Rob Portman (original) (raw)

Rob Portman, whose career in public service spans three decades and includes serving in three presidential administrations, two terms in the United States Senate, and six terms in the United States House of Representatives, is a distinguished visiting fellow in the practice of public policy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). At AEI, Sen. Portman focuses on public policy and opportunity, free trade expansion, US-China relations, US-Russia relations, the conflict in Europe, US budget and entitlement reform, worker training, retirement security, and other issues.

Sen. Portman served in two cabinet-level jobs in the George W. Bush administration, Director of the Office of Management and Budget and US Trade Representative. He also served as Associate Counsel to the President and Director, White House Office of Legislative Affairs, under President George H. W. Bush.

During Sen. Portman’s tenure in the Senate, more than 220 of his bills were signed into law by Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. His long list of accomplishments include being the lead Republican negotiator on the bipartisan legislation to improve the nation’s infrastructure; playing a key role in US foreign policy as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as co-chair and founder of the Senate Ukraine Caucus; authoring the 2016 bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 2018 bipartisan Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act, which are part of America’s effort against the opioid epidemic; and authoring legislation to align America’s education system with the needs of the 21st-century workforce, including the bipartisan Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Act and the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Through Effective Employment and Reentry Act.

An advocate for American jobs, Sen. Portman coauthored the bipartisan Leveling the Playing Field Act and authored the Enforcing Orders and Reducing Circumvention Evasion Act, which helps the federal government crack down on countries that try to evade US trade laws.

Sen. Portman has a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a BA in anthropology from Dartmouth College.

Experience

• The Portman Center for Policy Solutions: Founder, 2023–present
• US Senate: Senator (Ohio), 2011–23
• Squire Sanders (Cincinnati): Counsel, 2007–08
• Office of Budget and Management, the White House: Director, 2006–07
• Office of the United States Trade Representative: US Trade Representative, 2005–06
• US House of Representatives: Member (Ohio, second district), 1993–2005
• Graydon Head & Ritchey (Cincinnati): Partner and Associate, 1991–93 and 1986–89
• Office of Legislative Affairs, the White House: Director, Deputy Assistant Director, 1989–91
• The White House: Associate Counsel, 1989
• Patton Boggs: Associate, 1984–85
• US Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy: Researcher and Public Affairs, 1979–81

Education

JD, University of Michigan Law School
BA, anthropology, Dartmouth College