Today President Obama signed the trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama into law, signaling a victory for American workers, American competitiveness, and American leadership. 

It was a long, tough road to win passage for these trade agreements, but the business community never gave up. Nor did the agreement’s many other supporters across Washington.

In the end, we proved Winston Churchill right: You can always count on the United States to do the right thing … once it has exhausted all of the alternatives.

The role the Chamber played in moving all three agreements along was spotlighted in a story in today’s National Journal Magazine. 

The story emphasizes the crucial roles played by Tom Donohue, Bruce Josten, and Tami Overby in ensuring passage of the deals.  Donohue was needed for his network in the business community, Josten for his lobbying to bridge the divide in Congress over Trade Adjustment Assistance, and Overby for her strong relationships with both the Korean and American negotiators.

And now because of the hard work by the business community, lawmakers and the administration, these trade agreements will not only save 380,000 jobs, but they will create an estimated 250,000 new ones across the United States.