"As the new Ranking Member of the Trade Subcommittee of the Ways & Means Committee, I am extremely pleased with the selection of Rob Portman to be the new U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR is a unique position that was created to conduct trade negotiations on behalf of Congress. The USTR works more closely with Congress than any other member of the Cabinet, and I look forward to working with Mr. Portman on many pressing challenges facing U.S. trade policy.

"On a personal note, I have worked closely with Rob Portman over many years on pension and tax issues. I have enormous respect for his talent and ability. He is an outstanding legislator who knows how to reach out to all sides to get an agreement. He is an aggressive negotiator focused on getting results. I applaud his selection as the new USTR and look forward to working with him."

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