USA*Engage and NFTC Issue Analysis of 2006 Congressional Election
USA*Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) recently released an analysis of the 2006 mid-term election, which compares the voting records of departing Members of the U.S. Congress with the statements of incoming Representatives and Senators on international trade, immigration and foreign policy issues.
The key findings of the Elections Analysis include:
- In 8 of the 10 U.S. Senate races analyzed, successful candidates mentioned trade explicitly on his or her website when discussing campaign issues. Based on these websites and other statements, USA*Engage estimates that 5 of the successful candidates are clearly less-inclined towards free trade and engagement than the incumbent based upon his or her historical voting record. Two incoming Senators advocated policies that could be construed as more inclined towards free trade and/or international engagement than the predecessor.
- In the House races analyzed, only 29 out of 53 successful candidates made any mention of international trade in the section on his or her website devoted to key campaign issues.
- Of the 29 House races in which trade was featured in the “on the issues” section of the successful candidate’s website, only 10 winners appear to advocate policies that are clearly less-inclined towards free trade and engagement than his or her predecessor.
- Of the 29 House races, 6 candidates advocated policies on their websites or in other statements that could be construed as more inclined towards free trade and/or international engagement.
- 37 out of 53 successful House candidates discussed immigration or border security. Platforms among successful candidates ranged from building fences and deporting illegal immigrants to supporting comprehensive immigration and border reform to defeating “rabidly anti-immigrant” forces in the United States.
|posted by Douglas N. Jacobson| Permalink 
