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“1998 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR RECOVERY FROM NATURAL DISASTERS, AND FOR OVERSEAS PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Senate section on pages S2436-S2437 on March 23, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
1998 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR RECOVERY FROM
NATURAL DISASTERS, AND FOR OVERSEAS PEACEKEEPING EFFORTS
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BYRD (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 2062
Mr. BYRD (for himself, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Sarbanes) proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 1768) making emergency supplemental appropriations for recovery from natural disasters, and for overseas peacekeeping efforts, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and for other purposes; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following new title:
TITLE ____--EMERGENCY TRADE DEFICIT REVIEW COMMISSION
SEC. ____01. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Emergency Trade Deficit Review Commission Act''.
SEC. ____02. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States continues to run substantial merchandise trade and current account deficits.
(2) Economic forecasts anticipate continued growth in such deficits in the next few years.
(3) The positive net international asset position that the United States built up over many years was eliminated in the 1980s. The United States today has become the world's largest debtor nation.
(4) The United States merchandise trade deficit is characterized by large bilateral trade imbalances with a handful of countries.
(5) The United States has one of the most open borders and economies in the world. The United States faces significant tariff and nontariff trade barriers with its trading partners. Current overall trade balances do not reflect the actual competitiveness or productivity of the United States economy.
(6) Since the last comprehensive review of national trade and investment policies was conducted by a Presidential commission in 1970, there have been massive worldwide economic and political changes which have profoundly affected world trading relationships. Globalization, the increased mobility of capital and technology, the role of transnational corporations, and the outsourcing of production across national boundaries, are reshaping both the comparative and competitive trade advantages among nations.
(7) The United States is once again at a critical juncture in trade policy development. The nature of the United States trade deficit and its causes and consequences must be analyzed and documented.
SEC. ____03. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known as the Emergency Trade Deficit Review Commission
(hereafter in this title referred to as the ``Commission'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Commission is to study the causes and consequences of the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits and to develop trade policy recommendations for the 21st century. The recommendations shall include strategies necessary to achieve United States market access to foreign markets that fully reflects the competitiveness and productivity of the United States and also improves the standard of living of United States citizens.
(c) Membership of Commission.--
(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of 12 members of whom--
(A) 1 Senator and 2 other persons shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate;
(B) 1 Senator and 2 other persons shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate;
(C) 1 Member of the House of Representatives and 2 other persons shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and
(D) 1 Member of the House of Representatives and 2 other persons shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) Qualifications of members.--
(A) Appointments.--Persons who are appointed under paragraph (1), shall be persons who--
(i) have expertise in economics, international trade, manufacturing, labor, environment, business, or have other pertinent qualifications or experience; and
(ii) are not officers or employees of the United States.
(B) Other considerations.--In appointing Commission members, every effort shall be made to ensure that the members--
(i) are representative of a broad cross-section of economic and trade perspectives within the United States; and
(ii) provide fresh insights to analyzing the causes and consequences of United States merchandise trade and current account deficits.
(d) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--
(1) In general.--Members shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act and the appointment shall be for the life of the Commission.
(2) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
(e) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting.
(f) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson.
(g) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The members of the Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among the members of the Commission.
(h) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(i) Voting.--Each member of the Commission shall be entitled to 1 vote, which shall be equal to the vote of every other member of the Commission.
SEC. ____04. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION.
(a) In General.--The Commission shall be responsible for developing trade policy recommendations, by examining the economic, trade, tax, and investment policies and laws, and other incentives and restrictions that are relevant to addressing the causes and consequences of the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits.
(b) Recommendations.--The Commission shall examine and make recommendations to Congress and the President on the following:
(1) The manner in which the Government of the United States establishes and administers the Nation's fundamental trade policies and objectives, including--
(A) the relationship of the merchandise trade and current account balances to the overall well-being of the United States economy and any impact the trade balance may have on wages and employment in various sectors of the United States economy;
(B) any effects the merchandise trade and current account deficits may have on the areas of manufacturing and technology and on defense production and innovation capabilities of the United States;
(C) the impact that United States monetary and fiscal policies may have on United States merchandise trade and current account deficits; and
(D) the coordination, allocation, and accountability of trade responsibilities among Federal agencies and the means for congressional oversight of the trade policy process.
(2) The causes and consequences of the merchandise trade and current account deficits and specific bilateral trade deficits, including--
(A) identification and quantification of the macroeconomic factors and bilateral trade barriers contributing to the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits;
(B) identification and quantification of any impact of the merchandise trade and current account deficits on the domestic economy, industrial base, manufacturing capacity, number and quality of jobs, productivity, wages, and the United States standard of living;
(C) identification and quantification of trade deficits within individual industrial, manufacturing, and production sectors, and any relationship to intraindustry and intracompany transactions;
(D) a review of the adequacy of the current collection and reporting of import and export data, and the identification and development of additional data bases and economic measurements that may be needed to properly quantify the factors described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C);
(E) the relationship that tariff and nontariff barriers may have to the merchandise trade and current account deficits and the extent to which such deficits have become structural;
(F) the extent to which there is reciprocal market access substantially equivalent to that afforded by the United States in each country with which the United States has a persistent and substantial bilateral trade deficit; and
(G) the impact of transhipments on bilateral trade.
(3) Any relationship of United States merchandise trade and current account deficits to both comparative and competitive trade advantages within the global economy, including--
(A) a systematic analysis of the United States trade patterns with different trading partners, to what extent the trade patterns are based on comparative and competitive trade advantages, and how the trade advantages relate to the goods that are exported to and imported from various trading partners;
(B) the extent to which the increased mobility of capital and technology has changed both comparative and competitive trade advantages;
(C) the extent to which differences in the growth rates of the United States and its trading partners may impact on United
States merchandise trade and current account deficits;
(D) any impact that labor, environmental, or health and safety standards may have on world trade;
(E) the impact that currency exchange rate fluctuations and any manipulation of exchange rates may have on United States merchandise trade and current account deficits;
(F) the effect that offset and technology transfer agreements have on the long-term competitiveness of the United States manufacturing sectors; and
(G) any effect that international trade, labor, environmental, or other agreements may have on United States competitiveness.
(4) The flow of investments both into and out of the United States, including--
(A) any consequences for the United States economy of the current status of the United States as a debtor nation;
(B) any relationship between such investments and the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits and living standards of United States workers;
(C) any impact such investments may have on United States labor, community, environmental, and health and safety standards, and how such investment flows influence the location of manufacturing facilities; and
(D) the effect of barriers to United States foreign direct investment in developed and developing nations, particularly nations with which the United States has a merchandise trade and current account deficit.
SEC. ____05. FINAL REPORT; CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS.
(a) Final Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the President and Congress a final report which contains--
(A) the findings and conclusions of the Commission described in section ____04;
(B) recommendations for addressing the problems identified as part of the Commission's analysis; and
(C) any proposals for administrative and legislative actions necessary to implement such recommendations.
(2) Separate views.--Any member of the Commission may submit additional findings and recommendations as part of the final report.
(b) Congressional Hearings.--Not later than 6 months after the final report described in subsection (a) is submitted, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate shall hold hearings on the report. Other committees of the House of Representatives and Senate with relevant jurisdiction may also hold hearings on the report.
SEC. ____06. POWERS OF COMMISSION.
(a) Hearings.--The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission may find advisable to fulfill the requirements of this title. The Commission shall hold at least 1 or more hearings in Washington, D.C., and 4 in different regions of the United States.
(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this title. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
(c) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
SEC. ____07. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) Compensation of Members.--Each member of the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Commission. All members of the Commission who are officers or employees of the United States shall serve without compensation in addition to that received for their services as officers or employees of the United States.
(b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission.
(c) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Commission may, without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties. The employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission.
(2) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
(d) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.
(e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
SEC. ____08. SUPPORT SERVICES.
The Comptroller General of the United States shall provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such administrative support services as the Commission may request.
SEC. ____09. APPROPRIATIONS.
There are appropriated $20,000,000 to the Commission to carry out the provisions of this title.
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McCAIN (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 2063
Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Feingold, and Mr. Grams) proposed an amendment to the bill, S. 1768, supra; as follows:
On page 16, strike beginning with line 6 through page 18, line 5.
On page 19, strike beginning with line 2 through line 12.
On page 19, strike beginning with line 24 through page 20, line 2.
On page 26, strike beginning with line 7 through line 11.
On page 35, strike beginning with line 10 through page 38, line 18.
On page 40, strike beginning with line 1 through line 25.
On page 43, strike beginning with line 8 through line 13.
On page 4, strike beginning with line 13 through 10 page 5, line 3.
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FRIST AMENDMENT NO. 2064
(Ordered to lie on the table.)
Mr. FRIST submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill, S. 1768, supra; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. . EXEMPTION AUTHORITY FOR AIR SERVICE TO SLOT-
CONTROLLED AIRPORTS.
(a) In General.--Section 41714(i) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by--
(1) striking ``Certain'' in the caption;
(2) striking ``120'' and inserting ``90''; and
(3) striking ``(a)(2) to improve air service between a nonhub airport (as defined in section 41731(a)(4)) and a high density airport subject to the exemption authority under subsection (a),'' and inserting ``(a) or (c),''.
(b) Effective Date.--
(1) In general.--The amendments made by subsection (a) apply to applications for slot exemptions pending at the Department of Transportation under section 41714 of title 49, United States Code, on the date of enactment of this Act or filed thereafter.
(2) Application to pending requests.--For the purpose of applying the amendments made by subsection (a) to applications pending on the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall take into account the number of days the application was pending before the date of enactment of this Act. If such an application was pending for 80 or more days before the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall grant or deny the exemption to which the application relates within 20 calendar days after that date.
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