By Joseph J. Schatz, CQ Staff

The Senate Wednesday confirmed former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk as U.S. trade representative, filling one of the final high-level posts on President Obama’s economic team.

The vote was 92-5 to confirm Kirk, whose nomination faced a momentary hurdle two weeks ago when the Finance Committee revealed that he had underpaid his taxes by nearly $10,000.

Business groups, fearful that lawmakers at home and abroad are warming to new trade barriers amid the global recession, have been anxiously awaiting Kirk’s confirmation.

But in his March 9 confirmation hearing, Kirk said enforcing U.S. trade laws — not negotiating new trade agreements — would be his first priority as Obama’s trade chief. He also pledged to take a comprehensive review of the Colombia, Panama and South Korea trade agreements, all of which the Bush administration negotiated and all of which remain stalled in Congress.

Tailoring his message to a Congress wary of new trade liberalization measures, Kirk said the Panama deal is closest to being ready for congressional action, but said the South Korea deal, which faces opposition from U.S. automakers, is unacceptable as currently written.

Kirk was a top aide to Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas (1971-93) and was Texas secretary of state in 1994 before becoming the mayor of Dallas. He ran for the Senate in 2002 but was defeated by Republican John Cornyn . He more recently practiced public finance and policy law at the Dallas legal and lobbying firm Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus , D-Mont., said on the Senate floor that Kirk must “navigate U.S. trade policy through these difficult waters,” and help rebuild consensus.

“As financial systems weaken, protectionist sentiments strengthen. As markets crumble, import barriers rise. And as jobs disappear, trade violations emerge,” said Baucus, whose committee approved Kirk’s nomination by voice vote March 12. “[Kirk] understands that he must steady the tilting ship of public opinion. And he will do so by rebuilding America’s faith in the benefits of international trade.”

But Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., one of a dwindling band of staunch free trade advocates, urged Kirk to avoid the kind of trade stances that exacerbated the Great Depression.

“Mr. Kirk has made some statements broadly supportive of international trade, but he has also made comments suggesting that protectionism might not be so bad after all,” McCain said on the floor. “I urge my colleagues in the administration ... to heed the lessons of economics and heed the lessons of history.”

The Obama administration has proposed an $500 billion expansion of International Monetary Fund lending authority as part of a bid to keep international trade and investment flowing, a proposal that drew support on Capitol Hill from Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry , D-Mass., and the committee’s ranking Republican, Richard Lugar, R-Ind.