September 5, 2000

Dear USA*ENGAGE Member and Interested Parties:

Enclosed you will find the USA*ENGAGE/National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) 2000 House of Representatives Report Card. Similar to the last two editions, the report analyzes the positions of members of the House on issues of concern to USA*ENGAGE and the NFTC. We encourage you to take a moment to study what we believe is a fair, bipartisan evaluation of members’ views on legislation affecting international trade, global engagement and unilateral sanctions.

The grading methodology has not changed. Key votes have been examined that reflect how House members have voted on important legislation involving expanded trade and investment as well as engagement with other countries. Extra credit was given for co-sponsorship of a sanctions reform bill (H.R. 1244) that would have allowed for a more deliberative process for considering unilateral sanctions. All votes were evenly weighted, except for the vote on permanent trading status for China – given its special importance, this vote was counted twice.

USA*ENGAGE and the NFTC are encouraged that the number of House members who received an "A" or an "A+" has grown each year since the rating’s inception. In 2000, 120 members received these high marks, up from 96 in 1999 and 25 in 1998. A high grade has proven to be a predictor of whether a given member will be reelected – in 1998, all House members with an "A" or "A+" were reelected.

This year also marked the first time a majority of House members – 229 – earned a grade of "B" or higher. Another encouraging trend is the bipartisanship that has been fostered on issues involving trade and engagement. Of the 120 members who earned an "A" or "A+," 62 are Republicans and 58 are Democrats. Far from being caught up in partisan politics, both sides of the aisle are realizing the tremendous importance of trade and overseas engagement to America’s future.

One final note – the Senate report card will be released later this year after the Senate has had a chance to vote on important issues such as China’s permanent trade status.

We hope you find this information useful. Please feel free to distribute this evaluation widely within your organization and to other interested parties.

Sincerely,