Nomination of Robert J. Portman to be United States Trade Representative
NOMINATION OF ROBERT J. PORTMAN TO BE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the nomination of ROBERT PORTMAN to be our next United States Trade Representative.
Congress first mandated the appointment of a special representative for trade negotiation in 1962. Since that time, our trade representative has played a vital role in shaping much of our international economic policy. Today, it remains an important position that requires a unique blend of technical and political skills for success.
In that regard, we are fortunate to have ROB PORTMAN as the President's nominee. Congressman PORTMAN has a strong commitment to public service, having served the people of Ohio in the House of Representatives for the past 12 years. His thoughtful consideration of complex issues and his determination to achieve sound public policy have made him an effective leader. He has played major roles in pension, tax, and IRS reform. He is well known for his leadership in the fight against drug abuse. And, as a member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, Congressman PORTMAN has been intimately involved in a number of key international trade policy initiatives.
There is strong support for the nominee among the business and agriculture communities. In an open letter sent to Congress on April 18, literally hundreds of companies, associations and Chambers of Commerce expressed their desire to see Congressman PORTMAN confirmed as the next United States Trade Representative, noting that he ``is the right person for the job. During his six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, he has distinguished himself as a thoughtful and respected leader on international trade and investment issues. Moreover, he has demonstrated a spirit of cooperation that will be essential in the months ahead as Congress considers many trade issues on its agenda.
Similar sentiments are expressed by over 60 representatives of the agriculture sector. In a letter dated April 19 they note that ``Representative Portman has long championed bipartisan solutions to trade'' adding that he ``will bring tremendous talent and experience to this important post. We applaud Representative Portman's deep commitment to enforcing trade agreements and believe his desire to achieve meaningful results for American agriculture and agribusiness is precisely the leadership that is needed in the dynamic and sometimes difficult to navigate world of agriculture trade.''
There is strong interest in moving this nomination quickly. There are a number of important events coming up over the next few weeks including a meeting of the World Trade Organization ministers in early May. So, I hope we will be able to confirm this nominee quickly.
There is a long tradition of legislative and executive branch cooperation on international economic policy. The importance of working together became most evident following the passage of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 which helped plunge our economy into the Great Depression. In 1934 President Roosevelt recognized that high tariff barriers were strangling our economy. To spur economic growth, he sought and received legislative authority to negotiate reductions in tariff barriers.
That bill, the Trade Agreements Act, embodied the basic partnership between the legislative and executive branches of Government that we know today as Trade Promotion Authority. It is a partnership that has served this Nation well for the better part of the last century, and hopefully will continue to do so for the next.
But the battle for economic freedom is far from over. We cannot afford to return to the tyranny of tariffs embodied by Smoot-Hawley. Decisions we make in the near future on economic policy will have a significant impact on generations to come. They are decisions we cannot take lightly. Strong leadership at the Office of the United States Trade Representative is key. Congress will soon be considering free trade agreements with Central America, the Dominican Republic and Bahrain.
We also have a number of important bilateral and regional negotiations underway that will bring significant benefits to the U.S. economy. And, perhaps most important, are on-going negotiations at the World Trade Organization. Successfully concluding these negotiations and ensuring their implementation will take a skilled champion of America's interests. I am confident that ROB PORTMAN will effectively fill that role.
I hope my colleagues will join me in strongly supporting Congressman PORTMAN to be our next United States Trade Representative.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a letter dated April 28, 2005.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
U.S. SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE,
Washington, DC, April 28, 2005.
Hon. EVAN BAYH,
U.S. Senator,
Washington, DC.
DEAR SENATOR BAYH:
As you know, the Senate Finance Committee will be holding a hearing on U.S.-China trade relations before July 15th. As a co-sponsor of legislation to apply countervailing duty laws to non-market economies such as China you will be invited to testify at this hearing. I share your concern about China's use of subsidies and their potential impact on manufacturing and other workers in our economy. The hearing will be an important opportunity to fully air this issue and analyze the best possible policy solutions to the problem including statutory application of countervailing duty laws to non-market economies as proposed by S. 593, the ``Stopping Overseas Subsidies'' Act.
Since we will have a full discussion of the many pressing issues surrounding U.S.-China trade relations prior to July 15th, I appreciate the fact that you agree it will not be necessary to offer an amendment or to seek a stand alone vote on this issue prior to review by the Senate Finance Committee at this hearing.
I appreciate your interest in this issue and look forward to continuing our discussion on this important and timely topic.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley,
Chairman.
http://thomas.loc.gov/