatching preference over freight, and to empower what is now the STB to ensure Amtrak's access to the rail network. It's been nearly 50 years since the freight railroads and agreed eagerly to this bargain. And yet today, many of our hosts railroads fall short and fulfilling some of these key obligations 1:03:28 - 1:04:38 Stephen Gardner: Since our founding, Congress has had to clarify and amend the law to try and ensure host compliance. For example, by 1973, the freights had begun delaying Amtrak train so severely that Congress enshrined this promise of Amtrak preference into federal law, and in 2008, delays had gotten so bad that Congress created a new process to set Amtrak on time performance and provided the STB with the authority to investigate poor OTP. But for several reasons, these efforts haven't remedied the problems. For Amtrak and your constituents that has meant millions of delayed passengers and years of impediment as we try to add trains or start new routes to keep up with changing markets and demand. As the AAR are made clear and its litigation opposing the PRIA metrics and standards rule, many hosts see supporting our operation not as their obligation to the public, but as competition for the use of their infrastructure. But Amtrak wasn't created to relieve host railroads of their requirements to support passenger trains. It was created to help them reduce financial losses and ensure that passenger trains could still serve the country 1:04:38 - 1:05:15 Stephen Gardner: We need this committee's help to restore your original deal with the freights. For example you can provide us as you have in the moving forward Act, a way to enforce our existing rights of preference. You can make real Amtrak statutory ability to start new routes and add additional trains without arbitrary barriers. You can create an office of passenger rail within the STB and require them to use their investigative powers to pursue significant instances of for OTP. You can require more efficient STB processes to grant Amtrak access to hosts and fairly set any compensation and capital investment requirements. 1:06:19 - 1:07:57 Stephen Gardner: A rarely heralded fact is that the U.S. has the largest rail network in the world. And yet we use so little of it for intercity passenger rail service. A fundamental reason for this is our inability to gain quick, reasonable access to the network and receive reliable service that we are owed under law. This has effectively blocked our growth and left much of our nation underserved. City pairs like Los Angeles and Phoenix, or Atlanta to Nashville could clearly benefit from Amtrak service. Existing rail lines already connect them. Shouldn't Amtrak be serving these and many other similar corridors nationwide? 1:12:34 - 1:12:57 Randall O'Toole: Last year, the average American traveled more than 15,000 miles by automobile, more than 2000 Miles, road several 100 miles on buses, walked more than 100 Miles, rode 100 miles by urban rail, transit and bicycled 26 miles. Meanwhile, Amtrak carried the average American just 19 Miles. 1:13:35 - 1:13:55 Randall O'Toole: In 1970, the railroads' main problem was not money losing passenger trains, but over regulation by the federal and state governments. Regulation or not, passenger trains are unable to compete against airlines and automobiles. A 1958 Interstate Commerce Commission report concluded that there was no way to make passenger trains profitable. 1:14:52 - 1:15:20 Randall O'Toole: The 1970 collapse of Penn Central shook the industry. Congress should have responded by eliminating the over regulation that was stifling the railroads. Instead, it created Amtrak with the expectation that it would be a for profit corporation and that taking passenger trains off the railroads hands would save them from bankruptcy 50 years and more than $50 billion in operating subsidies later, we know that Amtrak isn't and never will be profitable. 1:15:40 - 1:16:10 Randall O'Toole: When Amtrak was created, average rail fares per passenger mile were two thirds of average airfares. Thanks to airline deregulation since then, inflation adjusted air fares have fallen by 60%. Even as Amtrak fares per passenger mile have doubled. Average Amtrak fares exceeded airfares by 1990 despite huge operating subsidies, or perhaps as has well predicted, because those subsidies encouraged inefficiencies. 1:16:50 - 1:17:15 Randall O'Toole: Today thanks to more efficient operations, rail routes that once saw only a handful of trains per day support 60, 70 or 80 or more freight trains a day. This sometimes leaves little room for Amtrak. Displacing a money making freight train with a money losing passenger train is especially unfair considering that so few people use a passenger trains, while so many rely on freight. 1:17:15 - 1:17:25 Randall O'Toole: Passenger trains are pretty, but they're an obsolete form of transportation. Efforts to give passenger trains preference over freight we'll harm more people than it will help. 2:42:40 - 2:43:50 Stephen Gardner: We think that the poor on time performance that many of our routes have is a significant impediment to ridership and revenue growth. It's quite apparent, many of our passengers, particularly on our long distance network, that serves Dunsmuir, for instance, you know their routes frequently experience significant delays, the number one cause of those delays are freight train interference. This is delays encountered, that Amtrak encounters when freight trains are run in front of us or otherwise dispatching decisions are made that prioritize the freight trains in front of Amtrak. And the reduction in reliability is clearly a problem for passengers with many hour delays. Often our whole long distance network is operating at 50% or less on time performance if you look at over the many past years. Even right now, through this period of COVID, where freight traffic has been down and we're only at 60% over the last 12 months on time performance for the entire long distance network. 2:52:44 - 2:53:23 Stephen Gardner: The difference between the US system and most of the international examples is that the infrastructure is publicly owned, publicly owned and developed in all of these nations, the nations that Mr. O'Toole mentioned, there is a rail infrastructure entity and they're developing it for both passenger and freight in some of those locations are optimized for passenger service primarily, that's for sure the case. China is a great example of a nation that's investing for both as a massive freight system and an incredible amount of investment for passenger rail. And again, they see high speed as a means of dealing with their very significant population and efficient way. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Moderated by Michael Collins, IIEA Director General and former Irish Ambassador to the United States, Ambassador Tai considers the future challenges and opportunities for deepening transatlantic trade and the role of the transatlantic partnership in the global trading economy. About the Speaker: Ambassador Katherine Tai was sworn in as the 19th United States Trade Representative on March 18, 2021. As a member of the President's Cabinet, Ambassador Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy. Prior to her unanimous confirmation, Ambassador Tai spent most of her career in public service focusing on international economic diplomacy, monitoring, and enforcement serving as Chief Trade Counsel and Trade Subcommittee Staff Director for the House Ways and Means Committee in the United States Congress. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

This week, we're continuing with our countdown of the top 10 most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast since it first launched in the fall of 2019. Number three on the countdown is a conversation with Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and retired Army Colonel John Tien, originally released on January 13, 2020 and recorded when John was serving as a managing director with Citigroup. In this episode, Tien discusses his incredible service, the impact of his time in the Army on his family, and the similarities and differences between leading troops in combat and teammates at Citigroup. If you are a civilian seeking to better understand military service or a veteran trying to learn how to most effectively transition military leadership principles to a corporate environment – this is a must-listen episode! Prior to becoming the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Tien spent ten years serving in senior executive roles in the critical infrastructure financial services sector as a managing director at Citigroup. As a chief operating officer, he provided customer service support to tens of millions of customers to include safeguarding their accounts against fraud, data breaches, and other cyber threats. Tien previously served in the Obama Administration as the National Security Council Senior Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2009-2011, the Bush Administration as the National Security Council Director for Iraq from 2008-2009, and the Clinton Administration as a White House Fellow in the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 1998-1999. Tien began his career of public service at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was the first Asian American to ever serve as the First Captain and Brigade Commander, West Point's top ranked cadet position. For the next 24 years, he served as a U.S. Army combat arms officer, retiring in 2011 at the rank of Colonel. He is a veteran of three combat tours to include serving as the Task Force 2-37 Armor Battalion Commander in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He and his unit were responsible for securing and stabilizing the Iraqi cities of Tal Afar and Ramadi with an emphasis on counterinsurgency operations, community partnership, creating rule of law institutions, and the training of thousands of Iraqi police officers. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Combat Action Badge, and the Valorous Unit Award. Tien holds a Bachelor of Science from West Point and a Master of Arts from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and was also a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.   ABOUT US Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace. General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat. But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.  FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.  Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, founder of FourBlock, and author of two military transition books. He represents the military transition perspective. Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey represents the civilian perspective of this issue.  Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/ Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate. Follow FourBlock on Social Media  LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.  

It's This Week in Bourbon for October 29th 2021. Here's the headlines for this week. Union workers agree to a new Heaven Hill contract. DISCUS files a 66 page report on trade and export disputes. Blue Run Spirits launches their first high rye bourbon.Show Notes: Union workers vote to accept a new contract with Heaven Hill distillery. The Kentucky Distillers' Association welcomes Three Boys Farm Distillery and Coal Pick Distillery. Interbrand names Jack Daniel's the most valuable spirit brand in the world. What's next for American whiskey? Single-barrel whiskey offerings on Drizly has expanded by 12 percent in 2021. NFT Tied to Rare Whiskey Cask Auctions for $2.3M. Owens Corning introduced "Bourbon" as the 2022 Shingle Color of the Year. The Kitchen Table restaurant coming to Jim Beam DISCUS submitted a detailed report (66 pages to be exact) to the United States Trade Representative identifying key foreign trade barriers impeding U.S. distilled spirits exports. 2021 edition of Brooklyn Black Ops, a collaboration from Kentucky-based Four Roses Distillery and New York's Brooklyn Brewery. Jeptha Creed is releasing their first Bottled-In-Bond Rye Bourbon. Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey is now available. HIRSCH announces the debut of its Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Michter's 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon will mark the first release since 2019. @kentuckybourbontrail @heavenhilldistillery @brownforman @jackdaniels_us @drizly @owenscorningroofing @jimbeamofficial @distilledspiritscouncil @brooklynbrewery @fourrosesbourbon @bluerunspirits @jepthacreed @michterswhiskey @hirschwhiskey Support this podcast on Patreon

Ambassador Katherine Tai addresses the National Congress of American Indians on October 13, 2021. Tai was sworn in as the 19th United States Trade Representative on March 18, 2021. As a member of the President's Cabinet, Tai is the principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy. NCAI is holding its 78th annual convention virtually due to COVID-19.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners for their wildest rat stories, after a report showed that Boston's rat population is on the rise. Trenni Kusnierek discusses the Senate testimonies of four elite gymnasts, who said they blamed the FBI for failing to protect them against former USA team doctor and convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. She also talks about the pay gap in men and women's soccer. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley talks about what it means for Boston to have two women in its mayoral election, following the historic win of Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George in the preliminary election. She also makes an urgent call for supporting Haitian refugees in Texas. Pressley is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts 7th District. Corby Kummer critiques how buzzwords like “healthy,” “all natural” and “sustainable” have no clear definitions in the food industry, and the ties between the “Big Almond” industry and the U.S. government with President Joe Biden's chief agricultural negotiator appointment at the United States Trade Representative's office. Kummer is the executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Shirley Leung updates listeners on all-things business, including how Republican New Balance Chairman Jim Davis' $495,000 contribution to a pro-Essaibi George SuperPAC paid off in the mayoral preliminary election. Leung is a business columnist for The Boston Globe and a BPR contributor. Andy Ihnatko discusses the latest Wall Street Journal report that revealed Facebook's internal probe of Instagram's detrimental effects on teenage girl's mental health and self-image. He also weighs in on Epic Games, the company that makes Fortnite, and its lawsuit against Apple. Ihnatko is a tech writer and blogger, posting at Ihnatko.com. Ryan Landry ends the show by sharing memories from his all-expenses paid trip through Italy as a canned tomato influencer. Ryan Landry is a playwright, lyricist, actor and founder of the Gold Dust Orphans theatrical company. His new album is “The Vamps.”

Ambassador Ron Kirk served as a Cabinet member in the Obama administration as the United States Trade Representative. Ambassador Kirk was the first African American U.S. Trade Rep and the first African American mayor of Dallas. Ambassador Kirk joins Adam to share his journey and best lessons learned along the way. Ambassador Kirk and Adam discuss a wide range of topics: leadership, career development, relationship building, dealmaking, overcoming obstacles, and more.

As China marks the 100th anniversary of its Communist Party, its continued political, economic, scientific and military rise has put the United States on edge. Since 1979, China's economy has doubled every eight years, putting it on track to surpass the US as the world's largest economy, a status it has already attained according to some models. As President Xi Jinping's party prepares to ‘embark on a new, splendid journey in the next century', US President Joe Biden has promised to invest to ensure that America prevails in the race with its main rival, China. And he has bipartisan support —a rarity in today's divided US Congress. Legislation to boost America's economic competition with China and put pressure on Beijing for human rights violations is moving forward in the Senate and the House. How far will the US go in confronting China? Could this lead to a new Cold War? Guests: Mickey Kantor- Former United States Secretary of Commerce (1996-1997) & United States Trade Representative (1993-1996) Dr. John Fleming- Former US Member of Congress (R- Louisiana) & served in the Trump administration as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and Assistant to the President for Planning and Implementation Victor Gao- Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization Watch other episodes of Inside America ➡ Weekly in-depth interviews with American opinion and policy-makers exploring the issues shaping US politics.

With supply chain disruption erupting around the world, what strategies and tools can customers use to navigate these cataclysmic changes? The most recognizable supply chain disruption over the last few years has undoubtedly been the China Section 301-Tariff Actions and Exclusion Process. These include the punitive tariffs on Chinese origin products, tariffs on EU and US origin products under that large civil aircraft dispute, and some retaliation around digital services taxes on specific origin items. Add in the new administration's new United States Trade Representative, most companies are eager to understand this new field of play. What would these changes potentially bring? Listen as Global Trade experts, Suzanne Offerman and EY's Lynlee Brown talk about global supply chain trends and offer strategies and technology tools to help mitigate these disruptions.   Additional resources: Lynlee Brown LinkedIn Suzanne Offerman LinkedIn [Special report] Avoiding supply chain disruption with analytics and proactive global trade planning https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/en/corporation-solutions/c/avoiding-supply-chain-disruption-with-analytics-and-proactive-global-trade-planning/form [Blogpost] Forced labor and supply chain risk: What companies need to know https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/forced-labor-and-supply-chain-risk-what-companies-need-to-know/ [Article] How free trade agreements can help you maximize duty savings in your supply chain design https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/en/insights/articles/how-free-trade-agreements-can-help-you-maximize-duty-savings-in-your-supply-chain-design [Webinar] Preparing for trade compliance audits post-COVID https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3083289/11D1D52A57F62DE59CBA739D6DCBF2E3?

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 Hoover Institution, Stanford University Senator Rob Portman in conversation with Lanhee Chen on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Senator Rob Portman is a United States Senator from the state of Ohio. During his time in the Senate, he has introduced more than 240 bills, including 200 bipartisan bills, and more than 150 of his legislative priorities have been signed into law. Senator Portman began his government career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1993, serving the Second District in southern Ohio for 12 years. In 2005, he left Congress to serve as the United States Trade Representative. Following his accomplishments in this role, he was asked to serve another Cabinet post, as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Lanhee Chen is the David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies at the Hoover Institution, and Director of Domestic Policy Studies in the Public Policy Program at Stanford. In 2012, he was policy director of the Romney-Ryan campaign and advised Senator Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential bid.  He was a member of the Social Security Advisory Board and served as a senior appointee at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the George W. Bush Administration.    For more information go to: https://www.hoover.org/publications/capital-conversations 

H.R. 768: Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act of 2021, H.R. 1065: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, H.R. 3035: To prohibit the authorization of appropriations to the United States Trade Representative for supporting a measure at the World Trade Organization waiving certain intellectual property rights, and for other purposes, H.R. 3068: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from gross income any interest paid on an overpayment of tax. Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Q2PZ6NSMG7X7N&source=url See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doug McHoney (PwC's US International Tax Services (ITS) Leader) and Chris Desmond (PwC's Global Trade Services Practice Leader) discuss the global trade landscape. In addition to their prognostications for Major League Baseball's NL Central division, Doug and Chris cover: how trade and tax are interrelated; how businesses can structure their trade and tax groups to encourage coordination; the 'big picture' trade landscape both inside and outside of the US; recent changes to US trade regulations; Section 301 and how Section 301 tariffs operate; impacts that Katherine Tai—President Biden's nominee for United States Trade Representative—may have on US trade policy; what duty drawback is and how businesses can utilize it; global updates to digital service taxes (DSTs) and how Section 301 tariffs interrelate with DSTs; how practical it is for businesses to shift supply chains in light of tariffs; President Biden's 'Made in America' executive order and how it may impact multinational enterprises; the importance of modeling from both a trade and tax perspective; and final pieces of advice for taxpayers.­

Last month, a United States Trade Representative investigation report found India's Digital Services Tax to be discriminatory. It said the tax is “inconsistent with prevailing principles of international taxation”, and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce. India has denied these charges. The bone of contention is a 2% tax that India has charged since April 2020 on revenues from digital services, applicable only to non-resident companies. Here we discuss this issue. Guests: Nikhil Kapoor, a Research Fellow at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy; Suranjali Tandon, an Assistant Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Host: Sriram Srinivasan Read the Parley article here. You can now find The Hindu's podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for Parley by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

Once on the Board of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce Japan, being Vice-President for six years and President for two, Glen Fukushima has an incredible wealth of knowledge in business, government and law. Studying at the prestigious Stanford and Harvard university, Mr. Fukushima worked in government including the Office of the United States Trade Representative where he was heavily involved in US-Japan trade negotiations. He then transitioned into the private sector, becoming Vice-President of AT&T Japan, President and CEO of Arthur D. Little, President and Chairman of Cadence Design Systems Japan, President, CEO, Chairman and Director of Airbus Japan, and now Senior Fellow at Center for American Progress.   Despite his experience in negotiation, Mr. Fukushima explains that leading a Japanese organization with a global headquarter had many challenges, largely due to different expectations and way of operation. For example, Mr. Fukushima recalls his struggle to convince headquarters to adjust the performance evaluation system in Japan and avoid firing people for being bad performers like they did in the US. He also found difficulty navigating between headquarters who expected detailed reports from him on business in Japan, and his direct reports, who only expected him to manage higher-level matters.   To deal with such challenges, Mr. Fukushima notes the importance of understanding Japanese values and respecting long-term relationships, as well as producing results. Mr. Fukushima also drew heavily on his diverse experience working in other American and European companies to persuade headquarters on how things are done differently in Japan. Additionally, Mr. Fukushima encouraged his Japanese team to interact with others outside of Japan on occasions such as regional meetings and visiting headquarters to establish better relations and broaden both cultures' perspectives.   To encourage innovation, Mr. Fukushima worked on changing the Japanese risk-averse mind-set by rewarding those who would try out new ideas. Moreover, in leading multi-national organizations in Japan, Mr. Fukushima explains: “I think one of the selling points is that we're more innovative, we have new ideas, and to succeed in Japan, we can't do what the entrenched Japanese companies are already doing. Because unless we do something different and something better, we're not going to succeed.”   Mr. Fukushima gives fantastic advice for any foreigner who is going to Japan for the first time and will be leading a Japanese team. Firstly, he indicated the importance of understanding differences between Japan and the US and adjusting one's actions to respect Japanese culture. Secondly, Mr. Fukushima advises to learn from others and seek those who are experienced in working in Japan such as joining study groups (benkyokai). Thirdly, he emphasizes that respecting continuity, consistency, and precedence are all very important in Japan. Therefore, it is important to understand and respect the history, instead of trying to change everything. Lastly, he notes the increasing diversity of Japan during recent times. Mr. Fukushima states: “On the one hand, you could talk about large traditional Japanese companies from the pre-war period, they've been around for a hundred years…And then on the other hand, you've got these newer companies that are…similar to Silicon Valley companies…So, one caution I would add is that you need to realize that there's tremendous diversity in Japan and know what kind of organization you're dealing with. “  

WARI UZI KO ISMAEL MWANAFUNZI RADIO RWANDA The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who also acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the Federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise. The Cabinet and independent Federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of Federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Including members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs more than 4 million Americans. The President The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments—each led by an appointed member of the President's Cabinet—carry out the day-to-day administration of the Federal Government. They are joined in this responsibility by other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency, the leaders of which are under the full authority of the President. The President also appoints the heads of more than 50 independent Federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as Federal judges, ambassadors, and other Federal officials. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff to the President, along with entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The President has the power either to sign legislation into law or to veto bills passed by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations, and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. The President can issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and help implement existing laws. The President also has unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment. TRUMP BIDEN OBAMA BUSH CLINTON --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/radio-rwanda/message

Please join us as Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative, discusses judicial activism at the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. The discussion will be moderated by Dean Reuter, Director of Practice Groups at the Federalist Society. Note: This event will be held as a Zoom webinar and registration is required. The virtual event is open to the public and press.Featuring: Hon. Robert Lighthizer, 18th United States Trade RepresentativeModerator: Hon. Dean Reuter, Vice President, General Counsel and Director of Practice Groups, The Federalist Society--- As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.

Speaker: Jeffrey Bader, Senior Fellow, John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution Jeffrey Bader is a senior fellow in the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. From 2009 until 2011, Bader was special assistant to the president of the United States for national security affairs at the National Security Council. In that capacity, he was the principal advisor to President Obama on Asia. Bader served from 2005 to 2009 as the director of the China Initiative and, subsequently, as the first director of the opens in a new windowJohn L. Thornton China Center. During his three decade career with the U.S. government, Bader was principally involved in U.S.-China relations at the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In 2001, as assistant U.S. trade representative, he led the United States delegation in completing negotiations on the accession of China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization. Bader served as a Foreign Service officer in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Namibia, Zambia, Congo, and the United States Mission to the United Nations. During the 1990s, he was deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia; director of Asian affairs at the National Security Council; and director of the State Department’s Office of Chinese Affairs. He served as U.S. ambassador to Namibia from 1999 to 2001. Bader is the author of opens in a new window“Obama and China’s Rise: An Insider’s Account of America’s Asia Strategy,” published in 2012 by Brookings Institution Press. He is president and sole proprietor of Jeffrey Bader LLC, which provides assistance to companies with interests in Asia. Bader received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a master’s and doctorate in European history from Columbia University. He speaks Chinese and French. Please note, Jeffrey A. Bader is not associated with the Joe Biden for President Campaign.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden says it is clear he is winning enough states to take the US presidency, despite key results still outstanding. We get the latest from the BBC's Michelle Fleury in Pennsylvania, one of the decisive states still counting votes. We examine how diversity of Hispanic groups in Florida, voted and how this influenced Trump's winning of the state in this election. Will President Trump soften his stance towards China if he is re-elected? And how might relations with Sino-US relations change with Biden in the White House? We ask Stephen Vaughn, General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative under Donald Trump until 2019. All this and more discussed with our guests throughout the show. Nicole Childers, executive producer of Marketplace Morning Report in Los Angles, Tony Nash, founder of Complete Intelligence, in Austin Texas and Samson Ellis, Bloomberg's Taipei bureau chief. (Picture: Joe Biden, joined Kamala Harris, speaking one day after Americans voted in the presidential election. Credit: Getty Images.)

Lisa Jacobson is the President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), a 55-member trade association representing the energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy industries. In this role, Ms. Jacobson advises states and federal policymakers on energy, tax, air quality and climate change policy. She is a member of the Department of Energy's State Energy Efficiency Steering Committee, the United States Trade Representative’s Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, the Energy Efficiency Global Alliance Steering Committee and the Gas Technology Institute’s Public Interest Advisory Committee. Ms. Jacobson has testified before Congress and has represented energy industries before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Prior to her position with the BCSE, Ms. Jacobson was a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. She has a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont. SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @LJacobsonEnergy, @BCSECleanEnergy LinkedIn: Lisa Jacobson https://bcse.org/ https://nexuspmg.com/

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was intended to be the principal forum for setting the rules of international trade and for the resolution of international trade disputes. The United States has expressed its concern with the WTO’s dispute settlement system and the Administration has blocked new appointments to the Appellate Body such that there are now insufficient judges necessary to hear new appeals. The situation does not appear likely to be resolved soon. Please join Stephen Vaughn, the former General Counsel to the United States Trade Representative and previous acting U.S. Trade Representative, for a conversations regarding the ongoing conflict, relevant issues, and thoughts regarding the future of the US and the WTO. The discussion will be moderated by Daniel Pickard.Featuring:-- Stephen Vaughn, Partner in the International Trade Team of King & Spalding, former General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and acting U.S. Trade Representative. -- Moderator: Daniel Pickard, Partner in the International Trade practice and Co-Chair of the National Security practice, Wiley Rein LLP

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was intended to be the principal forum for setting the rules of international trade and for the resolution of international trade disputes. The United States has expressed its concern with the WTO’s dispute settlement system and the Administration has blocked new appointments to the Appellate Body such that there are now insufficient judges necessary to hear new appeals. The situation does not appear likely to be resolved soon. Please join Stephen Vaughn, the former General Counsel to the United States Trade Representative and previous acting U.S. Trade Representative, for a conversations regarding the ongoing conflict, relevant issues, and thoughts regarding the future of the US and the WTO. The discussion will be moderated by Daniel Pickard.Featuring:-- Stephen Vaughn, Partner in the International Trade Team of King & Spalding, former General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and acting U.S. Trade Representative. -- Moderator: Daniel Pickard, Partner in the International Trade practice and Co-Chair of the National Security practice, Wiley Rein LLP

In Episode #11, we discuss Chile with attorneys Juan Cristóbal Palma Orellana and Mario Tapia Echeverría. We cover: The role inequality has played in the protests that have affected Chile since late 2019, and the lessons that can be drawn. Chile's response to COVID-19 and the pandemic's impact on the country How Chile is strengthening its intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, in light of its continued inclusion in the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) Priority Watch List. Opportunities for foreign investment in the fisheries and aquaculture industries, as well as the tech sector. Our guests' views on Chile's prospects going forward and its place in Latin America. China's role in the Chinese economy.

The following episode is part of the National Committee's Coronavirus Impacts Series. National Committee Chair Carla Hills delivers a message on the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, specifically its effect on global trade and the phase one U.S.-China trade deal. Ambassador Carla Hills is the Chair and CEO of Hills & Company, International Consultants. She served as United States Trade Representative from 1989 to 1993.

The Trump administration renegotiated NAFTA and the 116th Congress passed those changes in order to make the USMCA into law. In this episode, international trade expert Lori Wallach, the Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, joins Jen to explain the differences between NAFTA and the USMCA. What you hear may surprise you. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD96: Fast Tracking Fast Track (Trade Promotion Authority CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? CD052: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Bills Bill: H.R.5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act Congress.gov, January 16, 2020 About Lori Wallach Lori Wallach, Linked In Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen About Us, Public Citizen About Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch (GTW), Public Citizen Public Citizen, Influence Watch Global Trade Watch, Facebook Global Trade Watch, Twitter Lori Wallach, Twitter Global Trade Watch, Instagram Articles/Documents Article: Labelling debate returns to U.S. By Barbara Duckworth, The Western Producer, February 13, 2020 Article: The US Drops ISDS By Lori Wallach, The Globalist, January 24, 2020 Article: Lawmakers try to resurrect country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork By Cathy Siegner, FoodDive, November 5, 2019 Article: Background on the Epic WTO Tuna Dolphin Fight Public Citizen Article: COOL for beef, pork on US Senate’s plate By Erica Shaffer, Meat + Poultry, November 4, 2019 Article: When Pharma Needs a Friend: Conservative House Democrats Move to Protect Drug Company Profits by David Dayen, The American Prospect, October 31, 2019 Article: While USMCA stalls, lobbying kicks into high gear by Raymond Arke, OpenSecrets.org, May 8, 2019 Article: Mexico loses 10-year WTO battle over U.S. tuna labeling by Tom Miles, Reuters, December 14, 2018 Article: The Little-Known Trade Adviser Who Wields Enormous Power in Washington by Ana Swanson, The New York Times, March 9, 2018 Document: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) By M. Angeles Villarreal and Ian F. Fergusson, Congressional Research Service, May 24, 2017 Article: Trump's trade pick sails through hearing but faces procedural hangup By Victoria Guida, POLITICO, March 14, 2017 Article: India, US lock horns over intellectual property at WTO By Amiti Sen, New Scientist, November 11, 2016 Document: Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling By Joel L. Greene, Congressional Research Service, December 8, 2015 Article: India surveys aftermath of new patent law By Padma Tata, New Scientist, March 29, 2005 Additional Resources Vote Results: On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5430 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act) United States Senate, January 16, 2020 Vote Results: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act, FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 701 House of Representatives Clerk, December 19, 2019 Trade Agreement: Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada 12/13/19 Text Office of the United States Trade Representative, December 13, 2019 Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Ron Kirk—beloved former mayor of Dallas and United States Trade Representative —sits down with Grant in Episode 3 to share the tense and impactful moments that shaped his service in President Obama’s cabinet, his morning routine, his round of golf with Tiger Woods and President Obama, and his belief that a joyful and optimistic attitude can help you discover the hilarity in everyday life.

This morning, the Office of the United States Trade Representative published its official notice in the Federal Register reducing the 301 tariffs imposed on Chinese origin List 4A goods. For more details listen to today's Two Minutes in Trade.  

  This week we’re talking about the business side of wine - With the looming specter of a 100% tariff on French goods, including sparkling wine, several cheeses, and other disparate items- the US wine industry has been lobbying feverishly hoping to convince the United States Trade Representative not to put the threatened hike in place. Today is the last day for comments to be submitted, but Congress members are still hearing from industry leaders opposed to the tariffs. There is now a group of Republicans who have come out against the administrations’ tariffs- and the top domestic and European wine trade groups have signed a joint statement against them.  An earlier, 25% tariff was already slapped onto all European wines back in October. There isn’t a firm deadline yet for this new one, but it can be implemented any time in the next few weeks. Although according to this article, the plan is to have a decision before DAVOS- which starts on the 21st. So this week, we’re talking with Professor of Finance Dr. Thomas Smythe about tariffs, the unique three- tier distribution system for alcohol in the US, and what competition from imports does for a market. We'll also talk about who really stands to lose when faced with a 100% mark-up.     An Aside: There is something called a “Congressional Wine Caucus,” which I only just learned exists.

LVMH, a French luxury goods giant, is buying American jeweller Tiffany & Co for over $16bn. What are its plans for the latest jewel in its crown? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Stephen Vaughn, former general counsel to the United States Trade Representative, about a crisis at the heart of the World Trade Organisation. And, what lessons can be learned from the world’s most extreme economies? Patrick Lane hosts___________________ For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, go to www.economist.com/radiooffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

LVMH, a French luxury goods giant, is buying American jeweller Tiffany & Co for over $16bn. What are its plans for the latest jewel in its crown? Soumaya Keynes speaks to Stephen Vaughn, former general counsel to the United States Trade Representative, about a crisis at the heart of the World Trade Organisation. And, what lessons can be learned from the world’s most extreme economies? Patrick Lane hosts___________________ For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, go to www.economist.com/radiooffer See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ohio Senator Rob Portman has been involved in shaping American trade policy throughout his career, from his role as the United States Trade Representative to position on the Senate Finance Committee. Today, he speaks with Brookings Senior Fellow David Dollar about the state of the U.S. trade relations with Mexico, Canada, and China, and the importance of enforcing fair trading norms around the world. Portman explains why he believes the proposed United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) is an improvement to NAFTA, emphasizing the need to update trade agreements to include issues like digital trade and labor enforcement, and the likelihood the agreement is passed by Congress. Later, Portman and Dollar discuss the future of the U.S. economic relationship with China and structural obstacles that stand in the way of a meaningful U.S.-China trade deal. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on Apple Podcasts, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. Dollar and Sense is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. This week’s news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com NEII TARIFF UPDATE The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) reported that in mid-May, several List 1 product exclusion requests submitted by its member companies were granted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The exclusions are at the link titled “Initial $34 Billion Trade Action Index of Product Exclusion Requests and Review Status.” Exclusions apply to all imports for the item associated with the request — not just for the company or companies that filed the corresponding submittal. Only one out of every five submissions has been granted through this process thus far. NEII said it is currently researching the direct impact on the industry of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recently announced final list of tariffs on Chinese goods. These are comprised of almost all of the remaining imports from China not on the first three lists of tariffs. To read the full transcript of today's podcast, visit: elevatorworld.com/news Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes│Google Play | SoundCloud│Stitcher │TuneIn

Ambassador Mike Froman, former United States Trade Representative in the Obama Administration, is back with his thoughts on the current trade environment, with an insider's view on the Trump Administration's strategies as they relate to China and global trade. Some of his answers might surprise you!

This week on the Sinica Podcast, we are happy to share a live recording from the third annual SupChina Women’s Conference. Jeremy and Kaiser sat down with Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky, now a senior international partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, and a former United States Trade Representative under the Clinton administration. She came to New York for a candid discussion on her views regarding the recent deterioration of trade talks, her own experiences in the office of the United States Trade Representative, Huawei’s role in the dispute between the U.S. and China, and more possibilities in the trade war moving forward. What to listen for on this week’s Sinica Podcast: 3:42: What caused the trade deal to go up in smoke? The tariff hikes? The executive order banning Huawei? Chinese negotiators reneging on previously agreed-upon wording? Charlene provides her opinion — noting a misjudgement on Trump’s negotiating style, among other factors: “First of all, a continued and persistent misapprehension on the part of Xi Jinping about Donald Trump…coupled with seeing a text in full. Which, when one sees constituent parts, might not seem too overbearing, but when one sees in full relief, looks exceptionally overbearing, making China look, perhaps, small. Coupled with a sense on the part of China that certain of the provisions, in total, either impinged on China’s sovereignty with respect to changes in laws, or were unrealistic with respect to the extent of purchases the U.S. wanted China to make, or were themselves not emblematic of the negotiations that took place.” 14:37: How can leaders preempt the common criticism of trade deals that the final agreement erodes the sovereignty of their country? Charlene suggests an interesting rhetorical strategy to take during the negotiating process: “Let’s suppose I say to you: I will never agree to a deal that puts in question the sovereignty of my country. Never. I will never do that. And then you do a deal. Which, actually, puts in question the sovereignty of your country. But because you’ve said, quite convincingly, you’d never do a deal that does that. Whatever it is you did over here, by definition, is not that. So, you’ve covered yourself.” 22:44: What is the Trump administration’s approach to macroeconomic policy, and how could this view affect the bilateral relationship with China and other U.S. trade partners? Charlene offers some perspective on the bigger picture: “I think the Trump administration is quite interested in managed trade. I think this is really the calling card — that is to say, ‘We want you to buy more from us. And if you don’t buy more from us in the following quantity over the following time frame, well, we’re just going to have to impose tariffs on you to even out the score.’ Whatever score is being kept in his mind.” She continues: “One of the difficulties with these kinds of solutions is that they’re often very costly to consumers. They’re intended to divert trade from the existing suppliers to your suppliers…it just takes the hunk that was Brazil’s, or Argentina’s, or Europe’s, or South Africa’s, and gives it to the United States. Those countries, most assuredly, will not stand still for it as their industries, who are trading fairly, suffer from the repercussions of what is a managed trade approach.” 30:07: Attacks on Huawei via public denunciation and executive orders seem to have hit China in a way that tariffs and other escalatory measures have not. Jeremy asks, “How does this sledgehammer approach to Huawei complicate China’s negotiating position?” Charlene acknowledges national security concerns regarding the company but also underlines the importance of interchange in the 21st-century tech ecosystem: “Huawei is just stuck in the middle. There’s a security aspect, and a highly positive, innovative, and economic aspect. So, could there be a better way to protect the security aspect, or mitigate that aspect, while not losing this other very important part of the Huawei equation? I don’t think the administration was interested in trying to thread that course, at least not at the present time. But at some point, it will be necessary to thread that course, or we will see not just Huawei disadvantaged, but most of our major tech companies highly disadvantaged as well.”

May 8, 2018: At the Council of American Ambassadors' Spring Conference, Global Tour d'Horizon, Ambassador Carla Hills discusses U.S. trade tensions with China and in the midst of NAFTA negotiations. Ambassador Hills is Chair and CEO of Hills & Compan and former United States Trade Representative. The presentation was moderated by Ambassador Richard McCormack and followed by a Q&A session.

Joe Damond is the Executive Vice President for International Affairs at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the largest service organisation for biotech companies in the world. In this podcast we discuss the continuing attacks on Intellectual Property in Europe and the US, as well as how the International Pricing Index (IPI) of the Trump administration will impact biotech investment and innovation. Joe spent 12 years as a trade negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative for Asia and Pacific/APEC Affairs, and is a well-respected thought-leader helping governments develop sustainable biotech ecosystems. Joe Damond received his master’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.