As the Trump administration ramps up pressure on foreign aluminum and steel manufacturers, one lawyer in Washington is finding himself thrust to the fore: Robert Lighthizer.

On March 9, The New York Times, spotlighting Lighthizer’s newfound prominence, called him “one of the most powerful people in Washington.” His role as U.S. trade representative puts him in position to decide during the next two weeks which countries—if any—should be exempt from the tariffs President Donald Trump recently authorized.