[CTC] USTR is suddenly the hottest race in town

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Morning Trade

— More names are being murmured for the position of USTR in the incoming Biden administration. Still, there’s no official word yet when an announcement will come.

USTR: SUDDENLY THE HOT RACE IN TOWN: More possible choices for the next U.S. trade representative are swirling around Washington as the circle of musical chairs in the incoming Cabinet gets smaller. Some people are bracing for an announcement as early as Friday, but the Biden transition team hasn’t confirmed that timing. 

You already know the frontrunners: California Rep. Jimmy Gomez <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c3547b91e407bab07706b83f5622bb7d13867ded0605a0b1d85fa77c90d576b7e171964776f43e358962ca15bb7ea785>and House Ways and Means trade lawyer Katherine Tai <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c3547b91e407bab0b566fd6a79b8a293a32ca76d144b8939fe86e6791f355579abfae2f4b10a04279a5aa418d0838e90> are still on the shortlist for the position. Gomez has been largely mum about his desire to be the trade chief, but he is still very much interested.

But even as he’s privately campaigned, some of Gomez’s congressional colleagues have lined up behind Tai as a unity pick for progressives and the business community. The most recent: 10 Democratic women in the House who sent a letter to the transition lauding Tai. 

Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also met with top Biden transition officials Monday and made a strong push for Tai and other Asian Americans for Cabinet positions.

If Tai does get the nod, it could affect talks in Congress over the expiring GSP and MTB tariff programs, since she is the head negotiator for House Democrats, who just proposed last-minute changes as year-end deadlines quickly approach (more on that below).

Other names in the mix: The race isn’t confined to just Tai and Gomez. Some business interests in D.C. have quietly pushed Washington Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c3547b91e407bab01e4bf0f03096b58c705bddb94fdd04f610dc6d2a0f28db7c9404d9d48ca83ab9cb90662be3ef1162> to the transition, saying the moderate farmer could be a GOP member of Biden’s Cabinet that the president-elect has promised, but so far has yet to add.

Other business groups have pushed Newhouse’s colleague in the Washington delegation, Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c3547b91e407bab0605a3c84313d6d45975bafe44adf056b407d42f163aea2df2e346214e8c8c8672849fe2a44e62da2> as a potential middle-of-the-road pick. Both lawmakers’ offices declined to comment.

Meanwhile Biden is expected to nominate former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c3547b91e407bab0180c534e1d20df2b7ca62edb676b8491d78d9f0ab7e3d9ebbf464416e7d70801d2c28d71864c5292> to return to the job he held for eight years during the Obama administration.


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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