NYT : Off the Hill, and Leading the Charge on Trade

By ELIZABETH BECKER
Published: May 21, 2005

WASHINGTON, May 20 - What most surprises Rob Portman, who served in Congress for six terms, is how much time he still spends dealing with politics on Capitol Hill as the new United States trade representative.

Rob Portman, the nation's new trade representative, spent six terms in the House and has supporters in both parties.

His days have been filled with long conversations, trying to sway lawmakers to approve a trade pact with Central America. He is figuring out a strategy with Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, on how to neutralize the sugar lobby.

He adjusted a section on textiles in the pact to satisfy Senator Elizabeth Dole, Republican of North Carolina. And he is negotiating over labor issues with Representative Charles B. Rangel, Democrat of New York, in hopes of bringing his vote into the administration's column.

"I knew the trade representative was close to the Hill, but I didn't know how much," he said in his first extensive interview in his office across the street from the White House. "This level of consultation with Congress isn't shared by any other cabinet member."

Mr. Portman has had to hit the ground running.

He has inherited the worst trade deficit in history - $617 billion last year - and that has made many lawmakers suspicious of any further trade agreements. The teetering round of global trade talks, if they are to have any hope of succeeding, will require reducing agricultural subsidies in rich nations, including the United States.

Talk about a tough political task. At least he has a little time on that front. But within weeks, Mr. Portman has to resolve the Boeing-Airbus dispute with Europe over government subsidies - or it will go to the World Trade Organization and become the most expensive trade dispute ever put before that body.

Mr. Portman, still on a honeymoon in the job, has a narrow path to tread. Many developing countries question the rich nations' commitments to open and fair trade. At home, lawmakers worry that rapid globalization is responsible for the loss of some of their constituents' jobs.
Democrats have said that they do not want to approve any trade deal until the Bush administration presents a workable vision of how to reduce the trade deficit. One of Mr. Portman's ideas is to create a position dedicated solely to enforcing trade laws more stringently.

"If we're going to maintain our standard of living," he said, "then we need to be more aggressive in enforcing trade laws."

One major issue for Mr. Portman is trade with China. He said he had already ordered his lawyers to collect enough evidence from American industry to file a case at the W.T.O. against China if he did not see "dramatic progress" in protecting intellectual property rights from rampant pirating and copying.

"We cannot expect the United States to continue to rely on promises of enforcement when we are not seeing results," he said.

Mr. Portman, a boyish-looking 49-year-old Ohioan who exudes a Midwestern probity without the arrogance that often accompanies a long stint in the House, not only takes all this in stride, he is invigorated by the debate. "I've really loved the job so far," he said.

He is unique not only for being the first member of Congress to hold the trade position but for the political pedigree he brings to the job. Known for his hard work and modesty, he has unusually close friendships with Democrats as well as Republicans. He is so close to the president and his inner circle that he acted as a bridge between the House and the White House while still in Congress.

The son of a self-made Cincinnati business executive, Mr. Portman was drawn to foreign travel early, studying in Sweden as a high school student, then in the Loire Valley of France while in college. After earning his law degree, he worked in Washington firms practicing international trade law, traveling to Europe and South America, but also jumping into Republican politics.

He served in the White House of the first President Bush and in the first campaign of the current president. He is credited with helping to ensure that Ohio backed the president in the last election.

His first triumph came overseas, in Paris, within 48 hours of his confirmation. Mr. Portman played the middleman in global trade discussions on a technical point of European agriculture policy.

He worked with Peter Mandelson, the European Union's senior trade official. If the senior officials of the world's two biggest economies cannot agree, global trade talks usually fail. The two worked well together.

"He came across more as a seasoned negotiator than a congressman," Mr. Mandelson said. "He was on the top of his brief, but he also had a good feel for people. There is no question his close relationship with the president gives him an uncommon confidence."

Mr. Portman's predecessor, Robert B. Zoellick , now deputy secretary of state, was known for his strong sense of strategy and for wearing his intellectualism on his sleeve. By contrast, Mr. Portman has won points for his unassuming mastery of the fine points of trade esoterica.
Representative Sherrod Brown, a Democrat and fellow Ohioan, said that Mr. Portman was popular on the Hill but still had to defend an unpopular trade policy.

"He has to answer the question, How did the trade deficit grow to $617 billion under President Bush and why does that mean we should continue with the President's trade agenda?" Mr. Brown said. "Many Americans will say it hasn't benefited them at all."

Mr. Portman, his coat jacket draped across a chair, sipped lemonade and thought about that. He said the problem was not that simple.

"It's a reality in Ohio that there is a lot of concern about trade, but it is not practical to pull up the ladder," he said. "My role is to expand exports, and then I can make a difference."