Those who have worked with Sen. Rob Portman expect him to reprise his role as liaison between the legislative and executive branches and between Republicans and Democrats.
Spicer added, “He always has a way of bringing [trade issues] back to the guy in Ohio who is looking for a job.”
Portman said he anticipates that trade would not be far behind jobs on his legislative agenda.
“I will be involved with [trade] in the context of jobs. You know, [the South Korea free trade agreement] alone, according to the administration, will create 70,000 new jobs, and these other agreements are similarly great for exports because they knock down other barriers to our workers and farmers,” he said.
Portman’s portfolio makes him a natural fit on the Senate Budget Committee. He also was assigned seats on the Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and Homeland Security and Government Affairs panels. Notably, Senate leaders tapped him as a member of the Republican Whip team as well.
As he mulled whether to formally throw his hat in the ring for an open Senate seat and a return to D.C. after three and a half years, he consulted friends on both sides of the aisle.
He sat down to lunch with his former House colleague, Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.).
“He was in a difficult situation during the campaign: He didn’t endorse me,” Portman said, laughing. “But we talked a lot about why he ran for the Senate and what he thought about it.”
Cardin said he told Portman he would like serving in the Senate.
“He came here and we had lunch together and he was just talking generally about the United States Senate,” Cardin told Roll Call.
“I know how he legislates. He is a very serious legislator.” Cardin said. “He’s a very intense legislator. What I told him was that he would find the Senate very much to his liking because it’s about personal relationships, which he is good at, and you have the opportunity to get a lot done.”
Portman counts Speaker John Boehner as one of his many friends inside the Capitol. Portman credited the Ohio Republican, who represents a Cincinnati-area district that neighbors Portman’s former House district, with encouraging him to run in his first House race.
“I don’t know that I would have run that first time for Congress if he hadn’t approached me and encouraged me to do it,” Portman said.
Sen. Mark Udall described Portman as a “strong” lawmaker who would be critical in efforts to pass bipartisan legislation on issues such as the implementation of the deficit commission recommendations.
Udall added that Portman’s focused nature goes beyond legislative matters.
“He prides himself on being fit — and I think, like me, if he has an hour and the choice was eating a big dinner and drinking two glasses of wine and being in the gym, he’s going to be in the gym,” the Colorado Democrat said.
In addition to his reputation for knowing Washington inside and out, Portman is equally well-known for being just a nice guy.
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