Portman is in Switzerland

No, he's not skiing. He's accepting an award from the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.

Here is a release sent out by one of this staff members (yes, Portman is not in office, but he's got "staff"!)

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Press Release For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Robert Portman Receives the 2008 Gallatin Award for Furthering Swiss-American Relations

Geneva, January 22, 2008 — Robert Portman, former Congressman, U.S. Trade Representative, and Director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Gallatin Award. The Albert Gallatin Award was created by the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce to recognize exceptional contributions by individuals and firms toward furthering better understanding between the peoples of Switzerland and the United States of America.

Ambassador Robert J. Portman, an American lawyer of Swiss heritage, was Director of the Office of Management and Budget until June 19, 2007. Prior to that appointment, Ambassador Portman was the United States Trade Representative, a cabinet-level post. In that position, he played a key role in the discussions on a possible free trade agreement between Switzerland and the USA. Along with Federal Councillor Joseph Deiss, who headed the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Ambassador Portman successfully concluded the U.S.-Swiss Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement in 2006. During his twelve years in Congress from 1993 to 2005, Ambassador Portman co-founded the "Friends of Switzerland Caucus" to strengthen the relationship of the U.S. Congress with the Swiss Parliament and to encourage a mutually beneficial dialogue between Switzerland and the USA, which are known as the "Sister Republics."

Jean-Daniel Gerber, who heads the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, presented Ambassador Portman with the award at a ceremony attended by more than 150 guests, including Swiss federal and cantonal parliamentarians, the Swiss Ambassador to the United States, representatives of the business community as well as representatives from the U.S. Embassy and American Citizens Abroad. In his remarks, Rudi P. Huber, Board Member of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and President of the European Region of Alcoa Europe, stated, "Robert Portman and Albert Gallatin – each in his own period – accentuate the importance of excellent bilateral relations between Switzerland and the United States, which the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and its 2500 members have strived to support in the last four decades."

The Gallatin Award is named for Geneva-born Albert Gallatin, who, after immigrating to the United States, became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of the Treasury under President Thomas Jefferson. In this role, Gallatin brought about changes in the country's financial policies, thereby reducing the country's debt despite the Louisiana Purchase. He also was a co-founder of New York University (NYU).