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FTA

RATIFYING THE KORUS FTA: WHAT LIES ON THE POLITICAL ROAD AHEAD?
Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Location:

KEI Conference Facility
1800 K St. NW Suite 1010
Washington, DC 20006

Details:

Video for this program is not available due to technical issues. Please contact Sarah Howe at sh@keia.org for a copy of the event report. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience.

On July 13, KEI hosted a discussion of the political issues facing the KORUS FTA as the Obama administration seeks to resolve any outstanding issues by the Seoul G-20 Summit and send the agreement to the Hill a “few months” later. The discussion covered issues dealing with how Congress is likely to react to any new understandings on the agreement, how the mid-term elections play into the politics of passing the KORUS FTA, and when it is likely to come before Congress.

Speakers/Bios: 

Brian Pomper focuses his practice on policy issues. He has more than a decade of experience working in the government and representing businesses in the private sector.

Mr. Pomper is the founding partner of Parven Pomper Strategies (PPS) Inc. He has helped clients on political strategy and advocated for them before the U.S. Congress and administrative agencies on a wide array of issues, including international trade, customs, tax policy, health care, patent reform, intellectual property and financial services.

Prior to the founding of PPS, Mr. Pomper was the chief international trade counsel on the Democratic staff of the Senate Finance Committee, under Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. In that capacity, he was responsible for advising Chairman Baucus and the other members of the Committee on all aspects of the Committee’s international trade and economic agenda, including oversight of ongoing trade negotiations, market access issues, international trade disputes, intellectual property and international tax and customs issues. He was involved in virtually every major international economic issue that arose during his four years on the Committee staff.

Mr. Pomper earned his B.S. in 1992 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his J.D. in 1995 from Cornell University Law School. He is a member of the District of Columbia and New York bars, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

He serves as an adjunct professor teaching international trade policy and politics at George Washington’s Graduate School of Political Management.



Justin McCarthy joined Peck, Madigan, Jones, & Stewart, Inc. after serving in the Bush Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. In that capacity, Mr. McCarthy served as a principal liaison and advocate of the President to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, with primary responsibility for developing, coordinating and executing White House strategy on priority issues. Mr. McCarthy led legislative efforts on behalf of the President on issues before the Agriculture, Education & Labor, Finance, and Ways & Means Committees and with House and Senate Leadership.

Prior to joining the White House staff, Mr. McCarthy was Assistant United States Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs. In that role, Mr. McCarthy was responsible for directing the Office of Congressional Affairs and served as chief advocate of the President’s international trade agenda in the Congress. Mr. McCarthy also served as chief political advisor to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and worked closely with USTR in developing and implementing U.S. trade policy. Named to that position by Ambassador Rob Portman in 2006, he continued to serve in that role for Ambassador Susan Schwab.

In 2005, Ambassador Portman tapped Mr. McCarthy as Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison. In that role, Mr. McCarthy led domestic outreach efforts to state and local governments, the business and agricultural communities, labor, environmental and consumer groups, and advanced USTR priorities at external events.

Prior to his work in the Executive Branch, Mr. McCarthy served as Director of Government Relations for Pfizer. He was responsible for health care, intellectual property, international trade and tax issues.

Before joining Pfizer, Mr. McCarthy was Legislative Director for Mayer, Brown’s international trade practice (1998-2001). He also served on the staff of Representative Thomas W. Ewing (R-IL), where he handled international trade and tax issues (1995-1998).

Mr. McCarthy earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Stonehill College.



Associated Media: KORUS FTA
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