On January 13, 2012, President Obama asked Congress for authority to reorganize and consolidate into one department the business- and trade-related functions and programs of six federal entities: Department of Commerce; Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank); Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC); Small Business Administration (SBA); Trade and Development Agency (TDA); and Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). U.S. policy interest in the organizational structure of U.S. government trade functions has grown in recent years, stimulated by congressional and federal efforts to promote U.S. exports and employment, including through the National Export Initiative (NEI), in response to the global and U.S. economic downturn; concerns about the international competitive position of U.S. industries vis-à-vis emerging markets, such as China, Brazil, and India; efforts to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of government service by reducing duplication of functions and improving coordination; national debates on reducing federal spending and the size of the U.S. government; and concerns about the size of the U.S. trade balance. Members of Congress would play a significant role in a trade reorganization debate through their legislative and oversight responsibilities. Congress could conduct oversight, engage in consultations with the Administration, hold hearings, grant reorganizational authority to the President, introduce and enact trade reorganization legislation separate from the President's plan, and/or consider other policy alternatives. This report discusses: (1) President Obama's trade reorganization proposal; (2) the context of the trade reorganization debate; (3) key issues that Congress may face related to the debate; (4) potential policy options for Congress; and (5) the outlook for trade reorganization. This report focuses on the substantive aspect of the trade reorganization debate. For a discussion of the reorganization authority that the President has requested from Congress, see CRS Report R42852, Presidential Reorganization Authority: History, Recent Initiatives, and Options for Congress , by [author name scrubbed]. For a detailed discussion of key federal agencies with trade functions, see CRS Report R41495, U.S. Government Agencies Involved in Export Promotion: Overview and Issues for Congress , coordinated by [author name scrubbed]. Separately, President Obama also has launched a comprehensive review of the U.S. export control system and has proposed changes to the organizational structure for the export control system. This issue is beyond the scope of this report. See CRS Report R41916, The U.S. Export Control System and the President's Reform Initiative , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed]. In the 2011 State of the Union Address, President Obama advocated the need to reorganize the federal government to ensure that it is "more competent and more efficient." Along those lines, the President noted that there are multiple federal agencies that have export-related functions. On March 11, 2011, the President issued a memorandum directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct a review of federal agencies and programs "involved in trade and competitiveness, including analyzing their scope and effectiveness, areas of overlap and duplication, unmet needs, and possible cost savings" and to submit recommendations on reorganizing and streamlining federal government functions in these areas. OMB's recommendations to the President have not been publicly released to date. On January 13, 2012, President Obama asked Congress for authority to reorganize and consolidate the business- and trade-related functions of six federal agencies into one department: the Commerce Department, the Ex-Im Bank, OPIC, SBA, TDA, and USTR (see the textbox for an overview of these agencies). The reorganization authority requested by the President is currently dormant. This authority, which was available to Presidents periodically between 1932 and 1984, would allow the President to present reorganization plans to Congress under an expedited process. On February 16, 2012, President Obama sent draft legislation, entitled the Reforming and Consolidating Government Act of 2012, to Congress that would give him the authority to reorganize and consolidate the federal government. The legislation, introduced as S. 2129 (Lieberman) on February 17, 2012, would reinstate authority granted to past Presidents to reorganize the executive branch. A similar bill was introduced in the House ( H.R. 4409 , Barrow) on April 19, 2012. President Obama reiterated his trade reorganization proposal in his FY2014 budget request. He may resubmit his request for reorganizational authority in the 113 th Congress. The Administration's stated intention for the proposed new department is to streamline trade negotiation, financing, promotion, and enforcement functions. The new department reportedly would be organized into four "pillars": (1) trade and investment functions; (2) small business and economic development; (3) technology and innovation; and (4) economic statistics. Elements of the Commerce Department not associated with these four pillars could be transferred to other agencies. For example, functions of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), currently in the Commerce Department, could be transferred to the Department of the Interior. According to press reports, the USTR would maintain Cabinet-level status, but would report to the Secretary of the newly created department. OMB reportedly projects that the new department would save $3 billion over the next 10 years and eliminate between 1,000 to 2,000 full-time equivalent jobs by attrition over a couple of years. The President's FY2014 budget request for the six agencies in the proposed reorganization reflects the current organizational structure of U.S. trade functions. Table 1 provides the budget information for these six agencies, which may offer a sense of the scope of the proposed reorganization. In addition to requesting reorganizational authority from Congress, President Obama has undertaken certain administrative actions to enhance the effectiveness of federal programs and functions supporting trade and investment. What follows is a summary of certain administrative actions. Export promotion coordination: On February 17, 2012, the President issued a memorandum announcing his intention to move administratively, while waiting for reorganizational authority from Congress, to ensure the effectiveness of federal programs and functions supporting trade and investment. The memorandum focuses on two interagency bodies, the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) and the Export Promotion Cabinet (EPC). In the memorandum, the President directed the EPC, in coordination with the TPCC, to: develop strategies and initiatives to support the Administration's strategic trade and investment goals and priorities; present a unified federal trade budget consistent with the Administration's strategic trade and investment goals and priorities; and take steps to ensure the most efficient use of the domestic and foreign offices and distribution networks of member agencies, among other things. The President also directed the EPC to support efforts to create BusinessUSA, an online platform intended to be a central resource for accessing federal business programs and services. Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC): On February 28, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order (E.O.) 13601 to establish an ITEC, for the purpose of strengthening and coordinating enforcement of U.S. rights under trade agreements and U.S. law. E.O. 13601 states that the ITEC will be housed within the USTR with a designated director from the USTR; a designated deputy director from the Department of Commerce; and support from the Departments of State, the Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, and Homeland Security, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Administration created the ITEC in order to better combat unfair trade practices by countries such as China. However, some policymakers contend that the ITEC is duplicative and unnecessary, replicating the "core statutory mission" of USTR and other interagency systems. For example, intellectual property rights may be a key trade enforcement issue, and there is the possibility that the newly created ITEC could overlap with the interagency IPR enforcement system. Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy: On December 6, 2012, President Obama issued E.O. 13630 to establish an Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy, chaired by the Secretary of Commerce and consisting of senior-level officials from other specified executive departments and agencies. The task force, building on existing federal programs, is intended to provide enhanced federal support for U.S. businesses competing for international contracts, coordinate the efforts of executive branch leadership in engaging their foreign counterparts on commercial advocacy issues, and increase the availability of information to the U.S. business community about these kinds of export opportunities. Proposed r eorganization of International Trade Administration (ITA): The Administration is reviewing a proposal to reorganize the Department of Commerce's ITA. The FY2014 congressional budget justification for the ITA states, "This proposed consolidation includes the reduction of the number of ITA business units from four to three, reducing management oversight and administrative overhead while still supporting the NEI and other Presidential priorities more efficiently and effectively." The proposed ITA consolidation reportedly could include consolidating the ITA's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service unit and Market Access and Compliance unit. The role of Congress in international trade is based on powers set out in Article 1, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises" and "regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States," as well as the general provision to "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper" to carry out these specific authorities. While Congress retains this constitutional authority and maintains a critical role in trade policy, it also has delegated significant authority to the executive branch. For example, since 1934, Congress has delegated some form of trade negotiating authority to the President on a temporary basis (most recently known as "trade promotion authority").