House Set to Approve Strongest Iran Sanctions Ever
Ros-Lehtinen Urges President to Sign, Fully Enforce Bill
House Committee on Foreign Affairs / http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/
Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, the House debated legislation co-authored by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which greatly strengthens U.S. economic sanctions against Iran and counters the Iranian regime’s efforts to evade existing sanctions. The bill is designed to implement crippling economic pressure in order to compel Tehran to abandon its illegal nuclear weapons programs, its support for global extremist groups, and other dangerous policies. The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act (HR 1905) also targets human rights violators in Iran and Syria. The House is expected to pass the bill later today.
“I have spoken on this Floor many times about the Iranian threat, and the need for action to stop it. But, ultimately, we will all be judged by a simple question: Did we stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapons capability? If the answer is no—if we fail—then nothing else matters. If we fail, it would be of no comfort to the American people, whose security and future would be put in danger. If we fail, it would be of no comfort to our ally Israel, whose very existence would be put in danger.
“History is full of avoidable tragedies of foolish countries that have allowed their enemies to prepare to destroy them. The entire world is now fully aware of Iran’s true intentions. Now is the time to take a stand. As Sir Winston Churchill said, ‘You ask, What is our aim? I can answer with one word: Victory…for without victory there is no survival.’
“To get us on that path to victory, I ask my colleagues to render their full support to the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012—a bicameral, bipartisan agreement that represents the strongest set of sanctions ever put in place against the regime in Tehran. It blacklists virtually all of Iran’s energy, financial, and transportation sectors, and cuts off companies that keep doing business with Iran from access to our markets in the United States.
“This legislation also imposes sanctions to prevent Iran from repatriating any proceeds from its oil sales, depriving the Iranian regime of 80 percent of its hard currency earnings and half of the funds that support its budget. This bill also imposes tough new sanctions on the National Iranian Oil Company, the National Iranian Tanker Company, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It also targets Iran’s use of barter transactions to bypass sanctions; the provision of insurance to Iran’s energy sector; and the provision of specialized financial messaging services to the Central Bank of Iran.
“In 1995, the late former Secretary of State Warren Christopher stated, ‘In terms of its organization, programs, procurement, and covert activities, Iran is pursuing the classic route to nuclear weapons which has been followed by almost all states that have recently sought a nuclear capability,’ that was in 1995. Secretary Christopher added ‘There is no room for complacency.’
“Congress passed the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act in 1996. That law, now called the Iran Sanctions Act, sought to target Iran’s economic lifeline—its energy sector— and deny Tehran the financial resources to pursue its nuclear ambitions, sponsor violent Islamist groups, and dominate the region. Regrettably, just a couple of years after enactment of that law, the Clinton Administration issued a blanket waiver of energy sector sanctions that has been continued by successive Administrations. In 1996, U.S. concerns were not shared by our allies in Europe and Asia, who argued that trade, dialogue, and engagement toward the Iranian regime, would succeed in moderating Tehran’s behavior. This allowed the Iranian threat to flourish.
“However, Congress continued to develop new legislative counter-measures in the form of the Iran Freedom Support Act of 2006 and the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, to address the Iranian threats and to hold the regime accountable for its human rights violations, for its state sponsorship of violent extremists, and for its pursuit of a nuclear capability.
“We have analyzed Iranian reaction and behavior in response to these new sanctions. We have looked at what steps our allies have undertaken and considered the actions, or the paralysis, of the United Nations. But, most importantly, we have intensified our response as the Iranian threat has evolved and grown. We know “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” But far more than vigilance is needed.
“Which brings us to the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act. This bipartisan, bicameral agreement is seeks to tighten the chokehold on the regime beyond anything that has been done before. It sends a clear message that the American people, through their elected representatives, are fully committed to using every economic and political lever at their disposal to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold.
“Through this bill we declare the Iranian energy sector off-limits and blacklist any related unauthorized dealings. It will undermine Iran’s ability to repatriate the revenue it receives from the sale of its crude oil, depriving Iran of hard currency and funds needed to sustain its government. It prevents the purchasing of Iranian sovereign debt, thereby further limiting the regime’s ability to finance its illicit activities. It also expands sanctions against Iranian and Syrian officials for human rights abuses—particularly those facilitated by computer and network disruption, monitoring, and tracking by those governments.
“Yet, we should be under no illusions that this legislation is a magic wand that we waive and will resolve this problem overnight. Sanctions have helped to knock the regime off balance, but unless the Executive Branch fully implements these measures immediately, the regime is likely to regain its footing and further speed up its nuclear march. We must act now to stop that march.
House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Address Africa Preferences, CAFTA-DR Technical Textile Changes, and Burma Sanctions
Committee on Ways and Means / http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=305571
Washington, DC - Today, the House passed a package of bipartisan trade legislation that: (1) extends the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) third-country fabric provisions through 2015 and adds South Sudan as an eligible beneficiary country under AGOA; (2) implements non-controversial technical corrections and modifications to the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR); and (3) renews Presidential authority to apply import sanctions against Burma.
This bipartisan legislation passed by voice vote. Additional background on H.R. 5986 is available here.
Chairman Camp said: “This important legislation will strengthen U.S. global competitiveness and trade leadership. Today’s vote to extend certain AGOA provisions and add South Sudan as an eligible beneficiary demonstrates the bipartisan dedication of this Congress to sub-Saharan Africa and reaffirms the success of the AGOA program. The technical corrections to CAFTA-DR encourage deeper integration within the region, promote U.S. exports, and support U.S. jobs. These two provisions will strengthen our ties with U.S. trading partners in Africa and the Western Hemisphere and support U.S. jobs and the U.S. economy.
“Today’s legislation also extends the President’s authority to maintain the import ban on Burmese products for three years and authorizes the actual imposition of import sanctions for one year. I recognize the encouraging developments in Burma over the past months. Nevertheless, in 2003, Congress set out specific goals and benchmarks in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, and I encourage the Burmese government to continue to address the concerns that led to the passage of the law. I also urge the Burmese government to vigorously pursue further reforms, economic growth, and peaceful, inclusive governance that benefit all the Burmese people.”
Trade Subcommittee Chairman Brady said: “The strong bipartisan vote on H.R. 5986 re-affirms our strong trade and investment ties with sub-Saharan Africa and ensures a better-integrated textile supply chain in the Americas. These actions will support well-paying U.S. jobs. The legislation also reauthorizes the import ban on Burmese products. While I believe the Burmese government has taken sizeable steps forward in recent months, the political and economic reforms taken must continue and intensify to ensure that all citizens of Burma may be free, have a fully democratically-elected government, and enjoy the fruits of broad-based economic growth.
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Cantaloupes from Burch Equipment LLC of North Carolina
U.S. Food & Drug Administration / www.fda.gov
Listeria monocytogenes contamination found in samples shipped to New York, Maine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat whole cantaloupes from Burch Equipment LLC, of Faison, N.C., because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono).
What are the symptoms of Listeria mono illness?
Listeriosis, caused by L. mono, is typically characterized by fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. The disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. However, rarely, persons without these risk factors can also be affected.
Consumers should also be aware that the incubation period for listeriosis can be 1 to 3 weeks, but may be in the range of 3 to 70 days.
What do consumers need to do?
Consumers who may have cantaloupes should check the fruit’s tag for a red label reading Burch Farms and referencing PLU #4319, and destroy any product with this identification.
Consumers who think they may have become ill from eating possibly contaminated cantaloupes should consult their health care providers.
Where were the cantaloupes distributed?
The cantaloupes were distributed to retail supermarkets in the states of New York and Maine and it is likely those distributors sent to additional states. Grocery store owners should be aware that the FDA also learned that the cantaloupes were packed into sweet potato cartons.
What is being done about the problem?
FDA is working jointly with state officials in North Carolina, New York and Maine to investigate the cause and scope of the L. mono contamination and to ensure that all cantaloupes with the potential for L. mono contamination are removed from the market. Additionally, a recall has been initiated by Burch Equipment LLC.
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, is advising consumers who purchased Burch Farms cantaloupes from their supermarkets, to not consume these cantaloupes as they have the potential of being contaminated with L. mono.
Who should be contacted?
Consumers with questions about fresh fruit safety may call the FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD or email consumer@fda.gov.
The information in this press release reflects the FDA’s best efforts to communicate what it has learned from state and local public health agencies involved in the investigation. The agency will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Study of U.S. Inland Containerized Cargo Moving Through Canadian and Mexican Seaports Released
Federal Maritime Commission / www.fmc.gov
“The FMC today released a Study of U.S. Inland Containerized Cargo Moving Through Canadian and Mexican Seaports. The Study was prompted by requests from Members of Congress to study the impacts and the extent to which the U.S. Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT), other U.S. policies and other factors may incentivize U.S.-bound container cargo to shift from U.S. seaports to those located in Canada and Mexico. Seeking input from the public on factors that may contribute to this shift, the Commission issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in November 2011. Seventy-six responses representing interests in the United States, Canada, and Mexico were received in response to the NOI.
The Study examines the competitiveness of Mexican and Canadian ports with U.S. West Coast ports; discusses the history and the theories of cargo diversion and of the HMT; reviews ocean freight rates, transit times and rail charges; summarizes responses to the NOI; and examines other potential relevant factors influencing the movement of cargo. A case study of the Canadian Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia is included.
The Study finds that: (1) carriers shipping cargo through Canadian and Mexican ports do not violate any U.S. law, treaty, agreement, or FMC regulation; (2) numerous factors account for why shippers elect to use ports in Canada and Mexico including overall shipment savings, risk mitigation through port diversification, perceived transit time benefits, avoidance of the HMT, and rail rate disparities; and (3) there are many options available to Congress should it decide to revise or replace the current HMT structure. The Study confirms previous estimates that a significant amount of containerized cargo imports moving through the Ports of Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma and Portland on the U.S. West Coast may be vulnerable to Canada routing.
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. stated, "This Study provides facts U.S. policymakers can rely upon as they make the important choices affecting this country’s ability to compete in a global transportation marketplace."
Chairmen Johnson and Herger Announce a Hearing on Removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare Cards
Committee on Ways and Means / http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=304660
House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA) today announced that the Subcommittees will hold a joint hearing on removing Social Security numbers from beneficiaries’ Medicare cards. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, in 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 9:30 A.M.
In view of the limited time available to hear from witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing. A list of invited witnesses will follow.
BACKGROUND:
In 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, seven percent of households in the U.S., or about 8.6 million households, had a least one member age 12 or older who experienced identity theft. Of these households, over 1 million were headed by seniors, age 65 and older. The Social Security number (SSN) is especially valuable to identity thieves as it serves as the key to authenticating an individual’s identity in order to open accounts or obtain other benefits in the victim’s name.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) first recommended removing the SSN from government documents in 2002. In 2007, President George W. Bush’s Identity Theft Task Force found that the SSN is “the most valuable commodity for an identity thief” and its first recommendation was to reduce the unnecessary use of SSNs. That same year, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a directive to all federal agencies to develop a plan for reducing the use of SSNs in government transactions and to explore alternatives to their use. In 2008, the Social Security Administration (SSA) Inspector General found that displaying SSNs on beneficiary Medicare cards unnecessarily places millions of Americans at risk for identity theft and recommended that the SSN be removed from Medicare cards. Also in 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6600, the “Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2008,” introduced by Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Sam Johnson (R-TX), directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish cost-effective procedures to ensure that SSNs are not included on Medicare cards moving forward. This legislation passed the House by voice vote on September 28, 2008. Unfortunately, the Senate did not act on this legislation.
Today, nearly 50 million Medicare cards display SSNs, the main component of the health insurance claim number (HICN). The SSA and the Railroad Retirement Board assign HICNs to eligible Medicare beneficiaries. The HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the Medicare program and relies on the HICN for administering Medicare benefits, including requiring beneficiaries to present the HICN to document eligibility for Medicare services and requiring approximately 1.4 million providers to use the HICN for billing services.
To date, CMS has not developed a plan for removing the SSN from the Medicare card to protect beneficiaries from identity theft and protect taxpayers from fraudulent billing. In response to a July 2010 bipartisan request from the Committee on Ways and Means, CMS reported in November 2011 its estimates of three potential options for removing SSNs from Medicare cards, each projected to cost more than $800 million, nearly triple the amount the agency had preliminarily estimated in 2006. CMS also estimated that the change would take four years to test and implement and cited the risks to its systems and those of its provider and health care partners if the necessary resources were not provided. On September 13, 2011, Chairman Sam Johnson and Congressman Lloyd Doggett asked GAO to examine the lessons learned from the efforts of the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to remove SSNs from their identification cards and later asked GAO to review CMS’s 2011 report, including the options and their estimated costs.
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Johnson said, “Seniors are urged not to carry their Social Security card to protect their Social Security number, but at the same time are being told they must have their Medicare card with them at all times in order to get health care. This makes no sense. Many agencies in the public and private sector have removed the Social Security number from their benefit or ID cards to protect people, yet CMS refuses to protect the 48 million Medicare beneficiaries from ID theft by doing the same. That’s why Congressman Lloyd Doggett and I have introduced H.R. 1509, removing the Social Security number from the Medicare card and reducing the ID theft danger that CMS has long ignored.”
In announcing the hearing, Chairman Herger said, "It is puzzling why CMS has not taken commonsense steps to protect Medicare beneficiaries from preventable identity theft by removing Social Security numbers from their Medicare cards. Other federal health programs and private health insurance plans invested in these changes years ago. This hearing enables the Subcommittees to explore whether CMS has a plan to remove Social Security numbers from beneficiary cards and determine whether its previous analysis in this area is reliable."
FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The Subcommittees will examine options for removing SSNs from Medicare cards, including the cost and impact of doing so, along with why CMS has failed to develop and execute a plan to remove the SSN from beneficiary Medicare cards.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, http://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.” Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.” Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. ATTACH your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Wednesday, August 15, 2012. Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625.
FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record. As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee. The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines.
Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears. A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.
The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Import Specialists and Officers Seize Priceless Egyptian Artifacts
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.gov
Laredo, Texas – Officers and import specialists from the Import Specialist Enforcement Team (ISET) at U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Laredo Port of Entry, working in close coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), recently seized two priceless Egyptian sarcophagi-type artifacts.
A CBP officer at World Trade Bridge selected a shipment manifested as Egyptian sculptures for an enforcement examination. In the course of their examination, CBP officers discovered that the shipment included possible Egyptian antiquities and contacted ISET. Laredo ISET had recently been made aware of possible stolen artifacts of Egyptian origin and contacted Laredo HSI for further investigation. Laredo HSI contacted the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities and discovered that the artifacts, two sarcophagi, one adorned with a wooden mask with glass eyes and the other with a standing lady of painted stucco over linen, were indeed antiquities and the rightful property of Egypt.
Proper export documentation from the Egyptian government is required to transport the artifacts out of their country of origin. Working in coordination with HSI and with Office of Assistant Chief Counsel, CBP on July 9 determined that the artifacts would be seized due to a lack of export documentation to substantiate legal exportation of the artifacts from Egypt. The artifacts are deemed priceless.
“This seizure reflects good collaborative work between CBP officers, import specialists and HSI to ensure enforcement of U.S. law and international conventions protecting cultural property,” said Jose Uribe, CBP Assistant Port Director, Laredo Port of Entry. “These artifacts are the priceless cultural patrimony of Egypt. CBP and HSI will continue to move forward with the forfeiture process to provide for, if no valid petitions are granted, an eventual return of these artifacts to Egypt.” 
Egypt is one of the signatories to a 1970 General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Through the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, the United States entered into a cultural property agreement with the Egyptian government to help protect archaeological and ethnological materials through import controls.
"These are precisely the types of treasures that ICE's Cultural Property Art and Antiquities unit was established to identify, investigate and return to their rightful owners. We are very pleased to have rescued the two priceless Egyptian artifacts and look forward to returning them to the Egyptian government,” said Jerry Robinette, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in San Antonio.
CBP Officers Pull the Plug on Unsafe Trees
Joint effort with Consumer Product Safety Commission
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / www.cbp.gov
Detroit – As part of a joint effort with investigators from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from the Port of Detroit targeted and seized three shipments of LED lighted trees after they were found to have undersized wiring and insufficient strain relief making them an electrical and flammability hazard. The total retail value of the trees was $9800.
The container, originating from China and destined for Michigan, arrived into the United States from Canada via commercial train at the International Falls Port of Entry on June 1. Upon arrival in Detroit, the shipment was examined by CBP officers who, in turn, sent product samples to the CPSC for analysis. A review of the samples by CPSC determined the products to be unsafe for the American consumer market.
“CBP officers work diligently to detect and prevent the importation of fraudulent merchandise that could cause serious injury to consumers,” said Roderick Blanchard, Port Director.
CBP in Detroit continues to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other enforcement agencies and organizations to combat the illegal import of counterfeit goods which pose significant health and safety dangers to the American public.