Senate Finance Committee holds confirmation hearing for William Kimmitt and Ken Keyes

The Senate Finance Committee on April 15 convened a confirmation hearing for two of President Trump’s economic nominees: William Kimmitt, nominated to be undersecretary of commerce for international trade, and Ken Keyes, nominated to be assistant secretary of the treasury for tax policy.

The hearing opened with brief introductions and endorsements from Senators J.D. McCormick and Rob Portman. Committee members from both parties questioned the nominees on trade strategy, tariffs and their effects on prices and markets, and on tax policy including the upcoming expiration of key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).

Kimmitt described his public- and private-sector trade experience and said, “If confirmed, I will work every day to advance a trade policy that delivers results for the American people.” He was repeatedly pressed by Democratic senators about the administration’s recent tariff announcements and the near‑term economic impacts on families and small businesses; Senator Ron Wyden and others asked Kimmitt how the trade tools overseen by the International Trade Administration would provide relief to businesses facing higher import costs.

Keyes emphasized his decades of tax practice and committee experience and called permanency for certain TCJA provisions an administration priority. In response to questions about the standard deduction and the child tax credit, Keyes said extending the TCJA provisions would preserve larger standard deductions and credits for many families and described the TCJA as “a very effective pro growth piece of legislation.” He also defended the Joint Committee on Taxation’s historic role in revenue scoring and explained that the “current policy baseline” is one tool members of Congress can request for planning.

Several senators pressed Keyes on conflicts of interest and his prior work for private clients. Keyes said he would comply with the terms of his ethics agreement and with career ethics officials’ guidance.

The hearing recorded no committee votes; senators announced a deadline of 5 p.m. on April 15 for additional questions for the record. The session closed with the chairman urging colleagues to support both nominees and reminding members of the questions‑for‑the‑record deadline.

Ending: The committee did not reach final decisions at the hearing; both nominations will proceed to additional questions for the record and then to a committee vote at a later date.