Thanks to your efforts and those of like-minded business leaders and organizations throughout the nation, the U.S. House of Representatives late Wednesday night passed the U.S. Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.
The affirmative House action followed the lead of the U.S. Senate, which passed the initiative 54-45 on June 30th. This important free trade agreement, which will help bring jobs and spur economic growth for Alabama, now goes to the president’s desk for his signature.
Recognizing the significance of this agreement to the long-term vitality of Alabama’s economy, your BCA mounted a full-court press in recent weeks to mobilize our membership and to encourage the members of Alabama’s congressional delegation to support CAFTA-DR. BCA staff worked closely with our volunteer leaders, members of our Federal Affairs and Governmental Affairs committees, and BCA members whose companies are dependant upon free and fair trade, to make the case in Washington for this agreement. Experts say that within nine years of implementation CAFTA-DR will help create 7,901 new jobs and a $214 million earnings increase for Alabama workers.
Wednesday, as what would be an extremely close House floor vote drew near, your BCA implemented a 12-hour pro-CAFTA blitz that included the aggressive mobilization of BCA members and volunteer leaders across the state and cooperative efforts with the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. As debate wore on longer than expected, your BCA worked well into the night and continued to press until the last vote was tallied.
In the end, the agreement prevailed on a 217-215 vote, providing a victory for the Bush administration. Alabama congressmen Robert Aderholt, Spencer Bachus, Jo Bonner, Terry Everett and Mike Rogers voted in favor of the trade deal.
Shortly after the House vote, President George W. Bush issued a statement saying, “I am proud that the House of Representatives has acted to advance America’s economic and national security interests by passing the CAFTA-DR agreement. CAFTA helps ensure that free trade is fair trade. By lowering trade barriers to American goods in Central American markets to a level now enjoyed by their goods in the United States, this agreement will level the playing field and help American workers, farmers, and small businesses. The agreement is more than a trade bill; it is a commitment of freedom-loving nations to advance peace and prosperity throughout the Western hemisphere. We have a moral obligation and a vital national security interest in helping the democracies of Central America and the Dominican Republic succeed, and CAFTA furthers that goal. I look forward to signing this important legislation into law.”
The BCA board of directors endorsed the ratification of CAFTA-DR on May 26. Its endorsement followed the unanimous recommendation of the BCA Federal Affairs Committee. In announcing the organization’s endorsement, BCA Chairman John D. Johns said, “This agreement has the potential to significantly stimulate economic development and job creation in our state by opening up new export opportunities for our manufacturers.”
BCA could not have helped make the case for CAFTA-DR without your help. We appreciate your support and participation in helping secure this victory for Alabama business and industry.
"From large factories and companies in our urban areas to small family farms in our most rural counties, CAFTA secures a level trade playing field and is an across-the-board win for those who do business in the state," said BCA President William J. Canary.
Special Session Update
Look under Today's News at right for further news updates on the special session of the Alabama Legislature that just ended Tuesday. Your Business Council of Alabama constantly scours Alabama newspapers looking for stories and editorials of interest to our members. You can find such stories each day on the BCA Web site - www.bcatoday.org- under "Daily News." This daily news search is a BCA members-only benefit. You must be logged-in to the Web site to view this section of the Web site.