U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUPPORTS BUSHÆS FREE TRADE AGENDA
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hailed President Bush’s call for the U.S. Senate to pass trade promotion authority, which Bush said would widen his power to negotiate trade pacts.
“To maintain the momentum of our economic recovery, we need TPA now,” said Thomas Donohue, chamber president and chief executive officer. Chamber executives and 150 other TPA proponents joined Bush, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill at a State Department event Thursday, where Bush pressed the Senate to pass TPA legislation by the end of this month.
The chamber has built support for TPA passage through trade education events with state and local chambers and other lobbying activities. It recently sent a letter to every senator, which was signed by more than 200 state and local chambers of commerce. “We’re sending a strong message to the Senate — that a vote for TPA is a vote for American small businesses and their workers,” Donohue said.