Excerpt: The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and USA*Engage Monday released their 111th Congressional Report Card, scoring Capitol Hill lawmakers based on their votes on key international trade and tax policy issues in 2009 and 2010. Unlike previous years, all members of the 111th Congress received an “incomplete” on the report card versus letter grades, due to their “collective lack of positive action” on trade and tax issues crucial to U.S. economic growth and job creation. “With just five votes to analyze in the House and even fewer in the Senate — only two — it is difficult to assess members on their records,” said NFTC President and USA*Engage Co-Chair Bill Reinsch, in a statement. “At a time when the U.S. is continuing to experience record unemployment, and the economy, though rebounding, is doing so at a slow pace, it is hard to grapple with the reality that this Congress has not successfully passed trade-related legislation that would help to boost U.S. economic growth, increase exports and create jobs,” Reinsch said.http://www.americanshipper.com/NewWeb/FC/FLC_story.asp?news=173033
