The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced Howard Lutnick’s nomination to lead the Commerce Department, 16-12, with all but one Democrat in opposition. Although his promise to bring supply chains onshore and boost U.S. competitiveness on artificial intelligence and other technologies was met with bipartisan approval, Democrats took issue with Lutnick’s lack of commitment to funding from the law dubbed the CHIPS and Science Act as well as the Trump administration’s tariff plan. Lutnick is expected to play a key role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s trade agenda. Trump posted on social media in November that Lutnick, if confirmed, would have “additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.” USTR is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements. Since Lutnick’s confirmation hearing last week, Trump announced and then delayed steep tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, while implementing tariffs against China. In addition to concerns about tariffs and honoring established funding commitments, Senate Commerce ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said she would not support Lutnick’s nomination because he hadn't pledged to prevent a shutdown of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is housed under the Commerce Department. “I'm very concerned about the president's threat to our North American neighbors and massive tariffs,” Cantwell said during the markup. “We need a secretary that understands that these products and these issues need coalition building, not throwing down gauntlets that will lose jobs for my farmers.” Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote in favor of advancing Lutnick. Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, lauded the nominee. “Mr. Lutnick has shown he’s prepared to meet the gravest of challenges, and we need him to be in a time of great-power competition,” Cruz said. “America must show the world what leadership is like, what a great economy is like.” Lutnick is currently CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm, and also served as a key adviser on Trump’s transition team. Lutnick disclosed hundreds of millions of dollars in assets in a financial disclosure form released last week, which detailed $200 million in income from Cantor Fitzgerald alone. He told the committee that he would resign from the firm and divest from all of his business interests and assets within 90 days of his confirmation.
