President Trump is nominating Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to head the United States Trade and Development Agency, the White House announced Wednesday.
Issa, who is not seeking re-election in the 2018 midterm elections, has been an adamant supporter of Trump’s trade policies.
Issa said earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would supersede China in a trade war, even if Americans were forced to pay higher prices on consumer goods due to a series of tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. The comments came during the World Economic Forum meeting in China.
“I am incredibly aware of the impact these tariffs are having on Christmas items,” Issa said.
“The reality is this is the right time — for more than two decades we saw our own industrial base erode because of a set of unfair trade practices in a number of countries,” he said. “If we are going to ask for a proper fairness, if not now, then when?”
Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Issa was a candidate to be the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but Issa dismissed the report.
“I think it’s a wonderful story but I’m not currently having discussions with the White House on it,” Issa said in June, per the Hill.
Issa is the former chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association, and before that, served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is dedicated to assisting companies create domestic jobs by exporting U.S. goods and services.
