WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today voted against advancing the nomination of Jamieson Greer in the Senate Finance Committee, President Trump’s nominee to be the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and expressed his opposition: 

“Nobody will win this trade war. President Trump’s tariffs, threatened and announced, have already caused chaos and pain in Vermont. The Trump Trade War will only hurt businesses, farmers, and raise prices for working families—from the food on their table to their energy costs.  

“The U.S. Trade Representative must be ready to push back against President Trump’s draconian impulses to unilaterally impose tariffs, which will lead to international political dysfunction and tax Vermont families. We can work together, in a good faith effort, to hold bad actors accountable with our trade allies, but we cannot do it alone. I do not have confidence that Mr. Greer will prioritize the ‘Do No Harm’ trade policy approach Americans need now—we can’t afford a rubber stamp for President Trump’s chaotic economic priorities.” 

During Greer’s nomination hearing last week, Senator Welch demanded answers on the impact of the Trump Trade War on American businesses and consumers and outlined the cost of Trump’s new proposed tariffs for Vermont industries. Senator Welch took to the Senate floor to blast the proposed tariffs and shared stories from Vermonters about how President Trump’s economic policies will impact their family, farm, and community.  

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