TPA Press Conference Remarks

Capitol Hill
May 14, 2002

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, I'm Tom Donohue, president & CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

First, let me commend Senate leaders and the White House for making substantial progress on TPA legislation.

The compromise brokered last week shows that both sides realize that TPA is critical to our economic and national security. Without a doubt, this agreement has brought us one step closer to giving the U.S. the tools it needs to compete in the global marketplace.

But opponents of TPA have signaled their intention to kill the spirit of bipartisanship by turning this trade bill into social welfare legislation.

The Senate must vote down these killer amendments and pass a clean TPA bill as quickly as possible.

We've waited eight years for TPA, and each day the Senate delays action is another day of lost opportunities for America's businesses and workers.

The Chamber has exerted a lot of muscle to advance TPA, and we won't rest until the president has a bill on his desk he can sign.

Since March, we have arranged Hill visits for more than a 1,000 business leaders from state and local chambers.

Our educational TradeRoots program, bilingual radio advertisements and grassroots network have rallied tens of thousands of business leaders and workers from all over the country in support of TPA.

TPA is serious business to us, the nation's businesses, workers and the entire country, and the Chamber will hold accountable those lawmakers who try to stop it.

Thank you.