Secretary's Speech

Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez
Senate Commerce Committee
Washington, D.C.

Chairman Inouye, Vice Chairman Stevens, distinguished Members. . . .it is my pleasure to come before you today to talk about the Department of Commerce, an agency which I have proudly led for more than two-and-a-half years.

Above the doors of the Department of Commerce is President Thomas Jefferson’s mandate to “cultivate peace and commerce with all,” a vision we continue to pursue today. The roots of the Department are firmly grounded in promoting commerce and economic growth, and exercising stewardship over our oceans and waterways.

Over the course of the past six years our economy has faced a series of challenges, from a recession to the attacks of 9/11. But America’s resiliency has shown through and our economy has overcome enormous obstacles.

Today, I would like to briefly highlight a few of the Department’s top priorities in protecting our environment and keeping our economy strong.

This Administration’s pro-growth policies of lower taxes and less government, coupled with the hard work and ingenuity of American workers, has put our economy on solid footing.

We have experienced sustained economic growth and enhanced job creation, resulting in increased revenues and a reduced deficit. The U.S. economy has experienced 23 consecutive quarters of growth, over which time growth has averaged 2.7 percent annually.

Unemployment is at a low 4.5 percent and payroll jobs have increased by more than eight million since August 2003. And, because of President Bush’s tax cuts, the average American taxpayer will keep an additional $2,200 of their hard-earned money this year.

We are strengthening our overall economic position by creating an export culture. Last year, we had a record $1.4 trillion in exports and the growth rate of exports outpaced the growth rate of imports. And exports year-to-date are up by 10.8 percent over the same period in 2006 to $644 billion—more than twice the rate of imports.

We are trading and engaging more—but so is everyone else, so we must focus on the growth and competitiveness of the U.S. economy.

Keeping our environment healthy helps keep America competitive. The scientific understanding gained through NOAA’s renowned researchers, combined with the broader scope of this Department’s mandate have placed Commerce at the forefront of the President’s efforts to tackle the long term challenges and opportunities brought by climate change.

This Administration has demonstrated a clear commitment to the stewardship of our nation’s environment. This includes the President’s Ocean Action Plan and the creation of the largest fully protected marine conservation area in the world.

It also includes the introduction of aquaculture legislation, which we are pleased Chairman Inouye and Vice Chairman Stevens introduced.

And, while I know some are nervous about the competition brought about by the growth in aquaculture, this is not a market opportunity on which the U.S. can afford to lose out.

Further, exploring aquaculture is an example of how America can broaden and increase its overall competitiveness.

Innovation is another of our competitive advantages. Our highly-skilled workforce together with the pro-business environment we have created, have kept us on the cutting edge of global innovation.

However, to maintain that leadership position we must not be complacent. Commerce is helping cultivate American innovation through the American Competitiveness Initiative, the basic research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the protection of intellectual property at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In fact, every bureau at our Department is focused on competitiveness.

An enormous contributor to America’s innovative engine has been the explosion of wireless communications in recent decades. The transition to digital television broadcasts is a historic opportunity to reclaim and reassign valuable broadcast television spectrum to other important uses, including public safety and advanced wireless services.

Through the Census Bureau, the Commerce Department heightens our nation’s competitive position by providing an accurate, timely portrait of our people and the economy. I’m pleased to report the 2010 Census is on track.

The goal of the Census Bureau, the Administration, and of this Congress is to count every resident of the United States once, only once, and in the right place. To do that, we have had the support of Congress over the decade to fund a re-engineered census and we need your support this year and throughout the funding cycle.

My comments today are just a snapshot of a much bigger picture. My written testimony provides a more extensive review of what the women and men of the Department of Commerce are doing everyday to ensure the growth, competitiveness and long-term stability of our nation’s economy.

I look forward to continuing to work every day to keep America leading in the global economy.