| "The Administration and I are committed to advancing these objectives globally and, to this end, seek to work with Europe and other allies on collaborative approaches to these issues," she wrote. Raimondo wrote that while she and the administration share the goals of the European Union's proposals, the administration has said it's important not to "create unintended adverse consequences" and that it opposes "efforts that are specifically designed to target U.S.-based companies." Tech trade groups have consistently argued that the E.U.'s two landmark proposals, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, unfairly discriminate against U.S. tech companies. Raimondo's belated reply did little to assuage Warren, who confronted the Commerce chief about it at a closed-door meeting Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. During a briefing with the Senate Finance Committee, Warren again pressed Raimondo about defending U.S. tech giants overseas and for not responding to her December letter until just before their session Tuesday, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a nonpublic meeting. The briefing was scheduled to discuss trade matters more broadly, the person said. Robyn Patterson, a spokesperson for the Commerce Department, said in a statement Tuesday that "Secretary Raimondo has been clear in her support of the administration's strong pro-competition policies." Patterson added that Raimondo has agreed to meet with Warren to discuss the issue. "Secretary Raimondo looks forward to sharing her views with Senator Warren when they connect one-on-one, as the Secretary offered in today's meeting." In December, the White House disputed the notion that their policies and Raimondo's remarks are at odds, arguing she was just representing U.S. interests, as is "standard practice" in her role. "We would all agree that is not in contradiction with our strong pro-competition approach and the actions we will continue to take," White House spokesman Chris Meagher said. Raimondo's remarks drew praise from industry-backed groups, including the Chamber of Progress, which have sharply criticized the E.U. proposals. E.U. competition chief Margrethe Vestager told me during an interview at Washington Post headquarters last year that while it's "fair" to ask if their measures are biased, it's "obvious" they aren't because the E.U. developed the criteria for what companies are impacted in a "neutral manner." |