Congresswoman Miller Questions U.S. Trade Representative on Biden Administration's Trade Policies

Press Release

Today during a Ways and Means Committee hearing, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) questioned U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, on the Biden Administration's trade agenda.

Under former President Donald Trump, the United States became a net energy exporter and negotiated new and fair trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the Phase One agreement with China, that put American industry first, held trading partners accountable, created more jobs, and helped American workers, farmers, and businesses.

Congresswoman Miller has spent her time in Congress ensuring that West Virginia energy, hardwoods, and manufacturing are at the forefront of American exports and trade agreements. She traveled to China to secure the inclusion of West Virginia hardwoods in the latest trade deal.

Click here to watch Congresswoman Miller's full remarks or read below her remarks as prepared:
Thank you Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady, and thank you Ambassador Tai for being here today. I greatly appreciated you meeting with my colleagues and I last week, and I look forward to our continued work together in your new role.

Trade is incredibly important to my home state of West Virginia. We have abundant natural resources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and timber and I want to ensure that we have markets around the world to send these resources.

When it comes to energy trade, it is crucial that this Administration continues to see energy as a significant export asset. The advent of hydraulic fracturing has made the United States energy independent and decreased our emissions, all while making us a net energy exporter. Exportation of U.S. natural gas not only has the ability to power developing countries that are coming online, but it also can decrease our allies' reliance on dangerous regimes, such as Russia. I believe these accomplishments of U.S. LNG are right in line with the Administration's goals.

I also want to echo the sentiments of my colleagues before me and express my support of a new exclusion process for Section 301 tariffs. We must engage thoughtfully on China, and in doing so, we must ensure that we protect American jobs.

Further, I want to reiterate my support for Congress to reauthorize Generalized System of Preferences, Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, and Trade Promotion Authority. Expiration of these programs is costly for companies and workers.

Lastly, Ambassador you said in an answer to Mr. Blumenauer that China moves fast and has a very clear vision of where it wants to go. I'm obviously concerned about the waiver in terms of the Biden Administration basically giving China our IP legally -- we all know they're trying to steal it illegally. But I'm also very concerned about H.R. 3 - we know China is doing everything it can to also build up their biotech sector. Changes China has made in their biotech regulatory framework has allowed them to approve 60 new molecules in 2018, up from 7 a few years before. Under H.R. 3 the opposite will happen here in the US - under H.R. 3, the US is expected to go from approving 68 new medicines over a decade to just 7.

That's why this Congress and this committee should instead focus on the bipartisan policies in H.R. 19, which will lower costs and result in more cures. But I have another question for Ambassador Tai:

As I mentioned earlier, U.S. LNG exports not only help our allies in the global arena, but also reduce global emissions by providing a clean alternative to other energy sources. Can you commit today to support continued exportation of U.S. LNG?

Affordable and reliable baseload American energy helps developing nations raise their populations out of poverty, put children in the classroom, and makes their governments less reliant on dangerous regimes. Can the Administration commit to reducing energy poverty around the world through the exportation of American energy?

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