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NCGA
CEO Talks TPA With Commerce Secretary in Nation's Capitol (8-30-01)
National Corn Growers
Association (NCGA) Executive Vice President and CEO Rick Tolman voiced
corn growers' support of trade promotion authority (TPA) this morning
in a meeting with Secretary of Commerce Don Evans.
"It was a good
meeting," said Tolman, wwho met with Evans along with representatives
from other agricultural commodity gropus including pork, wheat, soybeans
and citrus. "One of the comments made by Sec. Evans was that TPA
is not only important for the U.S., but it's important for the world.
"America has
been slipping behind in trade," continued Tolman. "There are
130 trade agreements and the U.S. is only party to two. This affects
our standing of living."
Tolman went on to
say TPA can be a driving force to bring the world out of poverty and
that it's one the elements of the administration's key economic plan.
"In the trade promotion world," he said, "the U.S. doesn't
have the leadership capabilities it does in other areas because we are
limited without TPA. We can be at the table, but we can't take an active
role."
TPA legislation
is expected to be marked up through the Ways and Means Committee on
Sept. 10 and sent to the House of Representatives for a vote Sept. 20-24.
It will be sent to the Senate after the House vote.
Tolman concluded
by saying all the groups must send a clear message to Congress that
TPA must be passed. "There is a lot of uncertainty with certain
members of Congress concerning what their constituents want," he
said. "So, it's really important that we deliver a strong message
to Congress on how important TPA is to the nation's corn growers and
to agriculture as a whole."
For more information
on TPA and what you can do to tell Congress you want it passed, visit
the NCGA website at http://capwiz.com/ncga/issues/alert/?alertid=46085&type=CO&azip=
and let your voice be heard.
Last
reviewed August 30, 2001
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