The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted its response to a request for an exclusion from the children's product lead content limits of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) for crystal and glass beads. Like other CPSC responses to such requests, CPSC states it lacks the authority to issue temporary or "emergency" final rules granting exemptions that do not comply with the procedures proscribed by the CPSIA. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/17/09 news, 09021715, for BP summary of this and other exemption requests and similar CPSC responses.) (CPSC general counsel's response, dated 02/24/09, available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/petition/pp41_resp.pdf)
On February 25, 2009, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1105, the fiscal year 20091 omnibus appropriations bill, which is intended to "wrap up work" on the remaining FY 2009 appropriations bills2.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America has issued a third email notice (dated February 26, 2009) stating that NCBFAA subject matter experts (SMEs) continue to work with senior managers at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to answer additional questions on the startup of the Importer Security Filing (ISF). In response to additional forwarded questions, NCBFAA states that (partial list):
On February 26, 2009, President Obama issued his fiscal year 2010 budget overview. (Budget materials, including links to the President's budget message, individual agency budget fact sheets, etc. available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.)
The Port of Los Angeles has issued a press release on the February 18, 2009 start of its collection of a Clean Truck Fee for the Clean Trucks Program (CTP). (News release, dated 02/18/09, available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/newsroom/2009_releases/news_021809_ctp.asp)
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Economic Stimulus Bill) into law. (White House statement, dated 02/17/09, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/.)
Sources at U.S. Customs and Border Protection state that Commissioner Basham has announced that he will leave CBP at the end of February 2009. The February 10, 2009 announcement was contained in an internal memo, and is not available to the public. Deputy Commissioner Ahern will be Acting Commissioner until a new CBP Commissioner is appointed.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has posted the opening statements from its February 4, 2009 hearing on International Piracy on the High Seas. The statements include comments by Committee Chairman Oberstar and Subcommittee Chairman Cummings. (News release, dated 02/04/09, available at http://transportation.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=814)
On February 2, 2009, the Senate began consideration of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka, the Economic Stimulus Bill), in order to make supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009. (Daily Digest, dated 02/02/09, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r111:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20090202))
In his written answers to questions posed by the Senate Finance Committee as part of the confirmation process, Treasury Secretary Geithner addressed numerous issues, including China currency manipulation. According to Treasury Secretary Geithner, President Obama believes that China is manipulating its currency and has pledged to use aggressively all the diplomatic avenues open to him to seek change in China's currency practices. (Written answers, dated 01/21/09, available at http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/012209%20TFG%20Questions.pdf.)