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Adds the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to the list of offices covered by the Inspector General Act and requires the President to appoint an Inspector General for the USTR within 120 days after the Act is enacted, using the established appointment procedures in title 5. The bill also records findings that Congress has the constitutional power to regulate international trade and summarizes USTR’s role in developing, coordinating, administering, and reporting on U.S. trade policy and trade agreement implementation.
Congress has the sole power to regulate international trade under Section 8 of Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
Congress established the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the Executive Office of the President under section 141 of the Trade Act of 1974, giving the USTR primary responsibility to develop and coordinate implementation of U.S. international trade policy.
The United States Trade Representative has primary responsibility for administering various trade statutes and for monitoring the implementation and enforcement of trade agreements.
Section 141(c)(1)(F) of the Trade Act of 1974 states that the USTR shall report directly to the President and the Congress regarding, and be responsible to the President and the Congress for, the administration of trade agreements programs.
Amend Section 401 of title 5, United States Code, paragraph (1) by inserting "the National Reconnaissance Office, or the Office of the United States Trade Representative," (thereby adding the Office of the United States Trade Representative to the list in paragraph (1)).
Primary effects are oversight and administrative. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and its employees will gain an independent Inspector General with authority to audit and investigate agency programs and operations, which can increase internal reviews, audits, and accountability. The President and the administration must identify and appoint a qualified IG within 120 days, so executive-branch personnel and the White House will incur the administrative burden of vetting and processing that appointment. Congress and oversight committees benefit from an independent watchdog that can provide audits, reports, and investigations to support legislative oversight. Trade stakeholders (U.S. businesses, foreign-trade partners, and the public) may see improved transparency and accountability in USTR’s handling of trade agreements and enforcement, but the bill does not change trade policy or enforcement authority itself. The measure does not include explicit funding, so establishing and operating the IG office would rely on USTR’s budget processes or future appropriations; that could delay or shape the office’s immediate capacity.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced April 2, 2025 by Ruben Gallego · Last progress April 2, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate