Group will Honor Congressmen Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
for Their Support of U.S. global Engagement

Washington DC – USA Engage today honored Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) for their strong records of achievement in pursuit of pro-engagement policies on behalf of the United States. Both Kolbe and Meeks have voted consistently in favor of opportunities for expanded U.S. international trade and cultural and humanitarian assistance, and have opposed efforts to either impose or continue counterproductive and ineffective unilateral U.S. sanctions.

“Representatives Kolbe and Meeks share a common belief that America’s values and interests are best advanced by sustained involvement in world affairs by both public and private sectors,” said USA*Engage Co-Chair and National Foreign Trade Council President William Reinsch. “We applaud their leadership in Congress and their ongoing efforts to encourage U.S. global engagement at all levels.”

Among his current duties, Representative Kolbe serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, which maintains oversight and funding of most U.S. foreign aid programs, including the Agency for International Development; the Peace Corps; development banks including the North American Development Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Kolbe, who has served in Congress since 1985, will retire at the end of the 109th Congress.

A Member of Congress since 1998, Representative Meeks includes among his duties a position on the House International Relations Committee where he is a Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. With a real interest in the development of small economies, he has made strides toward using trade and international relations as tools of both diplomacy and development.

“Jim Kolbe and Gregory Meeks are superb examples of how Republicans and Democrats can work together to advance the best interests of our country. Engagement abroad, at all levels – economic, diplomatic, educational and humanitarian – help advance America’s economic and strategic interests throughout the world. We commend these two leaders, and encourage other Members of Congress to join in the task of building a stronger America through engagement,” concluded Jake Colvin, Director of USA*Engage.

 

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USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a coalition of small and large businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations working to seek alternatives to the proliferation of unilateral U.S. foreign policy sanctions and to promote the benefits of U.S. engagement abroad. Established in 1997 and organized under the National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org), USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policy-makers, opinion-leaders, and the public about the counterproductive nature of unilateral sanctions, the importance of exports and overseas investment for American competitiveness and jobs, and the role of American companies in promoting human rights and democracy world wide.

Urges Multilateral Action in Response to Iran’s Nuclear Program

Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and USA*Engage today commended the response of the United States and our European allies to the threat posed by Iran’s resumption of its nuclear program.

“It is tremendously important for the United States and all of our allies to take a firm and unified stand against a nuclear Iran,” said USA*Engage Director Jake Colvin. “We applaud the efforts of the United States, together with Britain, France and Germany, to refer this matter to the United Nations Security Council.”

USA*Engage continues to advocate for a multilateral solution to the current impasse, and urges all UN Security Council Members to establish an appropriate response to Iran.

While encouraged by current multilateral efforts, USA*Engage Co-Chair and NFTC President William A. Reinsch cautioned that unilateral moves by the United States would not help the situation. “Time and time again we have seen that unilateral economic sanctions by the United States do not work,” Reinsch said. “Unilateral measures – including some bills pending in the U.S. Congress – would harm relations with our allies without achieving the results we all desire.”

USA*Engage opposes legislation pending in Congress that would severely restrict the Administration’s flexibility to conduct foreign policy with respect to Iran. The organization has urged the Administration and Congress to redouble its efforts to achieve a multilateral resolution.

 

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USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a broad-based coalition representing Americans from all regions, sectors and segments of our society concerned about the proliferation of unilateral economic sanctions at the federal, state, and local level. Established in 1997, USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policy-makers, opinion-leaders, and the public about the counterproductive nature of unilateral sanctions, the importance of exports and overseas investment for American competitiveness and jobs, and the role of American companies in promoting human rights and democracy world wide. USA*Engage promotes responsible alternatives to unilateral sanctions that advance U.S. humanitarian and foreign policy goals, such as intensified U.S. diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.