WASHINGTON
– Sen. Chuck Grassley yesterday received the 2007 Trade and Investment Leadership Award from the Emergency Committee on American Trade (ECAT) for his continued work advancing a trade agenda that benefits our nation.
Grassley is the co-recipient with Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and was the ranking member during Grassley’s chairmanship. Grassley is now the ranking member. The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over trade.
“It’s an honor to receive this award, the more so because I’m sharing the honor with my good friend and colleague, Senator Baucus,” Grassley said. “We’ve always worked in a bipartisan way to advance trade, and I know we’ll keep that up. Senator Baucus sets partisanship aside and sees the big picture of what’s good for American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and service providers. We’ve served a long time together on the Finance Committee, and I’ve enjoyed working with him every step of the way.”
As chairman of the Finance Committee, Grassley advanced legislation to implement trade agreements with 12 countries. Grassley and Baucus also have produced a bill to fix U.S. oversight laws with respect to currency exchange rates.
“There is a lot to be done still,” Grassley said. “This year we need to re-authorize Trade Promotion Authority and the Trade Adjustment Assistance programs, continue oversight of the Doha negotiations, and capitalize on pending opportunities to implement trade agreements with more countries. Working with Senator Baucus, I’m confident we can achieve great gains for the American people.”