Business Roundtable Statement on House Passage of Economic Growth Package.

WASHINGTON -- "Working together, House Democrats and Republicans today quickly passed an economic growth package that will provide meaningful relief to American workers and businesses. We are encouraged by this bipartisan effort and hope the Senate will respond with equal alacrity and cooperation to pass this important stimulus package, which will set our economy on a strong path for growth," said John J. Castellani, president of Business Roundtable.

Business Roundtable (www.businessroundtable.org) is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with $4.5 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 10 million employees. Member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock markets and represent more than 40 percent of all corporate income taxes paid. Collectively, they returned $112 billion in dividends to shareholders and the economy in 2005.

Roundtable companies give more than $7 billion a year in combined charitable contributions, representing nearly 60 percent of total corporate giving. They are technology innovation leaders, with $90 billion in annual research and development spending - nearly half of the total private R&D spending in the U.S.