WASHINGTON, DC - In a letter yesterday to President Bush, members of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), a group of 74 centrist pro-growth Democratic members of the House of Representatives, requested a meeting with the President to discuss passing effective Export Administration Act (EAA) legislation in the House of Representatives.

On March 6, the House Armed Services voted to renew the Export Administration Act, H.R. 2581, passed last summer by the House International Relations Committee, but added a provision that will undermine efforts to develop and implement a new and more effective system of national security export controls.

The President and his national security team have endorsed the Export Administration Act of 2001 (H.R. 2557 and S. 149) and urged its swift passage. In fact, with the administration's full support, the Senate passed its version of EAA, S. 149, by a vote of 85-14 in the fall. However, the House International Relations and Armed Services committees this winter have approved different versions of EAA.

Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.), one of the co-chairs of the NDC and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has worked hard with some of his New Democrat colleagues to change the debate on export controls from a false choice between profits and national security to a matter of improving national security while maintaining U.S. competitiveness.

NDC members Reps. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), Cal Dooley (D-Calif.), Jim Moran (D-Va.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) joined Smith in signing the letter.

"We believe a bill resembling the Senate legislation must be enacted and we also believe that such a measure can garner similar bipartisan support in the House. The versions of EAA that have been reported out of House committees are problematic and do not accomplish the balance that is necessary in order to both heighten national and economic security," the Members wrote. "We would like to work cooperatively with your Administration to craft such a bipartisan agreement."

Today's letter follows both a NDC member signed Dear Colleague letter sent to the full House Armed Services Committee arguing against the adoption of the Manager's amendments to EAA and a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) urging that EAA legislation be brought quickly to the floor with the Senate version permitted as a substitute signed by 22 New Democrats in the House.

The New Democrat Coalition is a group of 74 pro-growth, centrist Democrats in the House of Representatives founded in 1997. Since then, two-thirds of Democrats elected to the House have joined the NDC, making it the largest and one of the most influential caucuses in the House. The NDC has worked to craft and pass pivotal legislation related to, among other issues, Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for China, digital signatures and H1-B visa reform and continues to work on critical matters such as privacy, broadband, expanding e-learning opportunities and making government more accessible and efficient through the use of technology. New Democrats have frequently provided the key swing votes needed to pass critical legislation and have always played a vital role in driving moderate bi-partisan legislation.

For the full text of all three letters, visit http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/wa09_smith/020424pr.html and click on the in-text links.