Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Wyden, and Members of this Committee, I am honored to appear before you today as President Trump's nominee for Deputy United States Trade Representative for Asia, Textiles, Investment, Services, and Intellectual Property. I am grateful to President Trump and Ambassador Greer for their trust and confidence. I appreciate the time that Members and Staff of the Committee have spent with me, and I look forward to working with you if I am confirmed.
I also want to express my appreciation to my family, some of whom are present today. I am grateful to my mother and father, as well as my three siblings, and I am particularly thankful for the support of my wife, Sandy, and our children, Ethan, Charlie, and Finnegan.
I have spent more than two decades in public service, advancing U.S. strategic interests at the intersection of diplomacy, trade, technology, and national security. If confirmed, I look forward to continuing that mission in service of the President, in partnership with Congress, and on behalf of the American people.
The United States and our allies largely built the international trading system. While we have benefited from this trading system, it, like all governance systems, needs reform. The status quo trading system of the past two decades ignored the unfair trading practices of many of our largest trading partners and, as a result, many Americans, particularly the middle class, are hurting. We need trade policies and practices that place the American economy and the American worker first, requiring that all of our trading partners play by rules based on reciprocity. President Trump's America First Trade Policy aims to make trade work for the benefit of all Americans, by creating jobs, promoting innovation, strengthening our national defense, raising wages for our workers, and restoring our manufacturing capabilities.
Throughout my 20 years of government service, I have worked to promote the economic interests, leadership, and technological competitiveness of the United States around the globe. I have served in senior roles at the Department of State, including on the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff and as a Senior Advisor to the Department of Defense. I have also had the honor of developing and teaching graduate courses on China’s economy and innovation system at the National Intelligence University.
In every role, I have seen how trade policy, technological leadership, and national security are deeply intertwined. As our global competitors seek to rewrite the rules of commerce, we must ensure that our trade agenda supports not just economic growth, but also the values, resilience, and strategic strength of the United States by ensuring that American workers, farmers, and businesses can compete fairly in global markets. Having spent much of my career negotiating international agreements, protecting U.S. intellectual property, and defending our companies from forced technology transfer and other discriminatory practices, I believe trade policies must ensure that American producers – not just consumers – benefit from global commerce. That means securing reciprocal access, raising labor and environmental standards, and confronting coercive practices head-on.
Additionally, we must strive to enhance our economic and supply chain resilience. The past few years have exposed vulnerabilities in our global supply chains, particularly in strategic sectors like semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals. In today’s geopolitical climate, we must treat economic resilience as a core pillar of national security. USTR has a crucial role to play in advancing trade agreements and partnerships that strengthen our ability to withstand shocks and reduce overreliance on adversarial economies.
USTR also has an important role to play in reinforcing America’s technological edge. Our ability to lead in emerging technologies – from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to biotech and robotics – depends not only on domestic investment but on international frameworks that support innovation, protect intellectual property, and align standards that are consistent with and promote American interests.. Through strong America First trade policy, we can ensure reciprocity, protect American workers, and rebuild our competitiveness and economic security.
I believe that U.S. trade leadership should be principled, pragmatic, and strategic. In my experience across the executive branch and overseas, successful policy depends on deep interagency coordination, close consultation with Congress, and sustained engagement with allies and partners.
Trade is not an end in itself – it is a tool to advance our broader goals: economic prosperity for all Americans, industrial strength, technological leadership, and global stability. I am committed to working with this Committee to ensure that our trade agenda reflects those priorities and delivers tangible results for the American people.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be here. I look forward to your questions and to the important work ahead.
