Last week’s negotiations held in Washington between Mexico and the United States were successful in suspending indefinitely president Donald Trump’s threat to impose an immediate 5% tax on all Mexican imports. These were set to go into force June 10 and escalate to 25% over time. In a series of tweets, the White House claimed a major triumph over its neighbor, arguing that trade threats served to finally force the Mexican government to dramatically curb…

Global Policy Watch

Beyond The FCPA: New U.S. Regulator Enforcing Against Foreign Corruption

By Laura Brookover, Jennifer Saperstein & Benjamin Haley on June 17, 2019

Yet another U.S. regulator is entering the foreign corruption space. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is a civil agency that oversees commodity and derivatives markets in the United States. It enforces the Commodity Exchange Act, a set of statutes that are enforced criminally by the U.S. Department of Justice. The CFTC has authority to impose financial penalties in the many millions of dollars, and it has broad investigatory powers. Earlier this year, the CFTC announced …

Global Policy Watch

The Butch Lewis Act Takes Important Step Forward

By Holly Fechner & Peter Rechter on June 13, 2019

This week, Congress took an important step forward to protect the benefits of retirees in multiemployer pension plans facing insolvency. On Tuesday, June 11, 2019, the House Committee on Education and Labor marked-up the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (H.R. 397), better known as the “Butch Lewis Act.” Among other things, the bill would create a federal loan program within the Department of Treasury authorized to finance loans to certain multiemployer plans facing insolvency. At…

Global Policy Watch

Senate Committee Holds Hearings on New Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Reform Section 101 of the Patent Act

By Holly Fechner, Ashley Kwon & Matthew Shapanka on June 7, 2019

This week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property held the first two of a three-part series of hearings on “The State of Patent Eligibility in America.” The hearings are part of an ongoing bipartisan congressional effort to reform section 101 of the Patent Act to address confusion over patent eligibility wrought by more than a decade of Supreme Court decisions. Each hearing includes three panels of five witnesses, for an impressive total of 45…

Global Policy Watch

Florida FARA Case Leaves Troubling Precedent

By Brian D. Smith & Robert Kelner on June 5, 2019

On May 7, 2019, a federal District Court in the Southern District of Florida ruled that an American company, RM Broadcasting, must register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) for its agreement to broadcast radio programming from Rossiya Segodnya (meaning “Russia Today”), a Russian state-owned news agency. Although the decision has received some attention because it is the latest victory in the Department of Justice’s efforts to force Russian state-owned …

Global Policy Watch

Ranking the U.S. Economy: “New Normal” or Room for Improvement?

By Constance Anne Pence on June 3, 2019

For decades, the U.S. economy was the envy of the world. With few, notable exceptions the U.S. economy was a consistent model for growth, innovation, diversification and job creation. The US economic engine, and the optimistic middle class it enabled, also has been a testament to the value of our democratic, rule-of-law-based governance system. Unfortunately, the confidence of our middle-class, of young Americans, and of the international community, in the U.S. economic system – and…

Global Policy Watch

Elections and Appointments in the European Union: What’s at Stake

By Jean De Ruyt, Sebastian Vos & Atli Stannard on May 23, 2019

The EU elections began on Thursday, May 23, and run to Sunday, May 26. These are likely to see a significant change in the make-up of the European Parliament, with the main center-left and center-right parties losing overall control. It will also kick off formally the process for appointing a new European Commission – which, this year, comes alongside the appointment of a number of other senior European figures. Indeed, the five most important institutional…

Global Policy Watch

ABSCA Confirms Contractors May Challenge Unfavorable CPARS Ratings

By Alex Sarria & Kevin Barnett on May 21, 2019

While you might not be able to fight City Hall, you can fight your CPARS rating. In a short opinion published last week, the ASBCA confirmed it has jurisdiction to annul an inaccurate and unfair government evaluation of a contractor’s performance. Cameron Bell Corporation d/b/a Government Solutions Group, ASBCA No. 61856 (May 1, 2019). Though the ASBCA cannot require the government to issue a specific rating, it can remand the matter to the contracting…

Global Policy Watch

House Financial Services Committee Passes BSA/AML Overhaul Legislation

By Jenny Konko on May 16, 2019

On May 9, 2019, the House Financial Services Committee (“HFSC”) unanimously approved an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 2514, the Coordinating Oversight, Upgrading and Innovating Technology, and Examiner Reform Act (the “COUNTER Act” or the “Act”). The COUNTER Act, introduced by Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) would be the first major reform of the Bank Secrecy Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 5311 et seq. (“BSA”) and related anti-money laundering (“AML”) regulations since 2001. …

Global Policy Watch

Department of Defense Releases Annual Report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China

By Samantha Clark, Zachary Mears & Jeff Bozman on May 8, 2019

The Department of Defense (“DoD” or “the Department”) released its annual report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) on May 2, 2019. This annual report details DoD’s assessment of Chinese security strategy and military strategy over the next 20 years, with a particular focus on China’s future course of military-technological developments. The Secretary of Defense sends both a classified and unclassified version of the report to…

Global Policy Watch

Key Public Policy Developments Around the World

Blog Authors

Blowback From Mexican Tariff Negotiations

Beyond The FCPA: New U.S. Regulator Enforcing Against Foreign Corruption

The Butch Lewis Act Takes Important Step Forward

Senate Committee Holds Hearings on New Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Reform Section 101 of the Patent Act

Florida FARA Case Leaves Troubling Precedent

Ranking the U.S. Economy: “New Normal” or Room for Improvement?

Elections and Appointments in the European Union: What’s at Stake

ABSCA Confirms Contractors May Challenge Unfavorable CPARS Ratings

House Financial Services Committee Passes BSA/AML Overhaul Legislation

Department of Defense Releases Annual Report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China

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