Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, the nomination before the Senate is critically important in this time of economic upheaval.

We need a U.S. Trade Representative to assert our rights, defend our interests, and negotiate new market opportunities for our exporters.

Trade can and should play an important role in our economic recovery. President Obama recently acknowledged this in his trade policy agenda.

If Mayor Kirk is confirmed today, I look forward to working with him to advance a progrowth trade agenda for the benefit of U.S. consumers and producers.

We have a lot of work to do, some of which is left over from the last Congress. By that I am referring to our three pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.

We also need to find a way to reinvigorate the Doha Development Round negotiations in the World Trade Organization.

I appreciate Mayor Kirk's engagement and enthusiasm to assume the responsibilities of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Based on his responses to my questions during the vetting process in the Finance Committee, there appear to be some policy areas in which our views converge.

There are some other areas in which I continue to have concerns, particularly where his responses provided insufficient detail to determine whether we can have a convergence of views.

But that said, if Mayor Kirk is confirmed, I believe that we will able to work together on a positive trade agenda.

During the committee vetting process, several issues arose with respect to the nominee's tax returns.

I am grateful for Mayor Kirk's cooperation with me, Chairman BAUCUS, and the Finance Committee staff.

In the true spirit of transparency and cooperation, he responded to all questions about his taxes directly and honestly.

He also agreed in communications with the staff to release information about his tax issues, and that information was put into the record of the committee proceedings.

I believe that all nominees should be held to the same standard when it comes to compliance with the tax laws.

Mayor Kirk was required to amend his returns and pay additional tax as a result of the vetting process.

Each of the issues for which he amended his returns was considered by him and his preparer at the time the returns were prepared. However, upon further review of some of the calculations, he agreed that some of them needed to be changed. Those issues are now resolved.

In closing, Mayor Kirk is a strong nominee for the position of U.S. Trade Representative.

He brings enthusiasm and energy to the table, as well as first-hand experience and understanding of the benefits of liberalized trade.

I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.

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