| The Honorable Ron WydenChairman, Committee on FinanceUnited States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 | The Honorable Mike CrapoRanking Member, Committee on FinanceUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 20510 |
Dear Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo:
We the undersigned organizations write to urge you to expeditiously process the following bipartisan slate of qualified nominees to fill critical vacancies and an expired term on the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC):
• William Patrick J. Kimmitt (Republican), for a term expiring June 16, 2029
• James Bernard Coughlan (Democrat), for a term expiring December 16, 2030
• Halie L. Craig (Republican), for a term expiring June 16, 2026
As you know, the USITC was established by Congress in 1916 as a nonpartisan, independent regulatory agency. The USITC plays a critical role in the function of U.S. trade policy and enforcement, including making injury determinations in antidumping and countervailing duty cases, investigating intellectual property infringement, conducting general fact-finding for Congress and the Executive Branch, and maintaining the harmonized tariff schedule.
The USITC is nonpartisan in design and function. Under the authorizing statute, a full Commission has six commissioners equally divided by political party. Similarly, the USITC’s chairmanship and vice chairmanship alternate between political parties on a statutory basis. The commission has a reputation for analytical rigor and a long history of nonpartisanship, exemplified by the fact that many of the commission’s votes are unanimous.
Unfortunately, two longstanding Republican vacancies and the remaining four commissioners all serving in expired terms has compromised the USITC’s ability to fulfill its statutory mandates. USITC determinations can have consequential outcomes for U.S. companies and industries. It is important that these decisions are made with a full slate of commissioners who can evaluate each case on the facts and give every litigant a fair shake.
The three nominees currently before the Senate Finance Committee have all been vetted and nominated due to their qualifications across all aspects of international trade law and policy. This presents a well-timed opportunity for the Senate to make progress in filling the USITC’s vacancies and expired terms. We therefore urge you to process these nominations as soon as possible.
Sincerely,