Crapo Statement at Nominations Hearing
Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at a hearing to consider the nominations of Joseph Barloon to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative, Janet Dhillon to be Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Brian Morrissey, Jr. to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury.
As prepared for Delivery:
“Thank you to our nominees, Mr. Barloon, Ms. Dhillon and Mr. Morrissey for being here today. Congratulations on your nominations and thank you all for your willingness to serve.
“Today, we will first hear from Joe Barloon, who is nominated to serve as a Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization – or WTO.
“The WTO is an important institution, but in need of stronger American leadership. The last Administration failed to engage the organization in a number of areas, including negotiations on rules for digital trade. This weakened existing disciplines, including U.S. intellectual property rights under the WTO TRIPS Agreement.
“Mr. Barloon is well-positioned to restore strong U.S. leadership at the WTO. During President Trump’s first term, Mr. Barloon served as the USTR General Counsel and as an Acting Deputy USTR. Those roles gave him first-hand experience in WTO operations, including its dispute settlement system and the need for its reform.
“Mr. Barloon, as our country’s top WTO official in Geneva, I look forward to learning more about how you would leverage your USTR and private sector experience to protect and promote America’s interests.
“Moving to the second nominee before us today, Janet Dhillon, who is nominated to serve as the Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). The PBGC plays an important role in securing workers’ retirement benefits and your nomination to lead the agency comes at an important moment.
“In addition to operating insurance programs that protect millions of Americans’ retirement benefits, the PBGC has been charged with implementing the Special Financial Assistance Program, a program created to bail out failing private-sector multiemployer pension plans.
“There has been bipartisan interest in addressing the underlying, structural problems that have plagued the multiemployer pension system for years.
“Rather than focus on long-term, bipartisan solutions, the American Rescue Plan pumped $90 billion taxpayer dollars into these plans with no structural reforms to prevent more plans from failing.
“While the PBGC has encountered issues implementing this program, I appreciate the efforts of the PBGC staff and agency leadership to implement a program that is a departure from the agency’s core mission.
“Ms. Dhillon, you are well-suited to take on these challenges, along with the responsibility of overseeing the insurance programs that protect millions of Americans’ retirement benefits.
“I look forward to working with you and hearing how you will approach this role.
“Finally, we will hear from Brian Morrissey, who is nominated to serve as the General Counsel of the Treasury Department.
“The General Counsel of the Treasury must provide nonpartisan legal and policy advice to the Secretary and other senior Department officials.
“As Congress works to enact new, pro-growth tax policy, the General Counsel will be a vital team member during the Department’s efforts to craft regulations and other guidance related to the bill.
“Mr. Morrissey is undoubtedly qualified for the job, having previously served as the Deputy General Counsel at the Treasury Department during the first Trump Administration.
“Mr. Morrissey’s nomination has also been supported by individuals on both sides of the aisle. Prior Treasury General Counsels in Democratic and Republican Administrations reaching back to 1977 have written in support of his nomination.
“Mr. Morrissey, I look forward to working with you, if confirmed.
“Thank you again to our nominees for their time today.”
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