President-elect Biden plans to nominate Katherine Tai as U.S. Trade Representative, the Wall Street Journal and POLITICO report, making her the second Asian American tapped for a Cabinet-level role in the incoming administration.
Tai, 45, currently serves chief trade counsel for the Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee and was one of the individuals recommended by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The Yale and Harvard-educated Chinese American was USTR’s chief counsel for China enforcement and associate general counsel for a total of seven years, Bloomberg notes.
If confirmed by the Senate, Tai would be the first woman of color to lead the trade agency.
As the country’s chief trade ambassador, Tai would be tasked with crafting the administration's policy towards China and managing the global economic disputes left by the Trump administration.
But Tai's nomination is not likely to assuage the fears of Asian American and Pacific Islander members of Congress, who met privately with Biden’s transition team on Monday to express concerns about the lack of an AAPI Cabinet secretary.
"I've worked closely with Katherine Tai on trade issues and know she is exceptionally qualified to serve as our USTR," CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) said Wednesday. "I'm thrilled to have such an incredible AAPI woman at the cabinet level to inspire others."
"This is very good. It is also important #AAPI representation on the Cabinet," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) tweeted.
Last month, CAPAC urged Biden to ensure that AAPIs would account for at least seven percent of “cabinet-level and other appointed personnel within the federal workforce,” reflecting their proportion in the U.S. population.
This is a developing story and will be updated. Photo via the U.S.-China Business Council.
