Sec. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE NEED FOR A MISCELLANEOUS TARIFF BILL

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## SEC. 2 SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE NEED FOR A MISCELLANEOUS TARIFF BILL ###

(a)Findings Congress makes the following findings: ####

(1)As of the date of the enactment of this Act, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States imposes duties on imported goods for which there is no domestic availability or insufficient domestic availability. ####

(2)The imposition of duties on such goods creates artificial distortions in the economy of the United States that negatively affect United States manufacturers and consumers. ####

(3)The manufacturing competitiveness of the United States around the world will be enhanced if Congress regularly and predictably updates the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to suspend or reduce duties on such goods. ####

(4)Creating and maintaining an open and transparent process for consideration of petitions for duty suspensions and reductions builds confidence that the process is fair, open to all, and free of abuse. ####

(5)Complying with the Rules of the House of Representatives and the Senate, in particular with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, is essential to fostering and maintaining confidence in the process for considering a miscellaneous tariff bill. ####

(6)A miscellaneous tariff bill developed under this process will not contain any— #####

(A)congressional earmarks or limited tax benefits within the meaning of clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives; or #####

(B)congressionally directed spending items or limited tax benefits within the meaning of rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. ####

(7)Because any limited tariff benefits contained in any miscellaneous tariff bill following the process set forth by this Act will not have been the subject of legislation introduced by an individual Member of Congress and will be fully vetted through a transparent and fair process free of abuse, it is appropriate for Congress to consider limited tariff benefits as part of that miscellaneous tariff bill as long as— #####

(A)in the case of a miscellaneous tariff bill considered in the House of Representatives, consistent with the Rules of the House of Representatives, a list of such limited tariff benefits is published in the reports of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives accompanying the miscellaneous tariff bill, or in the Congressional Record; and #####

(B)in the case of a miscellaneous tariff bill considered in the Senate, consistent with the Standing Rules of the Senate— ######

(i)such limited tariff benefits have been identified through lists, charts, or other similar means; and ######

(ii)the information identified in clause

(i)has been available on a publicly accessible congressional website in a searchable format at least 48 hours before the vote on the motion to proceed to the miscellaneous tariff bill or the vote on the adoption of a report of a committee of conference in connection with the miscellaneous tariff bill, as the case may be. ####

(8)When the process set forth under paragraph

(7)is followed, it is consistent with the letter and intent of the Rules of the House of Representatives and the Senate and other related guidance. ###

(b)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that, to remove the competitive disadvantage to United States manufacturers and consumers and to promote the competitiveness of United States manufacturers, Congress should, not later than 90 days after the United States International Trade Commission issues a final report on petitions for duty suspensions and reductions under section 3(b)(3)(E), consider a miscellaneous tariff bill.