US legislation website gives “0%” likelihood NCTO-backed tougher Customs Bill will even be discussed in Congress

US legislation assessment website Govtrack.us has assigned a zero percent likelihood the proposed Textile Enforcement and Security Act of 2013 (TESA) will ever even be discussed in the US Senate.

The Bill, a copy of a Bill tabled in July 2011 that never got out of a preliminary committee, was tabled again in July 2013, sponsored by North Caroline Senator Kay Hagan, and actively promoted by textile lobbying group the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO). Govtrack.us gives it no chance of being passed into law, pointing out that just 11% of Bills presented into the US Senate even get out of committee  review, and just 3% become law.

“Strong enforcement of our trade laws is imperative to the preservation of the over 500,000 US jobs which rely on the domestic textile and apparel industry,” said NCTO president Auggie Tantillo.“Legislation such as TESA will help ensure that US workers and manufacturers have an opportunity to fairly compete in markets both at home and abroad.”

Tantillo forgot to point out the TESA substantially increases government spending – at a time  pressure is growing to reduce government expenditure – and uses any extra fine revenue from penalties to fund more governmet officials and reward tipsters

A summary of the extra resources the lobbyists want is available here