Here was President-Elect Biden's introduction of Katherine Tai as his nominee for U.S. Trade Representative (starts at 14:42):
For the United States Trade Representative, I nominate Katherine Tai, a trusted trade expert, a dedicated public servant who knows government, and who has spent her career levelling the playing field for American workers and their families.
That's not hyperbole, that's a fact.
She currently serves as the chief lawyer on trade on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, sharing praise from lawmakers of both political parties, and from both labor and business as well. Now that's a feat across the board. But all kidding aside, you have. I have gotten more calls complimenting me on your appointment than you can imagine.
During the Obama-Biden administration, she was the chief trade enforcer against unfair trade practices by China, which will be a key priority in the Biden-Harris administration. She understands that we need a more strategic -- to be considerably more strategic than we've been in how we trade, and that makes us all stronger, one that leaves nobody behind.
She is going to work closely with my economic and national security and foreign policy teams. Trade will be a critical pillar in our ability to build back better and carry out our foreign policy. A foreign policy for the middle class. When I announced my candidacy, I talked about a foreign policy for the middle class, and I meant that in a literal sense.
She also brings a sophisticated understanding of the threats of climate change to trade, as well as addresses the climate crisis with urgency.
She also embodies a powerful immigration story of America. Her parents were both born in China. They moved to Taiwan, and then came to the United States where Katherine was born. Her parents became government scientists at Walter Reed and NIH, inspiring their daughter to pursue a career in public service.
Katherine says she's the first American born member of her family, and a second generation US government servant. That's a great way to express it. If confirmed she will be the first Asian American and the first woman of color to serve in this position.
Our nation, our economy, our workers, our businesses, will be fortunate to have her serve in this role.
And here are Tai's remarks (starts at 33:07):
Mr President Elect, Madam vice president elect. I'm grateful for this opportunity to serve and look forward to working with you, with our partners across the administration, and with the bright and dedicated public servants at USTR, to deliver for the American people.
When the President Elect approached me about taking on this role, two memories from my past sprang to mind.
The first was from when I initially joined USTR in 2007. I was filling out paperwork and providing information about my family history. My parents were born in mainland China, and grew up in Taiwan. In the 1960s, President Kennedy's immigration reforms welcomed them to America as graduate students in the sciences. My dad would become a researcher at Walter Reed, helping the army advance treatments for afflictions that debilitated Americans GIs fighting in the Vietnam War.
My mom still works at the National Institutes of Health, developing treatments for opioid addiction.
They were naturalized in 1979, five years after I was born in Connecticut. And it wasn't until decades later, filling out that paperwork, that it occurred to me that I became an American before my parents. The very first American in our family.
The second memory that came to mind was from several years later, when a colleague and I from USTR went to Geneva to present a case suing China before the World Trade Organization. We sat down at the table: She, whose parents had emigrated from South India; and I, whose parents had come from Taiwan. And my heart swelled with pride as we raised our placard and stated that we were there to present the case on behalf of the United States of America.
Two daughters of immigrants, there to serve, to fight for, and to reflect the nation that had opened doors of hope and opportunity to our families.
Those memories fill me with gratitude for being an American, and for what America is at our best, and they remind me of the extraordinary responsibilities that come with the honor as we navigate our relationships with the world.
Trade is like any other tool in our domestic or foreign policy. It is not an end in itself. It is a means to create more hope and opportunity for people. And it only succeeds when the humanity, and dignity, of every American, and of all people, lie at the heart of our approach. I am proud to join with leaders who instill their policy with purpose, and who never lose sight of the humanity and dignity, the opportunity and hope, that make trade a force for good in our nation and the world.
I am very proud to be an advocate for American workers, to stand up for their ingenuity and their innovation, and for America's interests, across the globe. I look forward to harnessing the power of our trade relationships to help communities lift themselves out of the current crisis, and I'm grateful for this chance to serve, fight for, and reflect America, on behalf of all of our people. Once again, thank you.
We'll have to wait a bit more to learn about the direction of U.S. trade policy under a Biden administration, but I thought these remarks were a pretty compelling and powerful indictment of the immigration policies and views of Trump and his administration.
