WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) today announced a full Committee hearing on the President’s trade agenda. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, March 21, at 10:00 AM in room 1100 of the Longworth House Office Building.
United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer will be the sole witness.
Upon announcing the hearing, Chairman Brady said:
“I am pleased to welcome Ambassador Lighthizer back to the Committee to discuss the Administration’s trade agenda and how it fits within Congress’ vision for keeping our economy moving and improving lives of Americans nationwide.
“Given Congress’ Constitutional authority over our nation’s trade policies, our relationship with USTR is crucial. We want to work together with the Administration to implement sound trade policies that help our American workers and job creators. This includes bringing important trade agreements – like NAFTA – into the 21st century, as well as ensuring that the President’s recently announced steel and aluminum tariffs are targeted to address national security and unfair trade while not harming other sectors of our economy. Furthermore, we must break down barriers abroad so that our businesses can continue to sell their goods and services anywhere around the world. We also need to ensure that America has the tools to hold our trading partners accountable, which means establishing effective binding dispute settlement provisions and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), consistent with the objectives Congress laid out under TPA.
“I look forward to our discussion with Ambassador Lighthizer about how to create more opportunities to level the playing field for American workers, manufacturers, and farmers through strong and enforceable trade agreements.”