National Foreign Trade Council and USA*Engage Release Congressional Report Card on Trade Issues
In case you haven't had enough information to make a decision on election day, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and USA*Engage have issued their 110th Congressional Report Card, grading Members of Congress on key international trade and engagement votes in 2007 and 2008.
The Report Card evaluated Senators based on six key votes: the U.S.-Peru FTA; a cloture vote for immigration reform; an amendment to block Mexican trucks; and bills to renew Burma sanctions, make OPEC illegal and approve the India Nuclear Agreement. Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) earned the two highest scores in the Senate and Senators Boxer (D-CA), Byrd (D-WV), Dorgan (D-ND) and Sanders (I-VT) received the lowest scores.
Senators McCain and Obama did not cast enough votes to qualify for this year's Report Card.
To evaluate Members of the House, the NFTC and USA*Engage used 12 votes as criteria, including some of those included in the Senate Report Card and others – a vote to expand Trade Adjustment Assistance; bills encouraging divestment from companies with operations in Sudan and Iran; legislation to impose economic sanctions on Iran, prohibit funding for the visa waiver program and better enforce IP protections; and a vote on a rule to block the Colombia FTA from Congressional consideration.
Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) received the highest grade in the House, with a bipartisan group of Members following with the second highest scores: Bartlett (R-MD), Camp (R-MI), Cooper (D-TN), Kramer (D-AL), Cuellar (D-TX), Ehlers (R-MI), Gonzalez (D-TX), Hill (D-IN), Johnson (D-IL), Manzullo (R-IL), Matheson (D-UT) and Shays (R-CT).
The following House Members received the lowest scores: Burgess (R-TX), Buyer (R-IN), Aderholt (R-AL), Duncan (R-TN), Gutierrez (D-IL), Hayes (R-NC), Jones (D-NC), Marshall ( D-GA), Shuler (D-NC) and Spratt (D-SC).
Labels: Congress
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