WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden plans to nominate long-time Senate staffer Jayme White as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, the White House said on Friday.
White, currently the chief trade adviser for the Senate Finance Committee, has worked in the Senate on nearly every major trade issue and trade legislation for 20 years, the White House said in a statement.
“Jayme White has spent two decades working to ensure American trade policy empowers American workers and promotes a sustainable environment,” the statement said.
White grew up in Seattle, Washington, and his family members were union workers for Boeing, the largest U.S. exporter.
Biden and his chief trade negotiator Katherine Tai have underscored their strong support for organized labor and have vowed to pursue a trade policy that focuses on workers rights, protection of the environment and human rights.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden strongly backed his long-time aide White to serve as Tai’s deputy.
White served as a legislative adviser to former Representative Jim McDermotte from 2000 to 2009 before joining Wyden’s office as legislative director, and moved into his current role as chief trade adviser in 2014.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
