Sen. Flake removes hold on Doud nomination as USTR ag rep

The Arizona senator lifted his hold on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Gregg Doud as chief agricultural negotiator.    Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., last Thursday released his hold on Gregg Doud, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which Flake had maintained since November, his office announced.
   Flake dropped the block after securing commitments from the USTR and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, that they would engage with him regarding a NAFTA proposal to make it easier for certain U.S. agricultural producers to petition for duties during winter months.
   U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer agreed to meet with Arizona stakeholders who rely on NAFTA and would be “negatively impacted” by the proposal, Flake’s office said.
   “Given the importance of U.S. agriculture and what’s at stake for them in the NAFTA negotiations, I am pleased that this nomination can move forward,” Flake said in a statement. “While certainly there are areas in the NAFTA agreement ripe for modernization, adding ill-advised seasonal or regional components to existing trade remedies would lead to needless trade restrictions, devastating economic consequences, and likely retaliation. I will continue to work toward a solution with the Administration and Chairman Hatch, as well as utilizing additional procedural tools at my disposal.”
   The office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn’t comment on when Doud’s nomination might be brought to the Senate floor for consideration, after he was cleared by the Senate Finance Committee in October.