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May 3, 2013

Obama Unveils Trade, Commerce Cabinet Picks 
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President Obama has unveiled his picks for the last two vacant economic
posts of his administration. Mike Froman, currently deputy national
security adviser for economic affairs, has been tapped to be the new
U.S. Trade Representative. Penny Pritzker, a billionaire hotel heir and
prominent Obama fundraiser, would be the new Commerce Secretary. At the
White House, Obama said both nominees will fight to protect the middle
class.

President Obama: "One of the reasons I'm proud to nominate them is they
don't forget what matters. They know this is not about just growing
balance sheets. It's about growing opportunity for people. It's about
growing a sense of security for the middle class. And, most of all, they
operate with integrity and they understand that public service is a
privilege, and you've got to do it right when you get involved on behalf
of the American people."

Both choices immediately drew criticism from progressive groups. In a
statement, the watchdog Public Citizen said: "Given that Michael Froman
has been instrumental in pushing President Barack Obama’s trade
policies backward to the corporate agenda that Froman also championed
during the Clinton administration, this choice doesn’t inspire
confidence."

As a heir of the Hyatt Hotel chain and former head of the Chicago Board
of Education, Pritzker has come under scrutiny for her clashes with
labor unions. She also served on the board of the failed bank Superior,
which played an early and critical role in promoting subprime loans that
ultimately saddled millions with crushing debt and helped crash the
economy. In a petition opposing her nomination, the group CREDO Action
called Pritzker "an anti-worker business mogul who should not be
appointed."

 

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