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NCGA Wins Again; Senate Passes Trade Promotion Authority
August
1, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
Jon Doggett, NCGA, (202) 628-7001
Gary Bradley, NCGA 636-733-9004, ext. 139
(WASHINGTON)
August 1, 2002 -- The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is celebrating
yet another legislative victory with Senate passage of Trade Promotion
Authority (TPA) this afternoon. The Senate voted 64-34 in favor of the
conference report, which cleared the House July 27.
"Once again,
our grower members demonstrated their influence and commitment to free
and fair trade by contacting their senators and urging them to approve
trade promotion authority," said NCGA President Tim Hume.
The NCGA, working
on behalf of its 32,000 members, has emerged as a leading advocate of
TPA, which gives the president fast track or expedited authority to
negotiate trade agreements, opening the doors to free and fair trade,
noted Hume, a corn grower from Walsh, Colo.
"With TPA,
the president can negotiate trade agreements with world leaders that
not only open more export markets for corn, but also for value-added
corn products, such as meat, poultry, corn gluten feed, corn syrup and
biodegradable plastics," he said. "TPA increases market choice
and reduces costs for American farmers, workers, consumers and businesses
- while protecting U.S. corn growers from unfair subsidies being levied
to benefit our competitors."
Hume congratulated
the Senate for passing this important piece of legislation -- which
the president is expected to sign -- before it recesses on Friday, Aug.
2.
"The Senate
has the foresight to realize that the president needs the authority
to negotiate trade agreements in order to enhance export markets for
U.S. products," he concluded.
For more information
about NCGA and trade, visit www.ncga.com.
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The National Corn
Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn's profitability
and usage. NCGA represents more than 32,000 members, 25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute
to state checkoff programs.
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