Two Indiana representatives have been working to improve the product exclusion process for steel and aluminum tariffs to reduce burdens on manufacturers and other small businesses. This is in reaction to the President’s decision earlier this year to impose greater tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Representative Jackie Walorski (IN-02) this week led efforts [...]
- Representative Jim Banks (IN-3) has been pushing for Congress to permanently repeal the harmful Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. Put in place by the Obama administration, the rule is on a list of regulations the Indiana Chamber has been actively engaging in to repeal or modify. The Congressman recently wrote an op-ed in the Fort Wayne [...]
Is Donald Trump doing a major about-face? One of his first acts as President was to issue an executive order withdrawing the U.S. form the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which had been signed in 2016 by President Obama. As of Thursday, President Trump has been persuaded to consider rejoining the TPP as an effective way to deal with China [...]
On Thursday, Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) shared feedback from Hoosier businesses affected by steel and aluminum tariffs at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the impact of tariffs on the U.S. economy and jobs. “Historic tax cuts and regulatory reforms have revived America’s economy, but I am constantly hearing from businesses in northern Indiana that steel and [...]
On Monday, the Trump administration released its long anticipated $1.5 trillion plan for public works and infrastructure. The plan is based on $200 billion in direct federal spending to leverage $1.3 trillion in state, local and private infrastructure investment. With many of our nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other infrastructure in need of upgrading and building out for the [...]
This week, the Trump administration formally suspended the Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule for two more years, which will be well after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to have its replacement ready to go. WOTUS would have given the EPA greater jurisdiction, leading to small waterways like wetlands and ponds being subject to federal rule. This [...]
- On Monday, Congress passed an amended version of H.R. 195, the Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act. The bill, signed by President Trump later that day, extends government funding through February 8, 2018, as well as suspends the medical device tax for two years and renews the Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for six years. The medical device tax [...]
(INDIANAPOLIS) — Reince Priebus is set to offer insights from the Trump administration when he headlines the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Indiana Legislative Dinner on February 13. Priebus also will talk about his time spent at the helm of the Republican National Committee for six years. Governor Eric Holcomb will provide the event’s opening remarks. The Indiana Legislative Dinner [...]
Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a short-term funding bill for the government through mid-February. Yet avoiding a government shutdown is far from certain, with the Senate needing 60 votes to move it forward to a vote. Among the provisions, the bill would help continue our military readiness and reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six [...]
- Former Eli Lilly executive Alex Azar received a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee this week as President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Procedurally, the President had to re-nominate him in 2018. Since Azar was confirmed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee fairly easily, we do not anticipate any issues [...]
