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WASHINGTON – Today, Gina M. Raimondo was sworn in as the 40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Raimondo was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris after a bipartisan vote of 84-15 in the United States Senate. In her role as Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo will lead a key agency focused on promoting economic growth, which includes the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Patent and Trade Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Economic Development Administration, Minority Business Development Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“The Commerce Department has a simple but vital mission — to spur good-paying jobs, empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow, and help American workers and businesses compete,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Growing economic opportunity for American businesses and workers is the mission that has driven my career, and as we face overlapping crises that have hurt our economy and robbed too many families of their sense of financial security, that mission is more critical than ever. The Commerce Department will work relentlessly to create good-paying jobs, level the playing field for our workers and businesses, and build an economy that does not leave any communities behind. I am honored to assume this position and ready to get work for the American people.”Secretary Raimondo most recently served as the 75th Governor of Rhode Island and its first woman governor. As Governor, she brought unemployment down to its lowest rate since 1989 and helped spur a record number of new businesses in Rhode Island year after year. Under her leadership, Rhode Island became a national leader in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most tests per capita in the nation and one of the fastest-recovering economies. Prior to her time as Governor, she was Rhode Island’s General Treasurer where she tackled the state’s tackled the state’s $7 billion unfunded pension liability. Before entering public service, Secretary Raimondo worked in venture capital – founding her own firm in her home state of Rhode Island.
