Finance Committee unanimously votes to approve Lighthizer confirmation, waiver

U.S. Trade Representative nominee Robert Lighthizer was unanimously approved by the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, sending his nomination to the Senate floor. The panel also approved a statutory waiver to allow him to serve as USTR. The quick approval followed weeks of debate among Republicans and Democrats over the waiver and Democrats’ attempts to tie their support for it to a miners healthcare and pensions bill. The two sides agreed in the end to a deal to back only...