Snowe Speaks with Commerce Secretary Nominee Richardson
Snowe states job creation as the number one priority at Commerce
December 11, 2008
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today met with Commerce Secretary Nominee, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and discussed job creation as the number one priority at the Department of Commerce.
"Given President-Elect Obama’s goal of creating or saving 2.5 million jobs and the fact that we’ve lost 1.2 million jobs in just the last two months, I suggested to Governor Richardson forming a high-level coordinator for job creation, responsible for engaging the disparate agencies within Commerce to tackle the critical task of generating employment."
Senator Snowe characterized their meeting as "very positive and productive," emphasizing Richardson’s high-caliber qualifications for the position as well as their strong working relationship in the U.S. House during their more than 10 years of service together. Snowe reinforced that Governor Richardson "is well-versed on the wide-range of consequential issues confronting the U.S. Department of Commerce and the country, especially those affecting our economy and job creation –many of which are within the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee."
In a very constructive dialogue, Snowe shared with Governor Richardson her priorities for the Department of Commerce in the Obama administration. Senator Snowe made it clear that "budget issues are of significant concern, especially those related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which has represented more than half of the Commerce budget – a percentage that has been declining in recent years."
"I reiterated my long-time, vigorous commitment to climate change research, and expanding it to include mitigation and adaptation strategies at national, regional, and local levels," Senator Snowe continued. "There should be greater coordination on climate research within the Department. Currently this research is dispersed through the department, but given the seriousness of global warming, I introduced legislation with Senator Kerry this past Congress, which I will reintroduce in the next Congress, that would help streamline that research into a single federal office to more effectively tackle this monumental issue."
Other priorities included Commerce’s role in issues affecting trade, such as moving primary authority for trade enforcement to Commerce – as will be addressed in her legislation in the next Congress, and telecommunications matters such as expanding broadband access, especially to rural areas, and net neutrality.
On trade enforcement authority, Snowe said, "I expressed to Governor Richardson that I firmly believe that the authority for enforcing U.S. trade agreements, which currently resides with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), ought to be under the International Trade Administration within the Department of Commerce. Clearly, it belongs under the bailiwick of the Secretary of Commerce."
On net neutrality, "as a long-time leader on ensuring the Internet remains unfettered, I conveyed to Governor Richardson the core components of legislation I introduced this past Congress with Senator Dorgan – which I will champion again in the next Congress, that we simply cannot allow companies to dictate who controls access and who doesn’t – that would result in a two-tiered system which would change the face of the Internet which is patently unacceptable."
On broadband deployment, Senator Snowe stated in the meeting that "as addressed in legislation I’ve introduced in the past, broadband is essential to rural economies like those in my state of Maine, and we ought to offer incentives to those companies that invest in them."
Senator Snowe also discussed the imperative for Maine of attaining a Secretarial disaster declaration for the Northeast multi-species fishery.
"As the Ranking Member on the Fisheries Subcommittee, I can say that in Maine our priority is securing a federal disaster declaration in the groundfishery. Burdensome federal regulations are decimating the fishing industry in my state. The concern I heard loud and clear at our groundfish hearing I held this fall in Portland, Maine was nothing short of a clarion call for federal remedies to an increasingly, devastating situation," said Snowe.
Snowe also praised Governor Richardson’s longstanding, dedication to public service and his substantial leadership experience in government in high-level capacities such as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Energy Secretary, and Governor of New Mexico. Snowe called the meeting "reflective of Richardson’s record of reaching across the political aisle to achieve results, and I look forward to hearing his testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee."
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