Van Hollen Meets with Biden USTR Nominee Katherine Tai

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committees on Budget, Appropriations, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs released the following statement regarding his virtual meeting with Katherine Tai, President-elect Biden’s nominee to serve as United States Trade Representative.

“From the cost of groceries to the availability of good-paying manufacturing jobs, our trade policy impacts the lives and pocketbooks of Americans every day. Strong and effective trade agreements can boost American jobs, uphold our values on worker protections, help tackle the climate crisis, grow our agriculture and manufacturing industries, and serve as an important tool in our relationships with other countries. As a public servant with years of experience working on the House Ways and Means Committee and at USTR, Katherine Tai has a deep understanding of trade policy and its implications. Katherine knows the importance of deliberate and strategic decision-making with an eye towards the long-term effects of these choices. During our conversation, we discussed the importance of ensuring that any trade agreements help boost American jobs and wages. We also spoke about the need to counter China’s unfair trade and economic policies, and the fact that our leverage is strengthened when we work in concert with our allies. I know that Katherine will ensure our trade policy puts America’s working families first while advancing our strategic goals at home and abroad.”