CPA sent a letter to each of the sixteen senators pushing for passage of the pending Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) spearheaded the letter and our response to him follows below.
 

Below is a letter sent by CPA to Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce on May 12, 2010.  It relates to recent comments by Locke on the President's doubling exports strategy, and suggests a better road to recovery.  

Note that we have already doubled exports between 2002 and 2008, but our trade performance has been abysmal.  Net exports, and producing more of what we consume, are key.

See the full letter below the fold.

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Chuck Schumer and Debbie Stabenow have decided to merge their bills.  CPA's Board of Directors have approved the following statement on this new Senate currency bill.  Here it is:

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CPA Official Statement:
S. 3134 The Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2010

The Coalition for a Prosperous America welcomes the introduction of S. 3134 - The Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2010 - by Senators Schumer, Stabenow and Graham.  This bill has many good elements, and CPA looks forward to improving it.

Currency manipulation by several countries, including but not limited to China, is causing persistent trade deficits.  It is not the only cause of our trade problems, but it is a substantial one.  Free trade cannot exist when currencies are manipulated.