Jay Rockefeller: “I rise to express my extremely strong, very enthusiastic support for the nomination of Charlene Barshefsky to be our…”

“I rise to express my extremely strong, very enthusiastic support for the nomination of Charlene Barshefsky to be our U.S. Trade Representative. This is an important vote for America, for its future. I urge my colleagues to give her the unanimous vote of confidence that she has, in fact, already earned through her record of incredible fortitude, ability, and a long list of trade accomplishments, even as acting USTR. The President has put forward, frankly, a most unusual person-- unusually skilled, highly qualified, for one of the most important jobs in the U.S. in Government, and that is being our Nation's lead trade negotiator and keeping up with all developments all over the world all the time. It is an incredible job. She now should have the official title to proceed with the job awaiting her in trade negotiations and efforts that offer immense opportunities and extremely high stakes for our industries, for our workers, and for our economy. In just the last year alone, on a whole host of other things, as our acting trade representative, Charlene Barshefsky has concluded a renewal of our critical semiconductor agreement with the Japanese; seen through an agreement to remove tariffs around the world on information technology products; and won agreement of a massive telecommunications pact that promises more than $1 trillion in worldwide economic benefits through the year 2010, all of this as acting trade representative.”