United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
Newborn CARES Act This bill treats children of a taxpayer born in 2020 as born in calendar year 2019 for purposes of the advance recovery rebate allowed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act. The Internal Revenue Service must establish a procedure to allow a taxpayer to file a claim for such rebate during calendar year 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Continuing Access to In-Home IVIG Act This bill extends the Medicare Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Demonstration for an additional two years and expands the maximum number of participating beneficiaries from 4,000 to 6,500. The program provides bundled payments for items and services that are necessary for in-home IVIG administration for certain beneficiaries with primary immune deficiency disease.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2020
Helping Open Properties Endeavor Act of 2020 or the HOPE Act of 2020 This bill establishes an equity facility in the Department of the Treasury to assist commercial mortgage borrowers. Specifically, Treasury must guarantee the purchase by financial institutions of certain equity instruments backed by a commercial mortgage. The bill defines commercial mortgage as a mortgage loan secured by an interest in real property owned for rental income. Borrowers with reduced revenues from their commercial property may qualify for an amount not to exceed 10% of the outstanding amount owed on their commercial mortgage. The bill sets forth eligibility requirements for borrowers, as well as requirements for the equity instruments, including rates, fees, repayment, and the rights of purchasers.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2020
This bill makes permanent the reduction in the adjusted gross income (AGI) threshold that must be exceeded before a taxpayer may claim a deduction amount for medical expenses. The reduction is from 10% to 7.5% of AGI and 5% in any taxable year beginnning in 2020 or 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2020
Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act This bill authorizes the President to impose visa-blocking, property-blocking, or economic sanctions on a foreign person that is involved in activities that are reasonably likely to result in a significant threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, public health, economic health, or financial stability. The Department of State must submit a report detailing the extent of known or attempted cyber-enabled activities by foreign persons related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and assessing whether those activities qualify for the imposition of sanctions. Further, the bill provides penalties for a person who knowingly traffics in access to a protected computer if the trafficker knows the protected computer has been damaged in a prohibited manner. The bill also authorizes an injunction against a person who causes damage through accessing a protected computer or transmitting a program, information, code, or command to a protected computer.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Healthy Skies Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a pilot program at a minimum of 10 airports to establish and test procedures to screen all passengers for their temperatures before such passengers proceed through security into the sterile area. If the temperature of a passenger exceeds the guidance for what constitutes a fever issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the time such temperature screening is carried out, the TSA shall not permit such passenger to enter the sterile area. The TSA shall consider a resolution process for identifying medical conditions unrelated to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) that could result in a temperature that exceeds CDC guidance. The pilot program terminates on the date of the termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
This bill allows employers a payroll tax credit for 50% of the sum of qualified employee protection expenses, qualified workplace reconfiguration expenses, and qualified workplace technology expenses paid for each calendar quarter. The bill defines qualified employee protection expenses as the cost of testing employees for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), equipment to protect employees from COVID-19, and cleaning products or services for preventing the spread of COVID-19; qualified workplace reconfiguration expenses as amounts paid to design and reconfigure retail space, work areas, break areas, or other employee or customer areas for the primary purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19, and such design and reconfiguration is completed pursuant to a plan in place before March 13, 2020, and completed before January 1, 2021; and qualified workplace technology expenses as amounts paid for technology systems that employees or customers use for the primary purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and limiting physical contact, and is acquired after March 12, 2020, and placed in service before January 1, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
This bill allows employers a payroll tax credit for 50% of employee testing expenses for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The credit does not apply to the federal government or any state or local government.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Protecting Access to Post-COVID–19 Telehealth Act of 2020 This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill (1) authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during national emergencies, (2) allows rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), (3) removes restrictions that require the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) to be in a rural area, and (3) allows the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services (rather than for only certain services). Additionally, the CMS must report on the utilization of telehealth services specifically during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to provide grants and other forms of emergency assistance to certain providers of transportation services that have experienced a significant revenue loss as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Treasury must ensure equal access to the assistance for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. As a condition of receipt of assistance, Treasury must require that a provider of transportation services agree to (1) use the funds, on a priority basis, to maintain through December 31, 2020, pay, paid administrative leave, and benefits to all employees after making any adjustments required for retirement or voluntary employee separation; and (2) recall or rehire any employee laid off, furloughed, or terminated because of reduced service as a result of COVID-19, to the extent warranted by increased service levels.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
This bill extends through December 30, 2022, the coverage period for the Coronavirus Relief Fund to make payments to tribal governments for necessary expenditures incurred as a result of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2020
Duplication Scoring Act of 2020 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to analyze legislation reported by a congressional committee in order to prevent duplication of and overlap with existing federal programs, offices, and initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2020
Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act This bill designates certain Hong Kong residents with priority status for refugee consideration and contains other related provisions. An individual and certain family members shall have such priority status if the individual (1) is a Hong Kong resident who suffered persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution as a result of peaceful political activity; or (2) has been formally charged, detained, or convicted for certain peaceful actions. An individual receiving refugee status under this bill shall not be counted against various numerical limitations. When determining whether an individual shall be admitted as a refugee under this bill, an individual whose citizenship, nationality, or residency was revoked for submitting a nonfrivolous application for a U.S. immigration benefit shall be considered to have suffered persecution on account of political opinion. The general presumption that an alien is seeking immigrant status shall not apply to certain Hong Kong residents seeking asylum into the United States. (Typically, an alien seeking admission as a nonimmigrant must establish that the alien does not intend to immigrate to the United States.) This exception to the presumption shall apply to certain individuals involved in the 2019 and 2020 protests against China's encroachment into Hong Kong's autonomy (Hong Kong is a part of China but has a separate legal and economic system). An individual from Hong Kong may not be denied admission into the United States if the primary reason for the denial is a politically motivated government action against the individual's involvement in protests.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, establishes a commission to study the conditions affecting Black men and boys, and establishes best practices and training requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Ensuring American Leadership over International Standards Act of 2019 This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the impact of Chinese government policies and standards development on international bodies engaged in developing and setting international standards for emerging technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
Reopening America by Supporting Workers and Businesses Act of 2020 This bill permits states to provide not more than two weekly payments of $600 to individuals who were eligible for pandemic unemployment compensation during any week after the enactment of this bill but who are no longer eligible as a result of becoming thereafter reemployed. A state may make such payments as a lump sum. Additionally, states participating in pandemic unemployment programs must (1) establish a process for employers to report when an individual refuses an offer of employment; and (2) provide individuals claiming unemployment benefits with notice of the state’s laws with respect to returning, or refusing to return, to work.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes a grant program, as well as a new center within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to facilitate access to investigational therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (i.e., ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive and fatal disease). Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award grants for the provision of investigational drugs for ALS and other rapidly progressing neurodegenerative diseases through an expanded access (i.e., compassionate use) program. HHS may award these grants to (1) a small business that is the sponsor of an investigational new drug application, or (2) a participating clinical trial site for such a sponsor. Additionally, HHS must establish within the FDA a Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases. The center shall have duties and authorities similar to those of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence, which helps expedite the development of medical products and assists providers in requesting access to investigational drugs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
This bill requires states to certify a process for distributing Coronavirus Relief Funds to local governments. Specifically, each state that received such funds shall provide the Department of the Treasury, by June 12, 2020, with a certification that the state has in effect a procedure to distribute the funds to units of local government, including a detailed description of such procedure. If a state fails to comply with this requirement, 25% of such payment shall be booked as a debt owed to the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2020
Rewarding American Workers Act of 2020 This bill allows employers a payroll tax credit for bonuses paid to employees whose wages did not exceed specified levels during the period beginning on March 13, 2020, and ending on the earlier of July 31, 2020, or the end of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency, and who worked for the entire period.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2020
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions related to the forgiveness of loans made to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program implemented in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum maturity of five years for a paycheck protection loan that has a remaining balance after the application of forgiveness. The bill also extends the covered period during which the recipient of a paycheck protection loan may use such funds for certain expenses while remaining eligible for forgiveness of the loan. Further, the bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from limiting the non-payroll portion of a forgivable covered loan amount. Currently, only 25% of a paycheck protection loan may be allocated to non-payroll expenses such as rent and utilities. The bill extends the period of time in which an employer may rehire or eliminate a reduction in employment, salary, or wages that would otherwise reduce the forgivable amount of a paycheck protection loan. However, the forgivable amount must be determined without regard to a reduction in the number of employees if the recipient is (1) unable to rehire an employee, (2) able to demonstrate an inability to hire a similarly qualified employee, or (3) able to demonstrate an inability to return to the same level of business activity. Lastly, the bill eliminates a provision that makes a paycheck protection loan recipient who has such indebtedness forgiven ineligible to defer payroll tax payments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
COVID-19 Dependent Care Flexible Spending Arrangement Rollover Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to issue regulations or other guidance that permit the unused balance as of the end of plan year 2020 of any dependent care flexible spending arrangement to be rolled over to plan year 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2020
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions related to the forgiveness of loans made to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program implemented in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum maturity of five years for a paycheck protection loan that has a remaining balance after the application of forgiveness. The bill also extends the covered period during which the recipient of a paycheck protection loan may use such funds for certain expenses while remaining eligible for forgiveness of the loan. Further, the bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from limiting the non-payroll portion of a forgivable covered loan amount. Currently, only 25% of a paycheck protection loan may be allocated to non-payroll expenses such as rent and utilities. The bill extends the period of time in which an employer may rehire or eliminate a reduction in employment, salary, or wages that would otherwise reduce the forgivable amount of a paycheck protection loan. However, the forgivable amount must be determined without regard to a reduction in the number of employees if the recipient is unable to rehire an employee and is able to demonstrate an inability to hire a similarly qualified employee. Lastly, the bill eliminates a provision that makes a paycheck protection loan recipient who has such indebtedness forgiven ineligible to defer payroll tax payments.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Small Business Expense Protection Act of 2020 This bill amends the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide that tax deductions for ordinary business expenses and other tax incidents shall not be affected by the exclusion from gross income of amounts related to loan forgiveness received in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Accelerate Long-term Investment Growth Now Act or the ALIGN Act This bill makes permanent the expensing of certain new business equipment. Expensing allows the deduction of the full amount of an expense item in the same taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act or the EMPIL-DOC Act This bill authorizes a bilateral grant program with Israel to develop health technologies, with an emphasis on the use of technology, personalized medicine, and data in relation to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Technologies to be developed through this program include, among others, artificial intelligence, respiratory assist devices, and diagnostic tests. In addition, the program conditions funding on a matching contribution from the government of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Protecting Life in Crisis Act This bill specifies that federal funds allocated for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response efforts may not, in general, be used for abortions. Current law (specifically, language that has historically been included in certain appropriations bills, commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment) generally prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. The bill also restricts the use of federal tax credits or other federal funding for health insurance coverage if the coverage includes abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2020
Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments for Coronavirus Patients Act of 2020 This bill establishes a reciprocal marketing approval process that allows for the sale of a drug, biological product, or medical device that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if the product is approved for sale in another country for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and there is an unmet need relative to certain diseases. Specifically, the bill requires the product's sponsor to demonstrate, among other things, that the product has been approved for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 or another disease of epidemic potential, the approval is in one of the specified countries, the FDA and listed countries have not withdrawn approval because of safety or effectiveness concerns, and there is a public health or unmet medical need for the product. The FDA may only decline approval if the FDA determines that the product is not safe or effective. The FDA must make such a determination not later than 30 days after receiving a request. Congress may pass a joint resolution to grant reciprocal marketing approval of a product that the FDA declines to approve through the reciprocal process.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2020
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14955 West Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, as the "Marc Lee Memorial Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 13 February 2020
Joint Long-Term Storage Act of 2020 This bill addresses long-term renewable energy storage technologies and systems. Specifically, it requires the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in the Department of Energy to establish an initiative composed of demonstration projects focused on the development of long-duration energy storage technologies. The goals of the initiative include demonstrating the potential benefits of long-duration energy storage to efficient use of the electricity grid and increasing the commercial viability of long-duration energy storage technologies. As part of the initiative, ARPA-E must establish a joint program with the Department of Defense's Environmental Security Technology Certification Program office to (1) demonstrate promising long-duration energy storage technologies at different scales; and (2) help new, innovative long-duration energy storage technologies become commercially viable. In addition, the bill authorizes through FY2024 the Duration Addition to electricitY Storage program to develop energy storage systems that provide power to the electric grid for durations of 10 to approximately 100 hours.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2020
Generating Effective and Novel Evidence for Therapy Payment Act or the GENE Therapy Payment Act This bill allows state Medicaid programs to pay for certain gene therapy drugs through risk-sharing value-based payment agreements with drug manufacturers. The bill applies to covered outpatient drugs that provide potentially curative treatment for serious or life-threatening rare diseases or conditions after not more than three administrations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2020
Trusted Traveler REAL ID Relief Act of 2020 This bill revises certain requirements related to the REAL ID Act of 2005 (required enhanced driver's licenses for domestic flights) for purposes of boarding a federally regulated commercial aircraft. Specifically, the bill exempts individuals with a known traveler number (assigned to an individual and accepted as validating that the individual holding such identifier is a member of a known low-risk population) from REAL ID requirements; requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to accept enrollment in PreCheck as an allowable alternative to presenting a REAL ID compliant credential to board a commercial aircraft until April 1, 2022; directs the TSA to develop, socialize, and implement alternative checkpoint screening procedures for individuals arriving at a checkpoint without a form of acceptable identification; provides an opportunity for airports to request the TSA to conduct REAL ID implementation exercises; and allows states to establish a process for the submission of electronic documents and electronic facial images when individuals are applying for a REAL ID compliant identification.
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2020
Consumer Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills Act of 2020 This bill makes a series of changes related to health care costs and billing practices. Among other things, the bill applies the in-network cost-sharing amount to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, applies the in-network cost-sharing amount to nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network at an in-network facility unless specified written notice requirements are met, establishes procedures for health insurance plans to negotiate reimbursement amounts paid to out-of-network providers in states without such a process, requires insurance plans to establish publicly available databases that list the contact information for in-network providers and facilities, requires health care providers and insurance plans to provide certain cost estimates for services scheduled at least three days in advance, requires plans to continue benefits for specified long-term care when an insurance plan's contractual relationship with a provider or facility changes or terminates, requires insurance plans to include specified consumer assistance and benefits information on a plan holder's membership card and maintain certain price comparison tools for in-network services, establishes reporting requirements related to air ambulance services, establishes a temporary income tax deduction for specified expenses resulting from out-of-network and emergency services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2020
Continuing Care for Patients Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to continue providing benefits to continuing care patients when the contractual relationship with the provider or facility treating such patient changes or terminates. Continuing care patients include individuals undergoing (1) inpatient care, (2) care for pregnancy, (3) nonelective surgery, (4) treatment for a terminal illness, or (5) treatment for other serious condition that requires prolonged medical care. Among other requirements, health insurance plans must notify continuing care patients about a termination of coverage and permit such patients to continue treatment under the plan, including transition to another health care setting, for not more than 90 days after that date that such notice is provided.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2020
This resolution condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the international covenants on human rights. Further, it calls on Iran to immediately release all imprisoned or detained Baha'is, and it urges the President and the Department of State to impose sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against Iran's Baha'i community.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2020
This resolution expresses support for Australia, as well as greater collaboration between the United States and Australia to promote wildfire mitigation and prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2020
Virtual Currency Tax Fairness Act of 2020 This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, up to $200 of gain from the disposition of virtual currency in a personal transaction. The bill defines virtual currency as a digital representation of value that is used as a medium of exchange and is not otherwise currency.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2020
United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act This bill establishes a grant program for collaborative efforts between the United States and Israel to advance research on post-traumatic stress disorders. The Department of Defense, in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of State, shall award grants to eligible academic institutions or nonprofit entities in the United States. Work shall be conducted by the eligible entity and an entity in Israel under a joint research agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2020
Israel Anti-Boycott Act This bill prohibits participation by certain entities and individuals in boycotts or requests for boycotts imposed by international governmental organizations (i.e., the United Nations and the European Union). Specifically, the bill applies to covered persons the prohibition of specified actions in compliance with or in support of a boycott against a country that is friendly to the United States and that is not itself the object of a U.S. boycott. The bill defines a covered person as a domestic concern, the U.S. government or a state government, or a representative or official of such domestic concern or government. The bill also adds to the list of specified prohibited actions the act of furnishing information to any foreign country or international governmental organization that furthers an imposed boycott. Under current law, a person who violates the prohibitions against such boycotts may be subject to a monetary fine or imprisonment; however, the bill removes imprisonment as a potential penalty for certain violations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2020
January 8th National Memorial Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish the January 8th National Memorial in Tucson, Arizona, as an affiliated area of the National Park System in commemoration of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others in Tucson on January 8, 2011. The January 8th Memorial Foundation shall transfer to Pima County, Arizona, amounts equal to final funding pledges, in addition to the amounts that the foundation has raised and transferred to the county for the construction of the memorial. The memorial shall be constructed on property owned by Pima County. The bill makes the county responsible for the management of the construction contract for the memorial through the use of funds provided by the foundation. The foundation shall cease operations after (1) final funding pledge amounts have been paid to Pima County, and (2) construction of the memorial has been completed. Pima County shall (1) be the memorial's management entity, and (2) be responsible for the construction and operation of the memorial. Interior shall develop a general management plan for the memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2020
This resolution (1) disapproves of the Speaker of the House of Representatives' decision to refuse to transmit to the Senate the two articles of impeachment adopted on December 18, 2019, and (2) demands that the Speaker immediately transmit the articles to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2019
Energy Sector Innovation Credit Act of 2019 This bill allows new tax credits for investment in emerging energy technology and for the production of electricity from such technology. The bill also allows an energy tax credit for energy storage technologies, including equipment which receives, stores, and delivers energy using batteries, compressed air, pumped hydropower, hydrogen storage (including hydrolysis), thermal energy storage, regenerative fuel cells, flywheels, capacitors, superconducting magnets, or other technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
This bill requires the Department of Transportation to provide technical and financial assistance to metropolitan planning organizations and states for the completion of Tier II environmental impact statements in regards to the development of Interstate 11 in Arizona.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2019
Southwest Tourism Expansion Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the requirement to issue arrival-departure cards to certain Mexican nationals. Specifically, the waiver shall apply to a Mexican national who is (1) eligible for nonimmigrant admission into the United States, (2) exempt from visa and passport requirements or certain existing (and generally more limited) arrival-departure card requirements, and (3) admitted at a port of entry in Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico border for visiting Arizona for up to 30 days. The waiver program shall be in effect for five years. Before the program expires, DHS shall report to Congress on issues including (1) the estimated economic impact of the program, and (2) the number of Mexican nationals who overstayed their visa in Arizona during the first four years in which the program was in effect.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2019
Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019 This bill establishes and modifies several requirements to address prescription drug prices under Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. The bill generally limits payment amounts for drugs and biologics under Medicare medical services, reduces cost-sharing under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, modifies certain authorities and requirements under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, revises provisions relating to regulatory approval and commercial availability of generics and biosimilars, and establishes several reporting requirements for drug manufacturers with respect to drug prices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to lead reform efforts and urge member cooperation at the World Trade Organization in order to address barriers to trade, improve living standards across the world, and enhance accountability and dispute settlement mechanisms.