U.S. Trade Representative nominee Katherine Tai continues to receive bipartisan support.
Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley told farm reporters Tuesday morning that he intends to vote for Tai when her nomination goes before the full Senate. Grassley noted he hasn?t yet reviewed all of Tai?s written answers from her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.
?Everything she answered orally would encourage me to vote for her,? Grassley said. ?Also, even though I didn?t work with her personally, she was a part of Congressman Neal?s Ways and Means team that worked with my team. I had nothing but good things to say about her.?
Grassley says it?s unknown what the Biden Administration?s trade policies will be.
?She will be approved a long time before we know exactly how the Biden Administration is going to handle the UK, whether they are going to get into TPP again, what they are going to do in regard to China, and what they are going to do in Sub-Saharan Africa like Trump was starting with Kenya. I think you?re going to get well into the middle of the year before you see any direction. So, I think we?re just going to have to wait awhile.?
Tai has received support from many Ag groups including the U.S. Meat Export Federation. USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom released the following statement to farm reporters Wednesday morning: ?USMEF congratulates Ms. Tai on the strong bipartisan support she received from the Senate Finance Committee, which reflects her extensive qualifications to lead the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. We support Ms. Tai’s confirmation by the full Senate and look forward to working with her on key issues affecting red meat trade.?
Tai?s confirmation vote is expected to be scheduled in the coming days.
