89–006 

111TH CONGRESS REPT. 111–572 " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session Part 1 

CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING AND 

EXPORT ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2010 

JULY 27, 2010.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. WAXMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

together with 

DISSENTING VIEWS 

[To accompany H.R. 5156] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 5156) to provide for the establishment of a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund to assist United States businesses with exporting clean energy technology products and services, having considered the same, report 

favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 

as amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Amendment .............................................................................................................. 2 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 3 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 3 

Legislative History .................................................................................................. 5 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 5 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 5 

Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations ........................................ 7 

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 7 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives .................................... 7 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 7 

Earmarks and Tax and Tariff Benefits .................................................................. 7 

Federal Advisory Committee Statement ................................................................ 7 

Applicability of Law to Legislative Branch ........................................................... 7 

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 7 

Committee Cost Estimate ....................................................................................... 7 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 8 


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Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 9 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 11 

Dissenting Views ..................................................................................................... 12 

AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010’’. 

SEC. 2. CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT ASSISTANCE FUND. 

(a) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 

(1) the term ‘‘clean energy technology’’ means a technology related to the production, use, transmission, storage, control, or conservation of energy that will 

contribute to a stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations 

through reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of energy-related emissions 

and— 

(A) reduce the need for additional energy supplies by using existing energy supplies with greater efficiency or by transmitting, distributing, or 

transporting energy with greater effectiveness through the infrastructure of 

the United States; or 

(B) diversify the sources of energy supply of the United States to 

strengthen energy security and to increase supplies with a favorable balance of environmental effects if the entire technology system is considered; 

and 

(2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of Commerce. 

(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish a Clean Energy Technology 

Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund, to be administered through the International Trade Administration. The Secretary shall administer the Fund to promote 

policies that will reduce production costs and encourage innovation, investment, and 

productivity in the clean energy technology sector, and implement a national clean 

energy technology export strategy. The purpose of the Fund is to ensure that United 

States clean energy technology firms, including clean energy technology parts suppliers and engineering and design firms, have the information and assistance they 

need to be competitive and create clean energy technology sector jobs in the United 

States. 

(c) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary, consistent with the National Export Initiative, 

shall provide information, tools, and other assistance to United States businesses to 

promote clean energy technology manufacturing and facilitate the export of clean 

energy technology products and services. Such assistance shall include— 

(1) developing critical analysis of policies to reduce production costs and promote innovation, investment, and productivity in the clean energy technology 

sector; 

(2) helping educate companies about how to tailor their activities to specific 

markets with respect to their product slate, financing, marketing, assembly, and 

logistics; 

(3) helping United States companies learn about the export process and export opportunities in foreign markets; 

(4) helping United States companies to navigate foreign markets; and 

(5) helping United States companies provide input regarding clean energy 

technology manufacturing and trade policy developments and trade promotion. 

(d) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

(1) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report indicating how the funds provided under this section will be used to— 

(A) focus on small and medium-sized United States businesses; 

(B) encourage the creation and maintenance of the greatest number of 

clean energy technology jobs in the United States; and 

(C) encourage the domestic production of clean energy technology products and services, including materials, components, equipment, parts, and 

supplies related in any way to the product or service. 

(2) Not later than January 1, 2015, the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report assessing the extent to which the program established under this 

section— 


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1 American Solar Energy Society and Management Information Service, Inc., Green Collar 

Jobs in the U.S. and Colorado; Economic Drivers for the 21st Century, viii (Jan. 2009). ASES’s 

definition of the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry includes ‘‘wind, photovoltaics, 

solar thermal, hydroelectric power, geothermal, biomass (ethanol, biodiesel, and biomass power), 

and fuel cells and hydrogen’’ as well as energy service companies, the recycling, reuse, and manufacturing sector, and portions of other industries in which only a portion of the output is classified as within the energy efficiency sector. Id. 

(A) has been successful in developing critical analysis of policies to reduce production costs and promote innovation, investment, and productivity in 

the clean energy technology sector; (B) has been successful in increasing the competitiveness of United States clean energy technology firms in emerging markets; (C) has been successful in assisting United States businesses, specifically small and medium-sized firms, with exporting clean energy technology 

products and services; (D) has been successful in creating jobs directly related to the clean en- ergy technology sector in the United States, including specific information 

as to the nature, location, and duration of those jobs and the methodology 

used by the Secretary to compile such information; (E) has been successful in helping United States companies provide input regarding clean energy technology manufacturing and trade policy developments and trade promotion; and (F) should be continued. 

(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for 

carrying out this section $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 

2015. 

(2) LIMITATION.—No assistance provided using funds appropriated pursuant 

to this section shall be provided in the form of a monetary grant. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 5156, the ‘‘Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010’’, was introduced by Reps. Doris O. 

Matsui (D–CA), Bobby L. Rush (D–IL), John D. Dingell (D–MI), 

and Anna G. Eshoo (D–CA) on April 27, 2010. H.R. 5156 establishes a fund administered by the International Trade Administration (ITA) to assist United States businesses with manufacturing 

and exporting clean energy technology products and services. 

The purpose of H.R. 5156 is to ensure that clean energy technology firms, including parts suppliers and engineering and design 

firms, have the information and assistance they need to be competitive domestically and globally and create jobs in the United States. 

The fund would be used to promote policies that reduce production 

costs and encourage innovation, investment, and productivity, as 

well as to implement a national clean energy technology export 

strategy. 

Under H.R. 5156, United States businesses would be given information, tools, and other assistance to promote clean energy technology manufacturing in the United States, and facilitate the export of clean energy technology products and services. The Secretary of Commerce would report to Congress within the first six 

months regarding use of funds, and after five years to assess the 

program’s success in certain areas and whether it should be continued. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

In 2007, the green technology industry in the United States generated more than 9 million jobs and revenue of about $1 trillion, 

according to one estimate.1 On March 4, 2008, the AFL–CIO Executive Council stated that ‘‘[i]nvestments must be used to identify, 


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2 AFL–CIO, Executive Council Statement, Greening the Economy (Mar. 4, 2008). 3 International Trade Administration, Environmental Technologies Industries, FY 2010 Industry Assessment. As the International Trade Administration has pointed out, and as illustrated 

in footnote 1 above, there is no standardized definition for the environmental technologies industry. See International Trade Administration, Environmental Technologies Industries, FY 2010 

Industry Assessment. The ITA’s definition of the sector does not precisely match the definition 

of clean energy technology under H.R. 5156. However, the ITA is one of the main sources of 

data available that assesses the U.S. market share in this area. See also Senator Ron Wyden, 

Major Opportunities and Challenges to U.S. Exports of Environmental Goods (Dec. 9, 2009) (noting the absence of a clear internally accepted definition of environmental goods and services, 

and pointing to the limitations of available data) and Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Trade in Environmental Goods (May 20, 2010) (asserting that the numbers reflecting total U.S. exports of environmental goods are much smaller than previously estimated). 4 International Trade Administration, Environmental Technologies Industries, FY 2010 Industry Assessment. 5Senator Ron Wyden, Major Opportunities and Challenges to U.S. Exports of Environmental 

Goods (Dec. 9, 2009). 6 Id. 

7 House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Testimony of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and 

Services Mary Saunders, Hearing on H.R. 4678, the ‘‘Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act’’ and H.R. 5156, the ‘‘Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance 

Act,’’ 111th Cong. (June 16, 2010) (indicating that, according to The Economist, only 4% of all U.S. companies export); Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, 2008 National Export Strategy, The New Global Main Street (Oct. 2008) (indicating that less than 1% of U.S. businesses export). 8Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, 2008 National Export Strategy, The New Global 

Main Street (Oct. 2008). 9 9 See, e.g., International Trade Administration, FY 2010 Industry Assessment, Energy Industries (indicating that the world’s consumption of energy is projected to increase 50% from 2005 

to 2030 and stating that this increase in consumption coupled with the impact of climate change 

will fuel the market for energy efficient services and technologies). 10The White House, Remarks by the President at the Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center 

(Mar. 19, 2009). 

develop and capture cutting-edge technologies and to manufacture 

and build these technologies here for domestic use and export.’’ 2

Despite widespread recognition of the importance of exports for 

our economy, the United States is still behind many of our international competitors, particularly in exports of clean energy technology. According to the International Trade Administration, in 

2008 United States exports of goods and services in the environmental technology sector amounted to $43.8 billion.3 With a nonUnited States market for environmental technology goods and services of $494 billion in 2008, this means that the United States had 

less than 9% of the non-U.S. market.4 A Senate study found that 

in 2008 Germany was the largest exporter of environmental goods, 

accounting for 16% of the global market.5 Germany was followed by 

China, with 13% of global environmental goods exports, and then 

by Japan and the United States, each with 9% of such exports.6

In order to increase our share of the global market for clean energy technology, the United States needs to increase and improve 

our manufacturing at home, and give United States businesses the 

assistance they need to enter into, or increase their participation 

in, the global export market. Only a very small percentage of 

United States companies export.7 Of the companies that do export, 

the majority sell only to one market.8 As the world continues to increase its use of clean energy technologies, the global market for 

such technologies will also increase.9 As the President said on 

March 19, 2009, ‘‘[W]e can make the investments that would allow 

us to become the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy. . . . We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or 

we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for lasting prosperity.’’ 10


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11 House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Stimulating the Economy through Trade: Examining the Role of Export Promotion, 111th Cong. (Mar. 17, 2009); Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on 

Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Growing U.S. Trade in Green Technology, 111th 

Cong. (Oct. 7, 2009). 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 5156, the ‘‘Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010’’, was introduced by Reps. Matsui (D– 

CA), Rush (D–IL), Dingell (D–MI), and Eshoo (D–CA) on April 27, 

2010, and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, with an 

additional referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

H.R. 5156 was referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, 

and Consumer Protection on April 28, 2010, and the Subcommittee 

held a legislative hearing on June 16, 2010. Prior to the bill’s introduction, the Subcommittee held two related oversight hearings on 

export promotion generally and trade in green technology.11

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On June 30, 2010, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 

Consumer Protection met in open markup session to consider H.R. 

5156. The Subcommittee forwarded H.R. 5156, amended, favorably 

to the full Committee by a voice vote. During consideration, the 

Subcommittee agreed to an amendment in the nature of a substitute that changed the definition of ‘‘clean energy technology’’, 

clarified the bill’s original intent that the fund created by the bill 

is not a grant-making program, and added language concerning domestic job creation and small businesses. 

On July 21, 2010, the Committee on Energy and Commerce met 

in open markup session and considered H.R. 5156 as approved by 

the Subcommittee. No amendments were adopted during the consideration of the bill. Subsequently, the full Committee ordered 

H.R. 5156 favorably reported to the House, as amended by the Subcommittee, by a voice vote. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote on the motion 

to report legislation and amendments thereto. A motion by Mr. 

Waxman ordering H.R. 5156 reported to the House, as amended, 

was approved by a voice vote. The following is the recorded vote 

taken during Committee consideration, including the names of 

those members voting for and against: 


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COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1) 

of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the 

descriptive portions of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

Regarding compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 

5156 would result in no new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee’s performance goals and 

objectives are reflected in the descriptive portions of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds that the constitutional authority for H.R. 5156 is provided under Article I, section 8, clauses 

3 and 18 of the Constitution of the United States. 

EARMARKS AND TAX AND TARIFF BENEFITS

H.R. 5156 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), 

or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish or 

authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within the 

definition of 5 U.S.C. App., section 5(b). 

APPLICABILITY OF LAW TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104–1 requires a description of 

the application of this bill to the legislative branch where the bill 

relates to terms and conditions of employment or access to public 

services and accommodations. This bill does not relate to employment or access to public services and accommodations. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Con- trol Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, P.L. 104–4) requires a statement whether the 

provisions of the reported bill include unfunded mandates. In compliance with this requirement the Committee adopts as its own the 

estimates on H.R. 5156 prepared by the Congressional Budget Office and included herein. 

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

Regarding compliance with clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives requiring an estimate and 


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a comparison by the Committee of the costs that would be incurred 

in carrying out H.R. 5156, the Committee adopts as its own the 

cost estimate on H.R. 5156 prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional 

Budget Act. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the 

following cost estimate for H.R. 5156 from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

JULY 27, 2010. 

Hon. HENRY A. WAXMAN, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5156, the Clean Energy 

Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Susan Willie. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 5156—Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export 

Assistance Act of 2010 

Summary: H.R. 5156 would establish a program at the International Trade Administration (ITA) to promote the manufacture 

and export of new energy technologies. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5156 would cost $67 million over the 

2011–2015 period. Enacting H.R. 5156 would not affect direct 

spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would 

not apply. 

H.R. 5156 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 5156 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 370 (commerce and 

housing credit). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011– 

2015 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Authorization Level ....................................................................... 15 15 15 15 15 75 

Estimated Outlays ........................................................................ 9 13 15 15 15 67 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill 

will be enacted near the end of 2010, that the authorized amounts 


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will be appropriated each year, and that spending will follow historical patterns for similar programs. 

H.R. 5156 would establish a new program to promote the manufacture and export of technology by U.S. companies that would reduce energy-related emissions and reduce the need for additional 

energy supplies or diversify the sources of energy used in the 

United States. Under the bill, the ITA would be authorized to provide assistance that would include helping domestic companies 

navigate foreign markets and educating manufacturers of such 

technology about the export process and how to tailor their activities to specific markets. 

H.R. 5156 would authorize appropriations of $15 million per year 

over the 2011–2015 period. Based on historical spending patterns 

for similar programs, CBO estimates that implementing the provisions of H.R. 5156 would cost $67 million over the 2011–2015 period to provide the authorized assistance as authorized and to meet 

the bill’s reporting requirements. Enacting H.R. 5156 would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

Pay-As-You-Go considerations: None. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 5156 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 

governments. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Susan Willie; Impact on 

State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Elizabeth Cove Delisle; Impact on the Private Sector: Samuel Wice. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short title 

This section designates the short title of this Act as the ‘‘Clean 

Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 

2010’’. 

Section 2. Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund 

For purposes of this section, ‘‘clean energy technology’’ is defined 

as a technology related to the production, use, transmission, storage, control, or conservation of energy that will contribute to a stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations through reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of energy-related emissions. In 

order to meet the definition, such technology also must reduce the 

need for additional energy supplies by using existing energy supplies with greater efficiency or by transmitting, distributing, or 

transporting energy with greater effectiveness through the infrastructure of the United States, or must diversify the sources of energy supply of the United States to strengthen energy security and 

to increase supplies with a favorable balance of environmental effects if the entire technology is considered. The term ‘‘Secretary’’ for 

purposes of this section means the Secretary of Commerce. 

Section 2 also establishes a Clean Energy Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Fund, to be administered through 

International Trade Administration (ITA) of the U.S. Department 


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of Commerce. The fund is to be used to promote policies that will 

reduce production costs and encourage innovation, investment, and 

productivity in the clean energy technology sector, and to implement a national clean energy technology export strategy. It also is 

to be used to ensure that domestic clean energy technology firms, 

including clean energy technology parts suppliers and engineering 

and design firms, have the information and assistance they need to 

be competitive and create clean energy technology sector jobs in the 

United States. By helping businesses improve their manufacturing 

within the United States and understand how to sell their goods 

abroad, the Committee expects that this section will maintain or 

increase jobs within the United States and reduce the country’s 

overall trade deficit, particularly the trade deficit in clean energy 

technology. 

Section 2(c) requires the Secretary, consistent with the National 

Export Initiative (E.O. 13534), to provide information, tools, and 

other assistance to United States businesses to promote clean energy technology manufacturing and facilitate the export of clean 

energy technology products and services. The assistance must include developing critical analysis of policies to reduce production 

costs and promote innovation, investment, and productivity in the 

clean energy technology sector; helping educate companies about 

how to tailor their activities to specific markets with respect to 

their product slate, financing, marketing, assembly, and logistics; 

helping United States companies learn about the export process 

and export opportunities; helping United States companies navigate foreign markets; and helping United States companies provide 

input regarding clean energy technology manufacturing and trade 

policy developments and trade promotion. If the United States is 

going to be a leader in clean energy technology manufacturing and 

exports, domestic businesses can use more assistance manufacturing their goods here and learning how to sell them abroad. The 

Committee expects that strong domestic demand and a robust manufacturing sector will lead to economies of scale and lower costs, 

which will then provide a strong foundation for exports. 

The section requires two reports to Congress. First, the Secretary 

of Commerce must report to Congress within six months of enactment as to how the provided funds will be used to focus on smalland medium-sized United States businesses, encourage the creation and maintenance of the greatest number of clean energy technology jobs in the United States, and encourage the domestic production of clean energy technology products and services, including 

materials, components, equipment, parts, and supplies related in 

any way to the product or service. 

Second, the Secretary must report to Congress by January 1, 

2015, regarding the extent to which the program established under 

this section has been successful in certain matters, and whether 

the program should be continued. 

Finally, this section authorizes $15 million a year for five years 

for the Secretary of Commerce to implement this section. It makes 

clear that no assistance provided using any funds appropriated 

pursuant to the section shall be provided in the form of a monetary 

grant. The Committee is aware that ITA currently has programs 

that address clean energy technology, both directly and indirectly. 


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It is the intention of the Committee that the funds be used for activities above and beyond those in which ITA is already engaged. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 5156, as reported, does not make any changes in existing 

law. 


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DISSENTING VIEWS 

We, the undersigned Members of the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce, oppose the passage of H.R. 5156, the Clean Energy 

Technology Manufacturing and Export Assistance Act of 2010, and 

submit the following comments to express our concerns regarding 

this legislation. 

H.R. 5156 would create a five year, $75 million assistance fund 

within the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration (ITA). This fund is unnecessary, as the ITA already has the 

authority to initiate such a program and ample funds to do so, as 

the President’s fiscal year 2011 budget requested an increase of 20 

percent, up to $534 million. 

During the Committee on Energy and Commerce Full Committee 

markup held on July 21, 2010, Mr. Griffith offered a deficit neutrality amendment, but the amendment failed 30–15. The amendment would have prevented the bill from taking effect if it would 

have a negative net effect on the national budget deficit. The 

amendment was a simple way to ensure that the legislation was 

deficit neutral. The federal budget deficit was $1.4 trillion in FY 

2010. Congress needs to address runaway spending, and the $75 

million assistance fund is a good place to start. 

If we truly want to help U.S. businesses export their goods, we 

can easily do so by passing the free trade agreements that we have 

reached with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. Recent studies 

estimate that exports of agricultural and manufacturing goods 

would increase by billions of dollars a year after the implementation of these free trade agreements—a much bigger boost to exports 

than would be achieved with an additional dollop of funds for ITA, 

and at a lower cost to the U.S. Treasury. 

JOE BARTON. 

RALPH M. HALL. 

JOSEPH R. PITTS. 

JOHN SULLIVAN. 

ROBERT E. LATTA. 

ROY BLUNT. 

CLIFF STEARNS. 

JOHN SHIMKUS. 

PHIL GINGREY. 

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