Editing Rob Portman (section)

==George W. Bush administration: 2005–2007==
{{further|Presidency of George W. Bush}}

===United States Trade Representative===
On March 17, 2005, Portman spoke at the [[White House]] during a ceremony at which Bush nominated him for [[Office of the United States Trade Representative|United States Trade Representative]], calling him "a good friend, a decent man, and a skilled negotiator."<ref name="Becker">{{cite news|last=Becker|first=Liz|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E7DF113CF93BA25750C0A9639C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Congressman From Ohio Is Chosen For Trade Post|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 18, 2005|access-date=August 21, 2010}}</ref> Portman was confirmed on April 29<ref>{{cite news |title=Resignation from the House of Representatives |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2005-05-02/pdf/CREC-2005-05-02-pt1-PgH2741-7.pdf#page=1 |work=[[Congressional Record]] |date=May 2, 2005 |pages=H2741–H2742}}</ref> and sworn in on May 17.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050517-3.html|title=President Honors Ambassador Portman at Swearing-In Ceremony|last=Office of the White House Press Secretary|date=May 17, 2005|publisher=George W Bush -White House Archives|access-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050317-2.html|title=President Nominates Rob Portman as United States Trade Representative|publisher=White House Archives|access-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E7DF113CF93BA25750C0A9639C8B63|title=Congressman From Ohio Is Chosen For Trade Post|last=Becker|first=Elizabeth|date=March 18, 2005|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref>

Portman sponsored an unfair-trading claim to the [[World Trade Organization]] against [[Airbus]] because American allies in the [[European Union]] were providing subsidies that arguably helped Airbus compete against [[Boeing]]. European officials countered that Boeing received unfair subsidies from the United States, and the WTO ruled separately that they each received unfair government assistance.

Portman spent significant time out of the United States negotiating trade agreements with roughly 30 countries, visiting Brazil, [[Burkina Faso]], China, France, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, [[South Korea]], [[Switzerland]] and the United Kingdom.<ref name="RealClearPolitics" /> During his tenure, he also helped to win passage of the [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]].<ref name="enquir" /> Portman used a network of former House colleagues to get support for the treaty to lift trade barriers between the United States and [[Costa Rica]], the [[Dominican Republic]], [[El Salvador]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Guatemala]], and [[Honduras]]. According to ''The Hill'', Portman took his wife, Jane, with him to the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]] on their wedding anniversary so he could work on the deal.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koff|title=Rob Portman's {{sic|nolink=y|reason=error in source|exeperience}} as trade representative viewed as strength and weakness|first=Stephen|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/rob_portmans_exeperience_as_tr.html|newspaper=The Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=August 11, 2012|access-date=April 1, 2013}}</ref>

====Hong Kong and trade suit====
[[Image:President Bush Nominates Rob Portman as OMB Director and Susan Schwab for USTR.jpg|thumb|right|Portman nominated for OMB Director and [[Susan Schwab|Schwab]] nominated for USTR, 2006]]
{{see also|World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2005}}
As United States Trade Representative, Portman attended the WTO's [[World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2005|Hong Kong conference]] in 2005. He addressed the conference with a speech on development in [[Doha]], and advocated a 60% cut in targeted worldwide [[Agricultural subsidy|agricultural subsidies]] by 2010.<ref>Maidment, Paul. [https://www.forbes.com/2005/10/11/wto-farming-subsidies-cx_pm_1011wto.html Rob Portman, Take A Bow.] ''[[Forbes]].'' October 11, 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/2619.pdf|title=WTO Doha Round: Agricultural Negotiating Proposals|work=CRS Report for Congress|number=RL33144}}</ref> Portman then sponsored a claim against China for extra charges it levied on American auto parts. U.S. steel manufacturers subsequently beseeched the White House to halt an influx of Chinese steel pipe used to make plumbing and fence materials. This was a recurring complaint and the [[United States International Trade Commission]] recommended imposing import quotas, noting "the economic threat to the domestic pipe industry from the Chinese surge." With Portman as his top trade advisor, Bush replied that quotas were in the U.S. economic interest. He reasoned the American homebuilding industry used the pipe and wanted to maintain a cheap supply and that other cheap exporters would step in to fill China's void if Chinese exports were curtailed. This occurred at a time when the U.S. steel industry lost $150 million in profit between 2005 and 2007, although China's minister of commerce cited the U.S. industry's "record high profit margins" in the first half of 2004 and continued growth in 2005. China next lobbied Portman to leave matters alone, meeting with his office twice and threatening in a letter that restrictions and what it called "discrimination against Chinese products" would bring "serious adverse impact" to the U.S.-China economic and trade relationship.<ref>{{cite news|last=Koff|title=Rob Portman's {{sic|nolink=y|reason=error in source|exeperience}} as trade representative viewed as strength and weakness|first=Stephen|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/rob_portmans_exeperience_as_tr.html|newspaper=The Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=August 11, 2012|access-date=April 2, 2013}}</ref> Portman vowed to "hold [China's] feet to the fire" and provide a "top-to-bottom review" of the U.S.–China trade relationship.<ref name="enquir">{{cite news|newspaper=Cincinnati Enquirer|date=June 22, 2012|url=http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20120624/NEWS010607/306250011/Portman-s-time-Bush-White-House-double-edged-sword|title=Portman's time in Bush White House a double-edged sword|access-date=October 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819112243/http://www.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20120624/NEWS010607/306250011/Portman-s-time-Bush-White-House-double-edged-sword|archive-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref> His claim that China had improperly favored domestic auto parts became the first successful trade suit against China in the WTO.<ref name="enquir" /> During Portman's tenure as trade ambassador, the U.S. trade deficit with China increased by 21 percent.<ref name="enquir" />

===Director of the Office of Management and Budget===
{{See also|Office of Management and Budget}}
[[Image:Rob Portman official photo.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait of Rob Portman used during his time as OMB Director]]
On April 18, 2006, Bush nominated Portman for [[Director of the Office of Management and Budget]], replacing [[Joshua Bolten]], who was appointed [[White House Chief of Staff]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Financial Express|date=April 19, 2006|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/bush-taps-portman-to-head-omb-susan-schwab-as-trade-chief/162733/|title=Bush taps Portman to head OMB, Susan Schwab as trade chief|access-date=September 27, 2012}}</ref> Portman said that he looked forward to the responsibility, adding, "It's a big job. The Office of Management and Budget touches every spending and policy decision in the federal government". Bush expressed his confidence in Portman, saying, "The job of OMB director is a really important post and Rob Portman is the right man to take it on. Rob's talent, expertise and record of success are well known within my administration and on Capitol Hill."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=FoxNews.com|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192097,00.html|title=Bush Taps Portman as OMB Chief, Says Rumsfeld Should Stay Portman|date=April 18, 2006|access-date=September 27, 2012}}</ref> The [[U.S. Senate]] confirmed him unanimously by voice vote on May 26, 2006.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Sun Journal|date=May 27, 2006|title= Budget Director Confirmed|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PUguAAAAIBAJ&pg=2526,4804958&dq=rob+portman+confirmed&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|title=Panel clears Portman for budget post|url=http://articles.marketwatch.com/2006-05-23/news/30744422_1_portman-confirmation-budget-director|date=May 23, 2006|access-date=September 27, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128150259/http://articles.marketwatch.com/2006-05-23/news/30744422_1_portman-confirmation-budget-director|archive-date=January 28, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As [[Director of the Office of Management and Budget|OMB director]] from May 2006 to August 2007, Portman helped craft a $2.9 trillion budget for fiscal year 2008. ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' wrote, "The plan called for making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, at a cost of more than $500 billion over the five-year life of the proposal. It requested a hefty increase in military spending, along with reductions in low-income housing assistance, environmental initiatives, and health care safety-net programs."<ref name="enquir" /><ref>{{cite web|publisher=The White House|url= https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070205-3.html|title=Press Briefing by OMB Director Rob Portman on the President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget|date=February 5, 2007 |access-date=October 11, 2012}}</ref> Portman is said to have been "frustrated" with the post, calling the budget that Bush's office sent to Congress "not my budget, his budget," and saying, "it was a fight, internally." [[Edward Lazear]] of Bush's [[Council of Economic Advisers]] said that Portman was the leading advocate for a [[balanced budget]], while other former Bush administration officials said that Portman was the leading advocate for fiscal discipline within the administration.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=August 2, 2012|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/121561-possible-vp-pick-rob-portman-was-frustrated-at-bush-budget-office/|title=Possible VP pick Rob Portman was 'frustrated' at Bush budget office|access-date=October 11, 2012}}</ref>

On June 19, 2007, Portman resigned as OMB director, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and three children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR2007061900777.html|title=Bush Names Ex-Rep. Nussle Budget Chief|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 20, 2007|access-date=August 21, 2010}}</ref> Democratic Chairman of the [[Senate Budget Committee]] [[Kent Conrad]] expressed regret at Portman's resignation, saying, "He is a person of credibility and decency that commanded respect on both sides of the aisle."<ref>{{cite news|date=June 19, 2007|newspaper=[[Forbes]]|url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/06/19/bush-portman-nussle-biz-beltway_cx_bw_0619portman.html|title=Portman Departs White House Post|access-date=September 27, 2012|first=Brian|last=Wingfield}}</ref>