Executive Summary Introduction On March 23rd and 24th, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai testified in front of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, respectively. Ambassador Tai provided her annual congressional testimony focused on the Biden Administration’s trade agenda and ongoing trade pursuits. In almost seven hours of questioning, … Continue reading
Latest Entries
The EPA is Pushing Regulations on PFAS to the Limit
Executive Summary • The cost to get levels of PFAS to adhere to proposed regulations could be astronomical, leading to costs falling on consumers. • States and rural areas with limited resources would be forced to push infrastructure objectives further on their backlog to adhere to drinking water regulations. • Water providers … Continue reading
Wine and Cheese: Europe’s Grating Support of Geographical Indications
Executive Summary Introduction “Like a fine cheese, this case has matured and is ripe for our review,” stated the judges of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in their decision of an extensive legal battle between European cheese producers and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The court ruled this month against the Swiss … Continue reading
The Potential Revision of NEPA Could Lead to Millions of Dollars Saved on Federal Projects
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, The House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing to discuss the “Building United States Infrastructure through Limited Delays and Efficient Reviews (BUILDER) Act of 2023”. The BUILDER Act aims to increase efficiency through permitting reform by reducing repetitive and lengthy processes while focusing on environmental protection … Continue reading
The Windsor Framework: Tackling “Troubles” in post-Brexit Trade in Northern Ireland
Executive Summary Introduction Three years after Brexit, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the Windsor Framework. The plan would modify the Northern Ireland Protocol, the current trade rules that were agreed upon in the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The Protocol established EU compliant custom checks for products … Continue reading
Searching for Common Ground between Energy Security and Environmental Justice
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on February 7, 2023, titled Unleashing American Energy, Lowering Energy Costs, and Strengthening Supply Chains. During this hearing, the committee discussed 17 proposed bills. Several bills aim to remediate shortages and high prices by addressing the importance of American energy by creating waivers to … Continue reading
The European Union’s Response to the Inflation Reduction Act
Executive Summary Introduction On August 16, 2022 President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). The IRA included numerous subsidies for corporations and consumers who produce and utilize “green energy.” Among the various product subsidies is a large tax credit for consumers who purchase American-made electric vehicles. The European Union was … Continue reading
Is the FCC correctly expanding its role or overreaching for power?
Executive Summary On January 23, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission released a proposed rule that would change data breach laws. While the FCC has long regulated Consumer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) at the direction of Congress in Section 222 of the Communications Act of 1996, the Commission now seeks to expand its role and increase … Continue reading
Biden Wrongly Backed Trump in Steel Feud with the World Trade Organization
In March 2018, the Trump Administration levied a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports. The tariffs launched an international trade war between the United States and the majority of its closest trade partners. Multiple nations, angered by the tariffs, responded through formal complaints against the United States through the … Continue reading
The Fed hikes again: November 75 basis point increase
I. Introduction + Background The Federal Reserve (Fed) has a dual mandate: keep unemployment down and prices steady. At this moment, in a post-covid environment, with messed up supply chains, inflation has proven to be the focus. The Fed has been tackling inflation as prices have been the highest since the 1970s and don’t seem … Continue reading
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