By the narrowest of margins, the U.S. House of Representatives early this morning passed the Deficit Reduction Act, which includes a repeal of the Byrd Amendment! The vote was 217-215. Fundamental to this success was the efforts of AFI and the association’s president, Bob Bauer. A last-minute push yesterday by Bob to obtain the vote of a single Congressman, Butch Otter of Idaho, was a big factor. Otter was set to vote against the Act because of the Byrd Amendment provision. However, after hearing directly from Bob and representatives from other like-minded associations, Otter voted in favor of the bill. In the absence of his vote, the Act would have failed by a 216-216 vote.
A tremendous amount of credit also goes to all AFI members who actively supported this political action. Their efforts were worthwhile – indeed, instrumental. In the process, the association and Mr. Bauer have earned significant good will from the House Ways and Means Committee and substantial visibility among lawmakers and their staff.
The fight now goes to the Senate. The Senate version of the Deficit Reduction Act does not include the Byrd Amendment repeal provision. Therefore, we will have to carry our fight to the House-Senate conference committee to ensure the provision makes it to the final version. The timing of the conference committee is unclear, though it is likely to begin after the Thanksgiving break.
Our chance to rid our trade laws of the Byrd Amendment is now, and all Members are urged to continue their fight, with letters and phone calls to their Senators.
In the end, this episode surely demonstrates the vital role that AFI can play in the formulation of this nation’s trade policies. My personal and heartfelt congratulations go out to the association and its leadership.
We will continue to keep members closely advised.
