WASHINGTON – One of the first actions of the lame-duck Congress is an expected vote to give U.S. exporters greater access to Russia's newly opened markets.

Business groups have been clamoring for months for Congress to remove Cold War-era trade restrictions now that Russia is a member of the World Trade Organization. Because of those restrictions, American exporters are alone among the more than 150 WTO members in not being able to take advantage of the lower tariffs, intellectual property protections and other market-opening steps required by membership in the trade organization.

Before the election, House Republican leaders refused to bring up the legislation giving Russia permanent normal trade relations, blaming the White House for not being more assertive in promoting a bill that could be interpreted as being pro-Russian.