<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/317681-nine-dem-senators-say-hiring-freeze-hurting-trade-enforcement" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">http://thehill.com/policy/finance/317681-nine-dem-senators-say-hiring-freeze-hurting-trade-enforcement</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Nine Dem senators say hiring freeze hurting trade enforcement<o:p class=""></o:p></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="submitted-by">By Vicki Needham - </span><span class="submitted-date">02/02/17 06:50 PM EST</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Nine Democratic senators urged the White House on Thursday to end a federal hiring freeze for employees working on U.S. trade enforcement efforts.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The Senate Finance Committee members <a href="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/020217%2520Finance%2520Dem%2520Letter%2520to%2520Trump%2520on%2520Trade%2520Hiring%2520Freeze.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1486161369314000&usg=AFQjCNGMwUl0NMmQl3VVy40STqZN-wPalQ" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">sent a letter to President Trump</a> calling on him to reverse course for federal government employees responsible for improving the nation's trade enforcement. <o:p class=""></o:p></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">“During your campaign you described trade enforcement as the center of your plan for trade reform,” they wrote.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">“Freezing hiring for the very agencies that will be essential to fulfilling this objective runs contrary to your own campaign promises and undermines long-running bipartisan efforts to enhance trade enforcement throughout the federal government.”<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The letter was sent by Finance ranking member Sen. <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/ron-wyden" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Ron Wyden</a></span> (Ore.) and Sens. <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/sherrod-brown" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Sherrod Brown</a></span> (Ohio), <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/robert-casey" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Bob Casey</a></span> (Pa.), <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/debbie-stabenow" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Debbie Stabenow</a></span> (Mich.),<span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/benjamin-cardin" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Ben Cardin</a></span> (Md.), <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/robert-menendez" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Bob Menendez</a></span> (N.J.), <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/tom-carper" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Tom Carper</a></span> (Del.), <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/michael-bennet" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Michael Bennet</a></span> (Colo.), and <span class="rollover-people"><a href="http://thehill.com/people/maria-cantwell" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Maria Cantwell</a></span> (Wash.).<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Trump announced the federal hiring freeze on Jan. 23. <o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Congress cleared a customs enforcement measure in 2015 aimed a tackling many issues within the system. <o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The lawmakers said that, for example, producers of steel and softwood lumber are relying on investigators and attorneys at the Commerce Department to address unfair trade practices harming U.S. workers and communities.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">They also pointed to the need for trade specialists and border agents at Customs and Border Protection to investigate companies that are failing to pay import duties<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The senators said "the timing of the freeze is particularly problematic given that several of these agencies are implementing new enforcement tools" that were in the customs enforcement measure.</p></body></html>