January 10,2001

Grassley Welcomes Senators Kyl, Snowe to Finance Committee


Sen. Grassley issued the following comment regarding President-elect Bush's nomination of Robert Zoellick to be U.S. Trade Representative. The Senate Finance Committee, which Sen. Grassley is expected to chair after Jan. 20, is responsible for confirming this nomination.

"Bob Zoellick will bring a tremendous amount of experience and vision to the job. And I look forward to having him before the Finance Committee as soon as possible. By naming someone of Bob Zoellick's stature, President-elect Bush has underscored the importance of trade policy in his administration and to the country. He's also made it clear to our trading partners that he expects the United States to lead on the trade front. Expanding markets and eliminating unfair trade practices are essential to not only to our prosperity but also to political stability and peace around the world.

"Having someone like Bob Zoellick at USTR is very important to strengthening the relationship between the President and Congress and, ultimately, establishing the consensus needed to move forward with an assertive trade agenda. Congress created the first trade representative's office almost 40 years ago, and it was upgraded to cabinet rank in 1974. Since then, USTR has coordinated trade policy and negotiations and made sure America's trading interests have a voice at the table in any debate about the direction of foreign economic policy. I expect Bob Zoellick to fill that role ably and effectively represent our trading interests abroad."