House, Senate leaders urge fast action on Russia trade

Two powerful congressional leaders appealed to each other on Thursday to quickly push through legislation to implement normal trade ties with Russia as the bill's prospects remain uncertain.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), whose panel easily approved a measure that would grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Moscow, called on the Senate Democratic leadership to "make room" on the Senate calendar for a vote on the bill. 

“I will continue to work with Democratic leadership to assure successful passage in the House, and urge the Senate to agree on a clear path forward," Camp said. 

"If Leader [Harry] Reid is willing to make room on the Senate calendar, there is no reason we cannot act quickly," he said. 

Yet House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) cast doubt on Thursday that the House would hold a vote next week because the White House hasn't made enough of an effort to get the bill passed. 

"We have a pretty busy week next week, and as I said last week, if the president really thinks this is an important issue and we have to deal with it, maybe he ought to be out there making the case for it. I haven’t seen that as yet," he told reporters on Thursday. 

The House is scheduled to be in session from Tuesday through Friday next week and the Russia bill, so far, isn't on the agenda. 

Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) told The Hill earlier that the White House has picked up engagement and has been pressing for passage. 

Still, after the markup Thursday morning, Camp championed the unanimous vote in the Senate Finance Committee last week and an overwhelmingly supportive voice vote in his committee as reasons to quickly resolve differences. 

"There is no reason to delay."

On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) urged the House to pass the bill so the upper chamber can clear the measure before the August recess. 

"Now the House needs to pass the bill so we can get this done before the August work period," he said. 

The House needs to pass the measure first because it contains revenue-raising provisions. 

Meanwhile, the Business Roundtable continued its full-court press on Congress sending another letter to lawmakers calling for immediate action to allow for normal trade ties with Russia before heading out of town next week. 

“Given that Russia will join the WTO in a few weeks, the House and Senate should immediately approve PNTR prior to the August recess so that U.S. companies and their workers have a fair chance from the outset to compete and sell more goods and services in the Russian marketplace," said Doug Oberhelman, chairman and chief executive of Caterpillar and chairman of BRT’s International Engagement Committee. 

BRT along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce continued to urge Congress to weigh the importance to U.S. businesses and what letting the bill slip would mean for not only export growth, and eventually job creation and economic expansion, but on the ability to better enforce global trade rules. 

"Whether mildly negative or catastrophic, we're giving our competitors the advantage in Russia," said Bill Lane, director of government affairs at Caterpillar, said Wednesday. 
 

Russia is set to join the World Trade Organization on Aug. 22.