At the White House announcement, Portman underscored his free-trade credentials, a source of some controversy in his home state, where many manufacturing firms have been devastated by imports. "Open markets and better trade relations are key components to a more peaceful, a more stable and a more prosperous world," he said. "And here at home, trade policy opens markets to create jobs, a higher standard of living and greater economic growth."
Appearing with his wife and children, he joked that his fourth-grade daughter, Sally, "had to admit that she had never heard of the U.S. trade representative," but told him, "Dad, it sounds like a really neat job."
Winning the support of Congress for CAFTA, however, will require more than charm and free-trade rhetoric. The pact, which would essentially extend the North American Free Trade Agreement southward and to the Dominican Republic, is viewed by labor unions and industry groups alike as a crucial test of how far and how fast the movement toward lower trade barriers will advance in coming years.
"If, as press reports indicate, his [Portman's] first job is going to be getting CAFTA through Congress, all I can say is he is taking on a very tough job because he's going to run into a buzz saw of opposition on that," Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) said in a statement.
Unlike the relatively noncontroversial trade deals with Australia and Morocco, which passed Congress easily, many Democrats regard CAFTA as objectionable. They contend that the nations involved have poor records in protecting workers' rights and that the pact would not go far enough in forcing them to raise labor standards. U.S. sugar and textile interests are also strongly opposed to the agreement.
The administration also may face an uphill battle this year winning congressional renewal of the president's authority to negotiate new trade pacts.
Besides the fights in Congress, Portman's agenda will include advancing the Doha Round of negotiations to lower trade barriers among member nations of the World Trade Organization.
Staff writers Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen contributed to this report.
