Thank you Mr. Chairman. 

I am very pleased that you’re holding this hearing and agree with you that we need to proceed through this nomination because it is such an important position and there are so many areas in which the Department of Commerce must function and function well.  The expansive jurisdiction covering such matters as NOAA, international trade, and our domestic telecommunications infrastructure are of immediate interest and we did give $17 billion in budgetary authority for fiscal year 2009 to the Department of Commerce to carry out these missions.  There are a number of challenges and I look forward to hearing from you about how you will manage them.

First is the census.  There has been a lot of discussion, as you are aware, about the oversight of the 2010 census and I have concerns about reports that the Administration might insert itself into the management of the census.  I believe the process must remain transparent and non-politicized and when I met with you earlier this month we talked about that and I was pleased to hear your position that the census will stay in the Department of Commerce and it will be handled on a professional basis and I will ask you about that for the record to assure that we are on the same wavelength, which I believe we are, from my conversation with you.

DTV is a huge undertaking and this committee with the leadership of the Chairman, actually extended the deadline from February to June.  However, we cannot extend that deadline again.  The NTIA has been given additional funding and the number of consumers on the waitlist to receive coupons has diminished, but there are still many out there and I will certainly want to see how you plan to run the NTIA to assure that DTV is ready to transition in June because it would be wrong to extend that deadline again.

Science and Technology.  Investments in Science and Technology will be extremely important in helping our nation’s economic recovery.  We need to invest in basic scientific research, math, and science education.  One area that I hope to talk to you about is the issue of research efforts in the area of weather modification and storm mitigation.  I am particularly interested in your views because NOAA and the National Weather Service will be very much a part of that in your department.  You also have moved the Commerce Department to deliver more than $4 billion in broadband grants across the country. Broadband, as we all know, is a key building block for new business and jobs, but we must ensure that the broadband policies focus on both urban and rural America and offer solutions for both.   The Department must also continue to work with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to ensure that the Internet remains a secure space in which commerce can flourish nationally and internationally.

Other issues.  In my home state of Texas, we rely very heavily on weather, making sure that we know what the predictions are, what track of a hurricane is. We are also the home to significant oil, gas, and other energy infrastructure, maritime commerce, all vital to our nation and all very much affected by the Department of Commerce.  For example, when Hurricane Ike hit the Texas and Louisiana coasts last September, NOAA’s advanced warnings clearly minimized the loss of life and its many response teams helped to re-open our ports and coastal infrastructure to commerce. It was incredible to see what NOAA did and what the Weather Service did, tracking that hurricane from five days out and hitting it almost on the dot, where it would land.  What we didn’t predict was the surge, which really caused the damage, both there and in Katrina.  So that’s an issue that we’re going to have to address.  So, there are so many things that affect our country that are in your department.  I think you have acquitted yourself very well during this time since your nomination and you have a very strong record as governor and I look forward to working with the Chairman to expedite your nomination, barring any unforeseen questions or answers, or anything that we haven’t learned yet.  Everything I’ve seen is very good.  I thank you very much and I look forward to working with you in all these areas.