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AFS Government Affairs Representative—Waterman & Assoc., Washington, D.C.


WASHINGTON ALERT Congress to Perform Housekeeping On the Hill


Tax cuts, appropriations bill and renewable energy bill up for discussion during post-election lame duck session.


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embers of Congress will return to the nation’s capital following the mid-term elections to deal with two types


of legislation: “must-pass bills” and other policy measures, which may be more difficult to approve as the U.S. Senate likely will remain divided on key issues. Must-pass bills


of interest to the metalcasting in- dustry that could be addressed during the lame duck session in- clude: • FY11 Appropria- tions Bill—Con- gress intends to wrap up the 12 unfinished appropriations bills in a large omnibus bill. The Continuing Resolution (CR) that provides funds to continue the operation of the federal government expires Dec. 3. Under the terms of the CR, most government programs will continue to be funded at FY 2010 levels.


Some lawmakers have sought to use the defense bill as a vehicle to address controversial issues, which derailed opportunities to pass this bill before Congress adjourned. Other bills that may be debated


Congress has yet to enact an extension of roughly $30 billion in tax


incentives that expired at the end of 2009.


include: • Renewable Energy Bill—One of the first votes in the Senate in No- vember will be a procedural vote on legislation to create incentives for natural gas vehicles and plug- in electric vehicle infrastructure. At- tempts may be made to enact a renewable en- ergy standard that would re- quire U.S. elec-


tricity to be produced by renewable energy sources.


• Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2003—Without congressional action, income, capital gains, dividend and estate tax rates will increase on Jan. 1, 2011. Con- gress is contemplating three options: 1) a short-term compromise in which all tax cuts are extended for all taxpay- ers; 2) extending only lower rates for individuals making $200,000 a year or less or couples making $250,000 a year or less; or 3) allowing all taxes to go up next year, then considering a retroactive, permanent extension for all taxpayers. Congress also will have to reach a consensus on rates for the capital gains, dividends and estate taxes.


• DOD Authorization Bill—Congress is at substantial risk of failing to approve a Defense Authorization bill, which sets the priorities and directives of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).


MODERN CASTING / November 2010


• Tax Extenders—Congress has yet to enact an extension of roughly $30 billion in tax incentives that expired at the end of 2009. The extenders legislation would be paid for, in part, by a tax hike on real estate partnership-carried interest.


• EPA Carbon Classification Delay— Congress may consider legislation that would delay pending U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation over greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources for two years. The first EPA greenhouse gas regulations are scheduled to take effect in 2011.


• Paycheck Fairness Act—The Senate may consider legislation that limits defenses to Equal Pay Act claims and permits unlimited punitive and compensatory damages. This bill, which passed the House, would limit employers to base pay deci- sions on factors like professional experience and local labor market rates. Employees would have to specifically opt out of class action lawsuits.


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Changes Proposed for Noise Exposure Standards The U.S. Occupational Safety and


Health Administration (OSHA) is pro- posing to reverse the enforcement policy on noise exposure standards it has used since 1983, which allows most employers to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and a hearing conser- vation program rather than engineer- ing and administrative controls, such as noise dampening equipment and muffling systems, to protect employees from noise exposure. The agency plans to require em-


ployers to implement all “feasible” controls—regardless of the costs or effectiveness of currently used PPE, unless an employer can prove that making such changes will “put them out of business” or threaten the company’s “viability.” If this change is enacted, OSHA would enforce its new policy with citations.


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OSHA is accepting comments on the proposed interpretation until Dec. 20. The proposal is available at edocket.ac- cess.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-26135.pdf.


For more information on noise protec- tion programs, contact Fred Kohloff, AFS EHS Department, at fhk@afsinc. org or 847/824-0181.


Treasury Department Delays Chinese Currency Report The U.S. Department of Treasury announced on Oct. 15 it would delay sending Congress a report that might have labeled China a currency manipu- lator, opting to address the matter after the November elections and a meeting of the Group of 20 (a forum of finance ministers and central bank governors from 19 countries). Some lawmakers are still pressing


for passage of legislation to address the undervalued Chinese currency when Congress returns to Washington in mid- November. At the end of September, the House passed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act (H.R. 2378) on a bipartisan basis. The bill requires the U.S. government to determine if a trade partner’s currency is fundamentally over- or undervalued and then enforce a duty or tariff to offset the effects of unfair trade.


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