McHenry County Blog

The following press release has been received from 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo:

Manzullo to Host Ambassadors from Japan
and Thailand in McHenry County on Monday

[MARENGO]  Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) will welcome Ichiro Fujisaki, Japanese Ambassador to the U.S, and Don Pramudwinai, Thai Ambassador to the U.S., to McHenry County on Monday, April 19, to tour a Marengo manufacturing plant and discuss possible business opportunities with local business and government leaders.

Congressman Don Manzullo speaking at his McHenry County College Town Hall Meeting on Health Care last summer.

Manzullo, senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, works directly with the Ambassadors in Washington, DC and invited them to come to northern Illinois to meet with local business leaders and students.

Manzullo and the Ambassadors will tour the Chicago-Rockford International Airport on Sunday and participate in a Forum on the Global Economic Recovery at Rockford College earlier Monday.

In Marengo, Manzullo and the Ambassadors will tour Nissan Forklift and meet with company officials and local business and government leaders about potential business opportunities for Japanese- and Thai-owned firms in McHenry County.

With approximately 275 employees in Marengo, Nissan Forklift (a division of the Japanese-owned Nissan Motor Company) is a great example of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States that provides much-needed jobs for Americans.

Manzullo and the Ambassadors will arrive at Nissan Forklift at 11 a.m. and receive a presentation from company leaders and tour of the plant.

At noon, local business and government leaders will explain why McHenry County is a great location for Japanese- and Thai-owned firms looking to set up shop in the United States.

WHAT: Japanese and Thai Ambassadors join Rep. Manzullo on visit to McHenry County
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, April 19
WHERE: Nissan Forklift, 240 N. Prospect St., Marengo, IL

The following press release has been received from 16th District Congressman Don Manzullo. The words “bureaucratic withholding power” in the headline come from my former Legislative Assistant, Pete Castillo.

Read the press release and you’ll see why I used the characterization.

U.S. House Committee Approves Manzullo Provisions to Modernize Export Controls, Create American Jobs

(WASHINGTON) U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) hailed legislation passed in the House Foreign Affairs Committee last night that he co-authored to modernize the federal government’s export control policy by strengthening national security and helping American companies sell more defense-related goods overseas, creating jobs for Americans.

Approved as part of the two-year Foreign Relations Authorization Act, the legislation directs the State Department to take actions to reduce the massive backlog of license applications that impedes legitimate trade with our allies.

Manzullo originally introduced the provision as stand-alone legislation in 2007 with Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Roy Blunt (R-MO). Specifically, it would:

1. Direct the Secretary of State to review the U.S. export control system within 18 months and offer recommendations to strengthen controls, improve efficiency, and reduce redundancies across federal agencies;
2. Require the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to have at least 1 licensing officer for every 1,250 applications by Fiscal Year 2011 to prevent future backlogs;

• Require the DDTC to assign no less than 3 individuals by Fiscal Year 2010 to review applications for commodity jurisdiction determinations;

• Create a performance goal of no longer than 60 days to process a defense trade license;
• Create a performance goal of no longer than 30 days to process a defense trade license for close allies;
• Establish a 7-day processing time for defense trade licenses from our close allies in support of combat operations or peacekeeping or humanitarian operations with U.S. Armed Forces;
• Increase the transparency of commodity jurisdiction determinations with publication of those decisions on the Internet;
• Create a special licensing authorization for U.S.-manufactured spare and replacement parts or components in connection with defense items previously lawfully exported to our close allies;
• Increase the representation and augment the input of the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) into the State Department’s defense trade agenda;
• Add South Korea and Israel to the list of NATO+3 countries receiving expedited consideration for the export of U.S. defense items.

The legislation included another Manzullo priority to strengthen export promotion activities for our nation’s 26 million small businesses and small manufacturers to the world’s fastest growing markets.

By making it easier for small businesses and manufacturers to participate at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the Manzullo provision removes a significant barrier that prevented small businesses from being more competitive with their foreign competitors.

The Manzullo provision designates a Small Business Liaison at the State Department and adds a small business website to the Department’s homepage to facilitate direct communication for small businesses seeking to export overseas.

In 2007, the Rockford area exported $1.4 billion worth of goods to the world.

The bill now heads to the full House for consideration.

“This legislation streamlines the process, reduces the application backlog, and allows greater scrutiny on sensitive exports that could harm our country,” Manzullo said. “It would better protect our nation while helping U.S. companies sell more goods and services to our allies, creating more jobs for Americans.”

The following press release has been received from 16th district Congressman Don Manzullo:

(WASHINGTON) The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation co-authored by Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) that would modernize the federal government’s inefficient export control policy by strengthening national security and helping American companies sell more defense-related goods and services overseas to our allies.

Sponsored by Manzullo and Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Defense Trade Controls Performance Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4246), as amended, became Subtitle A of Title I of the Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Reform Act of 2008 (H.R. 5916), a broader international security assistance bill approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee last month. Manzullo is also an original co sponsor of H.R. 5916.

Title I of H.R. 5916 directs the State Department to hire more staff, reducing the massive backlog of license applications that impedes legitimate trade with our allies and bolstering national security. Today, the State Department has only 42 licensing officers. By 2010, this legislation requires adequate staff and resources at the State Department to review and process defense trade licenses in a timely manner.

“This legislation streamlines the process, reduces the application backlog, and allows greater scrutiny on sensitive exports that could harm our country,” Manzullo said. “I strongly encourage the Senate to pass this bill as soon as possible so the President can sign it into law quickly. It would better protect our nation while helping U.S. companies sell more goods and services to our allies, creating more jobs for Americans.”

The Defense Trade Controls Performance Improvement Act of 2008 (Title I of H.R. 5916) remedies many of the deficiencies in the licensing of defense trade by:

• Directing the Secretary of State to review the U.S. export control system within 18 months and offer recommendations to strengthen controls, improve efficiency, and reduce redundancies across federal agencies;
• Requiring the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to have at least 1 licensing officer for every 1,250 applications by Fiscal Year 2010 to prevent future backlogs;
• Requiring the DDTC to assign no less than 3 individuals by Fiscal Year 2009 to review applications for commodity jurisdiction determinations;
• Creating a performance goal of no longer than 60 days to process a defense trade license;
• Creating a performance goal of no longer than 30 days to process a defense trade license for close allies;
• Establishing a 7 day processing time for defense trade licenses from our close allies in support of combat operations or peacekeeping or humanitarian operations with U.S. Armed Forces;
• Increasing the transparency of commodity jurisdiction determinations with publication of those decisions on the Internet;
• Creating a special licensing authorization for U.S. manufactured spare and replacement parts or components in connection with defense items previously lawfully exported to our close allies;
• Requiring a report within 90 days on possible means for DDTC to achieve 100 percent self-financing;
• Increasing the representation and augmenting the input of the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) into the State Department’s defense trade agenda;
• Adding South Korea and Israel to the list of NATO+3 countries receiving expedited consideration for the export of U.S. defense items.

The following press release has been received from 16th district Congressman Don Manzullo:

(WASHINGTON) The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation co-authored by Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL) that would modernize the federal government’s inefficient export control policy by strengthening national security and helping American companies sell more defense-related goods and services overseas to our allies.

Sponsored by Manzullo and Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA), Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Defense Trade Controls Performance Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4246), as amended, became Subtitle A of Title I of the Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Reform Act of 2008 (H.R. 5916), a broader international security assistance bill approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee last month. Manzullo is also an original co sponsor of H.R. 5916.

Title I of H.R. 5916 directs the State Department to hire more staff, reducing the massive backlog of license applications that impedes legitimate trade with our allies and bolstering national security. Today, the State Department has only 42 licensing officers. By 2010, this legislation requires adequate staff and resources at the State Department to review and process defense trade licenses in a timely manner.

“This legislation streamlines the process, reduces the application backlog, and allows greater scrutiny on sensitive exports that could harm our country,” Manzullo said. “I strongly encourage the Senate to pass this bill as soon as possible so the President can sign it into law quickly. It would better protect our nation while helping U.S. companies sell more goods and services to our allies, creating more jobs for Americans.”

The Defense Trade Controls Performance Improvement Act of 2008 (Title I of H.R. 5916) remedies many of the deficiencies in the licensing of defense trade by:

• Directing the Secretary of State to review the U.S. export control system within 18 months and offer recommendations to strengthen controls, improve efficiency, and reduce redundancies across federal agencies;
• Requiring the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to have at least 1 licensing officer for every 1,250 applications by Fiscal Year 2010 to prevent future backlogs;
• Requiring the DDTC to assign no less than 3 individuals by Fiscal Year 2009 to review applications for commodity jurisdiction determinations;
• Creating a performance goal of no longer than 60 days to process a defense trade license;
• Creating a performance goal of no longer than 30 days to process a defense trade license for close allies;
• Establishing a 7 day processing time for defense trade licenses from our close allies in support of combat operations or peacekeeping or humanitarian operations with U.S. Armed Forces;
• Increasing the transparency of commodity jurisdiction determinations with publication of those decisions on the Internet;
• Creating a special licensing authorization for U.S. manufactured spare and replacement parts or components in connection with defense items previously lawfully exported to our close allies;
• Requiring a report within 90 days on possible means for DDTC to achieve 100 percent self-financing;
• Increasing the representation and augmenting the input of the Defense Trade Advisory Group (DTAG) into the State Department’s defense trade agenda;
• Adding South Korea and Israel to the list of NATO+3 countries receiving expedited consideration for the export of U.S. defense items.