WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a huge victory for National Security, the House approved the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) last night in a 217-215 vote. CAFTA was approved in the Senate a month ago and will bind the United States, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to lower tariffs and new investment rules.

The American Security Council (ASC) late last week notified every member of Congress that their vote on CAFTA would be a scored vote in the Council's 109th Congressional Voting Index, which documents specific votes and rates members based on their votes.

"The American Security Council is very pleased that the United States House of Representatives took the step of helping secure America's national security by passing CAFTA-DR this morning," said Matt Williams, Executive Director of the American Security Council.

"We viewed the passage of CAFTA-DR as one of our top legislative priorities for this session of congress and had in fact, notified the members last week of our intention to score this vote in our 109th Congressional Voting Index," Williams said.

President Bush made a rare trip to the Capitol yesterday to reach out to Republican lawmakers for support.

The mission of The American Security Council is to advocate public policies that will keep America strong, safe, and secure. And to promote the American cause of peace, freedom, democracy, and human rights at home and abroad.