Information about the vote from special interest groups and other information providers in our Report Cards:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Commerce, Justice, State And Judiciary Appropriations.
Both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations bill that, among other things, provided $33.5 million in fiscal year 2002 for the private, not-for-profit National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The U.S. Chamber, a longstanding NED advocate, strongly supported the measure. The goal of NED is to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. The bipartisan NED, through its annual appropriation, provides hundreds of grants to grassroots organizations in more than 80 countries that help build stable and peaceful democracies and free markets. By encouraging the growth of open markets across the globe, NED helps to create greater opportunities for American businesses and workers, fostering economic growth and job expansion.