Lori Harju

Lori Harju

Policy Director

Background

Insightful tax and international trade advisor. Former chief of staff to House Ways & Means Committee chair. Served in the International Trade Administration of President George W. Bush.

Lori Harju provides real-time political intelligence, strategic advice and advocacy on business-critical tax and international trade issues. She interprets the latest trade policy positions of the U.S. government for multinational clients and advocates on their behalf, charting pathways to success that cut through political fault lines and activate key decision-makers. Lori knows which stakeholders have a say in potential policy shifts, from congressional leaders to senior officials in the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, International Trade Commission, and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and she develops sure-fire messaging that compels action by aligning her clients’ priorities with the foreign policy and economic interests of the United States.

Over her career, Lori has earned the trust of members of Congress and senior staffers on Capitol Hill, particularly those on the House and Senate tax- and trade-writing committees. She is frequently made aware of significant tax, trade and agriculture policies under consideration and consulted for her expert opinion.

Prior to joining Brownstein, Lori served as chief of staff to Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), former chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and also served under three other Ways and Means Committee members. Earlier in her career, Lori was appointed by President George W. Bush as head of all congressional and intergovernmental affairs for the International Trade Administration, where among her many responsibilities she was the sherpa for 16 different presidential nominees.

      Representative Matters

      Recent Experience

      • Represented the sole remaining American producer of titanium sponge, which is a critical component of the titanium used by the aerospace industry. Advised on, advocated for, and successfully initiated a Section 232 case. The president’s decision to establish a working group among interested domestic and foreign parties reflected the client’s desire for a mutually agreed upon solution instead of imposing immediate tariffs.

      • Represented a U.S. equipment and tool manufacturer on its tariff exclusion request application. Identified key stakeholders in Congress and at the U.S. Trade Representative and conveyed why approving the clients’ application was in the interests of the U.S. government.

      • Represented an American multinational health care corporation on international tax issues involving companies with a presence in Puerto Rico. Advised C-Suite executives and facilitated bipartisan meetings with congressional committees, individual member offices, and the Department of the Treasury.

      • Represented the only remaining domestic manufacturer of industrial mobile cranes, many of which are used by the U.S. military, in need of federal protection from unfair foreign competition. Communicated the challenges our client faced to stakeholders at the Department of Commerce and other executive agencies, as well as key members of Congress, to galvanize support for federal intervention, resulting in the Department of Commerce initiating an investigation into the issue.

      Insights & Publications

      Credentials

      Education

      • B.A., 1984, Michigan State University

      Previous Experience

      Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff/Legislative Director, U.S. Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX) (also former Chairman of Trade and Health Subcommittees)

      Senior Advisor to Chairman Kevin Brady, Committee on Ways & Means, Majority

      Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

      Executive Director, Ripon Society and Ripon Education Fund

      Legislative Director and Senior Advisor, Chairman of Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, U.S. Representative  Philip M. Crane (IL)

      Ways and Means Associate, former Ways and Means Chairman, U.S. Representative Dave Camp (MI)

      Senior Legislative Assistant, U.S. Representative Guy Vander Jagt (MI)

      Community Involvement

      COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

      Board of Directors, 1100 Alumni Foundation

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