[Senate Hearing 117-702]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






                                                        S. Hrg. 117-702
 
                  NOMINATION OF HON. GINA M. RAIMONDO,
                        NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY,
                      U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               before the

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                            JANUARY 26, 2021

                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation
                             
                             
                             
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                Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
                
                
                     ______

             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
 53-058 PDF        WASHINGTON : 2023
   
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
       
       
       
       
       

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                   MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Ranking
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut      JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii                 ROY BLUNT, Missouri
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts         TED CRUZ, Texas
GARY PETERS, Michigan                DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin             JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana                  MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              TODD YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  MIKE LEE, Utah
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico            RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado          SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West 
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia                 Virginia
                                     RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
                    David Strickland, Staff Director
                 Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director
       George Greenwell, Policy Coordinator and Security Manager
                 John Keast, Republican Staff Director
            Crystal Tully, Republican Deputy Staff Director
                      Steven Wall, General Counsel
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on January 26, 2021.................................     1
Statement of Senator Wicker......................................     1
    Article dated January 25, 2021 in The Wall Street Journal by 
      Robert St. John entitled, ``Closing Time for Bars and 
      Restaurants''..............................................    23
Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     2
Statement of Senator Thune.......................................    26
Statement of Senator Klobuchar...................................    28
Statement of Senator Blunt.......................................    30
Statement of Senator Blumenthal..................................    31
Statement of Senator Fischer.....................................    32
Statement of Senator Schatz......................................    34
Statement of Senator Cruz........................................    35
Statement of Senator Markey......................................    37
Statement of Senator Moran.......................................    39
Statement of Senator Baldwin.....................................    40
Statement of Senator Sullivan....................................    41
Statement of Senator Peters......................................    43
Statement of Senator Blackburn...................................    45
Statement of Senator Duckworth...................................    46
Statement of Senator Capito......................................    48
Statement of Senator Tester......................................    49
Statement of Senator Johnson.....................................    51
    Article dated January 25, 2021 in The Wall Street Journal by 
      Andy Kessler entitled, ``Online Speech Wars Are Here to 
      Stay''.....................................................    53
Statement of Senator Sinema......................................    55
Statement of Senator Scott.......................................    56
Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    58
Statement of Senator Young.......................................    60

                               Witnesses

Hon. Jack Reed, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island...................     4
Hon. Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island..........     6
Hon. Gina M. Raimondo, Nominee to be Secretary, U.S. Department 
  of Commerce....................................................     7
    Prepared statement...........................................     8
    Biographical information.....................................     9

                                Appendix

Letter dated January 21, 2021 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. 
  Roger Wicker from Timothy J. DelGiudice, Chairman, SENEDIA 
  Board of Directors.............................................    62
Letter dated January 22, 2021 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Tim Walz, Governor, State of Minnesota...........    63
Letter dated January 25, 2021 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. 
  Roger Wicker from David M. Chenevert, Executive Director, Rhode 
  Island Manufacturers Association...............................    65
Letter dated January 25, 2021 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Charles D. Baker, Governor, Commonwealth of 
  Massachusetts..................................................    66
Letter dated January 25, 2021 to Hon. Roger Wicker and Hon. Maria 
  Cantwell from Roger J. Dow, President and CEO, U.S. Travel 
  Association....................................................    68
Letter dated January 25, 2021 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. 
  Roger Wicker from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR)......    70
Letter dated January 26, 2021 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. 
  Roger Wicker from Dennis Slater, President, Association of 
  Equipment Manufacturers........................................    72
Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Gina M. Raimondo 
  by:
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    73
    Hon. Amy Klobuchar...........................................    74
    Hon. Richard Blumenthal......................................    75
    Hon. Edward Markey...........................................    75
    Hon. Gary Peters.............................................    76
    Hon. Tammy Baldwin...........................................    77
    Hon. Tammy Duckworth.........................................    78
    Hon. Kyrsten Sinema..........................................    79
    Hon. Jacky Rosen.............................................    81
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................    81
    Hon. John Thune..............................................    84
    Hon. Roy Blunt...............................................    85
    Hon. Ted Cruz................................................    88
    Hon. Dan Sullivan............................................    96
    Hon. Marsha Blackburn........................................    99
    Hon. Mike Lee................................................   100
    Hon. Ron Johnson.............................................   102
    Hon. Todd Young..............................................   102
    Hon. Rick Scott..............................................   104


                  NOMINATION OF HON. GINA M. RAIMONDO,



                        NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY,



                      U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

                              ----------                              


                       TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 
SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Roger Wicker, 
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
    Present: Senators Wicker [presiding], Thune, Blunt, Cruz, 
Fischer, Moran, Sullivan, Blackburn, Capito, Johnson, Young, 
Scott, Cantwell, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, Peters, 
Baldwin, Duckworth, Tester, Sinema, Rosen, Reed, and 
Whitehouse.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

    The Chairman. Hearing will come to order. Thank you for 
being here, in person some of us and some of us remotely. 
Today, we are considering the nomination of Governor Gina 
Raimondo to be the next Secretary of Commerce. I want to thank 
Senator Cantwell for joining me in holding this important 
confirmation hearing. And I want to take a moment to thank 
former Secretary Ross for his service and for working with me 
and my staff over the past 4 years.
    Governor Raimondo has strong professional qualifications 
which demonstrate her intelligence and dedication to public 
service. As an elected official and former venture capitalist, 
she will bring a valuable perspective to the Department of 
Commerce regarding the economic challenges that face our Nation 
as we continue our work to move out of this pandemic. I look 
forward to hearing from Governor Raimondo today on her and 
President Biden's goals for the Department of Commerce if she 
is confirmed as Secretary, which I expect will certainly occur.
    This confirmation hearing is just the starting point for 
our conversation about vital policy matters, including 
responding to the economic damage caused by the pandemic, 
investing in our people and small businesses, ensuring that 
American workers and manufacturers can compete fairly in the 
global market, growing the marine economy through the promotion 
of transportation, seafood, shipbuilding, and technological 
innovation and research, promoting 5G deployment and increasing 
rural broadband access, improving our Nation's cyber security, 
and elevating space commerce at the Department. These issues 
are critically important to my constituents in Mississippi and 
to all Americans. I believe Governor Raimondo, as Governor of a 
maritime state, understands the need for effective oceans and 
fisheries policies. I hope she will be a strong advocate on 
these issues as Secretary of Commerce.
    I appreciate that Governor Raimondo is testifying remotely 
today. Let me say to the members and our guests who are 
listening that Governor Raimondo offered to come and attend 
this hearing in person, but after consultation with me and 
Senator Cantwell, we certainly agreed that the Governor is 
needed for pressing duties back in Rhode Island as she is still 
serving as Governor during trying times there.
    So, I appreciate her willingness to accommodate us and I 
look forward to hearing her thoughts on how we can work 
together to find solutions to the challenges before us. I want 
to thank Governor Raimondo for appearing before this committee 
today and for her willingness to serve her country in this 
prominent and essential role. Senator Cantwell.

               STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize in 
advance if I go a little long, but a lot of things to cover. 
But first, I too want to congratulate Governor Raimondo on 
being nominated to be Secretary of Commerce. I, too, am excited 
about her nomination and the fact that she has both public and 
private sector experience. I think that this will be a big help 
to us and to the Biden Administration as we work on a variety 
of commerce issues from trade, competition, economic stability, 
growing opportunities for all Americans. Governor Raimondo's 
record in the public sector, working on how to empower 
entrepreneurs and skilled workers as part of the Real Jobs 
Rhode Island Initiative, I think is exactly the kind of skill 
set that we need to match the skills development and the 
business needs to better grow our economy.
    I, too, am grateful for her understanding of important 
issues as it relates to both science and to fisheries. Having a 
great deal of understanding of oceans, fisheries and the 
investment in science I think will greatly help us at the 
Department of Commerce, where the budget oversight is a very 
big task of the Secretary of Commerce. And as we have, I think 
more than a dozen members of this committee, including you, Mr. 
Chairman, who these maritime oceans and fisheries issues are 
very big issues, particularly in a changing climate, couldn't 
come at a better time to have a Secretary of Commerce who 
really does understand fish issues.
    So, I appreciate that about her, and I appreciate that she 
will lead the agency in making decisions based on science and 
data that will help our economy grow in the future, everything 
from these oceans' issues and fisheries to spectrum and space 
issues. I hope that she will speak out today and say that she 
opposes any kind of censorship of scientific information at the 
Department and at NOAA, and that she fully expects to hear from 
scientists on these important issues. We in the Pacific 
Northwest know that we can't always agree on issues, but we 
know we can agree on science. And that is why science needs to 
continue to prevail. Also, we need to make sure that this issue 
of spectrum and the issues related to spectrum are treated as 
important as well, let me actually go for a second to the 
science and fisheries issues for a second. There are a whole 
host of issues where we need smart strategies, smart strategies 
on salmon recovery, stormwater, and habitat investments.
    We need smart strategies on our orca population that is 
threatened in Puget Sound. We need smart strategies on stock 
assessments and fishery management strategies. I know my 
colleague from Alaska could weigh in on this issue, but smart 
fishery management strategies are what will help save our 
fisheries in an ever-changing economy. In 2018, commercial 
fishermen caught more than 9.8 billion pounds of seafood, and 
that in turn supported seafood processors, shipbuilders, trade, 
and restaurant jobs, and marine anglers took more than 194 
million fishing trips, which fueled our outdoor recreational 
economy. So, in total, there are more than a million jobs in 
the seafood sector and there are important science issues that 
need to be addressed there as I mentioned. So, the other area 
that I was mentioning is this issue of spectrum and weather 
forecasting. And in my opinion, there is no reason why the 
United States should not be a leader in weather forecasting. 
This is an important issue for us, whether you are talking 
about fires or you are talking about ocean issues.
    So, making a better, crucial investment in the science for 
maritime, aviation, space, and agriculture industries will be 
very important for us moving forward. During the last 4 years, 
the FCC, I believe, ran roughshod over concerns raised by 
various committees within Congress on these airwave issues 
critical to weather data adjacent to the 24 gigahertz band, 
critical to systems dependent on GPS and threatened by the 
Ligado decision. So, I am hoping that a Commerce Secretary will 
take these issues and help the Administration prioritize how we 
can get on the same page and also work with us on these 
important issues of National Security. The Chairman worked so 
hard on the issues with Huawei, and rip and replace, and making 
sure that the American infrastructure was going to be secure 
from the future of threats and violations. I hope the Commerce 
Secretary will work with us on these security issues on our 
communication system as we move forward. And the Secretary will 
inherit a new program as part of the COVID bill, the Tribal 
Broadband Connectivity Program.
    In 2019, a report from FCC found that less than half of 
households in Indian country have access to high-speed 
broadband services, a 20 percent gap from non-tribal areas. And 
so, I hope that we will be able to get good administration of 
that program. As the Chairman mentioned, one of the key 
responsibilities will be in response to the larger COVID 
pandemic in the country and what we should do about it. I hope 
that the Secretary of Commerce will play an important role in 
strengthening our economy, in trying to defeat the pandemic and 
recover from its economic impacts. I think this is a critical 
job of the Commerce Secretary as we continue to see the impacts 
of COVID on our economy. Again, seafood exports dropped by 31 
percent since 2020 and 44 percent since February 2020. So, all 
of our sectors have been impacted and Congress has appropriated 
$600 million in fisheries assistance for state and tribal 
needs, but so far, the fishermen in our state have yet to 
receive one dollar from this program.
    So, I hope that we can get her assistance in implementing 
and moving forward on this, as well as working with us on other 
aspects of COVID relief package moving forward, particularly in 
the area of manufacturing. I know my colleague from Kansas, 
Senator Moran and I are very interested in how we continue to 
keep an aerospace manufacturing sector going at a time when we 
have seen a decrease in demand. And the COVID pandemic will 
also help us deal with minority-owned businesses who were 
greatly impacted by the pandemic and have received less help 
and support. So, the Office of Minority Business Development, I 
believe, is an agency that can help focus us on these issues. 
And the Department of Commerce, I think, continues to have a 
leadership role in our competitiveness as a nation.
    I hope that we will continue to look at this issue of 
competitiveness. In my state, one in four jobs are related to 
trade, and I hope that the Secretary and the Administration 
will make a goal for export advancement. Increasing exports is 
a great way to grow our economy. The last Democratic 
Administration had a goal of increasing exports 50 percent over 
a 5-year window and came pretty close to making that. I hope 
that we will continue to move our trade export agenda and that 
the Secretary of Commerce will help on that. And then last, the 
census. We don't need a politicization of the census. We need 
accurate data and information. For every 100-household missed 
in the 2020 census, the state could lose up to $5.8 million. 
So, we need to get this right because children and veterans and 
seniors and families are dependent on how this formula works, 
and I hope that we will have a less political process, but one 
that gives us an accurate census moving forward.
    So, Governor Raimondo, that is a big agenda to cover for 
Secretary of Commerce. But as I said, very confident that your 
public and private sector experience will help us deal with 
these issues and your great depth of knowledge, both about the 
competitiveness that America needs, both from the perspective 
of the outside in the private sector as well as Governor, will 
help us steer through this current pandemic challenge and on to 
better economic times. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cantwell, for that very 
fine opening statement. And now we turn to our nominee, 
Governor Raimondo. Your prepared statement will be included in 
the record as submitted, and we ask you to summarize any 
comments you might have in 5 minutes. You are recognized.
    Senator Reed. Chairman, when are the introductions from her 
home state going to come?
    The Chairman. Oh, OK. Well, we just received a flash notice 
that there will be introductions from Senators from Rhode 
Island. Did I hear the voice of Senator Jack Reed.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JACK REED, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM RHODE ISLAND

    Senator Reed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Yes, you are recognized, sir.
    Senator Reed. Thank you, Chairman Wicker and thank you 
Ranking Member Cantwell. I have had the privilege of knowing 
the Governor for several years, in fact, since 1971. I was a 
new Second Lieutenant, just graduated from West Point. I drove 
to my family's modest summer cottage in Narragansett, Rhode 
Island, to check in with my folks before I hit the beach. We 
lived next door to the Piero family, wonderful neighbors. Mr. 
Piero was a cook in a business club in Providence, Rhode 
Island. And just before I left, my mother said, go next door, 
Josephine just had a new baby. Josephine was the Piero's 
daughter. I weighed the joys of the beach versus the command of 
my mother, and I quickly went next door. I saw Josephine 
holding an almost 2-month-old little girl. I said, ``she is 
cute. What is her name?'' Gina said Josephine Raimondo. Our 
families summered together year after year, so I saw and heard 
of the Governor's remarkable progress.
    She attended my high school La Salle Academy, where she 
excelled. By the way, that is also Senator Toomey's high 
school. She was accepted into Harvard College, where she again 
excelled. Upon graduation, she was awarded one of those 
prestigious scholarships in the world, a Rhodes scholarship. 
After graduating from Oxford, she had her law degree at Yale 
University. After clerkship in the Federal district court, she 
turned her formidable talents to business. In her finance and 
investment work, she learned about business and innovation from 
small startups to large corporations to bring that wealth of 
experience, practical experience to the Department of Commerce.
    In 2010, she was elected the General Treasurer of the state 
of Rhode Island. She took on tough issues and hammered out 
practical solutions. In 2014, she was elected the first woman 
to serve as the Governor of the state of Rhode Island. She was 
reelected in 2018. As Governor, she has led with extraordinary 
distinction. In the wake of the pandemic, she rallied the 
people of Rhode Island with straight talk and quickly 
established an outstanding team of physicians and medical 
experts to guide the state's efforts. She has made bold changes 
to the economy to improve its direction. Understanding the 
centrality of education now and the increasing urgency in the 
future, she created a program of free tuition at the Community 
College of Rhode Island for low-income Rhode Islanders.
    She realigned work skills training with the needs of 
business. She joined Senator Whitehouse and me in helping to 
modernize our infrastructure and completed the Nation's first 
offshore wind power system. She spurred investment and job 
creation in our state so that prior to the pandemic we had a 
record number of jobs and our lowest unemployment rate in 30 
years. Now, I would like to say all of this is the result of 
meeting me at the formative age of 2 months, but I can't. What 
I can say about her is she is the proud daughter of working-
class parents. They serve the Nation and their community and 
left an example of hard work and helping to build opportunity 
for all.
    As such, Governor Raimondo knows that the true test of the 
Secretary of Commerce is a flourishing main street, not simply 
a bountiful Wall Street. I can say with complete confidence 
after battling the COVID epidemic, after invigorating our 
economy, with a firm commitment to working families like our 
own, there is no better choice for the Secretary of Commerce at 
this time than Governor Gina Raimondo. Thank you very much, Mr. 
Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Reed. I am told 
Senator Whitehouse is also lined up to make an opening 
statement. Sir, are you there?
    Senator Whitehouse. I am here, Chairman Wicker.
    The Chairman. Senator Whitehouse is recognized.

             STATEMENT OF HON. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM RHODE ISLAND

    Senator Whitehouse. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank 
you also to Chairman-to-be Cantwell. I cannot top Senator Jack 
Reed in the length of my association with Governor Raimondo 
back to diapers, but I can assure all of my colleagues, 
Republican and Democrat alike, that you will like working with 
Secretary Raimondo. She is smart, she is practical, she is 
results oriented, and she likes getting stuff done. As Governor 
of Rhode Island, she focused on the economy, a critical part of 
the Commerce Secretary's beat. She added record numbers of 
jobs. The unemployment rate fell to the lowest point in three 
decades. The minimum wage rose four times. Protections for low 
wage workers improved. New job training programs went into 
effect, and Rhode Island became particularly a national hub for 
offshore wind.
    In solving the offshore wind dilemma, Governor Raimondo 
broke the logjam of offshore wind siting that had prevented any 
state in the United States from getting offshore wind turbines 
up. Now off of Rhode Island there is steel in the water and 
there are electrons on the grid. So, Governor Raimondo will be 
a successful Commerce Secretary on the economy, growing our 
economy nationally and creating jobs nationally, just as she 
did in Rhode Island. But I am just as excited about her role as 
the new Secretary of what I call oceans and commerce. We have 
seen, and Chairman Wicker has been an important part as well as 
Ranking Member Cantwell, enormous bipartisan progress on 
oceans. There is an open lane on oceans for an energetic and 
bright Secretary to move issues forward in an almost 
unprecedented way. Our oceans, as many of us who come from 
coastal states know, are in serious peril from an array of 
threats, and NOAA has long been overlooked and underfunded.
    So, having an ocean state Governor to oversee NOAA's work 
is something that is very exciting. She has experience and 
familiarity with the issues around storm surge, sea level rise, 
ocean plastics, pirate fishing, fisheries management and many 
other challenging areas. As Governor, she established task 
forces on plastic waste, developed a collaborative relationship 
between wind developers and fishermen that saw to the success 
of our offshore wind programs, focused on coastal resiliency 
and the need of our coastlines to be defended from inevitable 
sea level rise and worsening storms, and she focused on our 
blue economy, which in Rhode Island is an incredibly important 
part not only of our financial well-being, but of our heritage 
as well.
    Governor Raimondo will be the Secretary for oceans and 
commerce we have long needed. As important as her successes in 
this area is also what Jack referred to, and that is her 
grounding and her roots. She recognizes the values that matter 
most to Rhode Islanders and I think to people around the 
country, that if you work hard, you should never have to 
struggle to feed your family. You should have access to good 
health care and quality housing. You should be able to live in 
a safe and clean environment, and you should be able to send 
your kids to a good, reliable school. Her values will serve 
Americans very, very well. And I will end where I began. I am 
very confident that my colleagues will like working with 
Secretary Raimondo.
    The Chairman. Thank you. And I am going to put Senator Reed 
and Senator Whitehouse down as firm yeses on confirmation. And 
Governor Raimondo, we are delighted to have you remotely, and 
you are now recognized for 5 minutes.

 STATEMENT OF HON. GINA M. RAIMONDO, NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY, 
                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you 
Ranking Member Cantwell. Special thank you to Senators Reed and 
Whitehouse for your friendship, support, and such kind opening 
remarks. Thank you to both of you. It is an honor to come 
before this committee today as President Biden's nominee for 
United States Secretary of Commerce. Over the past few weeks, I 
have enjoyed talking with many of the members. I want to thank 
you this morning for your time and tell you how much I 
appreciated hearing your insights and perspectives on the 
important work of the Commerce Department.
    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. These are the 
same priorities that have guided my own life and my own career. 
Like most of you, like many of you, I was raised to appreciate 
the value of hard work and good family-supporting jobs. When I 
was growing up here in Rhode Island, Rhode Island was a 
national epicenter of jewelry manufacturing, and those 
factories supported thousands of families all across my state. 
My dad always used to say there was something special about a 
job in manufacturing, the dignity of a job when you spent your 
day making things.
    But by the 1980s, the factories started closing, jobs were 
shipped overseas, and thousands of working-class Rhode 
Islanders found themselves suddenly out of work. My father was 
one of those Rhode Islanders after a long career at the Bulova 
watch factory, he was forced into early retirement in his 50s 
and it was a rough time for my family. And so, I know the pain 
that losing a job can cause a family, and as Governor I have 
seen that pain in communities all across Rhode Island where 
people have lost their jobs to offshoring or outsourcing and 
more recently in the pandemic. At its heart, the Commerce 
Department is about opportunity, the opportunity to start or 
grow a business, the opportunity to get a good stable job, the 
opportunity to pursue the American dream regardless of where 
you live. I have been blessed in my life to have an opportunity 
to get a great education that put me on a path to success. I 
started a venture capital firm to help entrepreneurs start and 
grow their own businesses.
    I served as State Treasurer to shore up Rhode Island's 
finances. And for the past 6 years, it has been my great honor 
to serve the people of Rhode Island as their Governor. When I 
started my campaign for Governor, as Senator Reed said, Rhode 
Island had the highest unemployment rate in the country for 
eight straight months in a row. And so, we had to get to work 
to get Rhode Islanders back to work. By the time the pandemic 
hit, we had the lowest unemployment rate in over 30 years and 
the most jobs ever in our state's history. We did it by 
investing in people through workforce training programs, 
bringing dozens of new businesses to the state, and empowering 
small business owners. We launched the Real Jobs Rhode Island 
Training Initiative, which is partnered with 1,800 companies 
and provided skills to 11,000 Rhode Islanders. And we created 
the state's first small business loan program, which has 
empowered hundreds of Rhode Island entrepreneurs so far, more 
than half of whom are women or people of color.
    In this time of overlapping crisis, the Commerce Department 
must be a partner to businesses and workers to help them 
innovate and grow. First, we need to immediately address the 
economic damage caused by the pandemic. COVID has touched every 
community: urban, rural, suburban, tribal and exacerbated the 
longstanding inequities facing low-income families. Second, we 
need to ensure that American workers and manufacturers can 
compete fairly on the global playing field. We need to invest 
in innovation and technology in a manufacturing sector and take 
aggressive trade enforcement actions to combat unfair trade 
practices from China and other nations that undercut American 
manufacturing. And third, we need to recognize that tackling 
climate change is a pressing priority but goes hand in hand 
with creating good paying jobs.
    None of this will be possible without the incredible, 
hardworking public servants of the Department of Commerce, and 
I am excited to lead that team, a team with experienced, 
dedicated public servants at the Commerce Department. Some of 
the brightest minds and very best scientists in America. If I 
am confirmed, it will be an honor to learn from them and lead 
them. Thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to your 
questions.
    [The prepared statement and biographical information of Ms. 
Raimondo follow:]

 Prepared Statement of Hon. Gina M. Raimondo, Nominee to be Secretary, 
                      U.S. Department of Commerce
    Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Cantwell, and members of the 
committee--it is an honor to come before you today as President Biden's 
nominee for United States Secretary of Commerce. Over the past few 
weeks, I've had the chance to speak with many of you about the critical 
work of the Commerce Department; to share with you my experience and 
vision; and to hear your important perspectives. I want to thank you 
for your time and insight.
    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. These same priorities have 
guided my life and career.
    I was raised to appreciate the value of hard work and a good, 
family-supporting job. When I was growing up, Rhode Island was the 
national epicenter of jewelry manufacturing, and those factories 
sustained thousands of families in my state. There's something special 
about a job in manufacturing--about making things, about having dignity 
and pride in your work. But by the 80s, the factories started closing, 
jobs were shipped overseas, and thousands of working-class Rhode 
Islanders suddenly found themselves out-of-work. My dad was one of 
those Rhode Islanders. After a long career at the Bulova watch factory, 
he was forced into early retirement in his 50s, and our family had to 
cut back.
    I know the pain that losing a job causes a family, and I've seen 
that pain in communities that have lost jobs to outsourcing and to the 
pandemic.
    At its heart, the Commerce Department is about opportunity. The 
opportunity to start or grow a business. The opportunity to get a good, 
stable job. The opportunity to pursue the American Dream, regardless of 
where you live.
    Thanks to my dad's hard work, I had the opportunity for a great 
education that put me on a path to success. I started a venture capital 
firm to help entrepreneurs start a business. I ran for state treasurer 
to shore up Rhode Island's finances. And for the past six years, I have 
had the honor of serving as Rhode Island's governor.
    When I started my campaign for governor, Rhode Island had the 
highest unemployment rate in the nation--for eight straight months. So 
we got to work. And by the time the pandemic hit, we had the lowest 
unemployment in over 30 years and the most jobs in state history. We 
did it by investing in our people through workforce training programs, 
bringing dozens of new businesses to the state, and empowering small 
business owners. We launched the Real Jobs Rhode Island training 
initiative, which has partnered with 1,800 companies and provided 
skills to 11,000 Rhode Islanders. And our small business loan program--
the first in state history--has empowered 150 Rhode Island 
entrepreneurs so far--more than half of whom are women or people of 
color.
    In this time of overlapping crises, the Commerce Department must be 
a partner to businesses and their workers to help them innovate and 
grow.
    First, we need to immediately address the economic damage caused by 
the pandemic. COVID has touched every community--urban, suburban, 
rural, tribal--and exacerbated long-standing inequities facing low-
income families and communities of color. We need to make investments 
across America and ensure every family, regardless of where they live, 
has an accessible pathway to a good job. If confirmed as Commerce 
Secretary, I look forward to scaling and deploying additional resources 
to businesses and workers--with a focus on regions and communities that 
have often been left behind--to help them bounce back and grow stronger 
than ever. And to accomplish that, I look forward to listening to, and 
engaging with, federal, state, local, tribal, and industry leaders.
    Second, we need to ensure that American workers and manufacturers 
can compete fairly on the global playing field. We need to invest in 
innovation and technology in our manufacturing sector and take 
aggressive trade enforcement actions to combat unfair trade practices 
from China and other nations that undercut American manufacturing. If 
confirmed, I look forward to deploying the full resources of the agency 
to keep the American worker at the center of U.S. trade policy and to 
reinvigorate American manufacturing by reshoring jobs that have gone 
oversees. When given a fair chance, no one can out-compete the American 
worker and small business.
    And third, we need to recognize that tackling climate change goes 
hand-in-hand with creating good-paying jobs. As governor, I expanded 
clean energy jobs, oversaw construction of the Nation's first offshore 
wind farm, and put Rhode Island on a path to 100 percent renewable 
power. Like President Biden, I know the climate crisis poses an 
existential threat to our economic security, and we must meet this 
challenge by creating millions of good, union jobs that power a more 
sustainable economy. The Commerce Department has the tools, data, and 
expertise to help communities and businesses address the climate crisis 
and become more resilient in the face of climate change.
    None of this will be possible without the incredible, hardworking 
public servants at the Department of Commerce. There are many reasons I 
am excited about this chance to serve the American people. But the 
opportunity to work together with the experienced, dedicated public 
servants at the Commerce Department is at the top of the list. Some of 
the brightest minds in the Federal government--indeed some of the best 
scientists in America--are at the Commerce Department, and they deserve 
leadership that's supportive, transparent, and driven toward a common 
mission--building a stronger, more equitable, and more resilient 
American economy. If I am confirmed, it will be an honor to lead this 
team.
    Thank you for this opportunity, and I'm happy to take your 
questions.
                                 ______
                                 
                      a. biographical information
    1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Gina Marie 
Raimondo.
    2. Position to which nominated: Secretary of Commerce.
    3. Date of Nomination: January 8, 2021.
    4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

        Residence: Information not released to the public.
        Office: Office of the Governor, 82 Smith St., Providence, RI 
        02903.

    5. Date and Place of Birth: 5/17/1971, born in Providence RI.
    6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your 
spouse (if married) and the names and ages of your children (including 
stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).

        Spouse: Andrew Kind Moffit, Chief People Officer, PathAI, 1325 
        Boylston, Boston, MA.

    7. List all college and graduate degrees. Provide year and school 
attended.

   Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, B.A. Economics, attended 
        1989-1993; Unpublished thesis: Misuse of American health care 
        facilities (1993)

   New College, Oxford University, D.Phil in Sociology 2003; 
        M.Litt. in Economics 1996, attended 1993-1995; Unpublished 
        thesis: Determinants of single motherhood in the United States 
        (2002)

   Yale Law School, New Haven, CT, J.D., attended 1995-1998

    8. List all post-undergraduate employment, and highlight all 
management-level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to 
the position for which you are nominated.
Highlighted Experiences:

   2015 to present, Governor, State of Rhode Island, 
        Providence, RI; lead state government and all Executive Branch 
        departments and agencies; during my time in office, we created 
        thousands of jobs, made record investments in infrastructure 
        and education, and became the fourth state in the country to 
        offer tuition-free community college for every high school 
        graduate

   2010-2014, General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island, 
        Providence, RI; oversaw state's financial accounts and pension 
        investments, disbursements and managed state's bond issuances

   2001-2010, General Partner, Point Judith Capital, 
        Providence, RI; investor in early-stage medical device and 
        healthcare services companies

   October 1999-2001, Senior Vice President of Fund 
        Development, VillageVentures, New York, NY; established 
        national network of small, early-stage venture capital funds in 
        more than 10 cities
Other Experiences:

   August 1998-August 1999, Judicial Law Clerk, Honorable Kimba 
        Wood, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, New 
        York, NY

   June 1998-August 1998, Summer Associate, Paul, Weiss & 
        Rifkind, New York, NY

   June 1997-August 1997, Summer Intern, U.S. Department of 
        Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Discrimination 
        Section; Washington, DC

   June 1996-August 1996, Intern, U.S. Department of Justice, 
        Office of Policy Development, Washington, DC

   June 1995-August 1995, Summer Associate, McKinsey & Company, 
        NY, NY

   June 1993-August 1993, law librarian, Hinckley, Allen & 
        Snyder, Providence, RI

    9. Attach a copy of your resume. Attached at Appendix A.
    10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time 
service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other 
than those listed above, within the last ten years.
    I have not served in any Federal or local government positions in 
the last ten years. As Governor, and before that as General Treasurer, 
I have served, by law, on various state government boards and 
commissions. I have listed the principal ones below. I have not 
included boards or commissions where I appointed a designee to serve.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Entity                            Position(s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation  Chair (2015 to present) (ex officio
                                    as Governor)
Rhode Island State Investment      Former Chair (2011-2015) (ex officio
 Commission                         as General Treasurer)
Rhode Island Retirement Board      Former Chair (2011-2015) (ex officio
                                    as General Treasurer)
Rhode Island Student Loan          Former Board member (2011-2015) (ex
 Authority                          officio as General Treasurer)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee, 
partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any 
corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise, 
educational, or other institution within the last ten years.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Entity                            Position(s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Organizing Together 2020           Former Co-chair (2020)
 (501(c)(4))
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation  Chair of the Board (2015 to present)
                                    (ex officio as Governor)
Truth Initiative Board of          Former Member (2017-2021)
 Directors
Yale Corporation                   Former Trustee (2014-2021) Former
                                    Chair, Audit Committee
Democratic Governors Association   Member (2015 to present) Former Chair
                                    (2019) Former Vice Chair (2018)
Crossroads Rhode Island Board of   Former Vice Chair of the Board (2010-
 Directors                          2014)
Family Service of Rhode Island     Former Board Member
LaSalle Academy                    Former Board Member
Steering Committee of Cherrystone  Former Member
 Angel Group
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode  Former Trustee Former Chair, Quality
 Island                             Committee
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    12. Please list each membership you have had during the past ten 
years or currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, 
educational, political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or 
religiously affiliated organization, private club, or other membership 
organization. (For this question, you do not have to list your 
religious affiliation or membership in a religious house of worship or 
institution.). Include dates of membership and any positions you have 
held with any organization. Please note whether any such club or 
organization restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color, 
religion, national origin, age, or disability.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Board or Commission                      Position(s)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Campaign for Free College Tuition    Former Advisory Council Co-Chair
                                      (2019-2021)
Council on Foreign Relations         Member (2012 to present)
Rhode Island Commodores              Admiral (2015 to present) (ex
                                      officio as Governor)
The Aspen Institute--Rodel           Rodel Fellow, Class of 2011
 Fellowship
Yale University Council              Former Advisory Member (elected to
                                      Yale Corporation in 2014)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office 
(elected, non-elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any 
campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are 
personally liable for that debt.

   Governor of Rhode Island, 2015 to present; candidate for 
        Governor 2014, 2018

   Treasurer of Rhode Island, 2011-2015; candidate for 
        Treasurer 2010

   There are no campaigns with outstanding debts.

    14. List all memberships and offices held with and services 
rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or 
election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid 
position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether 
compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years, 
identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year 
of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities. None.
    15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign 
organization, political party, political action committee, or similar 
entity of $500 or more for the past ten years.
    To the best of my recollection, I have not made any Federal 
campaign contributions in the past ten years. To the best of my 
recollection, I have made the following Rhode Island campaign donations 
of $500 or more in the past ten years:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Recipient                         Date        Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RI DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE                     01/24/2014       $3500
Grace Diaz                                        09/12/2016        $500
Nicholas Anthony Mattiello                        01/17/2017       $1000
RI DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE                     11/16/2017       $4000
RI DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE                     11/16/2017       $1000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition to these donations, in the last ten years I made a 
$50,000 loan to my own campaign in 2014. The campaign repaid that loan 
in full.
    16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary 
society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition 
for outstanding service or achievements.

   ``Outstanding Mother,'' 41st Annual Outstanding Mother 
        Awards, Thursday, May 9, 2019, awarded to Gina Raimondo and 
        others. The National Mother's Day Committee, an entity of the 
        Father's Day/Mother's Day Council, each year confers 
        ``Outstanding Mother'' honors to recognize exceptional women 
        for successfully building their careers, nurturing their 
        families and helping improve the lives of others.

   ``Italo-American Person of the Year,'' October 20, 2018, 
        awarded to Gina Raimondo by the Italo-American Club of Rhode 
        Island.

   Rhodes Scholarship, 1993

   Allyn Young Award for outstanding undergraduate thesis in 
        the Economics Department, Harvard University, 1993

    17. Please list each book, article, column, Internet blog posting, 
or other publication you have authored, individually or with others. 
Include a link to each publication when possible. Also list any 
speeches that you have given on topics relevant to the position for 
which you have been nominated. Do not attach copies of these 
publications unless otherwise instructed.
Publications
    During my time in office, I have authored or co-authored many 
articles related to my work and priorities. Below is a list of 
publications which I have been able to identify from my records and 
electronic searches. Links are provided where available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Date(s) of
         Title                  Source          Publication      Link
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women are bearing the    Washington Post            10/8/20  Link
 brunt of the economic
 crisis. They must lead
 our recovery plans.
It's time to get         Boston Globe                9/8/20  Link
 serious about the
 skills crisis in
 America
My Turn: Gina Raimondo:  Providence Journal          8/3/19  Link
 R.I. should not gamble
 with 1,100 jobs
R.I. needs to invest in  The Westerly Sun           5/11/19  Link
 the younger generation
 with universal Pre-K
Rhode Islanders deserve  The Westerly Sun          10/14/18
 another 4 years of
 growth
New economic tools can   The Westerly Sun          11/15/17  Link
 add to Quonset's
 success
Cutting the cost of      The Brown Daily           10/19/17  Link
 college textbooks        Herald
Congress Must Protect    Newsweek                  10/19/17  Link
 the Dreamers from
 Expulsion
Revitalizing             The Westerly Sun           5/12/17  Link
 manufacturing for 21st
 century
R.I. needs line-item     Providence Journal         3/18/17  Link
 veto, other reforms
A Message From The       Rhode Island Small         1/23/17  Link
 Governor: Vibrant And    Business Journal:
 Prosperous               Volume 6, Issue 1
 Opportunities Are
 Growing For Rhode
 Island
R.I. Now More            Providence Journal          1/1/17  Link
 Prosperous And Vibrant
It's time to invest in   independentri.com          11/3/16  Link
 our ports; vote yes on
 Question 5
RI now among big names   The Westerly Sun           9/27/16  Link
 in tech job sector
Rhode Island governor:   Quartz                     9/26/16  Link
 How a small state made
 a big breakthrough in
 high tech job growth
Restoring faith in       The Westerly Sun           5/27/16
 government
Rhodeworks Finally       Providence Journal         3/20/16  Link
 Addresses R.I. Crisis
Treasury's 2014          Rhode Island Small       12/6/2014  Link
 Accomplishments          Business Journal:
                          Volume 3, Issue 11
Improving the Integrity  Rhode Island Small        11/10/14  Link
 of Our State's           Business Journal:
 Retirement System        Volume 3, Issue 10
EverFi: Financial        Rhode Island Small         10/3/14  Link
 Literacy Program         Business Journal:
                          Volume 3, Issue 9
Treasury Continuing to   Rhode Island Small          9/4/14  Link
 Achieve Great Results    Business Journal:
 for Rhode Islanders      Volume 3, Issue 8
The Municipal Road and   Rhode Island Small         8/11/14  Link
 Bridge Revolving Fund    Business Journal:
                          Volume 3, Issue 7
Smart Money Tour is      Rhode Island Small         6/30/14  Link
 Back                     Business Journal:
                          Volume 3, Issue 6
Rhode Island Steps In    Rhode Island Small         4/27/14  Link
 To Recover Abandoned     Business Journal:
 Life Insurance           Volume 3, Issue 4
 Property
Securing Retirement For  Rhode Island Small         3/17/14  Link
 RI Public Servants       Business Journal:
                          Volume 3, Issue 3
Reflecting on the        Rhode Island Small       1/26/2014  Link
 Accomplishments of       Business Journal:
 2013                     Volume 3, Issue 1
New Alternative Payday   Rhode Island Small      12/23/2013  Link
 Lending Site Will Help   Business Journal:
 Rhode Islanders          Volume 2, Issue 10
Fixing Our Fundamentals  Rhode Island Small      12/10/2013  Link
 Benefits Us All          Business Journal:
                          Volume 2, Issue 9
Raimondo Promotes EITC:  The Federal Hill           2/26/14  Link
 You've Earned It, Now    Gazette
 Get It
Rebuilding Our Roads     Rhode Island Small         6/25/13
 and Bridges              Business Journal:
                          Volume 2, Issue 5
Protect R.I. from these  Providence Journal         5/29/12
 abusive lenders
Longer runway leads to   Providence Journal         2/14/12
 R.I. prosperity
Next Up: Reforming       Providence Journal        12/21/11
 Local Pension Plans
R.I. leaders move        Providence Journal         9/18/11
 toward pension reform
Truth in the Numbers:    Office of the            June 2011  Link
 The Security and         General Treasurer
 Sustainability of
 Rhode Island's
 Retirement System
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Speeches
    During my tenure as Governor and General Treasurer, I have 
delivered remarks, both formally and informally, in countless forums on 
job creation, economic growth, and other topics related to the work of 
the Secretary of Commerce. To the best of my ability, I have sought to 
provide a comprehensive list of speeches and addresses which I have 
been able to identify from my records and electronic searches. If 
additional speeches are identified, they will be provided to the 
committee promptly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Venue/Title                              Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation Hope Annual Meeting                                   10/22/20
Politico State Solutions Conference                               2/7/20
East Bay Chamber of Commerce                                     1/31/20
2020 Rhode Island State of the State Address                     1/14/20
Rhode Island Offshore Wind Summit                                7/18/19
Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce                           4/18/19
2019 Rhode Island Promise Scholarship Expansion Testimony        4/10/19
Harvard Kennedy School                                           3/13/19
2019 Rhode Island State of the State Address                     1/15/19
2019 Gubernatorial Inauguration Address                           1/1/19
Block Island Wind Farm Announcement                              5/30/18
Northern Rhode Island Chamber Eggs and Issues Breakfast          4/23/18
2018 North American Building Trades Union Speech                 4/18/18
SIEPR Economic Summit                                            3/19/18
Jobs For Rhode Island Summit                                     2/21/18
Goldman Sachs Small Business Summit                              2/13/18
2018 Rhode Island State of the State Address                     1/16/18
Information Governance Conference                               11/16/17
Sheldon Whitehouse 8th Annual Energy, Environmental and         10/20/17
 Oceans Leaders Day
New York Times' 2017 Higher Education Leaders Forum              5/30/17
University of Rhode Island Commencement                          5/13/17
Northern Rhode Island Chamber Eggs and Issues Breakfast           4/3/17
2017 Rhode Island Promise Scholarship Testimony                  3/15/17
2017 Rhode Island State of the State Address                     1/17/17
RI Small Business Economic Summit                                 1/8/17
2016 Rhode Island Budget Address/State of the State Address       2/2/16
Most Powerful Women Summit                                      10/14/15
The Inauguration of Rosanne Somerson                             10/9/15
IYRS School of Technology & Trades Commencement                  5/30/15
Community College of Rhode Island Commencement                   5/20/15
2015 Rhode Island Budget Address                                 3/12/15
2015 Gubernatorial Inauguration Address                           1/6/15
Transition Policy Summit                                        12/16/14
RI Gubernatorial Forum to Discuss Climate Change                 8/25/14
Financial Empowerment Initiative                                 1/10/13
Smaller Business Association of New England                     10/13/11
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    18. List digital platforms (including social media and other 
digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated 
an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your 
name or an alias. Include the name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'' you 
have used on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account 
is active, deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if 
possible.
    My office or my campaigns have operated the following social media 
accounts, which remain active:

        Twitter: @GovRaimondo, @GinaMRaimondo

        Facebook: @GinaMRaimondo, @gina.raimondo

        Instagram: @GovRaimondo, @ginaraimondo

        I also have a LinkedIn account, https://www.linkedin.com/in/
        ginaraimondo/.

    19. Please identify each instance in which you have testified 
orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
governmental capacity and specify the date and subject matter of each 
testimony.
    I have never testified before Congress.
    20. Given the current mission, major programs, and major 
operational objectives of the department/agency to which you have been 
nominated, what in your background or employment experience do you 
believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment to the position for 
which you have been nominated, and why do you wish to serve in that 
position?
    The mission of the Commerce Department is to help spur good-paying 
jobs; to empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow; to come together 
with working families and American businesses; to create new 
opportunities for all of us. These same goals have been my priorities 
as Governor of Rhode Island. When I announced my run for Governor, 
Rhode Island was in the midst of an eight-month streak as the state 
with the highest unemployment rate in the Nation. But over the last six 
years, we grew our way back, achieving a record number of jobs and the 
lowest unemployment in 30 years.
    We did it by bringing together our workers and our businesses in 
common cause.
    We invested in our people--in their skills, their opportunities, 
and their dreams. The Real Jobs Rhode Island initiative has served more 
than 1,700 employers and 11,000 Rhode Islanders through job training 
programs designed to meet employer needs and then doing whatever it 
takes--be it building programs or clearing barriers--to teach those 
skills to potential employees.
    We helped new businesses launch and sparked others to hire and grow 
responsibly. We have provided businesses with access to capital to help 
them expand and innovate. I am particularly proud of our work with 
small businesses. One of our small business loan programs has empowered 
150 Rhode Island entrepreneurs so far--more than half of whom are women 
or people of color--to get new businesses up and running.
    We have pursued an aggressive renewable energy agenda. During my 
time as Governor, Rhode Island became the first state in the Nation to 
put ``steel in the water'' by establishing America's first offshore 
wind facility. This has been part of my focus on expanding clean energy 
jobs and putting Rhode Island on a path to achieving 100 percent 
renewable energy .
    The United States is facing a daunting economic challenge, but it 
is one that America's workers and entrepreneurs can overcome. I share 
the President-elect and Vice President-elect's vision for an inclusive 
recovery that lifts up those who have been left behind, for a national 
effort that provides skills, training, and wraparound supports to get 
Americans back to work, and for rebuilding American manufacturing and 
bringing back jobs that have gone overseas. It's why I'm so excited to 
get to work on a national scale to help realize that vision and Build 
Back Better.
    21. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to 
ensure that the department/agency has proper management and accounting 
controls, and what experience do you have in managing a large 
organization?
    If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, I will be accountable for 
the operations of the department. Everyone who works in public service 
must do the people's work effectively, efficiently, and with integrity. 
I will set that tone from the top. I will empower personnel in the 
department to lead with integrity and ensure that things are done 
properly, and I will hold them accountable if they do not meet those 
standards.
    22. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the 
department/agency, and why?
    First, we need to respond to the economic damage caused by the 
pandemic. The Department of Commerce needs to invest in our people and 
our small businesses, so that we emerge from this crisis with a 
stronger and more resilient economy.
    Second, we need to address the structural inequity in our economy. 
The harms of the pandemic have hit low income and minority communities 
the hardest. The Department, in particular through the work of the 
Minority Business Development Agency, must be integral to this effort. 
We need to invest in these communities by ensuring that everyone has 
accessible pathways to good jobs, by providing small businesses with 
the resources they need to recover and thrive, and by strengthening 
community, financial, and other institutions so these communities have 
continued access to capital, technical assistance, and other resources 
that sustain prosperity.
    Third, we need to ensure that American workers and manufacturers 
can compete fairly on the global playing field. We need to invest in 
innovation and technology in our manufacturing sector, leveraging the 
capacity at National Institute of Standards and Technology to ensure 
our industries succeed. The International Trade Administration needs to 
take aggressive trade enforcement actions to combat unfair trade 
practices that undercut American manufacturing, and be equally 
aggressive in promoting American goods abroad.
                   b. potential conflicts of interest
    1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation 
agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates, 
clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement 
accounts.
    I have a 457b Retirement Account from the State of Rhode Island as 
a result of my service as Governor and General Treasurer. I also have a 
TIAA-CREF Retirement Account and a Retirement Defined Benefits plan 
from the State of Rhode Island that accrues with each year of state 
service.
    2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal, 
to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business, 
association or other organization during your appointment? If so, 
please explain. No.
    3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other 
relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in 
the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will 
resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of Government Ethics and the Designated Agency Ethics 
Official at the Department of Commerce to identify any potential 
conflict of interest. Any conflict of interest will be resolved 
according to the terms of an ethics agreement that I have entered into 
with the Commerce Department's Designated Agency Ethics Official and 
that will be provided to this Committee. In the event that an actual or 
potential conflict of interest arises during my appointment, I will 
consult with the Commerce Department's ethics counsel and take the 
measures necessary to resolve the conflict.
    4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial 
transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for 
yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in 
any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the 
position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve 
each potential conflict of interest.
    I have spent the last ten years in public office in Rhode Island, 
first as General Treasurer and currently as Governor. I have not had 
any business relationships, dealings, or financial transactions during 
that time that could in any way constitute or result in a possible 
conflict of interest, so far as I am aware.
    5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest, and explain 
how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest that 
may arise beyond what I have explained above.
    In the event that an actual or potential conflict of interest 
arises during my appointment, I will consult with the Commerce 
Department's ethics counsel and take the measures necessary to resolve 
the conflict.
    6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the 
names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the 
purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or 
modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and 
execution of law or public policy.
    For the last ten years, I have held elected office in Rhode Island, 
first as General Treasurer and then as Governor. During that time 
period, my efforts to influence legislation, the administration or 
execution of the laws, or public policy have been as part of my duties 
as an elected official or in my capacity as a candidate for public 
office.
                            c. legal matters
    1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics, 
professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a 
complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special 
Counsel, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other 
professional group? If yes:

  a.  Provide the name of agency, association, committee, or group;

  b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action was issued or initiated;

  c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action;

  d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action, 
        complaint, or personnel action.

    I have never been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics, 
professional misconduct, or retaliation.
    There have been five campaign finance or ethics complaints filed 
against me or my campaigns, and one advisory opinion request that 
purported to complain about my campaign. All have been rejected without 
any adverse findings or adverse actions. They are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agency                    Rhode Island Board of Elections
Date                      Complaint filed on Sept. 30, 2014 by
                           Republican Party
Description               Complaint alleged that Democratic Party's ad
                           supporting U.S. Senate candidate and my
                           gubernatorial campaign violated state
                           campaign finance law.
Result                    Board of Elections dismissed the complaint.
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Agency                    Rhode Island Ethics Commission
Date                      Complaint filed Feb. 12, 2018 by Republican
                           Party
Description               Complaint alleged that mutual support
                           agreement between gubernatorial campaign and
                           Providence Democratic City Committee violated
                           state ethics law because the chair of the
                           city committee was a state employee
Result                    Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Agency                    Federal Election Commission
Date                      Complaint filed Mar. 3, 2018 by Republican
                           Party
Description               Complaint alleged that mutual support
                           agreement between gubernatorial campaign and
                           Providence Democratic City Committee violated
                           Federal Election Commission regulation
                           governing joint fundraising activity
Result                    FEC dismissed the complaint after finding no
                           reason to believe that a violation occurred
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Agency                    Rhode Island Board of Elections
Date                      Advisory opinion request filed Mar. 12, 2018
                           by Republican Party
Description               Request asked whether mutual support agreement
                           between gubernatorial campaign and Providence
                           Democratic City Committee violated state
                           campaign finance law
Result                    Board of Elections declined the request upon
                           determining the advisory opinion request did
                           not comply with the law
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Agency                    Rhode Island Board of Elections
Date                      Complaint filed Jul. 9, 2018 by Republican
                           Party
Description               Complaint alleged that campaign failed to pay
                           fair market value in rent for its office
                           space
Result                    The complaint was dismissed
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Agency                    Rhode Island Ethics Commission
Date                      Complaint filed Jul. 24, 2019 by Republican
                           Party
Description               Complaint alleged that participating in
                           negotiations to extend existing state lottery
                           contract and signing legislation authorizing
                           online sports gambling violated ethics law
                           because former chairman of lottery company
                           was Treasurer of the Democratic Governors
                           Association, which I chaired at the time
Result                    Ethics Commission dismissed the complaint
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by 
any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal, 
State, county, or municipal entity, other than for a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were 
an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency 
proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please 
explain.
    I have been a party to multiple civil litigations in my capacity as 
Governor and as General Treasurer of Rhode Island. I am a party to 
those cases by virtue of the office hold. Often I am named as a 
defendant in cases involving alleged matters which did not involve me. 
I have asked counsel to prepare a list of all the cases in which I have 
been named as a party, to the best of their ability, which I am 
providing in Appendix B. Among the more notable cases include present 
litigation on the constitutionality of the state's truck tolling 
program and concluded litigation on the state's pension reform, public 
access to grand jury records, and the separation of powers. I have 
never been a party to a lawsuit outside of lawsuits resulting from my 
service as Governor or General Treasurer.
    In addition, as Governor, I am by law the Chair of the Board of the 
Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, a quasi-public corporation that 
serves as the state's economic development agency. The Rhode Island 
Commerce corporation was a plaintiff in civil litigation alleging fraud 
against various private parties concerning a failed economic 
development transaction that occurred before my time as Governor.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission brought litigation against 
the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and others in connection with the 
same translation. During my tenure as Governor, the Rhode Island 
Commerce Corporation settled the civil litigation and the litigation by 
the SEC.
    4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo 
contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual 
harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, or 
any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
    6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information, 
favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in 
connection with your nomination. None.
                     d. relationship with committee
    1. Will you ensure that your department/agency complies with 
deadlines for information set by congressional committees, and that 
your department/agency endeavors to timely comply with requests for 
information from individual Members of Congress, including requests 
from members in the minority? Yes.
    2. Will you ensure that your department/agency does whatever it can 
to protect congressional witnesses and whistle blowers from reprisal 
for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
    3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested 
witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with 
firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
    4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly 
constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be 
reasonably requested to do so? Yes.
                                 ______
                                 
                               Appendix A
                             GINA RAIMONDO
                        PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GOVERNOR, STATE OF RHODE ISLAND   Providence, RI
2015-present

GENERAL TREASURER, STATE OF RHODE ISLAND   Providence, RI
2011-2015

POINT JUDITH CAPITAL, LLC   Providence, RI
Founder, Managing Partner, 2002-2010
Founder and General Partner of $100MM venture capital firm investing in 
early-stage IT and health care companies
   Served as lead partner on fundraising, LP relations, 
        recruiting, and strategic development
   Led the firm's healthcare investing, with focus on medical 
        device and healthcare IT companies; responsible for deal 
        sourcing and structuring, due diligence, and post-investment 
        oversight and support with business development and strategies, 
        and recruiting for portfolio

VILLAGE VENTURES, INC.   New York, NY
Senior Vice President Fund Development/Founding Team, 1999-2002
Member of senior management team that established and supported a 
network of regionally-focused venture capital funds located in emerging 
geographies across the U.S.
   Served as key member of team that raised $70MM+ in Series A 
        and B financings from private equity firms (Bain Capital, 
        Highland Capital, Sandler Capital); drafted PPMs, attended 
        pitch meetings, attended VV board meetings
   Managed team of six professionals to establish national 
        network of 12 venture capital funds, including identification 
        of optimal geographies for new funds, recruitment of local 
        management teams for each fund, and raising of over $300MM in 
        LP capital across the fund network from both institutional and 
        individual LPs based in those geographies
   Member of deal teams on several investments; led successful 
        M&A negotiations on company's behalf
   Speaker at numerous venture capital industry forums and 
        events

HONORABLE KIMBA WOOD, U.S. DISTRICT COURT, S.D.N.Y.   New York, NY
Law Clerk, 1998-1999
Advised Federal trial judge on drafting opinions, preparing for 
conferences and managing caseload
                               EDUCATION

YALE LAW SCHOOL   New Haven, CT
Juris Doctor, 1998
Olin Fellow. CT Bar Association Public Service Scholarship. Research 
Assistant for corporate law professor Roberta Romano. Teaching 
Assistant for Professor Harold Koh. Student Supervisor, Jerome N. Frank 
Legal Services Clinic

OXFORD UNIVERSITY, NEW COLLEGE   Oxford, England
D.Phil in Sociology, 2003; M.Litt in Economics, 1996
Rhodes Scholar. Doctoral thesis entitled: ``Determinants of Single 
Motherhood in the United States.'' President, New College graduate 
student body. Captain, New College Rugby Club

HARVARD UNIVERSITY   Cambridge, MA
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, 1993
Magna Cum Laude. Phi Beta Kappa (junior year). Allyn Young Award for 
outstanding thesis in the Economics Department. Operations Manager, The 
Harvard Crimson. Research Assistant, National Bureau of Economic 
Research. Radcliffe Rugby Club
                                 ______
                                 
                               Appendix B

                           List of Litigation
                           Prepared by counsel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Case                  Case No.                Court
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clervrain v. Raimondo       1:2020cv0 0535     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
American Trucking           20-2120            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 Associations, Inc., et al                      the First Circuit
 v. Alviti, Jr., et al
In Re: Raimondo, et al      20-2168            U.S. Court of Appeals for
                                                the First Circuit
Armstrong v. Raimondo et    1:2020cv0 0509     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 al                                             District of Rhode Island
A.C., et al v. Raimondo,    20-2082            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 et al                                          the First Circuit
Card v. Raimondo            1:2020cv0 0439     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Alvizures v. Raimondo       1:2020cv0 0336     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Letourneau et al v. State   1:2020cv0 0269     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 of Rhode Island et al                          District of Rhode Island
Efreom et al v. Raimondo    1:2020cv0 0122     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 et al                                          District of Rhode Island
El v. Del Vecchio et al     1:2020cv0 0119     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Elle Sanon Auguste El v.    1:2020cv0 0055     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 DelVecchio et al                               District of Rhode Island
Gonzalez v. Raimondo et al  1:2019cv0 0402     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Romano v. Wall et al        1:2019cv0 0370     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Lombardi et al v. Raimondo  1:2019cv0 0364     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Smith v. Neronha, et al     19-1470            U.S. Court of Appeals for
                                                the First Circuit
Shahwali v. Hughes et al    1:2019cv0 0186     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Liviz v. Baker, et al       19-1224            U.S. Court of Appeals for
                                                the First Circuit
Liviz Sr. v. Baker et al    1:2019cv1 0304     U.S. District Court for
                                                the District of
                                                Massachusetts
Nickerson v. Providence     1:2019cv0 0030     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 Plantation et al                               District of Rhode Island
Smith v. Neronha et al      1:2019cv0 0029     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
A.C. et al v. Raimondo et   1:2018cv0 0645     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 al                                             District of Rhode Island
Rhode Island Homeless       1:2017cv0 0602     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 Advocacy Project et al v.                      District of Rhode Island
 Raimondo
Jefferson v. Raimondo et    1:2017cv0 0439     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 al                                             District of Rhode Island
Silvia v. Raimondo          1:2017cv0 0310     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Cranston Firefighters,      17-1293            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 IAFF, et al v. Raimondo,                       the First Circuit
 et al
Parkhurst v. Raimondo et    1:2017cv0 0092     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 al                                             District of Rhode Island
Winslowet-Alps v. Mathes,   16-1951            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 et al                                          the First Circuit
Winslowet-Alps v. Mathes,   16-1838            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 et al                                          the First Circuit
Winslowet-Alps v.           1:2016cv0 0256     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 Arondrewli et al                               District of Rhode Island
Cranston Firefighters,      1:2016cv0 0130     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 IAFF Local 1363, AFL-CIO                       District of Rhode Island
 et al v. Raimondo et al
Hicks v. State of Rhode     1:2015cv0 0011     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 Island et al                                   District of Rhode Island
Kufner et al v. Suttell et  1:2013cv1 2864     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 al                                             District of Rhode Island
Bergemann, et al v. Rhode   11-1484            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 Island Department of Env,                      the First Circuit
 et al
Bergemann, et al v. Rhode   11-1407            U.S. Court of Appeals for
 Island Department of Env,                      the First Circuit
 et al
Walker v. Raimondo          1:15-cv-00 087     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
M. et al v. Chafee et al.   1:07-cv-00 241     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
                                                District of Rhode Island
Monsanto v. State of Rhode  1:16-cv-00 147     U.S. Dist. Ct. for
 Island et al.                                  District of Rhode Island
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Rhode Island State Court Cases
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANDREA CABAN VS GINA        6CA-2011 -03410    6th Division District
 RAIMONDO IN HER CAPACITY                       Court
ANNE ARMSTRONG, ALAN        KC-2019-0071       Kent County Superior
 GORDON, DAUGHTERS OF EVE                       Court
 v. NICHOLAS MATTIELLO,
 DOMINICK RUGGERIO, GINA
 RAIMONDO
ROBERT BAINTER V STATE OF   PC-2011-3 197      Providence/Bristol County
 RI                                             Superior Court
NICOLE FOX V GINA RAIMONDO  PC-2011-2 633      Providence/Bristol County
                                                Superior Court
LINDA PHILLIPS V            PC-2012-2 875      Providence/Bristol County
 RETIREMENT BOARD                               Superior Court
RI PUBLIC EMPLOYEES V       PC-2012-3 166      Providence/Bristol County
 LINCOLN CHAFEE                                 Superior Court
BRISTOL WARREN V LINCOLN    PC-2012-3 167      Providence/Bristol County
 CHAFEE                                         Superior Court
RI COUNCIL 94 V LINCOLN     PC-2012-3 168      Providence/Bristol County
 CHAFEE ET AL                                   Superior Court
CRANSTON POLICE V LINCOLN   PC-2012-3 169      Providence/Bristol County
 CHAFEE                                         Superior Court
WOONSOCKET FIRE FIGHTERS V  PC-2012-3 579      Providence/Bristol County
 LINCOLN CHAFEE                                 Superior Court
ANDREA HUNT DENBY V SHARON  PC-2012-4 395      Providence/Bristol County
 VIENS                                          Superior Court
ROSA ARCE V CITY OF         PC-2012-4 610      Providence/Bristol County
 PROVIDENCE                                     Superior Court
JOHN GRASSO v. GINA         PC-2013-3 121      Providence/Bristol County
 RAIMONDO, FRANK                                Superior Court
 KARPINSKI, BOARD
 OFEMPLOYEES RETIREMENT
 SYSTEM OF RI, State of
 Rhode Island and
 Providence Plantations
CYNTHIA TZOC V CITY OF      PC-2014-4 276      Providence/Bristol County
 PROVIDENCE                                     Superior Court
CRANSTON FIREFIGHTERS V     PC-2014-4 343      Providence/Bristol County
 LINCOLN CHAFEE                                 Superior Court
ANNETTE DIAZ V FLORA        PC-2014-4 522      Providence/Bristol County
 CURTIS                                         Superior Court
RONALD RENAUD v. GINA       PC-2016-0 910      Providence/Bristol County
 RAIMONDO, Michael                              Superior Court
 DiBiase, State of Rhode
 Island
GOLOCALPROV, LLC v. Rhode   PC-2016-4 810      Providence/Bristol County
 Island Department of                           Superior Court
 Public Safety, Kevin
 Barry, Gina Raimondo
JASON GREENBERG v. RHODE    PC-2017-4 703      Providence/Bristol County
 ISLAND ARMY NATIONAL                           Superior Court
 GUARD, CHRISTOPHER
 CALLAHAN, GINA RAIMONDO
Bryan Menge v. The State    PC-2018-1 211      Providence/Bristol County
 of Rhode Island, Gina                          Superior Court
 Raimondo, Paul Suttell,
 Peter Kilmartin, William
 Guglietta, Alan Goulart,
 Ann Assumpico, Walter
 Craddock, Michael Kane,
 Mr. Drozdov, Mr. Cloud,
 Mr. Bautista, Mr. Robles
Save The Bay, Inc. v. Gina  PC-2018-2 684      Providence/Bristol County
 Raimondo                                       Superior Court
In re, 38 Studios Grand     SU-2017-0 301-A    Rhode Island Supreme
 Jury                                           Court
In re, 38 Studios Grand     PM-2017-0701       Providence/Bristol County
 Jury                                           Superior Court
RI PUBLIC EMPLOYEES V       SU-12-033 1        Rhode Island Supreme
 LINCOLN CHAFEE                                 Court
WOONSOCKET FIRE FIGHTERS V  SU-12-033 2        Rhode Island Supreme
 LINCOLN CHAFEE                                 Court
RI COUNCIL 94 V LINCOLN     SU-12-033 3        Rhode Island Supreme
 CHAFEE                                         Court
CRANSTON POLICE V LINCOLN   SU-12-033 4        Rhode Island Supreme
 CHAFEE                                         Court
BRISTOL WARREN V LINCOLN    SU-12-033 5        Rhode Island Supreme
 CHAFEE                                         Court
RI PUBLIC EMPLOYEES V GINA  SU-15-006 0        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
CRANSTON POLICE V GINA      SU-15-006 2        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
BRISTOL WARREN V GINA       SU-15-006 3        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
RI COUNCIL 94 V GINA        SU-15-006 4        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
RI COUNCIL 94 V GINA        SU-15-006 5        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
WOONSOCKET FIRE FIGHTERS V  SU-15-006 6        Rhode Island Supreme
 GINA RAIMONDO                                  Court
JOSEPH CLIFFORD V GOVERNOR  SU-15-006 9        Rhode Island Supreme
 OF RHODE ISLAND                                Court
IBOP V GINA RAIMONDO        SU-15-007 0        Rhode Island Supreme
                                                Court
CRANSTON FIREFIGHTERS V     SU-15-007 1        Rhode Island Supreme
 GINA RAIMONDO                                  Court
JOHN GRASSO V. GINA         SU-16-008 3        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
JONATHAN CORRENTE V. CRIME  SU-16-024 7        Rhode Island Supreme
 VICTIM COMPENSATION PR                         Court
In Re: Jonathan S. Berkon   SU-2019-0 305-MP   Rhode Island Supreme
                                                Court
Steven Palange v.           SU-2020-0 069-A    Rhode Island Supreme
 Margarita Palange et al.                       Court
Steven Palange v.           WC-2019-0555       Washington County
 Margarita Palange et al.                       Superior Court
RI PUBLIC EMPLOYEES V GINA  SU-15-006 0        Rhode Island Supreme
 RAIMONDO                                       Court
JOSE LANZA V CITY OF        PC-2011-4 487      Providence/Bristol County
 PROVIDENCE                                     Superior Court
TOWN OF SCITUATE V          PC-2011-6 345      Providence/Bristol County
 EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT                           Superior Court
 SYSTEM RI
DOLORES NUGENT V STATE OF   PC-2014-3 247      Providence/Bristol County
 RI                                             Superior Court
THOMAS WHEWELL V CORRIB     WC-2009-0841       Washington County
 REALTY LLC                                     Superior Court
JAMES MEGA V COLLEEN        PC-2014-3 640      Providence/Bristol County
 HIGGINS                                        Superior Court
RI STATE TROOPERS V STATE   PC-2014-4 432      Providence/Bristol County
 OF RI                                          Superior Court
NORBERTO GOMEZ C ALL FRESH  PC-2014-4 500      Providence/Bristol County
 DONUTS                                         Superior Court
CITY OF CRANSTON v. STATE   PC-2020-0 7650     Providence/Bristol County
 OF RHODE ISLAND et al.                         Superior Court
MICHAEL BRADY V GINA        PC-2013-5 592      Providence/Bristol County
 RAIMONDO                                       Superior Court
DEBORAH GATTO V PROVIDENCE  PC-2012-6 025      Providence/Bristol County
                                                Superior Court
JONATHAN CORRENTE V CRIME   PC-2013-4 763      Providence/Bristol County
 VICTIM COMPENSATION PRO.                       Superior Court
LAURIE SMITH V FAMILY       PC-2013-5 152      Providence/Bristol County
 SERVICES OF RI                                 Superior Court
Gina Raimondo, Rhode        PC-2019-1 0341     Providence/Bristol County
 Island Department of                           Superior Court
 Business Regulation v.
 Nicholas Mattiello,
 Dominick Ruggerio
Town of Barrington et al.,  PC-2019-1 0870     Providence/Bristol County
 v. State of Rhode Island                       Superior Court
 et al.
CHARIHO REGIONAL SCHOOL V.  SU-11-008 5        Rhode Island Supreme
 DEBORAH GIST                                   Court
Rhode Island Troopers       PC-2019-1 1054     Providence/Bristol County
 Association et al., v.                         Superior Court
 State of Rhode Island,
 Division of the State
 Police et al.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The Chairman. Thank you very, very much, Governor, and we 
will now proceed to questions under the 5-minute rule. I am 
required to ask you this question. The Committee has a history 
of the Chair asking nominees to state on the record that they 
pledge to work with Congress and the Committee in a cooperative 
manner. So, I ask you, if confirmed, will you pledge to work 
collaboratively with this committee and provide thorough and 
timely responses to our requests for information as we work 
together to address important policy issues? Will you?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, absolutely.
    The Chairman. Thank you, ma'am. Let's move on then to some 
specific issues. And I wonder if you have had a chance to look 
at the status of the United States and European Union 
negotiations to establish a successor data transfer framework 
that overcomes the issues that led to the invalidation of the 
Privacy Shield last summer. We held a hearing on this in the 
last Congress on the invalidation of this EU, U.S. Privacy 
Shield framework. If confirmed, how do you plan to work with 
your counterparts in Europe on this issue and other issues to 
ensure that we have a data transfer framework that is workable? 
And how will you continue transatlantic data transfers in 
compliance with what we have now? Have you had a chance to look 
into this, Governor?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you say, 
cross-border data transfers are vital to the interests of many 
American companies, and the Privacy Shield was particularly 
important for thousands of small and medium sized businesses. 
As I understand it, the negotiations are going well. And should 
I be confirmed, it would be a top priority of mine to finish 
the negotiations swiftly and ensure that there is a successor 
agreement that protects the interests of American businesses 
and provides for that transfer of data.
    The Chairman. Well, thank you very much. And I just wanted 
to highlight the importance of that by asking that as my first 
substantive question. Let's move to seafood, trade, restaurants 
and competitiveness. Americans eat approximately 70 percent of 
their seafood in restaurants and other food service 
establishments. Restaurant closures during the COVID-19 crisis 
caused the demand for seafood to evaporate almost overnight.
    As a result, fisheries across the Nation have reported up 
to a 90 percent drop in sales in 2020. My Restaurants Act, 
which is a bipartisan Act, would have temporarily established 
and provided funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. 
Since Americans eat 70 percent of their seafood in restaurants, 
this bill would also help see the seafood industry recover. And 
at this point, I offer into the record at this point an Op-ed 
in today's Wall Street Journal, ``Closing Time for Bars and 
Restaurants'' by Robert St. John, a prominent restauranteur in 
the state of Mississippi. And without objection, it will be 
added into the record at this point.
    [The information referred to follows:]

                          Wall Street Journal

                          OPINION | COMMENTARY

                 Closing Time for Bars and Restaurants

     Few industries have been harder hit by Covid. We need relief.

              By Robert St. John--Jan. 25, 2021 5:41 pm ET


    Maria's Italian Kitchen in Santa Monica, Calif., prepares to close 
due to Covid-19 restrictions, July 28, 2020.
    PHOTO: VALERIE MACON/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
    Hattiesburg, Miss.

    From the first moment of my first shift on my first day in a 
restaurant, I knew I wanted to own my own place. That was 40 years ago 
and I've loved every challenge the restaurant business has thrown my 
way--until now. I fear the work of four decades won't survive the 
coming months without a plan that truly addresses my industry's needs.
    In April I sat down with my wife, 22-year-old daughter and 18-year-
old son and told them we may lose some, or all, of the six restaurants 
and two bars we owned. In the same conversation, I told them there was 
also a strong chance we might have to sell our home.
    Nearly a year into the pandemic, I have permanently closed two 
restaurants and a bar--leaving 52 people to have difficult 
conversations with their own families. For the first time in my career, 
I have to ask for help.
    The pandemic is unfair. A tiny airborne particle threatens 
everything I've spent 40 years working to build. My teams have done 
nothing wrong. We work hard, we're honest, we roll with the punches, 
and we always do our best to serve our customers and community.
    This isn't the first time restaurant owners have dealt with 
adversity. The financial crisis of 2008 came and went, our sales 
tanked, and no one heard a word from restaurants. After hurricanes, 
tornadoes and wildfires we have rolled up our sleeves and done the work 
it takes to reopen.
    But this is different. We are out of options, and I fear a few more 
weeks of limited revenue may jeopardize my remaining businesses. 
Thousands of American independent restaurants face similar issues. The 
end is coming in more of a whimper than a bang--restaurants are being 
starved into extinction.
    Early in the pandemic I joined other independent restaurateurs 
across the country and organized the Independent Restaurant Coalition 
to ensure our community had a voice in the public debate around Federal 
relief. Politics is a game that is entirely new to me and most members 
of the IRC, but that turned out to be an asset. We applied the same 
entrepreneurial attitudes we bring to our kitchens to advocate for our 
cause in Washington. We didn't take no for an answer, no problem was 
too big or too small to solve, and no opportunity was left to waste.
    The drinks and food-service industry has suffered about 1 in 4 
Covid-related job losses. According to a National Restaurant 
Association survey, more than 1 in 6 restaurants closed permanently 
during the first six months of the shutdown.
    I was encouraged to see President Biden highlight our industry's 
unique pain in his speech outlining a new Covid relief plan. He 
acknowledged the devastation felt by the entire restaurant world. It's 
a good start, but now we need Congress to do something about it and 
pass direct relief in the next round of stimulus.
    In the 116th Congress, I worked closely with Mississippi Sen. Roger 
Wicker to push the Restaurants Act. That $120 billion grant program is 
what our community needs to survive this pandemic, and nothing less 
will cut it for America's 500,000 independent restaurants and bars, the 
11 million workers we employ, and the five million ancillary jobs, such 
as farmers and fishermen, associated with our industry.
    Time is nearly up for my business and many others. Restaurants 
operate under a unique business model that is tight on cash and short 
on profit. Ten weeks of diminished revenue can spell trouble for a 
restaurant's business health. Independent restaurants across the 
country have been struggling for more than 10 months on financial 
fumes.
    The solutions offered by Congress so far have amounted to a Band-
Aid on a bullet hole. Our first round of Paycheck Protection Program 
funds are gone, and the second round will keep us afloat for only a few 
weeks. Restrictions limit indoor dining, and winter weather has brought 
an end to outdoor dining for much of the country. Thousands more 
businesses will soon have no choice but to shut their doors forever.
    It's time for Congress to make restaurants a priority and pass 
direct aid. It's the only thing that will save our restaurants and 
workers.

Mr. St. John is a chef and owner of the New South Restaurant Group.

Appeared in the January 26, 2021, print edition.

    The Chairman. So, let me ask you, Governor, since 70 
percent of Americans eat their seafood in restaurants, from the 
perspective of your region, what do you expect to be the 
lasting impacts of this terrible crisis on the seafood 
industry? And what will it take for the seafood and the 
restaurant industry to recover?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you for that question. And I know from 
our previous discussions, this is a very important topic for 
you as it is for me. As Senator Whitehouse said, I am the 
Governor of the ocean state. Thousands of Rhode Islanders make 
their living as commercial fishermen, and both they and 
restaurants have been really devastated during this pandemic.
    If confirmed as Commerce Secretary, I would look forward to 
working very closely with you and your colleagues to come up 
with bold and creative solutions, not only to help our 
fishermen, but also our restaurants and for that matter, the 
entire hospitality industry, because I assess the impacts to be 
quite long standing unless we take bold action.
    The Chairman. These are two terribly threatened industries 
that are vital to our economy. Thank you, Governor Raimondo. 
Senator Cantwell, for your questions.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, again, 
congratulations on your nomination. And I think you are aware 
of how broad the Department is in its oversight of science 
issues. The Chairman asked you a pretty broad question at the 
beginning, which was important, to do with collaboration. 
Surprising how often that doesn't happen sometimes. So, it is 
very good to clarify, but also want to clarify this issue as it 
relates to science and data. Do you oppose any censorship of 
scientific data and information coming out of the Department of 
Commerce?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I do.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. And will you work with us to 
help restore the confidence in that science and data, 
information, and investment in it for the future?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I will.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. A couple of specific issues, 
one that I mentioned in my opening statement and as we are 
talking about seafood and the fishing economy. Salmon is 
particularly important to the Pacific Northwest, and one of the 
issues regarding salmon, involves broader infrastructure 
investment moving forward, that is all sorts of transportation 
infrastructure. We are a coastal state with a lot of 
transportation infrastructure and moving products. But keeping 
salmon habitat and restoration in a robust state is very 
critical to keeping salmon. So, will you work with us on a more 
targeted, larger scale investment in stormwater restoration and 
in building critical habitat for everything from oyster reefs 
to eel and seagrass and critical habitat? There is a dozen or 
so members of this committee that probably have similar 
problems in their states, but would you work with us to 
increase the amount of investment and targeted return from that 
investment?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I would very much look forward to 
working with you and other members of the Committee. Again, as 
I said, I have come to understand from my discussions with you 
these past couple of weeks how important the salmon stock is 
and the fishing industry in general is to your state. And I 
would absolutely look forward to working with you on that 
issue.
    Senator Cantwell. Well, I guess I would call it salmon 
infrastructure, and that is that as we grow transportation 
infrastructure, which we also desperately need in the Pacific 
Northwest, we grow salmon infrastructure, which is that habitat 
and stormwater restoration, which practically every community 
in my state would tell you that they need if they are ever 
going to do a better job of protecting salmon. The same kind of 
scientific and data information is also needed for our orca 
whale population and preserving them. One of the things that 
they have issue with right now, which NOAA has basically said 
we need to do something about is noise as it relates to the 
orca population, so I hope that you will work with us to 
implement a process for our shipping and Coast Guard and others 
to work on a mitigation plan for the orca whale population.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I would be excited to do that. I will 
say here as Governor I have a record of investing in 
stormwater, investing in resiliency, investing in adaptation, 
and would certainly look forward to doing that with you and 
members of the Committee.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. And then last, stock 
assessments. We believe in good fisheries management policy and 
key to that is stock assessments. And so I hope you will work 
with us on increasing the amount of dollars that go into the 
science behind stock assessment so we can make good management 
plans.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, again, absolutely. I plan to lead with 
science and lead with data. I know stock assessments are vital 
and also very detailed, and I absolutely look forward to 
working with you on that.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. And on the larger issue of 
science and data, as I mentioned in my opening statement, as it 
relates to weather, do you think the United States should be a 
world leader in weather and data forecasting information? I say 
I am not necessarily trying to be competitive with another 
nation, it is just the amount of times that we hear our news 
broadcasters say, well, this is the forecast and then this is 
the European forecast. And they are using supercomputing time 
to get more out of this. This weather data is so critical for 
us as it relates to, as I said, aviation, maritime, space 
issues, agriculture issues. So will you work with us to make 
sure the United States has the state-of-the-art technology when 
it comes to weather forecasting and weather information?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I think, and we had the opportunity to 
visit about this last week, I applaud your leadership on, I 
think that America's national weather service should be the 
gold standard. And should I be confirmed, I will work with you 
to make sure that that is the case.
    Senator Cantwell. Thank you. I see my time has expired, Mr. 
Chairman. I would just say that I am going to count on the 
Governor to work with us. Her workforce strategy in Rhode 
Island jobs, I think, is that particularly for underserved 
communities and minority business community, is something we 
need to look at and how we can elevate that to a national 
level. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cantwell. Senator Thune.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN THUNE, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA

    Senator Thune. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor Raimondo, 
congratulations on your nomination. And let me just start by 
saying that as I am sure you are aware, in December Congress 
allocated funds to NTIA to oversee a broadband grant program to 
connect underserved areas. It is vitally important that we 
close the digital divide in states like South Dakota and across 
America. However, the effectiveness of NTIA administering such 
a program is concerning given its history awarding broadband 
grants provided by the 2009 stimulus.
    Under the Obama, Biden Administration, GAO concluded that 
NTIA had faced a number of challenges, from staffing to 
adequate data on broadband availability, resulting in a largely 
ineffective program at the taxpayer's expense. What steps would 
you take to correct the mistakes of the past? And will you 
commit to me that NTIA will set up this program in a way that 
this new money only goes to areas that are completely unserved?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator, for that question. First, 
let me say that as Governor of a state and having lived through 
COVID, I have seen the truly devastating effects of that lack 
of broadband can have on people. It is not a luxury, it is a 
necessity. It is how children can have their classes. It is how 
people can do telehealth and visit a doctor. It's how you can 
sign up to get a vaccine. So you can have my strong commitment 
to work closely with you and other members of this committee to 
make sure that NTIA has strong leadership that and that we 
execute on those grants as expeditiously as possible, and with 
an eye toward making sure that everyone, tribal lands, rural 
folks who live in a mountain range, has access to broadband, 
which is absolutely necessary.
    I will also say, you know this is an area where I hope we 
can have bipartisan agreement. I have heard from my Republican 
Governor colleagues and Democratic Governor colleagues all over 
the country saying we need help on this. And so should I have 
the honor of serving as Commerce Secretary, I commit this will 
be a very top priority the minute I get into the job.
    Senator Thune. Thank you. Congress established a clear 
division of responsibility for spectrum management. The FCC is 
responsible for commercial spectrum. NTIA is responsible for 
Federal Government spectrum. And there have been a number of 
instances in the past when the FCC and NTIA's roles have come 
into conflict. How can we ensure that the FCC and NTIA work in 
partnership to address spectrum management issues that impact 
both Federal and commercial entities? And do you support 
freeing up additional spectrum held by the Federal Government 
to support the needs of next generation wireless services?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you for this question, and it is a 
topic that I have had the opportunity to talk to a number of 
members of the Committee on. Again, it gets back to having a 
strong NTIA with strong leadership, particularly as it relates 
to 5G. You know, the race is on for 5G and I want America to 
win and lead, and that requires spectrum. So, yes, I do support 
finding additional publicly-owned spectrum, and I will--I think 
what we need to do, and the President has been clear, is we 
need to step back and have a national strategy on spectrum and 
look to make spectrum available from public and commercial uses 
so that we can move forward on broadband and 5G. And I commit 
to working with you on that and having leadership in the NTIA 
to do that.
    Senator Thune. Thank you. The livelihoods of farmers and 
ranchers in my state often depend on forecasting accuracy. So 
it is important that we find innovative ways to improve NOAA's 
capabilities when it comes to predicting weather. In the last 
Congress, Senator Schatz and I introduced a bill called the 
Learning Excellence and Good Examples from New Developers or 
LEGEND Act, got to have an acronym around here, which makes 
NOAA's current future operational forecast models more 
accessible to outside experts, including scientists and 
engineers in academia who can provide new insights to improve 
existing forecasting models. Do you believe it is important for 
NOAA to incorporate innovative approaches to weather 
forecasting from outside stakeholders?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I do. As I said to Senator Cantwell, the 
National Weather Service should be the gold standard. And by 
the way, I have a strong track record of embracing innovation 
and technology throughout my public and private sector career. 
So, yes, I think we ought to be forward leaning and embrace 
science and technology and innovation, so we have the best 
there is to offer.
    Senator Thune. And would you commit to working with us to 
move that Act through Congress, that legislation?
    Ms. Raimondo. I will commit to working with you. 
Absolutely.
    Senator Thune. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Thune. Governor let me 
just interject that Senator Thune has raised a very good point 
with regard to NTIA and FCC. And it is going to be important 
that we have a Secretary that is committed to following the 
statute on the bifurcated system of managing spectrum with the 
NTIA representing the spectrum needs of Federal agencies. 
Senator Klobuchar.

               STATEMENT OF HON. AMY KLOBUCHAR, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA

    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 
Welcome, Governor. Thank you for being here. And I have to say 
that those two introductions by your Senators, we hear a lot of 
introductions, but they were incredibly heartfelt and a tribute 
to you. And I would also add that my own Governor, Tim Walz, is 
a big fan of yours, and that goes a long way. So your 
experience with economic development, your private sector and 
public sector experience I think is going to be an amazing 
combination for this job. So thank you very much for being 
willing to serve.
    I had a question, you and I talked about this when we met, 
on travel and tourism, and I noted that Senator Blunt and I, 
along with several other Senators, including Schatz, Cortez 
Masto, have worked on tourism, and the Brand USA bill, where 
Senator Blunt and I have led for years now, is a public, 
private partnership that promotes international tourism 
throughout the U.S., supporting more than 51,000 jobs a year, 
and I just like your commitment that you will support that and 
do all that you can to continue to support the tourism 
industry?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you, Senator, and thank you for 
your time yesterday. I thank you for your leadership on 
tourism. I know you have been a leader on this issue for a long 
time. I hail from a state where tourism is a significant part 
of our economy. And I have seen firsthand over these past 10 
months just how crippling the COVID pandemic has been to the 
businesses of--tourism-dependent businesses. So, yes, I look 
forward to working with you and your colleagues, really leaning 
into Brand USA and being as bold and creative as we can to 
encourage people to come to our country, to apply, to stay in 
hotels. Obviously, I think President Biden's leadership around 
COVID is vital, and once folks are vaccinated and feel more 
comfortable, absolutely. We will work together on this issue. 
It is a lot of American jobs.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. And one thing we didn't talk 
about as much, and I wish I had and I can talk to you about it 
later, given your experience with venture capital investment 
and the like, I think you could be such a big advocate for 
this, is a bill that I have called the New Business 
Preservation Act, focuses, we worked with Steve Case and other 
people on this, focuses on incubating and developing Silicon 
Valley type areas all over the country, that it shouldn't just 
be one area that gets all this investment, as good as that is, 
and that we need to spread it around and create other hubs of 
investment.
    And what the bill does is it authorizes states to make 
equity investments in new businesses alongside venture capital 
companies. They wouldn't actually be making the decisions or 
funding it directly. But I hope you will be willing to look at 
that and look at that as well as skills investment. I think 
your experience in Rhode Island and the work you have done with 
getting more people jobs would be really helpful. I think it 
was Tyler Perry who once said ``your beginning shouldn't 
dictate your destiny.'' And certainly after this pandemic and 
through this pandemic, we are going to have a lot of work that 
must be done. I know Senator Cantwell has been such a leader on 
this, on skills reinvestment, as well as looking at our economy 
more globally about where we can invest in areas of the country 
to encourage more hubs of innovation.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. Yes, of course, I will 
look forward to working with you and all of your colleagues. I 
would say I am deeply committed to making sure that all 
Americans, in every community, have an opportunity to have the 
skills they need to get a good job. And it is true that most 
venture capital is highly concentrated in five or six 
communities around America. But those communities don't corner 
the market on great ideas or entrepreneurs. And so I will very 
much look forward to working with you to provide opportunity to 
all Americans.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. Last question. With 95 
percent of the world's potential customers living outside of 
our borders, it is important more than ever that we ensure that 
our businesses and farmers, reference to Senator Thune, we 
share a border, are able to capitalize on opportunities in 
these markets. And I am a strong supporter of the U.S. 
Commercial Service, which, as you know, is the export division 
of the Department's International Trade Administration, which 
handles trade promotion, has trade professionals in over 100 
U.S. cities including my own, and has a presence in more than 
70 countries. And during the Obama Administration, there was a 
lot of focus on this. And I think we need to do even more as we 
move forward on exports. What are your plans to improve the 
U.S. commercial service program, particularly for businesses 
based in rural areas?
    Ms. Raimondo. So first, I agree with you. Second, I know 
this is an important area for you and I appreciate your 
leadership. Exports equal growth, equal more jobs. So I intend 
to be very aggressive, should I be confirmed, to make sure that 
the Department of Commerce is accessible to all businesses, 
particularly small, medium sized businesses, farmers, rurally 
located businesses. They ought to have access to the tools of 
the Department of Commerce to help them improve their exports. 
And so I will be very focused on that.
    Senator Klobuchar. Very good. And I will put on the record, 
Mr. Chairman, questions about broadband as well as steel 
dumping, something I discussed with the Governor yesterday.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Klobuchar. Senator Blunt.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. ROY BLUNT, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSOURI

    Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chairman. Governor, I am sorry we 
haven't had a chance to visit yet but look forward to an 
opportunity to do that. Let's go right to the exports issue 
that you and Senator Klobuchar just talked about. I think one 
of the disadvantages we created for ourselves in the recent 
years are our tariffs on a number of things but particularly 
steel and aluminum. In my state, we make beer cans and bass 
boats and automobiles and pickup trucks. And I think we are 
disadvantaged----
    Senator Cantwell. Excuse me, Senator, don't you also make 
airplanes?
    Senator Blunt. And airplanes, exactly. And even Boeing 
airplanes, as a matter of fact.
    The Chairman. Don't take that out of his time.
    Senator Blunt. But all of those things and well beyond, as 
Senator Cantwell just pointed out, well beyond any list I would 
come up with. President Biden said he would conduct a review of 
all existing tariffs. I am personally concerned about the 232 
tariffs on steel and aluminum and wonder if you have any view 
on that issue?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes. Thank you very much for that question. I 
will say that here in Rhode Island, you know, we make 
submarines and electric boat who are consumers of steel and 
aluminum. And so I hear you and I appreciate your advocacy. 
Having said that, China has clearly behaved in ways that are 
anti-competitive, dumping cheap steel and aluminum into 
America, which hurts American workers and hurts the ability of 
our companies to compete. So should I be confirmed, I plan to 
be very aggressive to help Americans compete against the unfair 
practices of China.
    I will say the President has been clear, we need to step 
back, review broadly our policies, trade policies as it relates 
to China, consult with our allies, and I will assure you that I 
will certainly listen to you, engage stakeholders, listen to 
the manufacturers in your state and take their needs into 
account. I also understand there is an exclusion process, and I 
will also commit to you, for consuming industries, and I will 
commit to you to ensure that that exclusions process is swift, 
fair, objective, and helps to balance the competing interests.
    Senator Blunt. Well, I do think, and I am sure you well 
understand that the dumping, the tariffs that are based on that 
are clearly tariffs that we should impose, and we shouldn't 
tolerate dumping, at the same time we shouldn't use National 
Security as just an excuse to have a tariff. And you are not 
suggesting we should. But anything you do on that front doesn't 
take away the tools you have from a country like China that may 
be dumping steel and aluminum. And I hope you will look at that 
that way. I was going to mention Brand USA and Senator 
Klobuchar and I talked--mentioned we have worked closely on 
that for a long time. It's a program that is working, was 
working obviously a lot better when people were traveling, but 
to be sure that we are continuing to project states like 
Minnesota and Missouri and Rhode Island that may not have their 
own budget, that would allow them to appeal to foreign 
travelers the way Brand USA has. It is working. It is a great 
partnership.
    I think we have gone through all of the challenges of a new 
program and see that program working a little better all the 
time. And you have already addressed that. Generally, the 
hospitality industry, travel, tourism, hospitality has been 
hurt as badly as any industry in this pandemic. And being sure 
when we establish barriers, like some concern right now that 
maybe everybody who travel to the United States should have had 
a vaccine or have some level of testing, I hope we really move 
forward looking at those issues with an understanding of how 
important that is to our economy.
    We clearly want to win the fight against the virus, but we 
don't want to lose the fight for a reemerging economy in those 
areas. If you had any thoughts on whether there should be 
barriers on travel that the Commerce Department would be 
involved in?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, so thank you for the question. I would 
say this is something that I have lived every day since COVID 
because being Governor, you are in the position of wanting to 
protect people from COVID, but also make sure that you maintain 
as much of an economy as possible. President Biden has a 
fantastic team leading on COVID, and I have confidence in their 
ability to do that. I will simply say to you, I hear you and I 
feel we need to be very bold, aggressive, and creative to be to 
help the tourism and hospitality industry in light of the 
situation they are in.
    Senator Blunt. Thank you, Governor. Thank you, Chairman. I 
may have some questions for the record, but I have used up my 
time.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blunt. Senator Blumenthal.

             STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT

    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and welcome to 
the Committee and thank you for your willingness to continue 
your public service, Governor. I am really admiring and 
grateful of your record on environmental preservation, 
particularly your commitment, as you and I discussed, to the 
idea of a blue New Deal. I think a phrase originated by Senator 
Warren, but as the ocean State and our neighbor to Connecticut, 
I know that you are committed to our oceans and to the health 
of that treasure that we share. And in that connection, I was 
very gratified to see that President Biden has signed an 
Executive Order to reinstate the protections afforded by the 
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument last 
week. That is a cause that I championed. President Obama signed 
the Order establishing it. President Trump reversed it.
    And now, fortunately, President Biden has reinstated it. 
And I understand that he is contemplating and will soon sign an 
Executive Order to establish a goal to conservative--to 
conserve 30 percent of all United States lands, fresh waters 
and oceans by 2030, which is known as 30 by 30. Thank you for 
your support of that measure as well. As you know, the quotas 
for fishing in our respective waters are outdated. And I would 
like your commitment that you will be working with me to get 
the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and relevant 
fishery managers to update the outdated quotas for fishing, 
which affects the fishing industry in our respective states.
    As you know, those quotas have been severely outdated for 
years, and they force many of our boats to throw back fish that 
are dead anyway and the quotas would, should be updated to 
enable them to keep some of that produce.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you and I know this is a vitally 
important area for you, you brought up with me a few times, and 
I definitely look forward to working with you on this. I will 
say that I understand, you know again being the Governor of the 
ocean state, 4,000 or 5,000 people make a living fishing here, 
having quotas, stock assessments, accurate based on data, 
science is important. And I that is--I will prioritize it. That 
is how I will lead. And I look forward to a dialogue with you 
on this.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. I know as your--in light of 
your background, both in the private sector and now as 
Governor, you are very well aware of the disparate impact the 
pandemic has had on minority-owned businesses. In fact, 
according to one report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of 
New York, 41 percent of black owned businesses, 32 percent of 
Latino-owned businesses have gone under. What would be the 
role--what should be the role of the Minority Business 
Development Agency to help vulnerable and hopefully thriving, 
minority-owned businesses?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. COVID has shined a light on 
the inequities in our economy and the President has been very 
clear, we are going to build back better and more equitably. 
And I strongly support that. I believe NBDA can play a vital 
role in that. And certainly I have a lot of experience as 
Governor and place-based economic development. I am very proud 
of the fact that more than half of the people who have 
participated in our job training and placement effort post-
COVID are women and people of color. So you have my commitment 
to lead in this area and to use the NBDA as a very important 
player in the rebuild effort.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. Finally, let me ask you 
about broadband connectivity. As you know, many parts of our 
country, including Rhode Island and Connecticut, are afflicted 
with the homework gap. The lack of connectivity is a severe 
barrier to young people trying to stay current and that is 
another problem that has been highlighted by the pandemic. 
Census's ACS program is one of the most reliable source of 
information about the homework gap. And I would appreciate your 
commitment that you will make, as a priority, the sources of 
information about the homework gap and the digital divide which 
are so necessary to our closing that gap.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I will commit to prioritizing that and 
working with you on that.
    Senator Blumenthal. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal. Senator 
Fischer.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DEB FISCHER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Governor, it 
is a pleasure to see you here today, and I appreciated you 
taking time earlier to have a conversation with me. So it is an 
important job that you have put your name forward to take on. 
And again, I thank you for your willingness to serve. I am 
interested in talking more with you on technology and 
competitiveness. Just yesterday, the Center for Data Innovation 
Report assessed our country's artificial intelligence 
capabilities as being in a dead heat with China's.
    At the end of 2020, two bills that I led to advance U.S. 
Policy on the Internet of Things and emerging technology both 
passed into law. The first is the DIGIT Act, which I worked on 
with Senator Schatz to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive 
on the development and deployment of IOT. This could add 
considerable value to our economy, especially in 
transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and also energy 
sectors. The bill, now law, directs the Secretary of Commerce 
to convene a public, private working group and a steering 
committee.
    If confirmed as Secretary, will you prioritize implementing 
the DIGIT Act's working group structures in accordance with 
that law?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for your 
time the other day. I enjoyed the discussion. The answer is 
yes. I will look forward to working with you on that. Whether 
it is artificial intelligence or 5G or a block chain, we are in 
competition and it will be my job, should I be confirmed, to 
make sure that Americans can compete and get those jobs. And so 
convening that sort of a group would be absolutely a priority 
for me working with you.
    Senator Fischer. Great. Second, I led the Senate companion 
to the American COMPETE Act with Senator Sinema. The 
legislation directs the Commerce Department to complete a 
series of studies on emerging technologies. These studies will 
inform Congress on key sectors of emerging tech, which have 
major consequences for our country's economic success. The 
Secretary of Commerce plays an important part in conducting 
those studies in the Compete Act. Will you commit to ensuring 
that, if confirmed, the Secretary's office will take a lead 
role in fulfilling this responsibility?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator, for that, and yes, I will 
commit to working with you on that, focusing on that, and 
prioritizing it.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. During our call last week, we 
talked about how NOAA works closely with the University of 
Nebraska on two important programs: the High Plains Regional 
Climate Center and the National Drought Mitigation Center. Both 
these programs provide important information on the climate 
across the country. If confirmed, will you work with me to 
ensure that NOAA continues to support and coordinate with UNL 
on these programs?
    Ms. Raimondo. So thank you for bringing that up again. I 
know this is a priority of yours because you brought it up with 
me before, and I look forward to working with you. I will say 
here in my home state, NOAA has a significant presence and also 
works with our University of Rhode Island to great effect and 
to create innovation and jobs. So I will look forward to 
supporting you on that.
    Senator Fischer. Great. I appreciated in speaking with you 
about the Commerce Department recent actions against threats 
from China before this hearing. Would you further explain your 
perspective on the National Security risk regarding the Chinese 
equipment suppliers to our communication networks, particularly 
with regard to Huawei?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. So National Security has to 
come first, obviously. And with respect to 5G, as we spoke 
about in your office, there is an opportunity to move forward 
in 5G and create great innovation and jobs. But we can't have 
the Chinese or really anyone having a backdoor into our network 
and compromising in any way our national or economic security. 
And so, as Commerce Secretary, should I be confirmed, I will 
use the full toolkit at my disposal to the fullest extent 
possible to protect Americans and our network from Chinese 
interference or any kind of backdoor influence into our 
network. And that is Huawei, ZTE, or you know any other 
company.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. I appreciate your 
strong firmness on this issue because it is a National Security 
issue. We need, I think, to have a strong voice when we discuss 
these issues, and we need to follow up with strength as well. 
So I thank you for that firmness and look forward to working 
with you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Fischer. Senator Schatz.

                STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN SCHATZ, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII

    Senator Schatz. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and 
Ranking Member. Governor, thank you for the conversation 
yesterday. You mentioned in your testimony that Commerce has 
the tools and expertise to help communities and businesses 
address climate risk. Can you just talk about your top two or 
three priorities under existing statute?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you and good morning. There are a 
number of ways that Commerce could influence climate, but most 
principally through NOAA. As I said, some of the best 
scientists around atmospherics and oceans are at NOAA and are 
at the Department. So I would really look forward primarily 
through NOAA to address the climate issues posed by warming 
oceans, ocean debris, rising tides, the issues around fisheries 
and climate to lead again with science and rely on the experts 
in the Department. I think it is a very big role for NOAA to 
play in the blue economy, but also as we meet the challenges of 
climate.
    Senator Schatz. Great. And I just encourage you, especially 
given what happened with the previous regime, to lock into 
whatever extent possible, a scientific integrity policy which 
doesn't swing back and forth depending on who the President may 
be. I want to pivot to the census, and I think I know the 
answer to this question, but I think it is important for the 
record, are you going to give the Census Bureau adequate time 
to compile and review apportionment and redistricting data?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes I, like you, I know from yesterday's 
conversation, I believe that we need to take the politics out 
of the Census, and we need to rely on the experts. The experts 
and statisticians in the Census Bureau are top notch. So I, 
once confirmed, intend to rely on them. And if they advise that 
more time is necessary, then I am going to follow the lead of 
their expertise.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you. We briefly spoke yesterday about 
the potential for aquaculture. I know your home state has a 
growing aquaculture industry, and Senator Wicker and I have 
legislation along those lines. As Secretary, will you work with 
Senator Wicker and myself and other members of the Committee to 
enact and implement bipartisan legislation to develop a 
responsible national aquaculture framework?
    Ms. Raimondo. I would embrace that opportunity to work with 
you and your other colleagues. We here have used aquaculture 
successfully for oysters. I know there are different issues as 
it relates to finfish, but, yes, I would look forward to 
working with you.
    Senator Schatz. Great. And you talked a little bit about a 
place-based economic development. Senator Thune and I authored, 
and it was signed into law, a law called the Native Act, which 
was bipartisan and is designed to strengthen native tourism and 
empower local communities to tell their own story. You know, 
Brand USA is important. Destination marketing is important. But 
a lot of the best opportunities for economic development are 
for small towns and cities and tribes and native communities to 
tell their own story.
    And increasingly, that is what tourists want. The 
unfortunate fact is that even though the bill was enacted, it 
was never implemented by the previous Commerce Department 
Secretary. And I would like your commitment simply to implement 
the law and to consult with us as we go along.
    Ms. Raimondo. Absolutely, yes.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you. And finally, as you know, 
Congress allocated $1 billion to NTIA to fund broadband on 
tribal lands. Do you commit to establishing a fast and fair 
review process so that this money can be immediately deployed 
to help unconnected students and individuals during this 
pandemic?
    Ms. Raimondo. I commit to you and all of your colleagues, 
because a number of you had brought it up, to move that as 
expeditiously, transparently, and effectively as possible. I do 
believe that broadband is a lifesaving and to many people 
living in rural and tribal lands don't have it. So, yes, I will 
prioritize it and get going quickly.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you very much.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Schatz. Senator Cruz.

                  STATEMENT OF HON. TED CRUZ, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM TEXAS

    Senator Cruz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, 
congratulations on your nomination. Welcome. In recent years, 
the United States has successfully used economic pressure to 
prevent the People's Republic of China from exploiting American 
technology to carry out human rights abuses. This is an area 
the previous Administration was particularly active in. 
Governor, should you be confirmed, can you please describe the 
role you envision for the Department of Commerce in these 
efforts, especially as that role relates to export and import 
controls?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. So as I said earlier, China's 
actions have been anti-competitive, hurtful to American workers 
and businesses coercive. And as you point out, you know, they 
are culpable for atrocious human rights abuses. So whether it 
is the entities list or tariffs or countervailing duties, I 
intend to use all those tools to the fullest extent possible to 
level the playing field for the American worker.
    I believe in free trade, but fair trade. Americans can 
compete if the rules are fair and the playing field is level. 
And I believe my job, should I be confirmed, is to increase the 
competitiveness for the American worker and companies, 
especially small businesses. President Biden has said that we 
are going to step back and have a whole of Government approach 
as it relates to the threat of China. And of course, I will 
play my role on that team.
    Senator Cruz. Well, as you noted, the Department of 
Commerce maintains the entity list, which is foreign parties 
that engage in activities contrary to U.S. National Security. 
And in 2019, I led an effort to add to that list companies the 
Chinese Communist Party has used to carry out their 
surveillance campaigns of Uyghurs and other oppressive 
activities. And I introduced legislation mandating that some of 
those companies be listed, the Tiananmen Act. And in the fall 
of 2019 and in 2020, the Trump Administration did so, adding 
batches of Chinese technology companies to the entities list. 
Can you commit, if confirmed, that those companies will remain 
on the BIS entities list?
    Ms. Raimondo. I will commit to working with you on that, 
and I certainly agree with you that the entities list is a 
powerful tool in the Commerce Secretary's toolkit to shore up 
American National Security.
    Senator Cruz. Well, let me ask you about Huawei in 
particular. Can you commit that Huawei will remain on the list?
    Ms. Raimondo. I will commit that once, should I be 
confirmed, and I am there, I will review the policy, consult 
with you, consult with industry, consult with our allies and 
make an assessment as to what's best for American national and 
economic security.
    Senator Cruz. Well, I will say there is chatter in 
Washington that the Biden Administration is contemplating going 
easy on China and removing companies from the entities list. I 
certainly hope that does not happen because I think that would 
be profoundly contrary to the National Security interests of 
the United States. The Department of Commerce's mandate and its 
mission is to create conditions for economic growth and 
opportunity. The Department of Commerce's job is to advocate 
for commerce, to advocate for jobs.
    I will say I am certainly concerned that in the Biden 
Administration, the Commerce Department will not have that as 
its priority. President Biden has named you as a member of the 
interagency working group on the social cost of greenhouse 
gases. In what Federal statute does the Department of Commerce 
find legal authority to promulgate rules concerning greenhouse 
gases?
    Ms. Raimondo. That is a good question. I am not certain, 
but I will tell you that President Biden asks me to serve on 
his team in a capacity to help American workers compete or to 
fight climate change, then I obviously will be a key player on 
that team.
    Senator Cruz. So, Governor, your current job as Governor of 
Rhode Island, as you know, in 2019, CNBC did its annual 
rankings of the states that are friendly to business, and the 
state of Rhode Island came out 50th, dead last, the worst state 
in the union for businesses. Given that record, how are the 
American people--what reassurances can you give the American 
people that your performance at Commerce would be better than 
the state of Rhode Island has done in terms of creating an 
environment where jobs are plentiful?
    Ms. Raimondo. When I ran for Governor, Rhode Island had the 
highest unemployment rate in the country. And just prior to 
COVID, we had the lowest unemployment rate in our state's 
history and the most jobs in our state's history. When I ran, 
we were 50 out of 50 on Business Insider's ranking and a couple 
of years into my term, we were 26th. So my record is clear that 
we have created thousands of jobs for the people of Rhode 
Island and I look forward to fighting for the American worker, 
should I be confirmed.
    Senator Cruz. And final question, should you be confirmed, 
last week President Biden signed an Executive Order canceling 
the Keystone pipeline, destroying 11,000 jobs, including 8,000 
union jobs. If you were confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, 
what would you say to those 11,000 construction workers whose 
jobs have been destroyed by the stroke of a pen? And what would 
you say to them?
    Ms. Raimondo. I would say we are going to get you to work. 
I would say that climate change is a threat to all of us and 
that we will make sure that you have jobs, that you have the 
skills you need to have a job. And by the way, as we meet the 
needs of climate change, there will be many more jobs created, 
good paying jobs, union jobs. And should I be the Commerce 
Secretary, I will fight every single day for every American to 
have a decent paying job and a chance to compete.
    Senator Cruz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Cruz. Senator Markey, we 
have heard an awful lot from New England already today. Would 
you like to just yield back your time?
    [Laughter.]

               STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD MARKEY, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS

    Senator Markey. Well, this is a great game, Mr. Chairman. 
The Bay State and the Ocean State, we agree on a lot of issues 
and we are small in numbers, but we are mighty on policies. And 
Governor Raimondo is a perfect example of someone who is just 
an incredible leader on issues that make her state cutting edge 
in just so many areas. And I would like to if I could begin, 
Governor, by taking two subjects I usually raise in committees 
with Senator Wicker, and that is telecommunications and climate 
change. And we are going to need programs and I am going to be 
introducing legislation toward this effect in order to protect 
our telecommunications networks, our fiber optic networks, and 
harden them against the impact of climate change. So I am 
asking you whether or not you would work with me toward the 
goal of putting together the programs that will help to ensure 
that that infrastructure gets protected from the inevitability 
of the climate change that is already built into our 
atmosphere?
    Ms. Raimondo. It would be my honor to work with you. I have 
long admired your leadership in this area. And yes, I would 
look forward to that.
    Senator Markey. Thank you. In the most recent relief bill, 
the one that we passed right at the end of 2020, we were able 
to include $300 million for relief for the fishing industry, 
something that you are very familiar with. So I would love to 
hear your views on how quickly, expeditiously that funding can 
get out into the hands of the fishing industry in all of its 
various manifestations.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. I know you are very 
committed to the fishermen in your state. We have talked about 
it, and like you, I come from a state with thousands of 
fishermen. Should I be confirmed, I will assess that very 
quickly and make sure that it is distributed as expeditiously 
as possible. The fishermen are struggling like so many others 
right now, and we need to do our best to get the money out the 
door quickly and effectively and transparently.
    Senator Markey. Thank you. And NOAA is just such a critical 
agency in terms of protecting our country against the impact of 
climate change. And I have a number of pieces of legislation. 
One, with Senator Sullivan, the Ocean Research Act to designate 
funding for critical research on ocean acidification. I have a 
Climate Change Education Act so that NOAA could study and 
dispense grants on key climate health and jobs related issues. 
So would you, if confirmed, would you work with me on those 
issues on climate health and marine science priorities?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I would look forward to working with 
you.
    Senator Markey. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. And the 
Nation's first Federal fisheries lab was established at Woods 
Hole, Massachusetts, in 1871, 150 years ago. The Northeast 
Fisheries Science Center is an invaluable part of Massachusetts 
fishery and science community. So, Governor, would you commit 
that NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center will remain in 
Massachusetts?
    Ms. Raimondo. Senator, I deeply admire your advocacy on 
this issue. I think you have brought it up with me every time 
we have spoken. And should I be confirmed, I will commit to 
look into that and work with you on it.
    Senator Markey. Well, I thank you for that. And again, I 
would like to ask you to come and visit at Woods Hole so that 
we can show you the incredible work that is being done right 
there on all these fishery issues as well. And I would also ask 
you, Governor, if you would consider adding additional NOAA 
facilities and capacity in New Bedford and in other areas of 
Massachusetts in order to provide the on-the-ground expertise 
on fishing, offshore wind and other issues important to 
Massachusetts communities?
    Ms. Raimondo. I would look forward to coming to Wood Hole 
and to New Bedford and exploring that with you.
    Senator Markey. And I appreciate very much. Obviously, 
workers, fishermen have been under enormous stress over this 
past year and before. And so I look forward to working with 
you. I think you are going to be a great Secretary of Commerce. 
You bring just an incredible background that has prepared you 
for this moment in our country's history. So I thank you for 
your service to Rhode Island, and to our country in the years 
ahead. Thank you.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Markey. Senator 
Moran.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY MORAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS

    Senator Moran. Chairman Wicker, thank you. Governor 
Raimondo, thank you for being with us today. And thank you for 
the conversation we have had recently. Let me start with an 
issue for me as an appropriator. As we discussed yesterday, I 
chair the subcommittee on Appropriations that funds the 
Department of Commerce. We raised with you yesterday, and I 
want to do again today, do so again today, a couple of large, 
mission-critical, high-cost items within the Department of 
Commerce's budget. Two of the Department's largest bureaus, 
NOAA and NIST, are both facing crises as it relates to 
recapitalizing, aging and in some cases, obsolete 
infrastructure. I recently visited the NOAA Aircraft Operations 
Center where I learned about the need to recapitalize the 
agency's fleet of hurricane hunter aircraft, an effort that 
will require more than $600 million in funding before 2024.
    Likewise, earlier this year, I visited the NIST campus in 
Boulder, Colorado, and the laboratories clearly are aging, and 
they are housing some of our Nation's most premier scientists 
tasked with some of our country's most challenging issues in 
science and technology. So unfortunately, the funding crisis 
for these capital costs are often not included in the 
department's budget or in those agencies? budgets request. It 
is difficult to take things out of everyday operations and put 
them into things that are necessary for long-term benefits.
    But I would ask you if you will include and prioritize in 
the Department's budget request that we will see later this 
year and commit to testifying before our subcommittee in regard 
to these and the other appropriations items?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for 
bringing this up as you did yesterday. So first, let me say I 
certainly concur that some of the finest scientists and 
mathematicians in America are at NIST and at the Department, 
and they do deserve adequate facilities. And I will commit to 
looking into this and learning more and certainly coming back 
to you, should I be confirmed.
    Senator Moran. Governor, thank you. I raised also with you 
in our conversation something I wanted to raise again, because 
I don't know that it will be mentioned by anyone else. And I 
wouldn't expect you to be terribly knowledgeable about this 
topic. But it is a topic of fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer 
that farmers use to grow crops. It is the second most important 
fertilizer behind nitrogen. And on February 8, just a few days 
from now, Commerce is scheduled to make a final determination 
on countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco, 
which is one of our Nation's largest suppliers. Since the CBD 
investigation began, the price for those fertilizers in the 
United States has increased approximately 25 percent.
    The higher prices are being passed on to farmers, 
increasing their input costs. And it comes at an always 
challenging time for farmers and ultimately comes at a very 
challenging time for consumers. Governor, I need to highlight 
this issue and hope that in making a final determination on 
those duties on phosphate fertilizers, you will assure me that 
you will take into account the broad impact of those duties 
that they have on the agricultural economy, on input costs and 
on the consumer.
    And I would ask you to consult--I have a conversation with 
nominee, Governor Vilsack, Secretary Vilsack to have this 
conversation as well and I am going to encourage him to visit 
with you about this issue before February the 8th. I need some 
reassurance that you understand the magnitude and challenge of 
this issue for everyday farmers and ranchers in this country.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. Thank you for bringing it up. 
I know your passion for this, and I appreciate your advocacy on 
behalf of your constituents. Yes, as with all countervailing 
duties and tariffs, I understand the pain that some of these 
decisions can cause to farmers in your state. And I absolutely 
look forward to working with you and Secretary Vilsack. I 
will--a strong relationship with him generally as it relates to 
all export policies for agriculture and farmers and imports.
    Senator Moran. Two other items that I was intended to bring 
up or have been brought up by others, I would highlight them 
again for you, the Privacy Shield also has a consequence for 
data privacy that Senator Blumenthal and I, in particular, have 
worked on. And also Senator Blunt raised this morning the issue 
of 232 tariffs, and I appreciate the conversation we had on 
those. Finally, I would say, Governor, you have prioritized 
everyone's request for things that you prioritize. And so I 
would finally ask you, will you prioritize my requests over the 
priorities of other members of this committee?
    [Laughter.]
    The Chairman. Don't thank him for that question.
    Ms. Raimondo. It is probably one commitment I surely cannot 
make.
    The Chairman. Senator Baldwin is next.

               STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

    Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor 
Raimondo, as we discussed last week, I hold our Federal 
research mission in the highest regard. I think I shared that 
my grandfather who raised me was an NIH-funded researcher at 
the University of Wisconsin Madison. As Commerce Secretary, you 
will enforce the Bayh-Dole Act, which dictates how technology 
developed with Federal research dollars can be transferred to 
the private sector. Bayh-Dole retains some rights over new 
inventions for the Federal Government in order to--the public 
interest. It also includes a requirement that these cutting-
edge inventions be manufactured in the United States. At the 
very end of the Trump Administration, NIST proposed a new rule 
that would prohibit the Federal Government reasserting its 
ownership rights over an invention if a private company is 
charging too much.
    In the middle of a pandemic and a recession, it doesn't 
seem like the right time for us to limit the Government's 
ability to make products Americans need more affordable. So, in 
fact, I believe that innovations that are paid for by the 
American taxpayer should be used to improve the lives of the 
American people. Governor, will you work with me to amend or 
change those rules so we can create jobs and provide Americans 
affordable access to new cutting-edge products?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator, for bringing that up, as 
you did the other day, and, yes, I will commit to working with 
you. I will also say that in my time in the private sector as a 
venture capitalist, we worked extensively with universities 
around tech transfer. And so I do have some familiarity with 
the power of how many jobs you can create if you harness that 
sort of technology. And this is, you know, a leader in that.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. The Department of Commerce also 
has the opportunity to play an important role in ensuring that 
our Nation's infrastructure is more resilient to the effects of 
climate change and extreme weather events. In Wisconsin and 
throughout the Midwest that means infrastructure that can 
withstand severe flooding that is occurring with increased 
regularity. My bipartisan Built to Last Act would help ensure 
Federal, state, and local, and private infrastructure is more 
resilient by equipping those who develop building codes with 
the best available climate information and technical assistance 
if needed. The bill includes directives for NOAA and NIST, and 
it could be carried out by executive action. So, Governor, if 
confirmed, do I have your commitment to supporting climate 
resilient infrastructure, including efforts like those in my 
bipartisan Built to Last Act?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. I look forward to learning more 
about what is in the bill specifically. But certainly I, and 
again, I am a Governor of a coastal state. We are uniquely 
vulnerable to the harms of climate change. I understand the 
value of shoring up our infrastructure and, you know, look 
forward to working with you on the issue.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. In 2013, I successfully worked 
to reopen the process at NOAA that allows states to nominate 
their nationally significant marine areas for Federal 
protection as national marine sanctuaries. And Wisconsin has 
nominated an area of Lake Michigan. This proposal required and 
garnered tremendous local support and a wide range of 
stakeholders have worked together for years to plan and 
advocate for, to protect and celebrate this really remarkable 
resource. Do you support the mission of NOAA's Marine Sanctuary 
Program? And if confirmed, would you ensure that the pending 
designation process for the Wisconsin Marine Sanctuary moves 
forward without delay?
    Ms. Raimondo. So thank you for bringing this up and for 
advocating. You know, I do support the process and I will 
assure you I will look into the details of that and move it 
forward to the best of my abilities.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Baldwin. Senator Sullivan.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

    Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Governor, I 
appreciated our opportunity to have a good discussion on a 
number of critical issues yesterday, so thanks for your time. 
And I am going to follow up on some of those in my remarks. One 
thing that I didn't get to ask you about was this issue that 
you highlighted in your testimony today which I watched, and I 
thought was very powerful, good paying jobs and the story about 
your dad losing a job. I think that is going to be critical as 
we are in this recession. And to be honest, one of the things I 
am worried about, we have had a huge development in America 
with regard to the energy sector.
    This is everything, renewables, clean energy, oil, gas, 
where we have become the dominant player in the world. Pretty 
remarkable. Almost everybody thinks that is a good thing to be 
the superpower of energy again, all of the above energy. And it 
definitely produces millions of good jobs. It has reduced 
greenhouse gas emissions with the revolution in natural gas 
spreads, stretched budgets for families. But one concern I 
have, I am having a hard time finding anyone in the Biden, 
incoming Biden cabinet who will be an advocate for a strong 
energy sector in America. This, to me, seems like a very basic, 
non-controversial proposition and in fact, out of the gate, 
some of the Biden Administration's moves seem to be directly 
targeted at actually killing energy sector jobs or related 
sectors.
    So can I ask you to commit to being that advocate, given 
your important position, should you be confirmed for the energy 
sector, broad based, everything, renewables, clean energy, 
wind, as you have been a leader in, but also traditional 
energy, oil and gas, and certainly not to be an advocate for 
targeting putting thousands of people out of work in the 
sector, which has already happened in the first week of the 
Obama or Biden Administration. Can I get your commitment on 
that?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. Thank you for your time 
yesterday. Obviously as Commerce Secretary, I will not be 
playing a primary role on President Biden's team as it relates 
to energy policy. But I will do everything within my power to 
help create jobs for American people. And as it relates to 
NOAA, I think that as Commerce Secretary, should I be 
confirmed, I will have the opportunity to help create thousands 
of jobs with offshore wind in particular.
    Senator Sullivan. Let me--well, I appreciate that. I just 
want to make sure that again there shouldn't be discrimination 
against good paying jobs, and I am starting to feel that there 
is. And we shouldn't have that in our country, particularly as 
we are in a recession. Let me talk and again, I really 
appreciated our opportunities to chat yesterday. I just want to 
get your commitments that we talked about. You know, having 
broad based sustainable fisheries is going to be critical for 
America. You will be the leader in this if confirmed overseeing 
NOAA.
    As I mentioned yesterday, over two-thirds, almost two-
thirds of all fish harvested in the United States come from 
Alaska. So we are the superpower of seafood. No offense to my 
colleague, Senator Scott, who is sitting right next to me from 
Florida. But can I get your commitment to work with me on 
surveys, on data to make sure the United States and my state 
continue to have the most sustainable, best managed fisheries 
in the world?
    Ms. Raimondo. So first, let me say that in my state, we 
have over 4,000 people who make a living commercial fishing, 
and they have for generations. They did, their father, their 
grandfather did. And I understand how important that part of 
the economy is in your state. And you have a strong commitment 
to work closely with you on making sure that the surveys and 
the stock assessments, etcetera, are fact-based, science based, 
and we really take into account the needs and concerns of the 
fishermen and the stakeholders in your state.
    Senator Sullivan. Well, I appreciate that. And I 
appreciated your discussion of your own background on 
fisheries. I think that is going to be critical if confirmed as 
you come into this role. Finally on an area that we talked 
about yesterday, and I will have more questions for the record 
to submit. But on the healthy oceans, can you commit to working 
with me and other members of the Senate in a bipartisan way on 
the implementation of the Save Our Seas 2.0, which Senator 
Whitehouse and I were able to get over the goal line and signed 
by President Trump in December, which will--Congressional 
researchers call it the most comprehensive ocean cleanup 
legislation ever to come out of the Congress. A lot of the 
implementation that will be under your leadership if confirmed.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, absolutely.
    Senator Sullivan. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator. Thank you very much, 
Senator Sullivan. Before I recognize Senator Peters, let me say 
we have 11 members who have not yet asked questions, 13 members 
have asked questions, and we have a vote at noon, which we will 
work through. But I do ask members to stick very closely to the 
5-minute rule. Senator Peters.

                STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN

    Senator Peters. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Governor 
Raimondo, it is certainly great to see you and congratulations 
on your nomination and your willingness to serve in this 
capacity. Certainly, I enjoyed our opportunity to talk at 
length on a number of these issues prior to this meeting. And 
among the many things that I learned, I was very pleased to 
know your very strong family connections to the state of 
Michigan from your husband and all of your in-laws up in Mount 
Pleasant, Michigan.
    And those Michigan roots that you have in your family are 
wonderful and happy to hear that. And I also appreciate it, and 
you have said, you have talked about the story again in today's 
hearing about your father's struggles related to manufacturing 
and the need for us to make sure that we have a strong 
manufacturing sector in this country. I know it is something 
that you feel very passionate about. And if this pandemic has 
taught us anything, it is that our domestic manufacturing and 
that our supply chains are vulnerable because we have not 
prioritized and coordinated manufacturing policy at the Federal 
level in a way that we should.
    I believe you can't be a great country if you don't 
actually make things. And in order to do that, we need to lean 
in. Given the fact that although we have 58 different 
manufacturing programs within the Federal Government, they are 
spread out over 11 different Federal agencies. There is 
duplication, there is wasted resources and there isn't a 
singular vote. And when we talked earlier, I talked about 
legislation that I have proposed to create a National Institute 
of Manufacturing that would give that unified voice and that 
coordinated strategy that some of our main competitors, like 
South Koreans and Germany, are engaged in, to allow us to 
compete effectively. It would establish a chief manufacturing 
officer, require a national strategic plan for manufacturing, 
and elevate National Manufacturing Council, something that has 
been basically defunct over the last 4 years under the Trump 
Administration, build out the manufacturing.gov is one stop hub 
for small and medium manufacturers to get additional help to 
make sure that their businesses are as successful as possible, 
as well as create a national institute.
    So my question for you Governor is, if confirmed as 
Secretary, will you commit with this committee and with me to 
elevate manufacturing policy generally, perhaps speak to that, 
as well as strengthening our industrial sector by addressing 
some of the items that I brought up?
    Ms. Raimondo. So thank you for that question. I will 
wholeheartedly commit to, should I be confirmed, using all of 
the strength and tools of the Commerce Department to do 
everything I can to bolster manufacturing. As I said, it is 
important to me. It is how I was raised. I have worked very 
closely as my time as Governor with the Rhode Island 
manufacturers and would look forward to working closely with 
you as well.
    Senator Peters. Well, thank you for that. One of the big 
challenges facing smaller manufacturing industries and domestic 
producers is unfair trade from foreign Governments. We have an 
issue in Michigan with our cherry growers. So we are cherry 
capital USA, our tart cherry producers, but they are facing 
significant, unfair trade from Turkey that has had a 
significant negative impact on their ability to produce. And 
quite frankly, it is an existential threat.
    I have introduced legislation to empower the Commerce 
Department to be more actively engaged in self initiating 
enforcement actions to help smaller manufacturers, smaller 
producers like cherry growers. In Michigan, we have cherry 
growers who are facing this competition. And in order to fight 
back, they had to raise millions of dollars to take the case 
forward. These are small growers that don't have the money to 
put up to do that because they are struggling just to keep 
their operation functioning and they really need a partner. And 
I certainly believe that the Federal Government can be that 
partner for those industries that can't hire an army of lawyers 
and economists to fight these trade actions.
    I am working on legislation, self-initiation legislation 
with Senator Burr, a bipartisan basis and certainly, if 
confirmed, would love to have your commitment to work on how we 
strengthen our ability to push back on unfair foreign 
competition for our small industries, small manufacturers, and 
others that are being impacted by this activity.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you for bringing it up. You brought it 
up the other day. I hear your passion to stick up for the 
cherry industry. Absolutely will work with you. Will also 
commit to making Commerce more accessible to the small 
companies and farmers and work with Secretary Vilsack to do 
that. I think, as I told you every year on his birthday, I make 
my husband a cherry cake with Michigan cherry. So on this one, 
you had me at hello.
    Senator Peters. Well, that is wonderful, Governor. Thank 
you for your answers.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Peters. Senator 
Blackburn.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE

    Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, thank 
you for your time yesterday in order to work through some of 
these questions. I do appreciate the time that you gave me on 
the phone. And I appreciate some of your comments that you 
made. I know that a lot of people have focused on the seas and 
fisheries, but instead of the high waves I am going to take 
you, or the high seas, I am going to take you up there to 
spectrum. And let's look at the utilization of spectrum. And of 
course, the NTIA and their positioning in making certain that 
they are properly managing broadband, they are properly 
managing spectrum by the Federal Government. So we talked a 
little bit about 5G yesterday and having that 5G 
telecommunications network. And so a simple yes or no for the 
record. Do you or do you not support nationalization of a 5G 
telecommunications network?
    Ms. Raimondo. I do not. I share your concerns about a 
nationalized 5G network.
    Senator Blackburn. Thank you. I appreciate that. Let's look 
at the broadband mapping. We talked a little bit about the 
importance of getting rural America online and connected. And 
mapping is a big part of this. You have the 477 maps that FCC 
and NTIA have worked to complete. And so how do you plan to 
leverage the national broadband availability map in making 
policy recommendations for rural Internet access, putting a 
distinction between those areas that are unserved and 
underserved?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. So first, let me just say 
I look forward to working with you and learning from you on 
this, and you have my commitment to prioritize underserved 
areas, including rural and tribal areas. I have heard for the 
past 10 months from many Governors, Republican and Democrat 
alike, all across America, about how many of their citizens 
don't have access to broadband, which means they can't go to 
school, go to the doctor to sign up for a vaccine. I commit to 
having a strong NTIA, a spectrum strategy, looking at the maps, 
looking at ways to share spectrum, looking at ways to find 
spectrum to be available so that we can close the digital 
divide. It is not a luxury good. I mean, people, everybody 
deserves access to broadband.
    Senator Blackburn. If I may, you use putting the emphasis 
on underserved. What we need to do and have to do is put the 
emphasis on unserved areas, those that have nothing. What got 
the Federal Government, I think, quite frankly, into a little 
bit of a problem during the Obama and Biden stimulus, was they 
allowed underserved. That is why you have some cities that have 
a gig and right outside that city limit, you have nothing. So, 
Governor, I would just highlight with you that is a very 
important distinction. And we need to prioritize these unserved 
areas because you cannot, as we discussed yesterday, have 
access to 21st century economic development, health care, 
education, or law enforcement without access to high-speed 
Internet. Privacy Shield, we talked a little bit about Privacy 
Shield yesterday. So how do you plan to continue the Privacy 
Shield negotiations with the Europeans?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. As I said, I understand that 
Privacy Shield is necessary for many companies, especially 
small companies who rely upon transfers of data. So I intend 
to, should I be confirmed, prioritize finalizing the 
negotiations so we have a successor agreement that enables 
these businesses to conduct their business.
    Senator Blackburn. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Blackburn. Governor 
Raimondo, Senator Blackburn hammers home a very important 
point. There is $1.3 billion in broadband grants, $1 billion 
for tribal areas, $300 million for broadband deployment in 
unserved areas. We absolutely have to make sure that money is 
devoted to unserved, absolutely unserved areas and make sure 
that those funds are not used to overbuild areas that already 
have some service. So I am glad we have re-emphasized that 
point again. Senator Duckworth, you are recognized.

              STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY DUCKWORTH, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS

    Senator Duckworth. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, 
Governor Raimondo. Congratulations on your nomination. I 
enjoyed speaking with you last week, and I am confident that 
your executive experience working with business to grow the 
economy in your home state of Rhode Island will prepare you 
well to lead the Commerce Department. In my view, I think 
Commerce is one of the more underrated departments in the 
Federal Government. And with strong leadership and robust 
funding, Commerce could play a critical role in helping 
American manufacturers, small business owners, and 
entrepreneurs commercialize products, reach new customers, and 
hire even more workers. I am going to turn my volume up just a 
little bit. Sorry about this.
    On that note, I wanted to know how we can do to promote 
American innovation, supporting long neglected communities and 
leveling the playing field for U.S. Companies competing with 
foreign competitors. There are three programs in particular I 
would like to discuss with you, which we did talk about when we 
met last week. First, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 
One of the most pivotal programs overseen by a Commerce is the 
MEP. My state partner organization with the MEP network, IMEC, 
delivers incredible value to Illinois small businesses and 
manufacturers by helping improve their operations, implement 
long term strategy, commercialize their products, and grow 
their companies. And last year, IMEC helped small businesses in 
my state weather the COVID-19 crisis and assist others at a 
very critical moment in our fight against a pandemic. For 
instance, when a company in Bensenville wanted to remake some 
of its products to help first responders, health care workers, 
service members and service providers to decontaminate N-95 
masks quickly, they turned to IMEC to make sure that they were 
fully compliant with available guidance and working with the 
right Government partners in the fight against COVID.
    Now, I know you have the same success story in Rhode Island 
itself. Your own Polaris MEP helped connect your state with a 
nearby manufacturing company to produce vitally needed PPE 
gowns last year. And I imagine you share my confusion when you 
heard that the Trump Administration in every single budget has 
sought to eliminate all Federal funding for a MEP, not once but 
in every single budget that they have put forward. Seeking to 
eliminate MEP which is enthusiastically supported by Democratic 
and Republican members alike, may have been one of the most 
short-sighted and unbelievable proposals that Trump 
Administration sent up the Hill.
    I was pleased to join a broad bipartisan majorities in 
Congress on multiple occasions to not only reject Trump's 
effort to gut the MEP program, but to go further and increasing 
funding for Fiscal Year 2021. Governor Raimondo, can you 
describe your experience working with MEP as Governor of Rhode 
Island and provide your commitment to work with me and 
championing even greater Federal investment in IMEC, Polaris 
MEP and the entire MEP national network?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. Yes, I have had a 
fantastic experience here in Rhode Island with our MEP program 
and I am a strong supporter of the MEP program. President Biden 
has said he would like to have it expanded, which is something 
I support. I think I have been clear today that, should 
confirmed, I would like to be a champion for the American 
worker, but American manufacturers and do everything I can, 
including executing MEP to expand the industry, promote 
innovation, and help be a leader in manufacturing.
    Senator Duckworth. Thank you. Would you also show the same 
support for the EDA, Economic Development Administration, the 
EDA program, especially on prioritizing President Biden's 
proposal to establish a new EDA division focused on helping 
disadvantaged communities get ahead? And will you help my 
office with some technical assistance to help us codify this 
effort into law to ensure that it lasts through successive 
Administrations?
    Ms. Raimondo. Should I be confirmed, I will make sure you 
have full access to me and all the tools in the department to 
work with you on that. And again, as Governor, I see how 
powerful EDA can be in a community for economic development, 
and I would look forward to leading with you in that area, in 
your state and every state.
    Senator Duckworth. Thank you. And my colleague from 
Michigan, Senator Peters, just talked about the cherry wars 
with the country of Turkey. And you and I chatted a little bit 
about steel dumping and how desperately needed the Department 
of Commerce is when it comes to businesses trying to settle 
trade disputes. If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, how will 
you prioritize trade enforcement and work with other agencies 
to combat circumvention of our Nation's trade laws through 
practices like the transshipping of goods, while providing 
small businesses with confidence that their interests will be 
aggressively represented in the trade remedy process? By the 
time that they can bring their own case, they are out of 
business and bankrupt. They need your help.
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I understand that. As I said, I think 
the American worker can compete if the rules are fair, and I 
will enforce to the fullest extent possible the rules that 
Commerce has to protect American workers and businesses, with 
special eye to smaller businesses that struggle, as you say.
    Senator Duckworth. Would you consider having someone within 
your office like a trade czar or somebody who would head up 
that effort when it comes to trade disagreements?
    Ms. Raimondo. You mentioned that the other day. I think it 
is a very interesting idea and I look forward to learning more 
about it.
    Senator Duckworth. Thank you. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Senator Capito.

            STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, 
                U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA

    Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, 
Ranking Member Cantwell. Thank you, Governor, for being not 
only nominated, but thank you for your testimony and 
willingness to speak to me as it seems like you have spoken to 
everybody, which is incredible. Last week I enjoyed our 
conversation. We talked about some of the same issues that many 
people have brought up. I am going to go to the EDA, first of 
all. You and I talked about how the EDA's presence in your 
state of Rhode Island and I have talked about how impactful and 
what a growing impact EDA has had in our states.
    But I do have a question in terms of the President's 
proposed stimulus recommends an additional $3 billion for EDA. 
And I value and respect the focus of that. I have great 
concerns about an agency that has an annual budget of $330 
million to be able to absorb not just the $3 billion that he is 
proposing, but also the $1.5 billion that we put in with the 
CARES Act. So how would you propose to be able to meet that 
capacity, a challenge I think the EDA would have, to make sure 
that the money is being spent not only in--not just throw it 
out, but also making sure that it is targeted, well spent, and 
efficiently spent? Do you have any ideas on that?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. So first, let me say, as we 
rebuild post-COVID, I believe that the EDA can and needs to 
play a very strong and important role in the rebuilding to help 
Americans get back to work in their communities. Second, I 
understand your concern. I have been Governor for 6 years, a 
public executive for 10 years. Implementation matters and I 
have a strong track record of good management, transparency, 
and implementation.
    And what I will say to you is I understand the concern. It 
is obviously very valid. I need to get in the job, and be 
confirmed, and we will come back to you with your permission to 
have a discussion about, you know, whether there are any 
additional resources needed in EDA in order to effectively 
implement such a large infusion.
    Senator Capito. I would welcome that. I think that would be 
wise and I think that would be a great way to address the 
challenge. I am going to switch over to NTIA and I know some 
others have asked you about this, but we talked about broadband 
in your state. You have more urban broadband issues. We have a 
lot of rural broadband. Certainly this committee has done a lot 
of work in this. But one of the areas that we have really 
fallen short is on the mapping situation. Who really is served 
and to what degree are they served and what can we do to more 
accurately deploy the Federal resources to those that it is 
intended for, the unserved and underserved?
    And so I would just encourage you, West Virginia was one of 
the first eight states to be in the broadband mapping. There 
are now 22 states that are in there. They are using state 
resources as well, because you can't just rely on the providers 
to tell you where they are serving or just one state entity, I 
think you--or Federal entity. I think you need an all hands-on 
deck approach. And I know this is important to you for your 
state. Do you have any other perspectives on how we can get to 
that broadband mapping accurately when we see the urgency the 
pandemic has brought for broadband deployment?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. I share your urgency on this. And 
as I have said, it is lifesaving. People need access to 
broadband to go to the doctor, to go to school, to have a job. 
So I will commit to prioritizing it and also to engaging 
stakeholders. I have learned in my time as Governor that if you 
talk to people on the ground, companies, constituencies, 
individuals, you have a better assessment of the challenges on 
the ground and therefore, you know, better able to meet their 
needs.
    Senator Capito. I think that is a great approach. Sounds 
like a good Governor approach to me at the same time. And last, 
I will just mention as I did to you, our NOAA facility that we 
are very proud of in Fairmont. We do a lot of supercomputing 
there. We also have the Enterprise Security Operations Center, 
which it does a lot of cybersecurity. You can imagine a lot of 
the data that is collected, and the satellite sphere is very 
important to our National Security, but also to our homeland 
security in terms of protecting life and property, in terms of 
being able to not just predict, but be able to front-run 
certain kinds of what would potentially be weather disasters or 
other things.
    So I would just, I mentioned to you, I invite you to come 
to Fairmont on your confirmation and to see the NOAA facility 
and see where the great folks in Fairmont could be more helpful 
and use that expertise that they, combined with the educational 
centers, to be able to enlarge their presence. And my time is 
done, and I listen to what my Chairman says, and he says, stick 
to the time. So, thank you very much.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Capito. Senator Tester.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Senator Tester. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, both 
Chairmen as a matter of fact, and I want to thank you Governor 
for being here. I come to you a bit blurry today, and I am not 
even in Montana. I am in D.C., which brings me to broadband.
    The Chairman. I am actually seeing double here on the 
screen.
    Senator Tester. Yes, I know, I know. Just, close one eye 
and it will be better. So I want to talk broadband a little 
bit, Governor. There--it is a four-or five-legged stool with 
the FCC, Rural Development, USDA, and NTIA. I think that is an 
incredible challenge and getting what many of the questions 
have talked about and getting broadband built into unserved 
areas.
    Tell me what your--tell me if you thought about this, 
number one. And number two, do you have some ideas on how to 
get the different agencies to work as one? I, quite frankly, 
think we ought to put it into one. And I know there is some 
difficulties in doing that, but it is really tough to have 
accountability when you have four different agencies doing the 
same thing.
    Ms. Raimondo. So thank you for this, and I just again want 
to reiterate that this will be a strong focus of mine because I 
know it is a problem on tribal lands, rural, you know, 
everywhere. And I have learned in my time as Governor a bit 
about how to break down silos in Government. It is difficult, 
but I believe it is possible if we have a shared goal, as we 
will in this instance. It is bipartisan. It is necessary.
    We need to break down the silos and come together to 
achieve that goal. And I will just commit to you that I will 
lead on the issue and also collaborate, as you say, with the 
FCC, with other areas of Government in order to make sure we 
deliver for the American people. The American people don't care 
about our silos and bureaucracy. They want us to deliver and 
that is what I will work on.
    Senator Tester. Well, I appreciate that. And just to show 
how effective you are, I am now in focus. So that is incredible 
work Governor already and you are not even confirmed. Look, in 
Montana, the wood products industry is really an important 
industry. It creates a lot of jobs, provides lumber for 
building homes and corrals and everything else. The duties on 
softwood lumber, I would hope you would maintain that where 
they are now, because it is fair and it offers full opportunity 
for forest management and creation of jobs across Montana, 
across the West, you know, across the whole country. Maine is 
also there. I am sure Michigan and other places are too.
    So I appreciate you doing that. And I want to talk about 
the Census just really quickly, because it is generally 
believed that because of the pandemic and because of this 
Administration's inability to get things right, the census 
numbers are not right. And I was wondering if you have any 
ideas on how to address that? I will tell you that I think it 
is a challenge in rural America and it is a particular 
challenge in any country where the pandemic hit them very, very 
hard. Do you have any ideas on how to, after the fact, try to 
get these numbers accurate?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, I appreciate that. And I have worked 
hard here to make sure everybody is counted. As I said, first, 
let's take the politics out. And second, you have to listen to 
the experts. So I look forward to being confirmed, getting in 
the seat, and really rolling up my sleeves and listening to the 
experts and relying on, in the Census Department, relying on 
their assessment and evaluation as to how accurate the data is. 
And if they need more time, then certainly open to that.
    Senator Tester. Well, just to give you a data point. In 
Blackfeet, the self-response rate was 29 percent. And I think 
it is pretty similar that across the large land-based tribes in 
this country. And so there is a lot of work to do. Very 
quickly, because I have only got a minute and 20 seconds. China 
has been brought up a number of times. You have talked about 
your philosophy of free but fair trade. I think this 
Administration has botched up the relationships with trade with 
China by, quite frankly, trying to go it alone.
    And I don't think you can do that. I think not only has the 
United States been impacted by China's currency manipulation 
and other things, but other countries are too. Can you give me 
an idea on how you are going to deal with China? Because they 
are not going to change unless they are forced to change. And 
just to stand up at a podium and scream and holler about how 
unfair things are, is not going to get it done.
    And so can you tell me what your plan for China is going to 
be as far as this country and other countries and what your 
recommendations to Biden and the Biden Administration are going 
to be when it comes to China?
    Ms. Raimondo. So, first of all, I would say we cannot 
underestimate the threat. Second of all, it has to require a 
whole of Government response. And I will play my role in that 
if confirmed. Third, I agree with you that we need to work with 
our allies, and we need to be very serious because it is not 
fair what is happening to American workers.
    Senator Tester. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Tester. Senator Johnson.

                STATEMENT OF HON. RON JOHNSON, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

    Senator Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, 
Governor. Let me start out by apologizing if I ask you 
questions that you have already covered. I did chair a business 
meeting on the consideration of Ale Mayorka's nomination, which 
was reported favorably on the floor. So I apologize up front. I 
do want to cover Section 230 and the power of the social media 
companies. Let me just first start by asking you, do you 
believe that social media companies have amassed too much 
power, both commercially as well as from a standpoint of media 
and a role in censorship? Let's start just commercially, their 
ability to just the platform businesses without any kind of 
recourse.
    Ms. Raimondo. Well, I believe in competition and innovation 
and as it relates to social media companies, I think they need 
to be held accountable for what they put on their platform. We 
need responsible online discourse and platform accountability.
    Senator Johnson. That didn't really answer the question, do 
you believe they have become too powerful? Do you think the 
Federal Government does need to step in and take some kind of 
action as it is unclear what that action really should be?
    Ms. Raimondo. That is an issue that I think I would leave 
to Congress and the FTC, but as I said, I believe in 
competition and I think that it is important that we look at 
the social media companies in that regard.
    Senator Johnson. They are really, from my standpoint, two 
components of Section 230, liability protection. One is 
protection from what people load onto your platform. The other 
one is in what they call their moderation policies. One thing I 
think I have proposed is leave in place the liability 
protection on what people load onto your platform. But really 
take a serious look at removing the liability protection for 
the fact that you maybe don't have transparent policies and how 
you do censor, how you do moderate, what your moderation 
policies are. Would you agree with that approach?
    Ms. Raimondo. I would agree that we need some reform in 
Section 230, and I would look forward to working with you on 
that. I know you are a leader in this area, and I would use, if 
confirmed, use the resources at NTIA to convene stakeholders, 
convene industry, consult you and other Members of Congress to 
figure out the details of that reform.
    Senator Johnson. Well, there is an interesting article in 
The Wall Street Journal written by Andy Kessler today where he 
shares my concern that if Congress gets involved in this, 
chances are we will probably do more harm than good. But one of 
his proposals really was to end anonymity.
    When you have people being able to hop onto these social 
platforms completely anonymous, you end up with the result we 
have. I thought is a pretty interesting proposal. What would 
you think about--the basic concept was the Facebooks, the 
Twitters of the world have to know their customers so that if 
there is incitement, if there are problems, those customers can 
be held accountable? Do you think that is something you could 
support?
    Ms. Raimondo. As I said, I think platform accountability is 
important. I have seen in my own state that misinformation 
hurts people. You know, misinformation posted anonymously or 
otherwise can hurt people. So we have to hold these companies 
accountable. We need platform accountability. But, of course, 
that reform would have to be balanced against the fact that 
these businesses rely upon user generated content for their 
innovation and they have created many thousands of jobs. So I 
think it is a complex issue. I know you are a leader in it, and 
I look forward to working with you.
    The Chairman. Senator Johnson, let's put that Wall Street 
Journal piece in the record at this point. Is there objection 
to that?
    Senator Johnson. Without objection.
    The Chairman. Without objection, it would be done.
    [The information referred to follows:]

                          Wall Street Journal

                         OPINION | INSIDE VIEW

                  Online Speech Wars Are Here to Stay

 Both left and right want to regulate social media, but their `fixes' 
                          would break the web.

               By Andy Kessler--Jan. 24, 2021 5:14 pm ET


    PHOTO: DADO RUVIC/REUTERS

    Ding dong, he's gone, but Donald Trump's bans from Facebook, 
Twitter, Google, Reddit, Snapchat, Grindr (wait, what?), Pinterest, 
TikTok and others mostly persist. Don't bans on Mr. Trump and others 
violate the First Amendment? Actually, it's private companies invoking 
their own First Amendment right to bar things they don't like. But even 
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called it ``a failure.'' That's also true of 
Parler's decapitation. Never mind that these actions seem partisan and 
hypocritical; the bans will continue until morale improves. Democrats 
may cheer but the precedent is scary--soon they'll be silencing their 
own. Vive la guillotine electronique.
    Expect the siren calls for regulation to become deafening--mostly 
focused on ``updating'' Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency 
Act, the provision that limits social-media companies' liability for 
things users say. A year ago Joe Biden said it should be ``revoked, 
immediately.'' The law states that except for illegal materials like 
child pornography, companies can host everything and employ their own 
community standards to take down what they consider offensive.
    This mess was all predicted by a comic strip (really!) in 2004, 
when only Harvard dorm residents knew about TheFacebook--and Twitter 
was two years away. John ``Gabe'' Gabriel--the alter ego of one of the 
creators of Penny Arcade, a web comic--came up with the Greater 
Internet [Jerkwad] Theory (obscenity deleted). The theory is spelled 
out on a green chalkboard: ``Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = 
Total [Jerkwad]'' while interpreters note that ``normal, well-adjusted 
people may display psychopathic or antisocial behaviors when given both 
anonymity and a captive audience on the Internet.'' It's no longer a 
theory, is it?
    In our new slushy, snowflake-soaked society, some folks are 
offended by just about anything, and are quick to deploy torches and 
pitchforks to silence and cancel anything not currently considered 
politically correct. It's worth reiterating: social media and all its 
benefits (ask small businesses) wouldn't exist without Section 230. 
Instead of hiring hundreds of thousands of coders, Facebook and Twitter 
would instead be giant law firms forever fighting lawsuits.
    Still, Facebook ran ads all fall practically begging for 
regulation. But any attempt to ``fix'' Section 230 would surely kill 
it. Legislation would be a bicameral camel--a horse designed by 
committee--trying to define community standards, hate speech, what 
``incites'' riots, what constitutes ``systemic'' racism and on and on, 
with the inevitable loopholes for certain politicians and favored 
groups.
    Lost in the hysteria of Section 230 is the fact that it doesn't 
currently stop anyone from suing social media users. But that can be 
hard since so many are anonymous or almost impossible to identify. Just 
who is @barronjohn1946? Big Tech has all the money, so it would be 
easier to sue them--but you can't.
    Twitter tried to quash the unmasking of an anonymous user, 
@whysprtech, who in 2016 had released forged FBI documents concerning 
the death of Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich. Last 
fall, courts ruled that Twitter had to release that information when 
Rich's brother wanted to sue for defamation.
    In many ways, that's the solution--end anonymity. On Wall Street 
it's called ``Know your customer'': Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat talks 
about the bank's KYC rule all the time. Goldman Sachs forgot about KYC 
when it did deals with the swindlers at 1MDB. Know your customer is 
mandated to stop money laundering. Maybe it can work for rhetoric 
laundering and put an end to Gabe's theory.
    Sure, there's value to spontaneous users speaking freely about 
everything, but no one really knows how many fake accounts spewing fake 
news exist. Truth is elusive. So why not impose know-your-customer on 
social-media companies. Facebook and Twitter don't want to know their 
customers simply because it would be expensive. Too bad. Yes, it would 
be hard and their user counts would drop, maybe halve, but advertisers 
would rejoice. It might be cheaper than today's band-aid of hiring tens 
of thousands of content moderators.
    How to do it? Require a credit card, like Apple does to use its app 
store? Maybe. A driver's license? Passport? A trip to the post office 
or DMV (yikes!) to be identified? Require showing your voter ID? Oh 
that's right, there is no voter ID. Any way you choose, identify 
posters.
    Let's face it, Twitter can be a cesspool of snark. Of course, 
that's what attracts many of us. Will that change? Maybe. But I like a 
world in which someone can be sued when he posts threatening language. 
If someone libels you, you can sue him. Post about buying zip ties and 
invading the Capitol, and the FBI knocks on your door. This would put 
an immediate damper on today's worst offenders.
    Every social-media company would complain but secretly agree with a 
know-your-customer mandate. The alternative is mindless legislators 
fatally rewriting Section 230 and vengeful swampers continuing their 
gung-ho quest to break up everything in sight.

Write to [email protected].
Appeared in the January 25, 2021, print edition.

    Senator Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In my final 
minute, I want to revisit net neutrality. I would rather not. I 
really applaud Chairman Pai and his courage against protests 
and threats of removing any types of policies that tried to 
create net neutrality, which I think would have done just the 
opposite of what net neutrality sounds like it would do. I 
haven't seen people being throttled back. I haven't seen this 
be an issue. What I have seen is continued investment in the 
Internet, which is why Chairman Pai instituted those orders. 
Where do you stand on net neutrality? I am hoping and praying 
this Administration is going to reraise that issue.
    Ms. Raimondo. I have been in favor as a Governor and I am, 
I say generally in favor of policies which create more of a 
level playing field and more equal access.
    Senator Johnson. It seems Mr. Chairman has left. Let me 
just follow up on that. Do you agree with me that it has not 
been--you know, since Chairman Pai acted, we have not seen a 
real problem in not having some of these net neutrality rules 
in place? I mean, where is the problem? Is this a solution--is 
this a solution looking for a problem?
    Ms. Raimondo. As I said, I would look forward to working 
with you on this and to, in my capacity at Commerce and to the 
extent that there are levers in the Commerce Secretary's 
Department, to work with you on the issue.
    Senator Johnson. OK. So I turn it over to Senator Sinema?
    Senator Cantwell. Yes. Senator Sinema, thank you.

               STATEMENT OF HON. KYRSTEN SINEMA, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA

    Senator Sinema. Thank you so much, Madam Chairman, and 
thanks to Governor Raimondo for joining us today. You know, 
Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the Nation and 
is a leader in creating jobs, economic growth and opportunity 
for the people of our state. The Department of Commerce's 
mission is to overcome obstacles to development and create the 
conditions for economic growth and opportunity. The Department 
achieves that goal through agencies and bureaus that focus on 
many important issues like broadband development, the census, 
and drought information. I am looking forward to working with 
my colleagues in this committee to develop bipartisan solutions 
to invest in Arizona and create the economic environment we 
need to continue to grow and succeed. Governor Raimondo, if you 
are confirmed for this important role, I look forward to 
working collaboratively to create good paying jobs and continue 
sustainable growth for all Arizona communities, from our 
largest cities to our rural and tribal areas.
    My top priority over the last year has been working with 
local, state, and Federal partners to keep Arizonans healthy 
and safe from the pandemic. Now, it has put a spotlight on the 
digital divide in this country, and I encourage the NTIA to 
play a major role in expanding broadband. As you know, the last 
COVID relief bill included new opportunities for NTIA, 
including a $300 million program to promote broadband expansion 
to unserved rural areas and a $1 billion program for tribal 
broadband. What are your plans for broadband expansion? And can 
you commit to coordinating closely with rural communities and 
tribes to ensure that this funding is utilized effectively?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. Yes, I will commit to 
working closely with you, your colleagues, rural communities 
and tribes, and listening to the rural communities and tribes 
around their needs and the challenges. Every American deserves 
access to high quality broadband. And I will use the full 
resources of NTIA, if confirmed, to lean into that issue and 
make sure we move quickly. COVID has shown that broadband can 
save lives, and everyone deserves to have it.
    Senator Sinema. I agree. You know, one of my top issues is 
increasing domestic manufacturing of semiconductors. In recent 
years, other countries, including China, have given massive 
financial incentives to semiconductor manufacturers to build 
factories offshore. This has shrunk the United States share of 
the semiconductor industry and domestic manufacturing is not 
only an economic concern. The Defense Department has identified 
a secure semiconductor supply chain as a National Security 
issue. I have been working with a bipartisan group of Senators 
to advance the CHIPS Act. Last year, we authorized the Commerce 
Department grants for semiconductor manufacturing in the 
Defense Authorization Bill, but we have more work to do. Will 
you prioritize this issue as Congress works to bring these jobs 
back to our country?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. Yes, the semiconductor industry is 
vital to American economic and National Security. And President 
Biden has been clear that we will have a whole of Government 
approach to semiconductors. And I plan to play an active role 
on his team, as you say, making sure that we have jobs for 
economic security, but also National Security issues looming 
large in this area. We need a resilient supply chain to be 
secure.
    Senator Sinema. Agreed. The accuracy of the 2020 census is 
very important to my state. Arizona is one of the fastest 
growing states in the country and we need to be sure the Census 
Bureau data is accurate. The previous Administration harmed the 
nonpartisan history of the Census Bureau through attempts to 
add a last-minute citizenship question and prohibit the 
inclusion of undocumented persons in apportionment data. Also, 
the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the ability of the Census 
Bureau to engage with Arizonans.
    So the Census Bureau will need to be transparent in 
discussing any shortfalls in the data that were collected due 
to limited operations. Can you commit to repairing the damage 
and improving relationships with historically undercounted 
communities today, ensuring accurate and cost-effective counts 
in the future?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. And you brought this up the other 
day as well. I commit to taking the politics out of Census, 
relying on expertise, and doing everything I can to rebuild 
people's trust in the Census. It needs to be accurate.
    Senator Sinema. Thank you. In my last minute, I want to 
just briefly talk about NOAA. As you are aware, the 
Southwestern United States continues to face an unprecedented 
drought, resulting in a wide range of impacts from wildfires to 
water shortages. In Arizona, we rely on water not only to brush 
our teeth and shower, but also for our economic security. And 
we are ready to work with other Western states to ensure we 
have a healthy water stead and continue to be responsible 
stewards of our water. We have got to use the best available 
science to make informed decisions. So we commit to utilizing 
and strengthening programs such as NOAA's National Integrated 
Drought Information System to help us understand and address 
the impacts of this drought.
    Ms. Raimondo. I will commit to working with you on that. I 
understand how important it is to your state.
    Senator Sinema. Thank you so much, Governor, and thanks for 
being here today. I appreciate it.
    Senator Cantwell. Senator Scott.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. RICK SCOTT, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA

    Senator Scott. Thank you. Governor, thank you for the call 
we had the other day. We had the opportunity to talk about some 
of the issues that Governors deal with. And I think it is 
positive when you see a Governor come up and serve in an 
Administration. One of the issues that we both dealt with as 
Governors is the need for job creation and the need to try to 
keep the cost of living as low as we could for families in our 
state that don't make significant amounts of money.
    I got into public service focusing on the fact that I want 
kids like me who grew up in public housing have the same 
opportunity to live the dream as everybody else. In--and so 
what you are going to be doing as Secretary of Commerce, if 
confirmed, will be very significant to helping people across 
the country make sure they have the same opportunity I had. In 
December of last year, you signed a memorandum with 
Connecticut, Massachusetts in D.C. called the Transportation 
Climate Initiative, which is going to require suppliers of gas 
and diesel fuel to buy credits to sell them as early as 2023.
    In both of our states, the median income, just a little 
over $30,000 a year so how--who is going to pay for this and 
how is it going to impact the people that in both of our states 
don't make significant amounts of money? And I don't know if 
you track to see how much this is going to cost an individual.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you for the question. So, I believe 
that climate change is probably the greatest threat we face. 
And also, there is an opportunity to create jobs as we combat 
climate change. 30 plus percent of emissions come from 
transportation sector. And so, I allied myself with my fellow 
Governors to agree to look into the issue. And that is where we 
are. You know, I support that. And I believe long term it will 
actually create jobs.
    Senator Scott. So, I think all of us are very focused on 
climate change and how we are going to make sure that we deal 
with that and at the same time, we have got to keep our economy 
going. So, with what you have agreed to in the transportation 
climate initiative, how will--who will pay for that and how 
will a family making--you know, half the families, individuals 
in your state make less than $32,000 a year. How will they pay 
for that? And have you quantified it?
    Ms. Raimondo. We have not yet. The document I signed, by 
the way, is bipartisan, Republican and Democratic Governors, 
was an intention to work together with our legislators to 
develop a transportation climate initiative. So, it is very 
early in the process.
    Senator Scott. OK. Alright. Thank you. The nominee for 
Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, last week said he was 
receptive to increasing the gas tax. And again, this would be 
something that would impact the poorest families in our country 
significantly. What is your position on that? And do you 
think--how would that impact your ability to do your job as 
Secretary of Commerce?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, so I would defer to Congress to make 
that decision. Let me say this, I as Governor am deeply in 
touch with how much increasing bills affect the average 
American family. Having said that, we do need to meet the 
climate change challenge and we need funds for improved 
infrastructure, better roads, safer roads, safer bridges, and 
which also creates jobs. So, I would look to balance those 
interests and work as a piece of the President's team.
    Senator Scott. The part of the Biden Administration's 
proposal was $15 minimum wage, and according to the 
Congressional Budget Office, 3.7 million people are going to 
lose their jobs as a result of that. And as we all know, as 
Secretary of Commerce your job will be to figure out how to 
help our small businesses, help them prosper because that is 
where most of our job creation is. So, what is your position 
with regard to increase in minimum wage and what impact that 
will have on our small businesses and our families across the 
country?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. So, I believe work ought to 
pay and you shouldn't live in poverty if you work full time. As 
Governor, I have shepherded through several increases in 
minimum wage and we have not seen any impacts on unemployment. 
And so as with all policies related to wages or commerce or 
competitiveness, I will consult broadly with stakeholders, with 
industry and take a thoughtful approach. But I know many 
businesses also support that and believe that work ought to 
pay.
    Senator Scott. Thank you, Governor.
    Senator Cantwell. Senator Rosen.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

    Senator Rosen. Thank you, Madam Chair, Ranking Member 
still, I guess, but thank you, Senator Cantwell. And Governor 
Raimondo, thank you for being with us today and thank you for 
your commitment to serving our Nation. I really appreciated our 
productive meeting. I look forward to learning more about your 
plans to revive our Nation's economy, to create jobs, and to 
ensure that every American has access to broadband no matter 
where they live. Amidst a global pandemic that has devastated 
our economy, I urge this committee to facilitate a swift 
confirmation for Governor Raimondo so she can immediately get 
to work for our country. But I would like to begin by talking a 
little bit about repealing Solar Terra. The solar industry 
employs about 7,000 workers in Nevada, the most solar jobs per 
capita in the entire country. If we are to address the climate 
crisis and continuing to create those good paying jobs in the 
energy sector, we must have a Federal policy that promotes the 
affordable deployment of solar projects.
    Unfortunately, the previous Administration imposed costly 
Section 201 tariffs on imported solar panels and cells. These 
misguided tariffs have cost us an estimated 62,000 solar jobs 
across the United States. In October, the Trump Administration 
doubled down on this failed policy and directed the United 
States trade representative to increase the tariffs for 2021. 
The right move for the economy and the environment would be for 
President Biden to rescind this ill-conceived proclamation 
before it takes effect on February 7.
    Given the extremely small solar manufacturing industry in 
the U.S. and the fact that nearly 90 percent of solar jobs in 
the U.S. are non-manufacturing jobs that rely on affordable 
solar panels, do you support the current tariffs on imported 
solar panels? And will you work with me to address this 
pressing issue and of course, time sensitive issue?
    Ms. Raimondo. So, thank you, Senator. I understand from 
talking to you and your Governor how important these solar jobs 
are in your state, and I look forward to learning more about 
it. Of course, I will work with you. And I understand it is 
time sensitive and challenging and a lot of jobs are at stake.
    Senator Rosen. I appreciate that. Usually, we have nothing 
but sunshine in Nevada, but I hear today it is snowing on the 
Las Vegas Strip. So, but we will have sunshine coming back 
soon. But speaking of the Las Vegas Strip, I want to talk about 
reviving our entertainment economy. Because in Nevada while our 
economy continues to recover from the devastating impact of a 
pandemic, we are still facing one of the highest unemployment 
rates in the country. Nearly half a million jobs are part of 
Nevada's entertainment and tourism ecosystem. Unfortunately, 
our once vibrant creative arts community is not just struggling 
to stay afloat.
    Performers or support staff, they have seen their work come 
to virtually a complete halt as venues are unable to open their 
doors during the pandemic. I know this is happening across the 
country. Theaters are shuttered and elsewhere. Like I said in 
the country, film, television, sports events, all of it. All 
these productions shut down in an abundance of precaution. So, 
as we work to create the conditions for economic growth and 
opportunity, what are your plans to specifically help the 
creative industries stay afloat and get back to work?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, thank you. I hear you about Las Vegas. 
You mentioned it the other day. My state also depends heavily 
on tourism and hospitality, so I see it. I expect to play a 
real leadership role with Brand USA and work with you and the 
industry and collaborate to find creative ways to get folks 
traveling again, going out to dinner and the like again. It is 
important. And of course, I support President Biden fully in 
his reinvigorated approach to get COVID under control, which 
gives people confidence to go out and travel.
    Senator Rosen. Thank you. And my last question I think I 
will have time for is about NIST and the cybersecurity work 
force. The Department's National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, NIST, plays an important role in supporting 
technological innovations and of course our STEM work force. In 
particular, and I am like this acronym, the National Initiative 
for Cybersecurity Education, or NICE, is housed within NIST. It 
focuses on cybersecurity, education, training and workforce 
development. And according to their NICE jobs current heat map, 
there are currently over 520,000 cyber job openings in the U.S. 
So, in the interest of time, I have a few bills out there. 
Cyber Ready Work Force, Junior ROTC, Cybersecurity Workforce, 
Framework, we are working on all of this. What are your goals 
for supporting our cybersecurity work force? Half a million 
jobs open, probably more to be created. We know we have got 
lots more needs. Let's get folks into these jobs.
    Ms. Raimondo. I could not agree more. I will work with you 
on it. I will prioritize it. I have done that as Governor. A 
big piece of that puzzle is job training. But I agree there are 
many jobs available and we ought to help Americans get them.
    Senator Rosen. Well, thank you. I appreciate your 
willingness to serve, and I yield.
    The Chairman. And thank you, Senator Rosen. Senator Young, 
are you there?

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TODD YOUNG, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA

    Senator Young. I am, indeed, Chairman. Thank you. Governor, 
it is so good to be with you again. Enjoyed our conversation 
the other day, and I will be following up on that. Once again, 
thank you for your willingness to serve and for appearing 
before the Committee. We discussed, during our conversation, 
the overwhelming geographic concentration of venture capital 
investment in three states. And that concerns me. It is 
detrimental to the innovation base, especially at a time when 
the U.S. Is going toe to toe with countries like China. So, we 
need to harness more of that talent across the heartland of 
America and around all four corners of our country. That is why 
I coauthored the Endless Frontier Act with Senator Schumer. The 
bill would bolster U.S. leadership in science and tech 
innovation by making $100 billion strategic investment in 
emerging technologies.
    Additionally, the bill will deliver $10 billion to 
establish regional tech hubs across the country to launch 
innovative companies, revive American manufacturing, and create 
new jobs to reinvigorate our local communities. So, we are 
talking here about a technology policy for our country. We have 
got a clear plan to implement one. I would ask you, Governor, 
do you think the Endless Frontier Act would help expand 
entrepreneurship and fuel greater innovation through these 
geographic regions, outside the traditional tech hubs that we 
have around the country?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you, Senator. I certainly share your 
concern that capital is concentrated in too few areas. By the 
way, my state is not one of them. So, I live it and would 
absolutely work with you to disperse that. We have talked a lot 
today about how to compete with China and we talked about 
tariffs and defense. But some of it is offense, which is 
investing in American innovation and doing that broadly. And 
so, I would be excited to, you know, work with you on that 
issue.
    Senator Young. It is about offense and we discussed this in 
our conversation together. I think I use the phrase that United 
States needs to outgrow, out innovate, and outcompete China. 
And you agreed with that sentiment. If confirmed, in addition 
to perhaps the Endless Frontier Act and being supportive of 
that sort of initiative, are there any other steps that you 
might take to sort of execute on this mandate of outcompeting 
the Chinese, just as we outcompeted the Soviet Union?
    Ms. Raimondo. Yes, well, there are many areas, and I will 
be brief, but one of the areas of commerce is NIST, which has a 
huge role to play in standard setting, and I believe America 
needs to lead in the standard setting, especially as it relates 
to new technology. I know you care a lot about artificial 
intelligence and blockchain. And so, I feel that that is one 
way in particular that we could help Americans to compete and 
lead and win.
    Senator Young. Very good. I have about a minute and a half 
left. This is sort of how this works. Not a lot of time. But I 
am going to pivot quickly to supply chain. And there has been a 
lot of talk about supply chain management and retrenchment of 
vulnerable supply chains in conjunction with this pandemic. We 
know that we are vulnerable. Ninety-five percent of surgical 
masks and 70 percent of respirators were made overseas at the 
start of this crisis. Pharmaceuticals and medical equipment 
might be the most visible offshore sectors. As we begin to 
recover from this crisis, we need to secure these supply 
chains, and to maintain long-term investments, we have to 
ensure continuous demand for domestic production.
    If that is not ensured, no one is going to stand up a 
factory to build essential items. This demand can't just be a 
one-off spike. So, with that said, sometimes the issue is not a 
lack of total demand, but a matching demand with supply, 
especially in localized markets spanning across the country. 
One strategy could be mapping out and exaggerating demand and 
exploring various incentives to support American companies with 
moving supply chains. If confirmed, how do you plan to 
facilitate reshoring domestic supply chains?
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you. First, I will say it will be a 
priority because it will help shore up our National Security 
and economic security, and the technical resources of the 
Commerce Department are second to none in figuring out the 
complexities of how to execute on that.
    Senator Young. Well, very good. I will--I know our time has 
expired, so I will look forward to working with you on that 
important issue, very important to the most manufacturing 
intensive state in the country, which is the state of Indiana. 
Thank you.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you.
    The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Young. And that 
concludes our questioning. Governor Raimondo, over the course 
of 2 hours and 37 minutes, you have been most patient and most 
talented in answering our questions. And I think you have 
learned a good bit about this committee during the process. I 
do not believe you will be serving as Governor of the state of 
Rhode Island for very much longer. And I wish you well. Look 
forward to working with you. Senator Cantwell, do you have 
anything?
    If not, the hearing record will remain open until the end 
of this day. Senators are asked to submit any questions for the 
record by the close of business today, Tuesday, January 26, 
2021. The Committee asks witnesses that upon--the witness, that 
upon receipt of any question for the record, you submit your 
written answers to the Committee as soon as possible, but no 
later than the close of business on Monday, February 1, 2021. 
This hearing is now concluded, and once again, we thank 
Governor Raimondo.
    Ms. Raimondo. Thank you.
    [Whereupon, at 12:37 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]6601

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                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Digital Trade. Digital trade and the free flow of information 
across borders is vitally important to the more than 5,000 technology 
companies in Washington state and our state's more than $2.8 billion 
digital export economy. Nationally, U.S. digital exports were worth 
more than half a trillion dollars in 2019, an increase of more than 50 
percent over the past decade. In Washington state, software industry 
jobs have increased by approximately one-third since 2016, and now 
account for around half a million jobs in my state. Unfortunately, 
digital trade barriers and restrictions are proliferating in many 
countries, which could undermine our Nation's economic recovery and 
threaten key trade relationships, including the $1.1 trillion trade 
relationship between the U.S. and Europe.

    Question 1. If confirmed, will you prioritize digital trade issues 
and the continued free flow of digital goods and information across 
borders?
    Answer. For U.S. companies to compete, they need the ability to--
among other things--access networks, transfer data, and use secure data 
centers of their choice. If confirmed, I will pursue all available 
avenues to ensuring data flows and cross-border digital trade, whether 
that is through trade agreements, the World Trade Organization, 
expansion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross Border Privacy 
Rules System, or enhancement of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework.

    Question 2. What will you do to ensure that U.S. companies of all 
sizes can compete on a level playing field and have access to open 
digital markets in other countries?
    Answer. Leveling the playing field through robust digital trade 
commitments is necessary to expanding trade in goods and services 
across all industries. Given the global economy's dependence on the 
internet, market-opening commitments are a cornerstone of real economic 
wins for U.S. industry. If confirmed, I will ensure that the full 
expertise of the Department of Commerce is brought to bear on behalf of 
U.S. companies that leverage the digital economy to provide innovative 
services, deliver goods, and reduce costs and increase efficiency in 
their own operations.

    Softwood Lumber. The health of the U.S. lumber industry is 
essential to jobs in Washington state and across the country. It 
supports the economy by producing lumber and by supplying the U.S. 
housing market for local communities. However, enforcement must remain 
a priority. In 2019, nearly half of all antidumping and countervailing 
duties collected by the U.S. came from Canadian lumber imports. It is 
vital that we continue to fully enforce U.S. trade laws.

    Question 3. Will you ensure a level playing field for the U.S. 
lumber industry by fully enforcing U.S. trade laws against unfairly 
traded Canadian lumber imports?
    Answer. I understand the importance of the Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duties (AD/CVD) orders on imports of softwood lumber 
from Canada on the U.S. lumber industry. If I am confirmed, the 
Department of Commerce will continue to vigorously enforce U.S. trade 
laws, including the AD/CVD orders on imports of softwood lumber from 
Canada, to ensure that the American lumber industry, and all U.S. 
workers, farmers and businesses are able to compete on a level playing 
field and are not harmed by unfair imports from Canada, or any other 
U.S. trading partner.

    Stakeholder Engagement in Ocean Conservation. The Biden 
Administration has placed an emphasis on ``building back better,'' 
restoring our economy but doing so in a way that is equitable and just, 
and by addressing climate change. Meeting all three of these goals is 
going to require the tools, resources, and expertise from across 
government agencies, including the Department of Commerce and NOAA. The 
United States has a particularly strong blue economy, with ocean goods 
and services contributing over $373 billion to the Nation's GDP and 
supporting over 2.3 million jobs in 2018.

    Question 4. Protecting rural jobs that depend on sustainable 
fisheries is a priority. What role do you see for NOAA in the design 
and implementation of a potential 30x30 strategy in the U.S. EEZ?
    Answer. Creating and promoting job growth is important to me. If 
confirmed, I look forward to working with you on ensuring that jobs 
related to sustainable fisheries are protected. On January 27, 2021, 
President Biden issued an Executive Order on Tackling the Climate 
Crisis at Home and Abroad. Sec. 216 of this Executive Order calls for 
the Secretaries of Interior, Commerce and the Council of Environmental 
Quality, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a 
report within 90 days of its issuance on the steps to achieve the goal 
of conserving at least 30 percent of land and water. The Executive 
Order calls on Federal agencies to work with the ``States, local, 
Tribal, and territorial governments, agricultural and forest 
landowners, fishermen, and other stakeholders.''

    Question 5. How will you work to ensure that fishermen and fishing 
communities are included in the consideration of a potential 30x30 
proposal?
    Answer. As noted above, on January 27, 2021, President Biden 
released an Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and 
Abroad. Section 216 (c) specifically calls on the Secretary of 
Commerce, through NOAA, to work in the first 60 days to collect input 
from fishermen, regional ocean councils, scientists and fishery 
management council how to make fisheries and protected resources more 
resilient to climate change. If confirmed, I look forward to working 
with you on this important issue.

    Question 6. What opportunities do you see to harness the 30x30 goal 
to increase equitable access to these protected areas and bolster 
coastal economies where fisheries are managed based on science?
    Answer. As the Governor of a coastal state, I recognize the 
importance of coastal communities, and the need to ensure equal access 
to marine resources so that all communities can benefit. If confirmed, 
I will work with NOAA, other Federal agencies and stakeholders to 
implement the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home 
and Abroad, including in increasing equitable access and bolstering 
coastal communities.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Broadband. I am leading legislation to invest $100 billion in 
broadband infrastructure to close the digital divide once and for all. 
My bill also establishes an Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth 
at the Department's National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration to help ensure people in every community have the tools, 
support, and technology they need to take advantage of Internet access.

    Question 1. President Biden has identified investment in 
infrastructure, including broadband infrastructure, as a top priority 
for his administration. What are your plans to help expand broadband 
access as the Secretary of Commerce?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will work with NTIA, which is currently in 
the process of standing up the Office of Connectivity and Growth, to 
amplify the work of NTIA's BroadbandUSA. Through its BroadbandUSA work, 
NTIA serves local, state, and tribal governments, industry and non-
profits seeking to expand broadband connectivity and promote digital 
inclusion by providing solution-neutral technical assistance and 
convening regional workshops that bring local stakeholders together. 
NTIA also leverages its State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN) which 
includes 50 states and three territories.

    Question 2. What are your plans to promote digital equity and 
inclusion, and will you work with me to help address this need?
    Answer. As I stated in my hearing testimony, broadband access is 
not a luxury; it's a necessity, providing children access to their 
classes, the ill and infirm access via telehealth to their doctor, and 
enabling consumers to sign up for the COVID vaccine. If confirmed, I 
commit to ensuring that the Department brings the full weight of its 
resources to advancing digital equity and inclusion by, for example, 
utilizing NTIA's Digital Inclusion Leaders Network (DILN)--a group of 
state and local government leaders working to bridge the digital 
divide--to serve as a critical resource for leveraging knowledge and 
best practices. In addition, NTIA will rely on data from over 20 years 
of its Internet Use Survey data to inform policy approaches to closing 
the digital divide.

    Steel Dumping. Iron ore mining has been a way of life for families 
in northern Minnesota, but illegal practices such as steel dumping 
unfairly harm our workers. I have long called for tough actions to 
address Chinese Steel dumping because our workers deserve to know 
everyone is playing by the same rules.

    Question 3. What should Congress do to best work with the new 
Administration to stand up to unfair trade practices?
    Answer. If confirmed as the Secretary of Commerce, I look forward 
to working with Congress on addressing unfairly traded imports from 
China and other trading partners that distort the market. If confirmed, 
it is my intention that the Department of Commerce will continue to 
rigorously enforce U.S. trade laws, including the Antidumping and 
Countervailing Duties (AD/CVD) laws, to help ensure a level playing 
field--not only for the critical U.S. steel sector, but comprehensively 
for U.S. workers, farmers, and other businesses injured by unfair 
trade.
                                 ______
                                 
 Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Richard Blumenthal to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    The North Atlantic right whale. We share a mutual understanding 
that commercial and recreational fishing and shipping contributes 
significantly to our Nation's economy, but the contributions of marine 
species--like the North Atlantic right whale--who inhabit our Federal 
waters often take a backseat to industry, particularly in the previous 
administration. These species make countless contributions through 
tourism, ecosystem services, and carbon capture. Unfortunately, the 
North Atlantic right whale is one of the world's most endangered large 
whale species, with only about 400 whales remaining.

    Question 1. If confirmed, how will you guide the agency to not only 
focus on the management of sustainable fisheries and other marine 
industries but to encourage the coexistence of these activities with 
marine mammal species, such as the critically endangered North Atlantic 
right whale, which is facing extinction due to climate change, 
entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes and outdated management 
policies?
    Answer. I recognize the importance of shipping and fishing to the 
Nation's economy and I appreciate the ecological, cultural, and 
economic importance of protected marine mammals such as the North 
Atlantic right whale. If confirmed, I would welcome opportunities to 
learn more about NOAA's efforts to partner with the fishing community, 
the shipping industry, and other interested stakeholders to protect, 
conserve, and recover North Atlantic right whales and their habitats 
and to work with you and your constituents on this issue.

    The 2020 Census. In March 2020, as the 2020 Census was fully 
underway, the COVID pandemic impacted the process, causing the Census 
Bureau to suspend field operations for over a month. Initially, former 
Secretary Ross and Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced 
that they would be extending the deadline for self-response and field 
data collection and asked Congress to extend the statutory deadlines 
for delivery of apportionment and redistricting data by 120 days. 
However, in August, the Census Bureau inexplicably reversed course, 
shortened the enumeration period, and decided to move forward with the 
original statutory deadlines for apportionment and redistricting data, 
raising serious concerns that they would not have adequate time to 
complete a full, fair, and accurate 2020 census. Further, last month, 
the Government Accountability Office testified before a House Oversight 
and Reform Committee hearing expressing concern about the risks to 2020 
census data quality caused by COVID-19 and related developments.

    Question 2. If confirmed, will you commit to protecting the 
integrity of the 2020 Census?
    Answer. Yes.

    Question 3. If confirmed, will you commit to working with the 
Commerce Committee to ensure that the Census Bureau has all necessary 
resources to ensure a full, fair, and accurate count is represented?
    Answer. Yes.

    Question 4. In May 2020, a career Census Bureau staffer expressed 
concern that the Census would not be able to meet its statutory 
deadlines. If confirmed, will you remain transparent and open in your 
communication with the Committee to ensure that they Census Bureau is 
meeting its constitutional and statutory responsibilities?
    Answer. Yes.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Edward Markey to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Restricting the 3D Printing of Guns. In January 2020, the Commerce 
and State Departments finalized rules that shift jurisdiction over 
small arms exports--including technical data, such as files for the 3D 
printing of guns--from State to Commerce. A coalition of state 
attorneys general obtained an injunction that maintains State 
Department oversight over technical data. But if a pending court 
decision vacates that injunction, the Commerce Department will then 
have jurisdiction over the posting of files for the 3D printing of 
guns.

    Question. What actions would you like to see the Commerce 
Department take to ensure that the posting and export of files for the 
3D printing of guns continues to be restricted?
    Answer. If the pending court decision vacates the injunction, if 
confirmed, I will work with the White House and members of Congress, 
including your office, to discuss ways of implementing meaningful 
oversight similar to State Department oversight that occurred before 
the rule change.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Gary Peters to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. For Michiganders, the Great Lakes are not just a 
precious environmental treasure, they're an economic driver, and they 
are literally part of our DNA. I enjoyed our discussion of NOAA's 
beautiful Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Michigan is also the 
proud home of the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 
several weather forecasting stations, and other important NOAA 
resources that help support the communities and business throughout the 
region. If confirmed as Secretary, will you commit to working with me 
to support and grow NOAA's capacity to provide services within the 
Great Lakes?
    Answer. I recognize the importance of the Great Lakes to our 
economy and I know that NOAA provides data, tools, and services that 
support communities surrounding the Great Lakes, just as they do in 
Rhode Island. If confirmed, I would look forward to learning more about 
NOAA's work in the Great Lakes region and working with you to support 
the services they provide to you and your constituents.

    Question 2. The President announced yesterday a new executive order 
directed across the entire Federal government to ensure that when 
taxpayer dollars are used, they are not used to buy foreign goods but 
rather are supporting domestic manufacturers and domestic iron and 
steel. I was part of a bipartisan group of Senators that introduced the 
Build America, Buy America Act (led by Senators Brown and Braun) in the 
last Congress, which called on many of the items in the President's 
executive order. If confirmed as Secretary, will you commit to working 
with me and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee--
where I will serve as chairman--to help make permanent these provisions 
to strengthen Buy America requirements that create jobs and support our 
domestic manufacturing base?
    Answer. Yes, if confirmed, I will support efforts to help make 
permanent provisions to strengthen Buy America requirements where tax 
dollars are spent buying U.S. made goods. As you note, President Biden 
has made clear his support for Buy America provisions through the 
issuance of Executive Order 14005. Within the Department of Commerce, 
the Economic Development Administration has a long history of 
supporting Buy America requirements in its infrastructure grants.

    Question 3. KLA, one of the major US-based semiconductor equipment 
manufacturers is in the process of opening a second U.S. headquarters 
in Michigan, creating over 600 high-tech jobs in the Midwest. One 
challenge semiconductor manufacturers like KLA face has been export 
restrictions that make it difficult to compete with competitors in 
Korea, Japan, and Europe. I support efforts to be tough on China so I 
hope we can work together to strengthen the restrictions on China while 
ensuring our companies can compete globally. Will you commit to working 
with me on this?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, I will commit to 
working with you on this issue. I will ensure that the Department 
conducts a full analysis of any changes in export control requirements 
before implementation.

    Question 4. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee, where I am the incoming Chairman, has jurisdiction over the 
Census Bureau. Will you commit to working with the Committee and with 
me to return the Census Bureau to the hands of experts and de-
politicize it; Finish the 2020 Census as accurately as possible; Begin 
preparing for a more inclusive 2030 Census; and continue the critical 
surveys the Bureau conducts every year?
    Answer. Yes.

    Question 5. Michigan has been ranked the 2nd best state for 
aerospace manufacturing. The University of Michigan has one of the best 
space and space-related engineering programs in the country, which has 
helped pioneer the development of small satellites that are rapidly 
being deployed in outer space. I am joining Senator Wicker in 
Coauthoring the SPACE Act, which would authorize the Office of 
Commercial Space within the Department of Commerce. I have also been in 
touch with Commerce Department staff about the development of a space 
commodities exchange--something the Space Force has been interested in 
as well--to help provide certainty to financial markets backing new 
commercial space endeavors, as well as to our military and civilian 
space activities. Will you have staff look into this issue and provide 
timely feedback on the merits of developing a space commodities 
exchange from the perspective of the Office of Space Commerce?
    Answer. Thank you for your support of NOAA's Office of Space 
Commerce. If confirmed, I will work with NOAA to look into the issue of 
a space commodities exchange and the merits of developing such an 
exchange.

    Question 6. Space Weather has the potential to impact 
infrastructure on Earth and severely disrupt the economy. The insurance 
industry has cited estimates of a catastrophic space weather event as 
high as 10 percent in the next 10 years. An estimate by Lloyds of 
London found that a worst-case scenario space weather event could cost 
up to $2.6 trillion. Impacts include outages or blackouts of electric 
utilities, disrupting GPS and communication networks, and forcing 
airlines to reroute air traffic. NOAA operates a number of space 
weather instruments. I authored the bipartisan PROSWIFT Act, which 
tasks NOAA with coordinating across Federal agencies to help improve 
our understanding of and mitigate this threat. At the appropriate time 
in the future, will you please provide an update on the implementation 
of this law?
    Answer. Thank you for your support of NOAA and its space weather 
mission. If confirmed, I will work with NOAA to provide you an update 
on the Department's implementation of the PROSWIFT Act.

    Question 7. The COVID 19 pandemic has made it even clearer that 
broadband deployment is necessary to ensure the success of all American 
both in urban and rural areas. The President has called for major 
investments in broadband infrastructure. Last Congress, I introduced 
the Broadband Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act which establishes a 
financing program to make available loans, loan guarantees, and lines 
of credit for the construction and deployment of broadband 
infrastructure at NTIA. If confirmed as Secretary, will you commit to 
working with me and the Committee to accelerate broadband 
infrastructure deployment?
    Answer. Yes, if confirmed, I will work to ensure that the 
Department will focus on bringing all of its resources to bear to 
accelerate broadband infrastructure deployment. Commerce's NTIA is 
uniquely qualified to help in expanding both broadband infrastructure 
to areas of unmet need as well as supporting communities with their 
digital equity and inclusion needs.

    Question 8. In the last Congress, I joined a bipartisan group of 
senators pushing for a massive investment in scientific research and 
technology development--the Endless Frontiers Act. I know you've 
commented on the need to ``Go big'' as we try to build our way back out 
of the pandemic. Can you comment on the importance of investing in 
basic research like this?
    Answer. Basic scientific research is imperative to set the long-
term groundwork for technology development and later commercial 
application. President Biden has charged the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy to examine how we as a nation support research and 
development to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive globally in key 
areas of technology (A.I., quantum, communications, etc.). With bureaus 
like NIST having a key role to play in many of the emerging technology 
areas identified in the Endless Frontier Act, if confirmed, I look 
forward to working with the White House and Congress to ensure that our 
programs are positioned to support the advanced research necessary to 
fight the pandemic, ensure our competitive position, combat climate 
change, and build back our economy.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Tammy Baldwin to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question. The Economic Census is intended to serve ``as the 
foundation for the measurement of U.S. businesses and their economic 
impact.'' One in three Americans is a member-owner of at least one 
cooperative business, and to capture the economic impact of 
cooperatives, the Census Bureau rightfully included a question on the 
2017 survey asking respondents if the business identifies as a 
cooperative. Unfortunately, the Bureau has not published any data on 
these responses, nor made the data available to cooperative researchers 
and economists. Will you commit to releasing Economic Census data on 
cooperatives and ensure that the Economic Census continues to measure 
the economic impact of cooperative businesses in future surveys?
    Answer. If confirmed, I look forward to working with you and the 
Census Bureau to ensure cooperative businesses are integrated into 
future surveys.
                                 ______
                                 
  Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Tammy Duckworth to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. As part of the 2021 NDAA, Congress authorized a 
National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) housed within the U.S. 
Department of Commerce, with the goal of furthering research and 
development into this crucial technology and strengthening our domestic 
supply. If confirmed, how will you prioritize funding for research in 
this and other critical technologies, and do you agree that the 
Department should solicit further funding for research and development 
of critical technologies like semiconductors?
    Answer. Cutting-edge semiconductor technology is crucial to both 
U.S. national and economic security. If confirmed, I will make every 
effort to prioritize R&D that can help address the advancement of 
semiconductor technology, overcome barriers to its manufacture and 
security, including models like the NSTC that bring together 
stakeholders from across government and industry. I look forward to 
working with Congress and the White House on ways to secure further 
funding for the important efforts laid out in the NDAA.

    Question 2. From a global competitiveness standpoint, how vital is 
it that the U.S. grow its domestic manufacturing base in technologies 
like semiconductors? And what are your plans to implement and promote 
the new semiconductor program at the Department of Commerce that 
Congress authorized with the FY 2021 NDAA?
    Answer. A vibrant domestic semiconductor manufacturing capability 
is an important component of the overall competitive position of the 
U.S. If confirmed, I plan to work diligently to coordinate efforts 
between Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department 
of Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, and the 
Department of Commerce to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry. I 
look forward to working with Congress on appropriations to support the 
efforts outlined in the NDAA.

    Question 3. Within the Department of Commerce, what position serves 
as the current point person for the Secretary in evaluating the breadth 
of the Department's response to trade enforcement and anti-
competitiveness concerns? And how does that individual ensure that 
small businesses--especially those without a trade association or 
lobbyists--are able to quickly and easily flag concerns about 
potentially unfair trade practices so that the Department may analyze 
the situation and respond swiftly?
    Answer. I believe in leveling the playing field for small 
businesses when it comes to trade. If confirmed, I look forward to 
working to ensure all U.S. companies, including small and medium-sized 
companies, benefit from our trade agreements.
    It is my understanding that Commerce offers a number of tools to 
engage with the public to ensure compliance with trade agreements. It 
maintains a hotline (202-482-1191) and website (https://tcc.export.gov) 
to report complaints. The ITA website (https://www.trade.gov/trade-
agreements-compliance) includes videos and infographics on trade 
barriers so companies can quickly self-assess if they are facing a 
trade barrier as the result of foreign government non-compliance. 
Finally, compliance officers work closely with more than 100 U.S. 
Export Assistance Centers that assist small and medium-sized exporters 
located throughout the United States.
    In addition, The Department of Commerce provides counseling on the 
remedies available under the Antidumping and Countervailing Duties (AD/
CVD) laws through its AD/CVD petition counseling office to ensure that 
all U.S. companies, including small and medium-sized companies, 
understand and have access to the applicable laws. The office can be 
reached through a hotline (202-482-1255) and dedicated e-mail address 
([email protected]). Additional information can also be 
found through the petition counseling website at https://www.trade.gov/
ec-petition-counseling.

    Question 4. In confirmed, how would you survey and analyze the 
current policies and procedures within the Economic Development 
Administration to ensure that it is fully combatting racial and 
economic justice as part of its mission?
    Answer. EDA's mission to empower distressed communities though 
revitalization and diversification of local economies is consistent 
with the promotion of racial and economic justice. My understanding is 
that EDA looks forward to working with the Administration pursuant to 
President Biden's Executive Order 13985 to identify and continue to 
embed equitable principles and approaches across the bureau. 
Additionally, EDA will review its policies and actions to ensure they 
do not create barriers to equal participation by eligible institutions 
seeking grants from EDA.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Kyrsten Sinema to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Semiconductor Manufacturing Grants. As we discussed at your 
hearing, semiconductors play a crucial role in our economic and 
national security. The 2021 defense authorization law included 
important provisions to incentivize domestic semiconductor 
manufacturing and reverse the decline in American semiconductor 
manufacturing jobs.

    Question 1. Will you commit to depoliticize the grant process and 
to establish a procedure that reviews applications and distributes 
grants based on the benefits to domestic semiconductor manufacturing 
and not based on politics or the location of the project?
    Answer. If confirmed, I commit to ensuring that DOC grants 
processes are not politicized and that they utilize procedures that are 
fair, competitive, transparent, and oriented to benefit domestic 
semiconductor manufacturing.

    Semiconductor Research. In addition to the grants to expand 
domestic manufacturing of semiconductors, the 2021 National Defense 
Authorization Act calls on the Department to establish a National 
Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC). The NSTC is intended to conduct 
research, development and prototyping to maintain U.S. leadership in 
this critical technology.

    Question 2. What role do you envision your Department playing in 
funding research in critical technologies, such as semiconductors?
    Answer. NIST currently has a number of research efforts directly 
aligned with the needs of the semiconductor industry and other critical 
technology areas, such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, and 
advanced communications. If confirmed, I look forward to working with 
Congress to support and grow these ongoing efforts at NIST as well as 
other activities across the Department that can help advance U.S. 
competitiveness in key technology areas, and that contribute to the 
establishment of a robust domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

    Broadband Interagency Coordination. As we discussed at your 
hearing, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) can play a major role in expanding broadband throughout Arizona. 
In addition to the programs designed to expand access into rural and 
tribal areas of Arizona, the COVID relief bill also sets up a one-stop 
shop at NTIA to coordinate broadband development opportunities across 
the executive branch.

    Question 3. Will you commit to quickly establish that office and 
help state and local governments identify all the opportunities for 
Federal assistance for broadband deployment?
    Answer. If confirmed, I commit to promptly establishing the new 
office and to help state and local governments identify all the 
opportunities for Federal assistance for broadband deployment. It is my 
understanding that NTIA has begun the process of setting up the Office 
of Internet Connectivity and Growth and to implement the new 
obligations relative to tracking Federal dollars, streamlining 
application processes, and coordinating among Federal agencies relative 
to broadband funding.

    Cross Border Trade. Cross border trade is an economic driver of 
Arizona's economy. A University of Arizona study shows that Mexican 
tomato imports support 33,000 U.S. jobs. Agribusiness supply chains 
derived from these imported tomatoes account for nearly $3 billion in 
U.S. gross domestic product. With trade agreements in place, such as 
USMCA, the North America supply chain provides consumers with the 
opportunity for choice and affordable produce while supporting our 
domestic growers. USTR has recently initiated a number of trade 
investigations having to do with imported produce, specifically related 
to seasonality concerns. These investigations destabilize the supply 
chain and open the door to potential damaging retaliations from our 
trade partners. That's why I joined with Senator Moran and other 
members of Congress to send a letter to USTR, urging them to consider 
the potential impacts when making these decisions.

    Question 4. In your opinion, how do we continue to foster a strong 
trade supply chain while not disrupting the USMCA and ensuring our 
domestic growers are supported and consumers are given affordable 
choices throughout the year?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that Commerce continues its 
outreach with growers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables 
to enhance their understanding of applicable trade remedy laws and 
processes and will continue to monitor foreign subsidy practices that 
have a direct impact on U.S. producers of seasonal and perishable 
fruits and vegetables.

    Commercial Space. The commercial space industry is growing at an 
incredible speed--creating jobs, innovating, and fostering public-
private partnerships across the country. Yuma, Arizona is currently 
going through the process to establish a spaceport that would have the 
ability to launch mini and nano satellites. If the spaceport moves 
forward, it will grow Yuma's economy and help the United States remain 
a leader in space.

    Question 5. As the commercial space economy expands and more 
technology is sent into space, how will you work with entities to 
ensure the National Airspace System is able to support additional 
launch and reentry points as well as increased traffic?
    Answer. I understand the importance in providing space situational 
awareness and traffic management to ensure safe and productive 
development in the space economy. If confirmed, I look forward to 
working with NOAA, other Federal agencies, and the Congress on this 
important topic.

    Space Traffic Management. Given the exponential growth in numbers 
of satellites and the increasing amount of debris in orbit, the Office 
of Space Commerce is charged with protecting the space based services 
that are critical to our Nation's infrastructure, sustaining U.S. space 
sector leadership globally, and international space cooperation. Last 
year Congress provided increased funding for the Office of Space 
Commerce and direction to initiate a Space Traffic Management (STM) 
pilot program in collaboration with industry.

    Question 6. What are your thoughts on the importance of Space 
Traffic Management?
    Answer. I understand that successful and collaborative space 
traffic management will be essential if the U.S. and the world are to 
realize the potential benefits of a healthy and growing space economy. 
If confirmed, I look forward to working with NOAA, other Federal 
agencies, and the Congress on this important topic.

    Privacy Shield. In July of 2020, the European Court of Justice 
struck down the Privacy Shield program, invalidating a critical 
mechanism for transferring personal data to the United States from the 
European Union. This has raised significant concerns about the 
continued viability of trans-Atlantic data flows, which are estimated 
to generate more than $7 trillion in economic activity.

    Question 7. As Secretary of Commerce, will you support and 
prioritize the on-going negotiations to replace the Privacy Shield 
program with the goal of ensuring the continued viability of trans-
Atlantic data flows?
    Answer. If confirmed, one of my top priorities as Commerce 
Secretary will be to quickly conclude an enhanced Privacy Shield 
framework that fully addresses the European Court of Justice's concerns 
and enables the EU-U.S. transfers of personal data that underpin the 
$7.1 trillion transatlantic economy. I will work closely with my 
counterparts in the U.S. government, in particular the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Justice, and the 
Department of State, in order to ensure that these whole of government 
negotiations are successful and the 5,400+ Privacy Shield participants, 
more than 70 percent of whom were small and medium enterprises, can 
efficiently and effectively do business with Europe once again on firm 
ground.

    Bioscience and IP Rights. In Arizona, our bioscience and biotech 
industries fuel new jobs, and delivering life-changing innovations. 
We've worked hard in Arizona to leverage smart public sector 
investments to attract next generation start-ups, as well as global 
companies looking to build out manufacturing and research facilities. 
Arizona inventors have been awarded more than 2,000 bioscience-related 
patents since 2016. Never have the benefits of strong IP been as 
relevant as they are today. We have seen how pharmaceutical researchers 
have worked so quickly to develop COVID vaccines and therapeutics, and 
the importance of going after stolen IP and fraudulent medical 
products.

    Question 8. In order to continue driving discovery and to maintain 
the global competitiveness of American and Arizonan companies, how will 
the Commerce Department use trade enforcement tools to create a level 
playing field and protect millions of American jobs?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will work with the Congress to protect U.S. 
intellectual property. The Department will address the challenge of 
protecting U.S. intellectual property from theft and unfair competition 
by helping our innovators and creators, providing information on how to 
obtain protection, maintaining high standards for protection in any 
future trade agreements, using tools at the Department's disposal to 
ensure our trading partners abide by their international commitments, 
including those respecting IP protection and enforcement, and 
participating and defending U.S. intellectual property interests in 
international forums and standard setting processes.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jacky Rosen to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. The ability to transfer data across international 
borders is crucial to a broad range of companies, of all sizes and 
industries, and to consumers who rely on global services to help them 
work, learn, and connect with others from home. Can you commit to 
making it a priority to help ensure that companies can continue to 
transfer data across international borders and to working with your 
European counterparts to reach a new agreement to support data 
transfers from the EU to the US?
    Answer. If confirmed, one of my top priorities as Commerce 
Secretary will be to quickly conclude an enhanced Privacy Shield 
framework that fully addresses the European Court of Justice's concerns 
and enables the EU-U.S. transfers of personal data that underpin the 
$7.1 trillion transatlantic economy. I will work closely with my 
counterparts in the U.S. government, in particular the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Justice, and the 
Department of State, in order to ensure that these whole of government 
negotiations are successful and the 5,400+ Privacy Shield participants, 
more than 70 percent of whom were small and medium enterprises, can 
efficiently and effectively do business with Europe once again on firm 
ground.

    Question 2. With a majority of Americans working remotely due to 
COVID-19, will you commit to strengthening cybersecurity workforce 
capabilities to secure and defend information infrastructure?
    Answer. Yes. If confirmed, I commit to strengthening our 
cybersecurity workforce capabilities. I am aware of NIST's recently 
revised Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the output of the 
National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, which NIST manages. I 
look forward to working with NIST and the Department to continue 
improving our Nation's cyber workforce.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Gov. Raimondo, supply chain security is a growing 
challenge for the business community and the Federal government needs 
to coordinate its efforts and work with the private sector to protect 
our interests. Will you commit to reviewing the Department of 
Commerce's recently issued Information and Communications Technology 
and Services (ICTS) Supply Chain interim final rule to ensure it is 
reasonable and is part of a coordinated Federal strategy to secure the 
supply chain? Yes or no?
    Answer. With experience in both the private and public sector, I 
know how critical it is to protect the interest of all Americans, 
consumers and constituents. If confirmed, I will work with the 
professionals at the Department and conduct a thorough review of the 
recently issued ICTS Supply Chain interim final rule as well as the 
Department's other supply chain activities.

    Question 2. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which 
included COVID-19 stimulus and relief funding, included $1.3 billion 
for broadband grants--$1 billion for Tribal areas and $300 million for 
broadband deployment in unserved areas. Those grants will be 
administered by the Department of Commerce's National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The purpose 
of this question is to ensure that those broadband resources are 
targeted to unserved areas. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 
included $1.3 billion for broadband grants--$1 billion for Tribal areas 
and $300 million for broadband deployment in unserved areas. Those 
grants will be administered by the Department of Commerce's National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). If confirmed, 
will you commit to ensure that those broadband resources are targeted 
to unserved areas and are not used to overbuild areas that already have 
broadband service from a private sector provider or are served by a 
project funded by another agency? Yes or no?
    Answer. Yes, if confirmed, I will work with the NTIA to implement 
broadband resources pursuant to the language set forth in the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

    Question 3. Spectrum is critical for wireless innovation, closing 
the digital divide, and winning the race to 5G. The United States is 
one of the only countries in the world that has a bifurcated system for 
managing spectrum--the Federal Communications Commission manages non-
Federal, commercial spectrum and NTIA manages the Federal government's 
use of spectrum. Historically, all Federal agencies would work through 
NTIA to represent its spectrum needs before the FCC. Spectrum is 
critical for wireless innovation, closing the digital divide, and 
winning the race to 5G. The Department of Commerce's National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration's management of the 
efficient use of Federal spectrum is key to achieving each of these 
goals. If confirmed, will you work with NTIA to ensure it is the 
voice--and not other agencies--representing the Executive Branch's 
position on Federal spectrum matters? Yes or no?
    Answer. NTIA is the critical voice of the Executive Branch on 
Federal spectrum matters, and, if confirmed, I will affirmatively work 
to ensure this is so.

    Question 4. Improving our Nation's cybersecurity requires working 
closely with industry to develop and adopt best cybersecurity 
practices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, 
has a long track record of helping the public and private sectors 
improve cybersecurity. Going forward, it is important to take into 
account the work that NIST has undertaken on these issues as the 
Executive Branch further develops and refines its cybersecurity 
strategy. How would you advance the Department of Commerce's role in 
strengthening our Nation's cybersecurity, and how would it facilitate 
developing best practices and building secure systems?
    Answer. Our nation's cybersecurity is of paramount importance, and 
if confirmed I look forward to working with NIST, the Department of 
Commerce's lead agency on cybersecurity issues, to help advance our 
national cybersecurity posture. If confirmed, my plan is to ensure the 
Department will continue to build on NIST's proven record and 
capability of research and collaboration with the private sector, 
academia, standards development organizations, other government 
agencies, and national and international stakeholders, in order to 
deliver the most up-to-date cybersecurity standards and guidance.

    Question 5. The ``space economy'' is expected to grow from $350 
billion to nearly $1 trillion by 2040. A tremendous opportunity exists 
for American space companies to capitalize on growth in a variety of 
sectors such as space launch, communications, on-orbit servicing, 
remote sensing, research and development, and even tourism. If 
confirmed, I hope you will support the Office of Space Commerce (OSC).
    What is your understanding of the roles and missions of the Office 
of Space Commerce? Do you believe that the OSC can play an important 
role in fostering American economic leadership and opportunities in 
space?
    Would you consider organizational change within the Department to 
ensure that OSC is properly prioritized and resourced?
    Answer. I understand that NOAA and the Office of Space Commerce 
(OSC) play a key role in working with the commercial space industry. If 
confirmed, I look forward to learning more about the Office of Space 
Commerce and to working with Congress to ensure that it is properly 
resourced and can continue to serve this important function.

    Question 6. Today, over 2,000 active satellites serve functions 
that underpin much of our modern digital economy and enable the 
technology we so often take for granted. But those satellites, as well 
as astronauts aboard the International Space Station, are threatened by 
hundreds of thousands of pieces of ``junk'' or space debris. Some of 
that debris is large enough to track with radar telescopes, but most of 
it is not.
    With the space domain increasingly congested, opportunities for 
collisions, spectrum interference, and other ``traffic management'' 
challenges have likewise increased. In light of this, the National 
Space Council announced Space Policy Directive 3 in June of 2018, which 
designated the Department of Commerce as the lead civil agency for 
space situational awareness and notification of satellite operators of 
potential conjunctions or collisions--functions previously carried out 
by the Department of Defense.
    Further examination of the issue by this Committee and a study 
conducted by the National Academy of Public Administration affirmed 
that conclusion, and resulted in Senator Cantwell, Senator Sinema, and 
I introducing the SPACE Act of 2020. That legislation would transfer 
civil SSA and STM authorities from the Department of Defense to the 
Department of Commerce and establish a center of excellence for SSA and 
STM research.
    Do you agree that congestion in space requires urgent U.S. 
Government action to protect the space environment through better space 
situational awareness and traffic management?
    Senator Cantwell and I plan to reintroduce the SPACE Act soon. Will 
you review that legislation and work with us to protect the space 
environment?
    Will you consult with Congress before advocating for any change to 
SPD-3?
    Answer. I understand the importance in providing space situational 
awareness and traffic management to ensure safe and productive 
development in the space economy. If confirmed, I look forward to 
working with you as you develop legislation on this important topic.

    Question 7. I introduced and passed the bipartisan Modern Fish Act 
to improve the management of recreational fisheries by incorporating 
the best available science. In the Gulf of Mexico, states like 
Mississippi have invested significant time and money to develop a more 
accurate understanding of how much recreational fishermen harvest. NOAA 
is rejecting the high quality state data, and instead the agency is 
prioritizing the less accurate Federal data from the Marine 
Recreational Information Program. This could unfairly decrease 
Mississippi's share of the Red Snapper fishery by 60 percent in 2021. 
Will you work with me to ensure Mississippi is not unfairly punished by 
directing Federal fishery managers to work with the states and use the 
more accurate and timely state fishery data in the Gulf recreational 
red snapper fishery?
    Answer. As Governor of the Ocean State, I recognize that saltwater 
recreational fishing is an integral part of American coastal life, 
communities, and economies. I also understand the importance of stock 
assessment data and the need for it to be grounded in the best 
available science. If confirmed, I would commit to learning more about 
NOAA's Marine Recreational Information Program and to working with you 
and NOAA on this issue as the program pertains to Gulf of Mexico 
fisheries.

    Question 8. Regional Ocean Partnerships are made up of coastal 
states and promote the effective stewardship of our oceans and coasts 
by giving those states a strong voice. Last Congress, Senator Cantwell 
and I introduced the Regional Ocean Partnership Act to codify the 
existing regional ocean partnerships. Do you commit to working with me 
to ensure the states have a strong voice in the stewardship of their 
oceans and coasts? Additionally, as a Governor of a coastal state, do 
you see benefits to state partnerships for taking care of our marine 
resources and promoting the blue economy?
    Answer. As a Governor, I recognize the need for states and tribal 
governments to have a strong voice in the shared stewardship of our 
Nation's coasts and oceans. NOAA coordinates closely on the management, 
resilience, and restoration of ocean and coastal areas through 
collaborative regional efforts led by Regional Ocean Partnerships. 
These partnerships have enabled my state of Rhode Island and other 
states to successfully guide and manage appropriate development and 
conservation within our coastal and marine resources. If confirmed, I 
will work with NOAA to strengthen our partnerships with States and 
tribal governments to address coastal and marine issues across our 
shared ocean resources.

    Question 9. Southern Mississippi and the University of Rhode Island 
both play important roles in supporting NOAA's work on this issue. 
Uncrewed maritime systems are a highly cost-effective way for NOAA to 
increase the number of observations it collects. Will you work with me 
to increase NOAA's use of uncrewed maritime systems? Additionally, can 
you talk about the synergies you saw in Rhode Island when NOAA 
leveraged the strength of its university partners?
    Answer. I recognize the importance of the safe, efficient, and 
cost-effective operation of uncrewed systems, which NOAA uses to 
collect high-quality environmental data for the agency's science, 
products and services. Rhode Island is a nexus for the industrial 
revolution in autonomous technologies and the University of Rhode 
Island (URI) is a leader in ocean exploration. If confirmed, I look 
forward to working with you and other partners to advance modern ocean 
technology and increase NOAA's use of uncrewed maritime systems.

    Question 10. Governor Raimondo, one of the most immediate tasks for 
the incoming Administration is to ensure global telecommunications 
networks are safe and secure, especially with 5G networks coming 
online. What is your view on how the Administration should go about 
exploring all options for the development and deployment of secure 
global telecommunications networks?
    Answer. Given our increased reliance on broadband due to the COVID-
19 pandemic, our need for safe and secure domestic and global 
telecommunications networks for education, healthcare and business is 
critical. The work to enhance the security of communications networks 
at home and abroad will require a range of efforts from across the U.S. 
government, working in close collaboration with our international and 
industry partners.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. John Thune to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Global copyright theft undercuts the U.S. economic 
recovery, the global competitiveness agenda, and the high-paying jobs 
and vendors that the copyright industries support. Small businesses in 
the copyright industries heavily rely on copyright protection and 
enforcement to create, finance and grow. What will you do to ensure 
that our trading partners effectively protect and enforce copyright?
    Answer. If I am confirmed, I will support robust Intellectual 
Property (IP) protection and enforcement frameworks in our Free Trade 
Agreements and our continued engagement in international organizations, 
including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to ensure 
that our trading partners can effectively protect and enforce 
copyright.
    In addition, I will leverage the Department of Commerce's extensive 
expertise and resources, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
and the International Trade Administration, to promote the protection 
and enforcement of copyright around the world by providing training and 
technical advice to foreign trading partners.
    Furthermore, I will support continued outreach and assistance to 
U.S. creators and copyright owners, including small businesses, in the 
protection and licensing of U.S. movies, music, literature, software, 
and other creative works, including through our network of Intellectual 
Property Attaches in embassies, consulates, and missions around the 
world.

    Question 2. Advanced communication systems such as 5G and Wi-Fi 6 
are critical to facilitating U.S. competitiveness in a wide variety of 
industries. How do you see the Department of Commerce and NTIA working 
to facilitate and promote 5G?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure the full technical expertise of 
the Department and NTIA is available to lead U.S. government efforts to 
help ensure that 5G standards are state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose, 
and developed through open, bottom-up, industry-led, consensus-based 
processes free of the influence of state-actors or their proxies.

    Question 3. The Department of Commerce's own data shows that in 
U.S. firms that export goods and services, sales grow faster, more jobs 
are created, and employees earn more than in non-exporting firms. An 
ever-growing number of these exporters are small businesses. 
Unfortunately, even in the countries where we have free trade 
agreements, our companies continue to face trade barriers such as 
inadequate intellectual property protections, data localization rules, 
and price controls that violate these agreements. Much of the 
responsibility of enforcing these agreements and protecting U.S. 
businesses falls to the Department of Commerce. Governor Raimondo, can 
you commit that you will be as vigilant in the execution of the 
responsibility of holding our trading partners to account on behalf of 
our U.S. exporters as the Department will be in protecting our 
businesses from imports that violate our laws and trade agreements?
    Answer. If confirmed, Commerce will continue to level the playing 
for American workers and businesses. The Department of Commerce is 
committed to holding our trading partners accountable when they violate 
our laws and trade agreements by proactively monitoring, identifying 
and resolving trade barriers. I commit to working with allies and 
likeminded trading partners to promote policies that support U.S. 
exports and encourage foreign investment into the United States. I also 
commit to rigorously enforce the U.S. trade remedy laws to address 
unfair dumping and subsidization of imports from foreign trading 
partners that injure the domestic industry.

    Question 4. As you know, the United States continues to face 
growing cybersecurity threats. Last year, NTIA and other Federal 
agencies were breached in a supply-chain attack by malicious hackers. 
An attack at this scale has an enormous effect on our economy and 
national security. It provides our adversaries with unauthorized access 
to sensitive data, intellectual property, and critical infrastructure. 
If confirmed, how would the Department respond to this economic 
espionage and work with industry to combat ongoing cyber threats?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that the Department continues 
to play an active role in helping industry and government agencies 
better defend against a range of cyber threats by working with experts 
and stakeholders to constantly advance the collective tools, standards, 
and expectations in the marketplace.

    Question 5. A week and a half ago marked the one-year anniversary 
of the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal. China committed to purchasing a 
significant amount of U.S. exports--an additional $200 billion of U.S. 
products over a two-year period. How does the Commerce Department plan 
to respond to China if it does not meet its Phase 1 commitments, 
particularly the purchase of U.S. exports?
    Answer. China's actions toward U.S. businesses are coercive and 
abusive and if confirmed, my plan is to ensure the Department of 
Commerce (Commerce) continues supporting U.S. exports, including those 
purchases agreed upon by China as part of the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade 
deal. Commerce will continue to work with USTR to hold China 
accountable and use our full tool kit, including export promotion 
resources of the Foreign Commercial Service.

    Question 6. With agriculture being South Dakota's biggest industry, 
my state relies on reliable and accurate weather prediction, especially 
when it comes to drought and flood risk monitoring. For that reason, I 
requested that the most recent WRDA bill include a provision to build 
out a network of weather monitoring stations across the Upper Missouri 
River Basin and require NOAA to acquire the data and develop a pilot 
program to improve existing climate and forecasting models with the new 
data. If confirmed, can you commit to working with me to stand up this 
important pilot program at NOAA, which will greatly benefit flood 
control and drought monitoring for much of the Great Plains region?
    Answer. I recognize the importance weather has on industries, like 
agriculture, to the economy of South Dakota and our Nation. If 
confirmed, I will ensure that NOAA leads with data and sound science. I 
look forward to working with you on this program, and to ensuring that 
NOAA and its National Weather Service are the gold standard for 
weather, water, and climate forecasting.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roy Blunt to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Do you intend to conduct a review of the steel and 
aluminum tariffs implemented under section 232 of the Trade Expansion 
Act of 1962

    a. Will the Department study the impact on downstream industries 
that consume goods impacted by the tariffs, specifically the decisions 
of companies to build facilities and production capacity in the United 
States?

    b. Will the Department make any changes to the tariff exclusion 
request process? What will the Department do to avoid backlogs and 
delays?

    c. Will the Department consider giving exclusions to industries 
that have no impact on national security, such as food and beverage 
processing or consumer automobiles?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary, I plan to review any work the 
Department of Commerce (Commerce) has already done on the impact of the 
tariffs and will ensure that any review is up to date. It is my 
understanding that the Commerce Department is continually reviewing the 
process and scope of the 232 Exclusions Process to increase its 
efficiency and transparency.

    Question 2. How will the Department of Commerce protect American 
workers and main street businesses against China's unfair trading 
practices? How will the Department work with our other trading partners 
in the region to facilitate trade and counter China's influence?
    Answer. If confirmed, I am committed to addressing unfair and 
abusive trading practices by China and other nations through its 
network of trade experts and commercial diplomats. I will work with 
allies and likeminded trading partners to identify and address trade 
barriers in order to promote policies that support U.S. exports and 
continue to vigorously enforce existing U.S. trade laws, including the 
antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws, to ensure that 
U.S. workers, farmers and businesses are not harmed by unfair imports 
from China.

    a. American innovation in technology continues to create high-tech 
manufacturing jobs and reduce our dependence on China. Will you commit 
to working with Congress to vigorously protect American intellectual 
property from unfair competition?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will work with Congress to protect U.S. 
intellectual property. The Department will address the challenge of 
protecting U.S. intellectual property from theft and unfair competition 
by helping our innovators and creators, providing information on how to 
obtain protection, maintaining high standards for protection in any 
future trade agreements, using tools at the Department's disposal to 
ensure our trading partners abide by their international commitments, 
including those respecting IP protection and enforcement, and 
participating and defending U.S. intellectual property interests in 
international forums and standard setting processes.

    Question 3. How will the Department of Commerce enforce our trade 
agreements? What actions will the Department take against entities that 
violate our trade agreements?
    Specifically, on intellectual property, how will the Department 
fully and effectively defend U.S. companies' IP rights around the world 
and ensure that foreign governments live up to their trade agreement IP 
obligations?
    Answer. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has the statutory 
responsibility to monitor trading partners' trade agreement compliance 
and as such, proactively monitors, investigates, and resolves non-
tariff trade barriers. If confirmed, I will work with Commerce staff, 
and when appropriate the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, to expeditiously address non-compliance matters and 
refer for dispute settlement as needed.

    Question 4. The COVID-19 pandemic created a disruption in global 
supply lines and led to a shortage of semiconductor chips. Many 
American manufacturing workers and main street businesses produce 
products that include semiconductor chips to enhance safety and 
efficiency. The current shortage is slowing down American factories and 
may result in a total work stoppage.

    a. Will the Department of Commerce work with our trading partners 
to help alleviate the shortage of semiconductor chips?
    Answer. The Department of Commerce will play an active role in 
President Biden's whole-of-government approach to semiconductors. In 
the short term, we should work with trading partners to explore options 
for alleviating this shortage. In the long term, we must take steps to 
ensure a resilient and secure supply chain for semiconductor chips, 
including continued assistance to firms expanding their semiconductor 
manufacturing investments in the United States. If confirmed, I look 
forward to working with Congress to these ends.

    Question 5. In July of 2020, the European Court of Justice struck 
down the Privacy Shield program, invalidating a mechanism for 
transferring personal data to the U.S. from the EU. This has raised 
significant concerns about the continued viability of trans-Atlantic 
data flows, which are estimated to generate more than $7 trillion in 
economic activity, at an important moment for both U.S. economic 
recovery and EU-US relations.

    a. As Secretary of Commerce, will you support and prioritize the 
on-going negotiations to replace the Privacy Shield program with the 
goal of ensuring the continued viability of trans-Atlantic data flows?

    b. Given the potential economic impact of interrupted data flows 
across the U.S. economy, are you planning to be directly involved in 
these discussions? Are there additional steps you intend to take?
    Answer. If confirmed, one of my top priorities as Commerce 
Secretary will be to quickly conclude an enhanced Privacy Shield 
framework that fully addresses the European Court of Justice's concerns 
and enables the EU-U.S. transfers of personal data that underpin the 
$7.1 trillion transatlantic economy. I will work closely with my 
counterparts in the U.S. government, in particular the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Justice, and the 
Department of State, in order to ensure that these whole of government 
negotiations are successful and the 5,400+ Privacy Shield participants, 
more than 70 percent of whom were small and medium enterprises, can 
efficiently and effectively do business with Europe once again on firm 
ground.

    Question 6. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is 
proliferating and important considerations are being brought to light 
about both the benefits and challenges of these technologies. Most 
notably, the European Commission is making significant progress toward 
an AI regulatory approach. The Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense 
Authorization Act included a bipartisan requirement for the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish a 
collaborative trustworthy AI framework, akin to their landmark 
cybersecurity and privacy frameworks.

    a. As the leading producer of AI in the world, do you agree that 
the U.S. should be part of the global conversation on AI standards, 
management practices, and regulation?
    Answer. Yes. I agree unequivocally that the U.S. should be part of 
the global conversation on AI standards, management practices, and 
regulation. If confirmed, I look forward to working with NIST and 
others across the Department to ensure that the U.S. maintains its 
strong voice in these important global conversations on AI.

    b. Given that it received considerable bipartisan support in 
Congress, will you support and prioritize the on-going and important 
work by NIST to launch to create a trustworthy AI framework?
    Answer. Yes. If confirmed, I will be a strong supporter and 
advocate for NIST's work to create a framework for trustworthy AI. I 
understand that NIST has received funding from Congress that will 
support this important work.

    Question 7. I served on the Energy and Commerce Committee in 2009 
when Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which 
sent billions of dollars to the Department of Commerce to provide 
broadband grants. I was concerned in 2009, and I remain concerned that 
we are not doing enough to protect taxpayer money from being used to 
overbuild existing broadband networks.

    a. Will you commit to the Committee that under your leadership at 
the Department of Commerce, you will ensure that NTIA works with all 
government and industry stakeholders to mitigate the threat of using 
Federal money to overbuild existing broadband networks?
    Answer. Yes.

    b. How will you work to ensure that Federal resources are used for 
the construction of broadband networks in wholly unserved, rather than 
underserved, parts of the country?
    Answer. As Governor, I have had to watch the challenges many 
families and individuals have in my state without access to broadband 
or have very limited bandwidth. If confirmed, as Secretary, I will work 
to ensure that broadband grants are directed to the communities most 
deserving and in need, consistent with the intent of the statute.

    Question 8. As you may be aware, within the Department of Commerce 
is the National Travel & Tourism Office and the U.S. Travel and Tourism 
Advisory Board, which inform the Commerce Secretary on emerging issues 
in travel and tourism, including travel facilitation, transportation 
infrastructure, and aviation security. The travel industry has been one 
of the hardest hit by the pandemic, and the Department has a critical 
role to play in the balancing of public health and safety in air travel 
with the need to support the viability of the travel industry.
    The U.S. must lead the global community in implementing a multi-
layered, risk-based approach to restarting travel. Though I am glad to 
hear President Biden will advance the CDC's new testing requirement for 
inbound, international travelers, I believe that more can be done to 
ensure that this rule is implemented smoothly.

    a. Will you commit to addressing these concerns and considering the 
interests of the travel industry as you work with your colleagues in 
the Administration to tackle this crisis?
    Answer. I believe it is critical for our economic recovery that the 
United States prioritize the safe opening of domestic and international 
travel in a way that mitigates the transmission of disease. On January 
21, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting COVID-19 
Safety in Domestic and International Travel that mandates testing of 
travelers entering the United States and directs the Departments of 
Transportation, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services, 
through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other 
agencies to provide additional recommendations to the COVID-19 Response 
Coordinator (Coordinator) on measures to support the safe reopening of 
international and domestic travel. If confirmed, it is my intention to 
offer the assistance of the Department of Commerce in bringing the 
perspective of the travel and tourism industry, communicating to the 
travel trade in the United States and international markets, and 
coordinating across government.

    Question 9. Before leaving office, President Trump signed an 
executive order that seeks to grant the Department of Commerce 
authorities to impose data collection requirements on cloud providers. 
It is unclear how this action will effect relationships between cloud 
providers and their customers overseas. These outcomes may put a major 
sector of the U.S. economy at risk without clarity on how this action 
advances data security.
    Do I have your commitment to carefully review this EO and to work 
with impacted industry stakeholders on this topic and others relating 
to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will carefully review the Executive Order 
and work with impacted industry stakeholders on this topic and others 
relating to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Ted Cruz to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Governor, in your confirmation hearing I asked you 
several questions about an ongoing review of China policy by the Biden 
administration, which includes the potential to remove several entities 
from the Department of Commerce's ``Entity List.'' This list, as you 
may know, houses foreign parties--such as an individual, business, 
research institution, or government organization--which engage in 
activities contrary to U.S. national security and/or foreign policy 
interests. Specifically, I asked about entities that the Chinese 
Communist Party (CCP) uses to conduct their surveillance campaigns of 
the Uighurs in Xinjiang, which is part of their campaign of genocide in 
the region, and about Huawei, which is a global espionage tool of the 
CCP masquerading as a technology firm.
    Additionally, on Jan 19 then-Secretary of State Pompeo announced 
that the State Department had determined that ``the People's Republic 
of China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity in 
Xinjiang, China, targeting Uyghur Muslims and members of other ethnic 
and religious minority groups.'' The same day, now-Secretary of State 
Blinken confirmed that he agrees with that assessment in testimony to 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: ``That would be my judgment as 
well . . . I think we're very much in agreement,'' he said. ``The 
forcing of men, women and children into concentration camps; trying to, 
in effect, re-educate them to be adherents to the ideology of the 
Chinese Communist Party, all of that speaks to an effort to commit 
genocide.''
    In response to my questions about companies used by the CCP for 
their surveillance campaigns of the Uighurs, you said----

        ``I will commit that should I be confirmed and I am there, I 
        will review the policy, consult with you, consult with 
        industry, consult with our allies and make an assessment on 
        what is best for American national security.''

    This answer is both troubling and does not address my questions. 
I'd like to now more specifically ask you----

    a. Do you believe that the CCP's targeting of the Uighurs in 
Xinjiang constitutes a genocide?

    b. Will you commit to ensuring the entities that were placed on the 
Entity List because of their involvement in the CCP's human rights 
abuses against the Uighurs and others in Xinjiang remain on the Entity 
List, should you be confirmed as the Secretary of Commerce?

    c. Will you commit to ensuring Huawei and its subsidiaries and 
affiliates that are currently on the Entity List remain on the Entity 
List, should you be confirmed as the Secretary of Commerce?
    Answer. Secretary of State Blinken has made clear his judgement 
that China's actions in Xinjiang constitute an effort to commit 
genocide, and he speaks on behalf of the President on this issue. I 
agree with him that the U.S. government has tools, including some that 
Congress has provided, to take actions to not import products that are 
made with forced labor from Xinjiang, or exporting technologies and 
tools that could be used to further Uighurs' repression. If confirmed, 
I will review how the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) 
authorities can be leveraged to promote the protection of human rights, 
as Congress directed in the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), including 
through review of licenses for human rights concerns and Entity List 
actions. I will also ensure any proposed additions or removals comply 
with the policies and procedures of the Export Administration 
Regulations (EAR).
    With respect to Huawei, let me be clear: telecommunications 
equipment made by untrusted vendors is a threat to the security of the 
U.S. and our allies. We will ensure that American telecommunications 
networks do not use equipment from untrusted vendors and will work with 
allies to secure their telecommunications networks and make investments 
to expand the production of telecommunications equipment by trusted 
U.S. and allied companies.
    In addition, Huawei's ties to China's military, human right abuses, 
and theft of intellectual property have rightly been a source of 
bipartisan concern, regulatory action, and legislation in the United 
States and among U.S. partners and allies. I also am fully aware of and 
support the provisions of the FY2020 NDAA and Secure and Trusted 
Telecommunications Networks Act that contain restrictions on Huawei, 
and look forward to working closely with the Director of National 
Intelligence, Secretary of Defense, and Director of the FBI to ensure 
that administration policies and actions related Huawei reflect their 
national security concerns and judgements as well.

    Question 2. The government of the People's Republic of China and 
the Chinese Communist Party have established an ecosystem of public-
facing businesses and military infrastructure, sometimes described as a 
civil-military fusion, to advance China's national security interests. 
Utilizing public and private assets, they have among other things made 
great strides in globally advancing their civilian nuclear industry.
    a. Governor, what is your understanding of China's civil-military 
fusion policy and its implications for the national security of the 
United States? Please answer with as much detail as possible.
    Answer. I am aware of the substantial challenges China's military-
civil fusion policy poses to U.S. national security. If confirmed, I 
plan to leverage the full breadth of the authorities under the purview 
of the Department of Commerce in order to protect U.S. national and 
economic security interests. I also look forward to working with the 
Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence to fully 
implement related provisions of the FY2021 NDAA (Section 1260H) and 
other relevant legislation.

    b. Will you commit to denying any licenses or permits that would 
allow the export or reexport of technology that would be used to 
advance China's civil nuclear sector, if you are confirmed?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, I would ensure the 
rigorous implementation of the existing framework for U.S. civil 
nuclear exports to China and also support U.S. companies that raise 
concerns regarding Chinese behavior. The entire U.S. government 
continues to closely monitor Chinese behavior in the civil sector and 
the Department of Commerce will use all of the tools at its disposal, 
including the Entity List and license denial, where there is evidence 
of wrongdoing and threats to economic and national security.

    Question 3. Huawei, the ZTE Corporation, the Semiconductor 
Manufacturing International Corporation, the Hangzhou Hikvision Digital 
Technology Co., the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Beijing 
Skyrizon Aviation, and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China 
have been correctly listed on the Entity List and on Military End User 
Lists because they pose e national security threats to the United 
States. I'd like to ask you some questions about those companies and 
those threats.

    a. Do you agree these companies pose national threats to the United 
States? If you do not, please describe why you do not believe so.

    b. Will you commit to keeping all of these companies on the Entity 
List? If not, please explain why not.

    c. Will you commit to keeping all of these companies on the 
Military End User List? If not, please explain why not.
    Answer. The United States is engaged in strategic competition with 
China, and technology is a central domain of that competition. We 
should have no illusions about China's objectives, which I believe are 
to undercut America's longstanding technological advantage and to 
displace America as the global leader in cutting-edge research and 
development and the industries of the future. The national security and 
economic consequences of allowing that to happen are simply 
unacceptable. That is the bottom-line perspective I will bring to this 
role, if confirmed.
    With respect to the Entity List, I understand that parties are 
placed on the Entity List and the Military End User List generally 
because they pose a risk to U.S. national security or foreign policy 
interests. I currently have no reason to believe that entities on those 
lists should not be there. If confirmed, I look forward to a briefing 
on these entities and others of concern. I further understand that the 
Department has an ongoing process in place to identify and review 
activities of the Chinese government, commercial entities, and their 
affiliates to determine whether placement of additional entities on the 
Entity List and/or the Military End User List is warranted. I 
understand that this is an interagency process. As Secretary, I will 
not hesitate to encourage the use of the Entity List, the Military End 
User List, and other appropriate tools within the scope of Commerce 
authorities to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy 
interests.

    Question 4. Are there currently entities listed on the Entity and 
Military End User Lists you do not consider to be national security 
threats to the United States? If so, please specify--

    a. Which entities those are; and

    b. How you reached that determination for each party.
    Answer. I understand that parties are placed on the Entity List and 
the Military End User List generally because they pose a risk to U.S. 
national security or foreign policy interests. I currently have no 
reason to believe that entities on those lists should not be there. If 
confirmed, I look forward to a briefing on these entities. I further 
understand that the Department has an ongoing process in place to 
identify and review the activities of entities and their affiliates to 
determine whether addition to the Entity List and/or the Military End 
User List is warranted and that this is an interagency process. As 
Secretary, I will not hesitate to encourage the use of the Entity List, 
the Military End User List, and other appropriate tools within the 
scope of Commerce authorities to protect U.S. national security and 
foreign policy interests.

    Question 5. If you will not commit to ensuring foreign parties 
engaged in activities contrary to U.S. national security and/or foreign 
policy interests will not be removed from the Entity and/or Military 
End User Lists, please list, specifically----

    a. Which parties on the Entity List and/or Military End User List 
you would consider removing and allowing access to sensitive U.S. 
technology; and

    b. Your rational for removing each party from the Entity List and/
or Military End User List.
    Answer. I understand that the Commerce Department's Bureau of 
Industry and Security (BIS) has an ongoing process in place to identify 
and review activities of entities and their affiliates to determine 
whether addition to the Entity List and/or the Military End User List 
is warranted and that this is an interagency process. I currently have 
no reason to believe that entities on those lists should not be there. 
If confirmed, I look forward to a briefing on these entities and the 
interagency process. As Secretary, I will not hesitate to encourage the 
use of the Entity List, the Military End User List, and other 
appropriate tools within the scope of Commerce authorities to protect 
U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

    Question 6. The re-export of illicit technology to Iran poses an 
acute and complicated challenge to the enforcement of American export 
and re-export laws. The Iranian regime consistently seeks to circumvent 
American efforts to curb its support for terrorism and expansionism by 
acquiring technology through third countries, including sensitive 
military technology. Information that has been declassified across 
multiple administrations and indictments which have been unsealed 
indicate the regime using front companies and other means to evade 
detection. Please describe----

    a. How you evaluate the challenge posed by Iran's acquisition of 
prohibited technologies through third parties, including specifically 
aviation and aeronautical technology.

    b. The priority you intend to place, if confirmed, on enforcing 
American re-export restrictions to Iran.

    c. Specific steps you would take to stop the flow of prohibited 
goods to Iran, if you are confirmed.
    Answer. Currently, a license from the Department's Bureau of 
Industry and Security (BIS) is required to export or reexport most 
items (commodities, software, and technology) on the Commerce Control 
List (CCL) to Iran pursuant to EAR Section 746.7. In addition to BIS 
license requirements, the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign 
Assets Control (OFAC) prohibits exports and reexports to Iran of items 
subject of the EAR pursuant to the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions 
Regulations (ITSR) (31 CFR Part 560). Taken together, the two agencies' 
authorities broadly restrict the provision of items subject to the EAR 
to Iran, whether by U.S. persons or non-U.S. persons, and including 
from third countries. If confirmed, I commit to working alongside 
Treasury Secretary Yellen to ensure appropriate coordination between 
our agencies to ensure strict compliance with these restrictions.

    Question 7. The Commerce Department is responsible for enforcing 
U.S. anti-boycott laws which impose penalties for participating in 
boycotts that run contrary to American interests, including and 
especially boycotts of Israel that Congress has consistently sought to 
discourage

    a. If confirmed, you will oversee the Office of Anti-boycott 
Compliance. Will you commit that you will fully and actively enforce 
U.S. anti-boycott laws and regulations, and prioritize protecting 
American companies from foreign boycotts?

    b. In dealings with countries that participate in the boycott of 
Israel, will you commit to making it a priority to encourage them to 
end their boycott?
    Answer. I commit to fully and actively enforcing all U.S. anti-
boycott laws and will always prioritize protecting American companies 
and the American worker.

    Question 8. On his first day in office, President Biden rejoined 
the Paris Agreement, a binding international treaty on climate change. 
Similarly, you signaled intent to enact climate change policy should 
you be confirmed as Secretary of Commerce.

    a. What role will the Department of Commerce have in implementing 
the stringent requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement?

    b. Under what statutory authority does the Department of Commerce 
have the ability to do so?
    Answer (a and b). Like President Biden, I know the climate crisis 
poses an existential threat to our economic security, and we must meet 
this challenge by creating millions of good, union jobs that power a 
more sustainable economy. The Commerce Department has the tools, data, 
and expertise to help communities and businesses address the climate 
crisis and become more resilient in the face of climate change. As one 
of the agencies under the Congressionally mandated U.S. Global Change 
Research Program, the Department of Commerce, through NOAA, plays a 
leadership role in the development of the quadrennial National Climate 
Assessment, which analyzes trends in global change and its effects on 
various sectors.

    Question 9. Economic analysis estimates that as many as 2.7 million 
jobs could be lost as a result of complying with the terms of the Paris 
Accord. Additionally, President Biden revoked the permit for the 
Keystone XL pipeline on January 20, 2021, eliminating 11,000 jobs.
    What will the Department of Commerce do to support the workers 
whose jobs have already been cancelled by the Biden Administration or 
will be eliminated in the future?
    Answer. Should I be confirmed, I will work closely with the 
Economic Development Administration (EDA) to continue to create new 
well-paying jobs in distressed areas and ensure that all Americans are 
well-equipped to compete for jobs of the future. Within the Department 
of Commerce, EDA leads the Federal economic development agenda by 
promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing our communities for 
growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA's portfolio of 
flexible programs is designed to assist communities at every stage, 
allowing for innovation and responsiveness to changing economic 
conditions that lead to job creation.

    Question 10. During your hearing, you stated that the United States 
needs to formulate a national strategy on spectrum in order to win the 
race for 5G, in addition to making spectrum available from public and 
commercial uses. As agencies disagree over spectrum allocation, can you 
commit that the Biden Administration will never pursue a government-
owned telecommunications network?
    Answer. United States commercial telecommunications networks are 
the envy of the world. Commercial telecommunications service providers 
routinely and reliably deliver a sophisticated, complex, hi-tech 
service, and they work hard to keep their networks best-in-class. As I 
stated in my hearing testimony, I do not support nationalization of a 
5G telecommunications network and I am unaware of any present intention 
to pursue a government-owned telecommunications network.

    a. Does the Biden Administration plan to rescind the ``Defense 
Spectrum Sharing Request for Information'' issued on September 18, 2020 
by the Department of Defense?
    Answer. That Request for Information was issued by the Department 
of Defense under the previous Administration. The responses to that 
Request for Information have already been submitted, and I respectfully 
submit that this question would be more properly directed to the 
Secretary of Defense.

    Question 11. Family and friends of President Biden are deeply 
enmeshed in the Washington, D.C. lobbying industry. His son, Hunter 
Biden, has been paid for consulting and lobbying services by multiple 
foreign governments. Given the role of the Department of Commerce in 
promoting America's businesses abroad, what procedures or safeguards 
will you have in place to guard against impropriety should you be 
approached by a Biden relative or long-time associate?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that the Department of Commerce 
adheres to the highest ethical standards. I would also direct you to 
Executive Order 13989 of January 20, 2021, which affirms a strong 
ethics pledge for all political appointees in the Biden Administration.

    Question 12. In 2009, prior to her confirmation as Secretary of 
State, then-Senator Hillary Clinton approved a memorandum of 
Understanding between the Clinton Foundation and the Obama 
Administration that, through transparency, assure Americans the 
Foundation was not receiving undue donations as a means to curry favor. 
Does the Biden Administration plan to require a similarly-transparent 
plan from the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, the Biden 
School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of 
Delaware, long-time Biden associates who may or may not have previously 
registered as lobbyists, and Biden family members?
    Answer. This question is outside the scope of the Department of 
Commerce. If confirmed, I will ensure that the Department of Commerce 
adheres to the highest ethical standards. I would also direct you to 
Executive Order 13989 of January 20, 2021, which affirms a strong 
ethics pledge for all political appointees in the Biden Administration.

    Question 13. Governor, the previous Administration invoked Section 
232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose duties on imports of 
steel products that pose a threat to national security. At the time, 
Democrats publicly stated their position\1\ that the rationale used was 
inadequate. The new Biden Administration has signaled that they may use 
trade policy and law as a way to combat climate change around the 
world, possibly using existing trade law to impose `carbon' tariffs on 
imported products. What is your position on using existing trade law to 
implement President Biden's environmental agenda? Do you believe that 
there is existing authority to impose duties using the rationale of 
combatting climate change? If so, please specify which statutes and 
regulations provide that authority.
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, I intend to work 
closely with Congress on the issue of climate change and can commit to 
use the tools available under the law and work with our interagency 
partners and other stakeholders to implement the Administration's 
environmental policies, as appropriate.

    Question 14. The previous Administration has been criticized for 
relying too heavily on duties to combat the abusive trade practices 
used by China that have harmed American business for decades. Governor, 
what trade enforcement mechanisms do you plan to use as head of the 
Department of Commerce to protect American businesses and interests 
from China?
    Answer. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) recognizes the need 
to confront unfair trade practices directly, whether those by China or 
other countries. Accordingly, if confirmed, I will employ all relevant 
and appropriate trade enforcement mechanisms to protect U.S. workers 
and businesses. For example, Commerce will proactively monitor and 
investigate China's non-compliance with its WTO trade obligations and 
work with other agencies, such as the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, to implement the most effective strategy to address 
these issues.

    Question 15. Many of our trading partners are simply not living up 
to their commitments with the U.S. This problem spans the globe and 
affects every American industry. But in particular, I want to focus on 
the need to enforce trade obligations for America's highly innovative 
industries that rely on American intellectual property. We cannot allow 
the rest of the world to steal or freeride on the inventions of 
American workers. How do you intend to use the trade enforcement tools 
at the department to ensure that we truly combat this issue?
    Answer. I recognize that protection and enforcement of U.S. 
intellectual property rights is a trade policy priority. If confirmed, 
the Commerce Department, under my direction, would remain actively 
involved, with USTR and other agencies, in challenging countries to 
commit to highest standards of intellectual property protection in 
their agreements with the United States and to fully implement and 
abide by those commitments. U.S. trading partners must abide by IP-
related trade commitments and I am committed to use of Commerce tools 
and authorities where warranted to bring this about.

    Question 16. Biopharmaceutical innovators--and the millions of jobs 
they support in the United States-have worked mightily over the last 
year to combat the COVID epidemic, and to good effect. In order to 
drive discovery and to maintain the global competitiveness of our 
innovators, how will Commerce work to further strengthen U.S. industry 
in this fight, as well as in other public health battles in the future?
    Answer. EDA has demonstrated support to the Nation's response to 
the COVID pandemic through initiatives such as the launch of the 
Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) 
Challenge funded through the CARES Act. It is my understanding that the 
SPRINT Challenge enables EDA to invest in regional innovation economies 
to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the 
coronavirus pandemic through entrepreneurship such as scaling and 
delivering innovative biotechnology and health security technologies. 
EDA plans to continue to leverage innovation to reduce the threat 
caused by extremely dangerous pathogens to local economies through 
related initiatives.

    Question 17. The purpose of Section 232 tariffs is to stimulate 
domestic steel production and capacity. In December 2020, the Commerce 
Department published an interim final rule on the Section 232 product 
exclusion process, which included the adoption of General Approved 
Exclusions (GAEs). These GAEs allow covered products to be imported 
free from Section 232 tariffs, even though the GAE list contains 
numerous products that the domestic industry can and does produce. Can 
you describe what action you would take as the Secretary of Commerce to 
ensure that the GAEs are modified to cover only those products that the 
domestic industry is not capable of producing?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that the Department continues 
to evaluate all aspects of the 232 Exclusions Process, including 
General Approved Exclusions (GAEs).

    Question 18. The Biden Administration has said he will pursue a 
``worker-centered trade policy.'' In the past, this term has been used 
to pursue a trade agenda that disregards the concerns and interests of 
businesses, leading to U.S. companies operating at a disadvantage 
compared to their international counterparts. Given that over 40 
million jobs in the United States depend on international trade, it is 
vital that the trade agenda also be centered around protecting American 
businesses which supply those jobs. Governor, do you commit to only 
advancing a trade agenda that protects American businesses' ability to 
continue employing American workers?
    Answer. If confirmed, it would be my job as Secretary of Commerce 
to use our trade tools to the fullest extent possible to protect 
American workers. This includes both enforcing our trade laws and 
holding our trade partners accountable, but also creating opportunities 
for U.S. companies to access overseas markets and investment. We must 
ensure that American workers can compete fairly on the global playing 
field.

    Question 19. The Obama/Biden Administration recognized that there 
is a massive global overcapacity issue affecting the steel industry, 
involving not just China, but many other countries as well. 
Unfortunately, multilateral efforts to address this significant 
problem, such as the ongoing Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity and 
the OECD Steel Subsidy negotiations in the early 2000s, have simply not 
worked. Can you describe what actions you would take as the Secretary 
of Commerce to address this serious global steel overcapacity issue and 
ensure a vibrant domestic steel industry, which is critical to U.S. 
national security?
    Answer. The Department of Commerce's approach to global steel 
excess capacity includes active international engagement as well as 
strong enforcement regarding unfairly traded steel imports. If 
confirmed as Secretary, I intend to continue to coordinate with trading 
partners on information regarding, and solutions to address, the excess 
capacity crisis. Additionally, if confirmed, it is my intention to 
continue to rigorously enforce the U.S. trade laws, including the AD 
and CVD laws, to help ensure a level playing field for the critical 
U.S. steel sector.

    Question 20. I know as a Governor, you have been very focused on 
attracting new investments in Rhode Island and in particular foreign 
direct investment. As Commerce Secretary, you will have the nearly 
exclusive role of leading America's campaign for increased foreign 
direct investment in the US. What is your plan for helping to encourage 
such investment and the job creation that comes with it?
    Answer. It is essential to retain and grow the more than 15 million 
U.S. jobs directly and indirectly supported by FDI. If confirmed, I 
will fully support and resource the SelectUSA Program--a group whose 
work in the last 10 years has supported over $82 billion in FDI into 
the U.S. supporting over 100,000 U.S. jobs.

    Question 21. The semiconductor industry is often called the ``holy 
grail'' of capital investment. A new fab (manufacturing plant for 
semiconductor chips) can cost upwards of $10 billion for a green-field 
new investment. Taiwan's TSMC recently announced that they plan to 
build such a plant here in the US, in the State of Arizona. The largest 
foreign direct investment in the U.S. in more than a decade. Do you 
agree that the semiconductor industry is important for the U.S. economy 
and national security and what kinds of actions would you take as 
Commerce Secretary to further incentivize similar investments in this 
key sector?
    Answer. I agree that U.S. leadership in semiconductors is a 
cornerstone of U.S. economy and national security as well as the 
innovation ecosystem that keeps the United States on the cutting edge 
of technology. The President has highlighted that the United States 
needs to close supply chain vulnerabilities across a range of critical 
products on which the U.S. is dangerously dependent on foreign 
suppliers. If confirmed as Secretary, I will promote policies that will 
lead to stronger, more resilient domestic supply chains in a number of 
areas, including energy and grid resilience technologies, 
semiconductors, key electronics and related technologies, 
telecommunications infrastructure, and key raw materials. I commit to 
working with you on this critically important issue.

    Question 22. As Commerce Secretary you will lead America's efforts 
to protect cutting edge technologies and military systems from being 
shared with countries that threaten our national security. This is a 
critical mission, but one that requires careful balance. As Secretary, 
how would you work to ensure enforcement of our export control laws 
without undermining investment in the U.S. or inadvertently hurting 
American technology companies and preventing them from competing 
globally?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will assess the current process for 
obtaining input from industry to assure effective export controls that 
protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests while 
mitigating negative effects on U.S. technological leadership. As 
Secretary, I will also prioritize multilateral and plurilateral 
engagements that harmonize U.S. export controls with those of like-
minded nations, which will strengthen our ability to maintain an 
effective export control system while limiting the ability of our 
foreign adversaries to continue to access sensitive U.S. technologies 
for malign purposes.

    Question 23. The mission of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and 
Security has traditionally been focused on preventing the sale or 
export of munitions and weapons components. Together with our key 
allies this has been a shared effort/priority. More recently, some 
critics have said that U.S. only export controls have been used to 
accomplish other policy goals, far from this specific national security 
mission. Do you worry that recent expansions of export control 
applicability may drive key innovation off-shore and exacerbate the 
erosion of key foundational technologies like chip manufacturing and 
semiconductor design?
    Answer. As Secretary of Commerce, I will be dedicated to working 
with our partners to harmonize export controls and work together to 
prevent the proliferation of dual use technologies that can benefit 
foreign adversaries' military capabilities to the detriment of U.S. 
national security. U.S. technological competitiveness is a key concern 
of mine, and my goal is to ensure that our defense of U.S. national 
security and foreign policy interests does not come at a cost to U.S. 
long-term leadership in technology and innovation.

    Question 24. The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic 
Analysis recently disclosed that expenditures by foreign direct 
investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses totaled 
$194.7 billion in 2019, down 37.7 percent from $312.5 billion in 2018. 
This is a worrying trend. What would you like to do to reverse this 
trend and make America a more attractive place to create or expand new 
businesses and create jobs for Americans? Is this a part of the 
Administration's COVID recovery plan?
    Answer. It is essential to retain and grow the more than 15 million 
U.S. jobs directly and indirectly supported by FDI. If confirmed, I 
will fully support and resource the SelectUSA Program--a group whose 
work in the last 10 years has supported over $82 billion in FDI into 
the U.S. supporting over 100,000 U.S. jobs.

    Question 25. The Department of Commerce is charged with 
strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promoting trade and 
investment and ensuring fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of 
our trade laws and agreements. With that in mind, how will you work to 
ensure that our trading partners are enforcing existing commitments and 
how will you work to deter countries from weakening their standards in 
their own IP regimes?
    Answer. The Department of Commerce is committed to ensuring that 
U.S. trading partners abide by IP-related trade commitments and I 
assure you that, if I am confirmed, I am committed to using Commerce 
tools and authorities where warranted to bring this about. I will also 
be committed to deterring countries from seeking to weaken standards in 
their IP regimes that effectively protect U.S. intellectual property 
rights and the interests of U.S. intellectual property rights holders.

    Question 26. The Department of Commerce promotes job creation and 
economic growth, and one way to do that is to work with our trading 
partners to promote high intellectual property standards 
internationally. Never have the benefits of strong IP been as relevant 
as they are today, in how our pharmaceutical companies, for example, 
have worked so quickly to develop a COVID vaccine. How will you use 
your role within this administration to ensure that America's highly 
innovative industries are treated fairly by our trading partners and 
that a level playing field exists in order to support the millions of 
American jobs they create?
    Answer. I agree that we need the benefits of a strong IP, and that 
this issue is as relevant today as it has ever been. I will always push 
for fairer laws and practices for American companies. If confirmed, I 
will work with the Congress to protect U.S. intellectual property. The 
Department will address the challenge of protecting U.S. intellectual 
property from theft and unfair competition by helping our innovators 
and creators, providing information on how to obtain protection, 
maintaining high standards for protection in any future trade 
agreements, using tools at the Department's disposal to ensure our 
trading partners abide by their international commitments, including 
those respecting IP protection and enforcement, and participating and 
defending U.S. intellectual property interests in international forums 
and standard setting processes.

    Question 27. Despite the fact you reportedly resigned in 2011 from 
Point Judith Capital (PJC), your former investment firm, in 2020 
journalists reported that PJC had recently added your name, image and 
bio back to its website after it had been removed for ``for a decade'' 
and PJC listed you as the ``General Partner Emerita.'' It appears that 
your former firm was using your name and government position in its 
marketing. The ethics concerns are obvious and serious.\2\

    a. When did you formally resign from PJC?

    b. Specifically, what did this resignation entail? Did you step 
down from the day-to-day decision making at the firm? From that date to 
present, have you been involved in any decision-making or management 
decisions of PJC or otherwise given PJC input with respect to any 
business or investment decisions or strategies?

    c. Have you ever served on PJC's Board of Directors or on the Board 
of any related entity, affiliate, business partner, or other entity 
that is an investor with PJC? If so, what dates did you serve on such 
Board(s)?

    d. Please describe in detail the steps you took as part of your 
resignation/separation from PJC as a partner, from management, from the 
Board, as an investor, and in any other capacity.

    e. Is it true that you have had no involvement in any decision 
making at PJC since the date you listed in Question 1(a) above?

    f. What financial remuneration have you received from PJC, any 
related entity, affiliate, business partner or other entity that is an 
investor with PJC in each year since 2010?

    g. Did you give anyone at PJC either oral or written permission to 
use your name, bio, and image on the website at any point following the 
date of your resignation/separation that you identified in Question 
1(a) above, including either in 2019 or 2020?

    h. Are there any existing employment, consulting, personal service 
contracts, or other financial arrangements currently in place between 
yourself and PJC or any related entity, affiliate, business partner or 
other entity that is an investor with PJC?
    Answer. Following my election as General Treasurer in 2010, I 
resigned from Point Judith Capital and its investment committee. Prior 
to assuming office, I placed the interests in Point Judith venture 
funds that I maintained into a blind trust. Under the blind trust, the 
trustee made decisions as to when and to what extent the original 
assets of the trust were to be sold or disposed of and in what 
investments the proceeds of sale would be reinvested, without any 
participation in, or knowledge of, such decisions by me or my husband. 
In order to ensure I adhered to the highest possible ethical standards 
and in order to avoid even the appearance of any conflict, I sought and 
received an opinion from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission concerning 
my prior work at Point Judith Capital and the creation of the blind 
trust. The Ethics Commission concluded that my resignation from the 
firm and my creation of the blind trust were appropriate measures to 
help avoid potential conflicts of interest. Aside from the assets in 
that blind trust, I have had no involvement with Point Judith, 
including with any decisions, management, or investments, since that 
time.
    I have also submitted all financial information requested by the 
Senate Commerce Committee as a part of the committee's questionnaire, 
and have filed a publicly available financial disclosure form 278 with 
the Office of Government Ethics.

    Question 28. According to an advisory opinion, you promised the 
Rhode Island Ethics Commission that you had ``taken appropriate 
measures to distance [yourself] from Point Judith and [your] 
investments in its funds.'' Please describe, in detail, what those 
measures were.
    Answer. See response to Question 27.

    Question 29. In addition, there appear to be very serious questions 
about potential conflicts of interest given you that you named David 
Martirano, a former PJC colleague of yours, to a board overseeing the 
University of Rhode Island?

    a. Did you seek the advice of any ethics attorneys in the 
Governor's office or in State government before making this 
appointment? If so, with whom did you consult?

    b. Did you receive anything in writing, recommending either for or 
against or otherwise commenting on the proprietary of the Martirano 
appointment either before or after the appointment?
    Answer. Mr. Martirano is a graduate of the University of Rhode 
Island with a history of advising and supporting his alma mater. His 
nomination to the Board of Trustees of the University of Rhode Island, 
a volunteer position, was approved by the Rhode Island State Senate 
with an overwhelming, bipartisan majority.

    Question 30. In 2014, it was reported that while you were Rhode 
Island State Treasurer your former firm, PJC, made money from Envista, 
a company that was hired to work for the Providence Water Supply Board 
(PWSB), at the same time that your husband was chair of the PWSB.

    a. Did you have any conversations with your husband about the PWSB-
Envista contract prior to the awarding of the contract?

    b. To your knowledge, did the PWSB put this contract out for public 
bid as reportedly required by law?
    Answer. Neither I nor my husband had any role in the awarding of 
this contract.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Dan Sullivan to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. If the Administration chooses to pursue the 30x30 
concept (blocking 30 percent of the EEZ from extraction by 2030), I 
have significant concern for the physical or economic displacement that 
something like this may cause. As the largest seafood producer in the 
nation, Alaska is home to a myriad of small, rural and Alaska Native 
communities that are highly fishery dependent. I am concerned for how 
many people's livelihoods may be affected by this concept and what 
inequalities this could exacerbate.

   Should the Administration choose to pursue this, how will 
        you consult with stakeholders to ensure for clear 30x30 
        objectives that aren't destabilizing to small and remote 
        coastal fishing economies?

   Can you commit to me that if 30x30 goes ahead: 1) all 
        stakeholders will be involved in the decision making on areas 
        designated; 2) special consideration will be given for remote, 
        fishery dependent and subsistence communities; 3) clear 
        objectives for designations will be developed, and that a 
        definition will be developed for areas and activities that are 
        allowed in MPAs so that it is consistent with these objectives?

    Answer. I recognize the importance of this issue to you and the 
state of Alaska and agree that robust stakeholder engagement is 
critical to the success of this process. On January 27, 2021, President 
Biden released the Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at 
Home and Abroad. Sec. 216 of this Executive Order calls for the 
Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretaries of 
Agriculture and Commerce, the Chair of the Council of Environmental 
Quality and other relevant agencies, to develop a report within 90 days 
of its issuance on the steps to achieve the goal of conserving at least 
30 percent of the Nation's lands and waters. The Executive Order calls 
on Federal agencies to solicit input from State, local, Tribal, and 
territorial officials, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, 
and other key stakeholders in identifying strategies that will 
encourage broad participation. In addition, section 216 (c) 
specifically calls on the Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA, to work 
in the first 60 days to collect input from fishermen, regional ocean 
councils, scientists, fishery management councils, and other 
stakeholders on how to make fisheries and protected resources more 
resilient to climate change.

    Question 2. In 2019, more than 79 million international visitors 
spent $155 billion in the U.S., supporting nearly 1.2 million American 
jobs. This made international travel to the U.S. our Nation's largest 
service sector export and our Nation's second largest industry export 
overall. Our competitors around the globe have recognized the economic 
importance of international travel and many have cabinet-level 
positions overseeing travel and tourism to support and grow the 
industry. Despite its economic importance in the U.S., we do not have a 
cabinet level position for travel and tourism.
    That's why, in the last Congress, I introduced the Visit America 
Act, along with Senator Schatz and Senator King. This committee 
approved that bill with overwhelming support in the last Congress.

   If confirmed as the Secretary of Commerce, will you work to 
        set a national goal of welcoming 116 million annual 
        international visitors by 2028 and commit to work with other 
        Federal agencies on a national strategy to achieve that goal?

   If confirmed, would you support the establishment of an 
        Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism?

    Answer. If confirmed, I will look at the way that the Department of 
Commerce engages and addresses the interests of the stakeholders in the 
travel and tourism sector to ensure that we are both effective and 
efficient in these efforts, including whether the establishment of an 
Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism would be the best mechanism 
to meet these needs.

    Question 3. Federal law mandates the NOAA research vessel 
FAIRWEATHER be homeported in Ketchikan, Alaska. However, the NOAA pier 
in Ketchikan was condemned in 2008, and since that time the FAIRWEATHER 
has been homeported outside of Alaska. I have been urging NOAA for 
years to repair the pier and return the FAIRWEATHER to Ketchikan. To 
help pay for this project, I included a provision in the 2018 Coast 
Guard bill that authorized NOAA to accept non-federal funds for the 
construction of a new pier. My state gave the Department of Commerce 
$6.5 million for this project, but that money will only cover the 
destruction of the existing pier structure. An additional $11.5 million 
will be needed to complete construction of the new pier. Congress just 
appropriated $43 million for NOAA construction with report language 
directing NOAA to prioritize infrastructure projects that support 
research vessels like the FAIRWEATHER pier in Ketchikan. Since my state 
has put up the majority of the money so far, I'm looking to you to 
dedicate the necessary funding to see this project through to 
completion.

   Will you commit to make the Ketchikan pier construction 
        project a funding priority until we have succeeded in 
        permanently returning the FAIRWEATHER to its congressionally 
        mandated homeport of Ketchikan, Alaska?
    Answer. I understand the importance of bringing jobs and economic 
activity to communities to ensure the well-being of its people. 
Additionally, being from a coastal state, I understand how critical 
pier construction projects are to the well-being of coastal communities 
and the important role that NOAA plays in such targeted investments to 
grow the American economy. If confirmed, I look forward to learning 
more about the Ketchikan pier construction project and working with you 
to prioritize this and other infrastructure projects that support 
research vessels like the NOAA Fairweather and the NOAA mission.

    Question 4. NOAA has far-reaching authority to ensure that wild 
commercial fisheries follow sustainable harvest limits. Once fish are 
harvested, however, NOAA can and should be doing more to help our 
sustainable and responsible commercial fisheries compete and thrive in 
seafood markets. Seafood as a commodity does not get the Federal 
attention or expert promotion of other U.S. food commodities, which 
essentially undercuts and fails to deliver the value of all our 
investment in safe, sustainable production.
    Specifically, DOC should (1) dedicate staff to understanding 
seafood as a commodity and promote consumer awareness of our 
sustainability. (2) It should work with food commodity experts at USDA 
to effectively integrate knowledge of seafood production and processing 
into USDA food support programs. (3) It should take USDA's findings of 
the neonatal and other health benefits of seafood as another benefit to 
maximize for U.S. fisheries. In short, we need Federal leadership to be 
accountable for supporting seafood as a commodity. My goal would be to 
work with you to develop a clear strategy for making sustainable 
seafood competitiveness a high priority, both within DOC and through 
interagency efforts.

   If confirmed, will you execute an internal review of DOC 
        programs and competencies on seafood as a commodity, and follow 
        up with me and my staff regarding your findings in this area?

    In the global seafood marketplace, the U.S. seafood industry has 
suffered significant losses in ongoing tariff wars. Essentially shut 
out of the seafood market in China, a global seafood hub with ever-
increasing domestic consumption, U.S. products face steep Chinese 
tariffs--while seafood producers in other nations do not. U.S. seafood 
destined for Japan, the EU and UK face steep tariffs, but we import 
seafood from those countries tariff-free. Russia has an embargo on our 
seafood, while we import hundreds of millions tariff-free from them. 
This is shocking and unacceptable.

   As Commerce Secretary, can you commit to further analysis of 
        these seafood trade dynamics at ITA, specifically focusing on 
        the removal of trade barriers and promotion of reciprocity?

   Can you commit to having DOC work with USTR to ensure 
        seafood products receive priority attention as USTR pursues 
        future trade agreements?
    Answer. I recognize the importance of ensuring the ability of the 
U.S. seafood industry to compete fairly in the international 
marketplace. If confirmed, I will ensure that ITA, NOAA and other 
relevant DOC entities continue to work closely with USTR to ensure U.S. 
seafood products receive priority attention. I look forward to learning 
what other opportunities DOC has to support seafood as a commodity.

    Question 5. Fisheries are the number one employer in Alaska and a 
critical component for food security within the State and across the 
Nation. I believe that there is not nearly enough attention paid by 
Commerce on the role that seafood plays in food security. Currently, 
many USDA programs exclude fishermen, even as they provide food 
security to the Nation alongside farmers and ranchers.

   Should policy regarding local foods and communities that are 
        fishery dependent be considered as a part of the Magnuson 
        Stevens Act to ensure that fishery dependent communities are 
        able to maintain access to the commercial fisheries they rely 
        on?

   What steps would you take to factor in pandemic effects and 
        climate change initiatives as we build resilient food systems 
        and work to maintain access to fisheries for communities who 
        provide food to the nation?
    Answer. As a coastal Governor, I recognize the importance of the 
fishing and seafood sector to coastal economies, food security, and the 
communities that rely on a maritime economy. If confirmed, I look 
forward to working with NOAA to support the fishing and seafood sectors 
as they face the impacts of the pandemic and from climate change.

    Question 6. Alaska has a longer coastline than the rest of the 
lower 48 states combined, so as an Alaskan I have a particular interest 
in combatting marine debris. I have led two bipartisan bills on the 
issue--Save Our Seas and Save Our Seas 2.0. NOAA has been a close and 
cooperative partner in these efforts.
    The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, the most comprehensive marine debris 
legislation ever passed by Congress, was signed into law in December 
2020. The Commerce Department, primarily NOAA, has a large role in 
implementing the marine debris response efforts in SOS 2.0. This role 
includes establishing the Marine Debris Foundation, a Congressionally 
chartered private foundation. It also includes recommending candidates 
for the 12-person Board of Directors.
    As NOAA prepares to do establish the Marine Debris Foundation, I 
would like them to consider establishing the Foundation headquarters in 
Alaska. In particular, two campuses of the University of Alaska 
Fairbanks, one in Juneau and one in Kodiak, are strategically located 
and already house institutes that would provide good synergy to 
Foundation efforts, although there are other potential Foundation 
locations in Alaska as well. Additionally, I would like the Board of 
Directors to have a diversity of views and expertise, and potentially 
include some Alaskan experts.

   Can you commit to actively reaching out to Alaska-based 
        officials and exploring the possibility of establishing the 
        Marine Debris Foundation in Alaska?

   Additionally, do you agree that Alaskan experts on marine 
        debris would complement the makeup of the Board?
    Answer. Thank you for your leadership on addressing marine debris. 
If confirmed, I look forward to working with NOAA and other experts, 
including from Alaska, to implement your legislation.

    Question 7. The need to fight Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated 
(IUU) fishing is important, as such foreign fishing practices can 
damage global fish stocks and fisheries economies. At the same time, 
it's just as important to be sure that the U.S. understands the true 
nature of this IUU threat, so that we can develop strategies based on 
actual risk and evaluated through meaningful metrics. It's tempting to 
overreact to this threat, seeking expansive and expensive measures that 
may have only marginal benefit. One example is the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program (SIMP), a NOAA regulation intended to ensure 
traceability for fish stocks in U.S. commerce and fight IUU fishing. 
While SIMP may work for some species, it doesn't work well for Pacific 
cod, which is harvested sustainably and responsibly in Alaska. While 
there is little to no risk of IUU for Pacific cod, NOAA is forcing our 
domestic producers to undertake burdensome, unnecessary, and redundant 
steps to comply with SIMP--at great cost but for negligible benefit.

   Do you agree with the idea that regulatory efforts, 
        including those to enforce rules against IUU fishing, should be 
        risk-based and reviewed against empirical data and actual 
        performance metrics?

   Do you agree that cost/benefit analyses should help inform 
        SIMP regulatory program design, even if it means acknowledging 
        that not all species warrant SIMP coverage?

   If NOAA pursues changes to SIMP, can you assure me it will 
        work with Coast Guard, USTR, and our domestic fishing and 
        seafood industry to identify and incorporate necessary changes 
        to SIMP?
    Answer. As a coastal Governor, I understand the importance of the 
seafood industry and of ensuring the industry is able to compete with 
other countries on an even playing field. Should I be confirmed, I will 
work with you and NOAA to better understand the issues that the Alaskan 
producers are facing with respect to the Seafood Import Monitoring 
Program.
                                 ______
                                 
  Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Marsha Blackburn to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. As a Governor, I'm sure you have had to deal with 
numerous Federal regulatory hurdles before completing or starting a 
simple infrastructure project.

   What are your thoughts on the Federal regulatory permitting 
        process?

   Do you believe this process should be more transparent for 
        mayors and state officials?
    Answer. Through my experience as a state official both in my 
capacity as State Treasurer and Governor of Rhode Island, I fully 
understand the need for transparency in the regulatory process, and, if 
confirmed, I pledge to work with you to learn more about how we can 
continue to provide government transparency in the commercial world. I 
would welcome hearing more of your ideas on this issue.

    Question 2. In your testimony, you laid out three policy areas 
where the DOC ``must be a partner to business and their workers.'' The 
third area was focused on climate change

   If confirmed, at what point would you reassess climate 
        change-related policies if they hurt businesses or hamper job 
        growth?

   Also, what metrics would you use to assess the costs to 
        businesses and job growth in relation to policies focused on 
        climate change?
    Answer. Climate change poses an existential threat to our economic 
security, and I recognize the benefits of understanding the full 
impacts of climate change on U.S. businesses. If confirmed, I would 
look across all the Commerce Department's bureaus to continue providing 
the tools, data, and expertise to help communities and businesses 
address the climate crisis and become more resilient in the face of 
climate change.

    Question 3. You clearly believe that climate change should be among 
the top issues of Department of Commerce.

   Can you please tell this committee what percentage of the 
        Department's budget you would allocate to climate change-
        related policies?
    Answer. Climate change poses an existential threat to our economic 
security. If confirmed, I would look across all the Commerce 
Department's bureaus on how to better forecast, understand, and 
mitigate the impacts of climate change for all Americans. I look 
forward to working with the Congress on improving and resourcing the 
Department's tools to address climate change.

    Question 4. The biggest obstacle to bringing advanced manufacturing 
jobs back to states and communities is educating new workers.

   How do you plan to work with businesses, states, and local 
        entities to promote advanced manufacturing education?
    Answer. If confirmed, one of my top priorities will be making 
American workers and businesses competitive. There are many tools that 
the Commerce Department use to promote manufacturing and good paying 
jobs through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the 
Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), as well as the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).I look forward to working 
with you on this important issue.

    Question 5. Currently, the United States faces some profound supply 
chain problems with microchips in the Auto sector.

   Could you give me a perspective of how you might approach 
        this issue should you be confirmed to be the next Secretary of 
        Commerce?
    Answer. The microchip supply chain is a concern across many 
sectors. I support the strategic efforts of NIST, Manufacturing USA, 
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, and the Department of 
Commerce to establish meaningful programs that incentivize competitive 
U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and contribute to U.S. economic 
security.

    Question 6. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is 
proliferating and important considerations are being brought to light 
about both the benefits of the technology as well as the challenges.

   If confirmed, will you support and prioritize the on-going 
        work by NIST to create a trustworthy AI framework, and how 
        specifically will you engage with allies to encourage their 
        utilization of it?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will support, prioritize, and expand upon 
the on-going work by NIST to create a trustworthy AI framework.

    Question 7. Trade talks with China will be continuing under the new 
administration.

   Do you support the current round of Tariffs? If so, do you 
        plan to make changes to the exemption process?

   How do you plan to confront Chinese attempts to steal 
        intellectual property (ITA/I&A/OSIP input on specific IP 
        aspects inserted below)
    Answer. If confirmed, I will encourage the Commerce Department to 
continue to apply appropriate measures to counter anti-competitive 
behavior by China that hurts American workers and companies. Regarding 
intellectual property, Commerce will continue to recognize protection 
and enforcement of U.S. intellectual property rights as a trade policy 
priority.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Mike Lee to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Governor Raimondo, as Commerce Secretary you will be 
charged with overseeing the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), which manages spectrum assignments among Federal 
government users.

    a. Do you think Federal agencies currently use their spectrum 
efficiently?
    Answer. Federal agencies engage in an enormous number of spectrum-
dependent missions, of which many are directed by statute or are 
critical to the Nation's security, public safety, and well-being, 
ranging from national defense, law enforcement, air traffic control, 
space exploration, and severe weather detection and warning. 
Nevertheless, our Nation continues to drive advances in technology and 
innovation. If confirmed, it will be a priority to ensure that our 
Federal agencies can leverage technological advances to ensure that 
spectrum, a valuable national resource, is used as efficiently as 
possible.

    b. Should government agencies be immune from oversight of their use 
of the electromagnetic spectrum?
    Answer. If confirmed, I commit to a transparent Commerce 
Department, and I believe our Federal agencies greatly benefit from 
proper oversight.

    c. I think Congress and Executive Branch agencies need the best 
available data to identify inefficiencies in both the Commercial and 
Government contexts. Will you support my legislation, the Government 
Spectrum Valuation Act, which would require NTIA to calculate the value 
or the ``opportunity costs'' associated with Federal spectrum so that 
we can make more informed decisions?
    Answer. NTIA's technical and scientific spectrum analysts and 
engineers are among the best in the world, and rightly so given the 
agency's important responsibilities for managing our Nation's Federal 
spectrum. If confirmed, I would be happy to work with you on your 
legislation.

    Question 2. Governor Raimondo, should NTIA or a Federal agency be 
able to ``veto'' an FCC decision to license a band for a commercial 
purpose, even after those Federal agencies have been able to weigh in 
on the FCC's review?
    Answer. Under the Biden Administration, we would expect the FCC to 
properly coordinate with NTIA prior to the issuance of any decision 
implicating the use of Federal spectrum. Such prior coordination 
hopefully will preclude the issuance of any decision that improperly 
impacts Federal spectrum use.

    a. How would you handle disputes with the FCC over the licensing of 
a band for a commercial purpose?
    Answer. In the event a dispute between the FCC and the NTIA arises, 
it is my intention, if confirmed, that such disputes would be resolved 
prior to the issuance of any FCC decision.

    b. In making spectrum determinations, should NTIA defer to a 
Federal agency's spectrum findings or should NTIA make their own 
independent, scientific judgments?
    Answer. NTIA's technical and scientific spectrum analysts and 
engineers are among the best in the world, and rightly so given the 
agency's important responsibilities for managing our Nation's Federal 
spectrum. NTIA's analyses and conclusions accordingly should be given 
extraordinary weight. If NTIA concludes that its own independent, 
scientific judgments control on a particular matter, then NTIA should 
exercise such.

    c. In your opinion, is the current FCC/NTIA Memorandum of 
Understanding sufficient to govern interagency spectrum decision-
making?
    Answer. If confirmed, I believe it would be appropriate for us to 
review the current FCC/NTIA Memorandum of Understanding and consider 
suitable, mutually agreeable revisions. It is my understanding that the 
MOU is nearly 20 years old, and it seems appropriate for us to examine 
lessons learned over these 20 years and see if improvements can be 
made.

    Question 3. Governor Raimondo, do you agree that China poses both 
economic and security threats to the United States?

    a. Why has China had such success attracting U.S. businesses--
particularly U.S. manufacturing? And what recommendations will you make 
to revive U.S. manufacturing?

    b. We know U.S. manufacturing costs are generally higher than China 
as well as other Asian markets. What contributes to these costs? Do 
U.S. regulations? Do U.S. labor costs? Are there areas of our domestic 
laws that make the United States an unattractive market for 
manufacturing?
    Answer. China does pose both economic and security threats to the 
United States, and how we wage competition with China will define this 
century.
    China has pursued industrial policies that have enabled the unfair 
development of its manufacturing sector, which harms U.S. workers and 
firms. The Department of Commerce seeks to rebalance the trade 
relationship by encouraging U.S. manufacturers to expand their exports 
to China and other markets, thus growing the U.S. workforce and economy 
as a whole. Chinese economic policies have encouraged excess capacity 
in several industry sectors and have subsidized a number of critical 
industries in its pursuit of economic growth to the detriment of U.S. 
and global interests. I look forward to working with Congress on a 
broad range of measures, including proposals under in consideration in 
the America LEADS Act and STRATEGIC Act, to boost America's 
competitiveness in manufacturing, research and development, 
entrepreneurship, and other areas.

    Question 4. Governor Raimondo, Article 1, Section 8 of the 
Constitution clearly gives Congress the authority to ``lay and collect 
taxes, duties, imposts and excises'' and ``to regulate commerce with 
foreign nations.'' How do you view Congress' role in levying tariffs 
and duties on trade, and would you support Congress exercising 
increased control over the approval process for such measures?

    a. When should tariffs be imposed? And how do you weigh the costs 
of increasing such a trade barrier as opposed to the benefits of free 
trade?

    b. Do you agree that any broad-based increase in U.S. tariffs tend 
to have the biggest negative impact on low-income American households, 
which spend a larger share of their budgets on imported shoes, 
clothing, food, and household goods?
    Answer. President Biden is committed to international trade that 
benefits all Americans and that creates high paying jobs here in the 
United States. He has asked that we take a step back and review our 
approach to trade and trade agreements. If confirmed, I commit to 
working with Congress on tariffs and other trade issues to create a 
more prosperous America where the benefits of trade are shared equally 
by all Americans.

    Question 5. Governor Raimondo, one of President Biden's first 
executive actions was to reverse President Trump's July memorandum 
ordering the U.S. Census Bureau to exclude illegal aliens from the 
census count. Last month, the Supreme Court declined to decide the case 
because it was not ripe. During oral arguments, it was admitted that 
the Census Bureau at the time did not know whether the number of 
illegal aliens would affect apportionment. Do you support President 
Biden's decision?

    a. If the illegal alien population of a particular state was 
sufficient enough to affect apportionment, would you at all be 
concerned that this illegal activity could benefit certain states with 
additional representation in the House of Representatives over others?

    b. Do the American people deserve an answer as to whether the 
illegal alien population affects the proportion of members in the U.S. 
House of Representatives?
    Answer. I do support President Biden's Executive Order and believe 
that everyone should be counted. I agree that the policy of the United 
States should be that reapportionment be consistent with the 
Constitution and based on the total number of persons residing in the 
several states, without regard for immigration status, as well as with 
the determination that it is essential that the census count must be 
accurate and based on reliable high-quality data.

    Question 6. Governor Raimondo, states oftentimes use Federal money 
only for simple projects, for compliance reasons, and they tend to use 
their own funds for difficult, complex projects because the regulatory 
burden that comes with Federal requirements can raise the cost of the 
project by 20 percent. This is especially challenging in my home state 
of Utah where most of Utah's land is owned by the Federal government. 
As governor, you appeared to champion cutting red tape and slashing 
regulations that were getting in the way of private entrepreneurship 
and innovation. How would you bring this deregulatory philosophy to the 
Department of Commerce?

    a. Can you identify any regulations or areas of policymaking at the 
Department you would like to see reduced?
    Answer. As Governor of Rhode Island, I helped create an environment 
where businesses could succeed and create jobs. My state had the 
highest unemployment rate in the Nation when I entered office and today 
the economy is thriving with much few individuals looking for work. I 
support cutting regulation if it is unnecessary, but I also believe 
some regulation is vital to a safe and functioning society.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Ron Johnson to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. What is the Biden administration's plan for the steel 
and aluminum Section 232 tariffs? If confirmed as Secretary of the 
Department of Commerce, will you continue the tariffs?
    Answer. It is my understanding that Biden Administration will 
review the steel and aluminum Section 232 tariffs and that the 
President has the authority to make revisions to the tariffs. While it 
would be the President's prerogative, if confirmed as Secretary of 
Commerce, I would expect that the Department of Commerce will provide 
advice and technical assistance in that review and decision.

    Question 2. Will you commit to making all Section 232 
investigations publicly available within the time-frame required by 
law?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will review this issue with the Department 
of Commerce's (Commerce) Office of General Counsel and ensure that 
Commerce complies with all statutory requirements while protecting the 
presidential communications privilege and the deliberative process 
privilege.

    Question 3. Is the Biden administration considering any changes to 
the Section 232 exclusions process? If so, what are those changes?
    Answer. It is my understanding that the Department continually 
reviews the 232 Exclusions Process to identify and implement changes to 
improve its efficiency and transparency. I further understand that the 
Department of Commerce's timeliness of exclusion decisions has 
substantially improved over the past year.

    Question 4. As Secretary of Commerce, will you commit to conducting 
and publicly releasing a complete analysis on the economic effects to 
downstream industries for every Section 232 investigation?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary, I will work to ensure that all 
Section 232 investigations are conducted in accordance with statutory 
requirements.

    Question 5. Will the Biden administration commit to keeping Huawei 
on the designated entities list and designated a national security 
threat?
    Answer. With respect to Huawei, let me be clear: telecommunications 
equipment made by untrusted vendors is a threat to the security of the 
U.S. and our allies. We will ensure that American telecommunications 
networks do not use equipment from untrusted vendors and will work with 
allies to secure their telecommunications networks and make investments 
to expand the production of telecommunications equipment by trusted 
U.S. and allied companies.
    In addition, Huawei's ties to China's military, human right abuses, 
and theft of intellectual property have rightly been a source of 
bipartisan concern, regulatory action, and legislation in the United 
States and among U.S. partners and allies. I also am fully aware of and 
support the provisions of the FY2020 NDAA and Secure and Trusted 
Telecommunications Networks Act that contain restrictions on Huawei, 
and look forward to working closely with the Director of National 
Intelligence, Secretary of Defense, and Director of the FBI to ensure 
that administration policies and actions related Huawei reflect their 
national security concerns and judgements as well.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Todd Young to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. President Biden promised the American people that he 
would work with our allies to focus on mutual problems and concerns 
with respect to trade policy--specifically China's overproduction of 
steel and aluminum that undermines global metal industries. China's 
unfair trade actions have had a devastating impact on American 
businesses and manufacturers. Like previous administrations, President 
Biden will have executive authority to impose or remove tariffs. I 
support holding China accountable in a way that does not hinder the 
growth of American businesses.
    Knowing the lengthy list of unfair trade actions committed by 
China, can you elaborate on how this administration will hold China 
accountable?
    If confirmed, what strategies or trade tools (like Section 232 
actions) are you considering to spur growth, while simultaneously 
keeping China's illegal practices in check.
    Answer. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) confronts unfair 
trade practices, whether those by China or other countries. 
Accordingly, if confirmed, I will employ all relevant and appropriate 
trade enforcement mechanisms to protect U.S. interests while 
aggressively promoting U.S. exports that benefit American workers and 
businesses, particularly our small and medium sized businesses.
    In addition, if confirmed, Commerce will continue to rigorously 
enforce the U.S. trade laws, including the AD and CVD laws, to help 
ensure that U.S. workers, farmers and businesses are not harmed by 
unfair imports from China. Commerce is committed to helping all U.S. 
companies, and the Department will work diligently to ensure U.S. 
companies have the market access and proper protections provided by our 
trade agreements.

    Question 2. The Department of Commerce promotes job creation and 
economic growth, and one way to do that is to work with our trading 
partners to promote high intellectual property standards 
internationally. Never have the benefits of strong IP been as relevant 
as they are today, in how our biopharmaceutical innovators for example, 
have worked so quickly to develop a COVID vaccine.
    How will you use your role within this administration to ensure 
that America's highly innovative industries are treated fairly by our 
trading partners in order to support American jobs?
    How will you work to ensure that our trading partners are enforcing 
existing commitments and deter countries from weakening their standards 
in their own IP regimes?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, I am committed to 
ensuring that U.S. trading partners abide by IP-related trade 
commitments and to the use of the Department of Commerce (Commerce) 
tools and authorities where warranted to bring this about.

    Question 3. The Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) program within the 
Department of Commerce is a tool used by industries to facilitate and 
expedite international trade. Special customs procedures are offered as 
a public service to help firms conduct international trade related 
operations in competition with foreign plants. The FTZ program also 
helps attract offshore activity and encourages retention of domestic 
activity while assisting state and local economic development efforts.
    In your role, how do you envision the role of the FTZ program? Do 
you believe the FTZ program is an effective way to attract foreign 
direct investment (FDI) and create jobs in the United States?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure the effective administration of 
the FTZ program to ensure that it continues to support investment and 
jobs while safeguarding against potential negative impacts to American 
businesses and workers.

    Question 4. It is very important to me that we ensure no Hoosier or 
American is left behind as we adjust to automation, urbanization, and 
globalization in our dynamic economy. Indiana is the most manufacturing 
intensive state and as we discussed, your own father lost his 
manufacturing job to China.
    If confirmed, what steps will you take at the Department of 
Commerce to ensure no Americans are left behind by this economic shift?
    Answer. As Governor of Rhode Island and in my personal life, I have 
seen the impacts on working Americans as our economy has moved away 
from a manufacturing economy to one based on services. If confirmed, I 
will ensure that the Department of Commerce continues to provide 
resources and programs to U.S. businesses and their workers to help 
them innovate and grow, especially those in regions and communities 
that have often been left behind.

    Question 5. Even in the countries where we have free trade 
agreements, our companies continue to face trade barriers such as 
inadequate intellectual property protections, data localization rules, 
and price controls that violate these agreements. Much of the 
responsibility of enforcing these agreements and protecting U.S. 
businesses falls to the Department of Commerce. Like previous 
administrations, President Biden will have executive authority to 
impose or remove tariffs. I support holding China accountable in a way 
that does not hinder the growth of American businesses.
    Can you commit that you will be as vigilant in holding our trading 
partners accountable on behalf of our U.S. exporters as the Department 
will be in protecting our businesses from imports that violate our laws 
and trade agreements?
    Answer. Yes. In addition to continuing the strong enforcement of 
U.S. trade laws, including the Antidumping and Countervailing Duties 
(AD/CVD) laws that protect U.S. firms from unfairly traded imports, if 
confirmed, I will ensure the Department of Commerce will work 
diligently to ensure U.S. exporters have the market access and proper 
protections provided by our trade agreements.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Rick Scott to 
                         Hon. Gina M. Raimondo
    Question 1. Communist China continues to openly flout U.S laws and 
refuse to hold up their ends of trade deals with the United States. 
They are dead-set on being the dominant world power, and can't be 
trusted to play fair. And, every single U.S. dollar spent in China 
supports a regime that jails its people for religious beliefs and 
denies basic human rights to its citizens.

    a. What is your plan to ensure that U.S citizens and taxpayer 
dollars are protected from Communist China, and how do you plan to hold 
them accountable in any future trade commitments?
    Answer. China's aggressive and coercive trade policies hurt 
American workers and businesses. Holding China accountable in future 
trade commitments requires a whole-of-government approach, in 
partnership with the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of 
State, and other U.S. Government agencies, to ensure that U.S. workers 
and firms benefit from trade agreements signed with other countries. If 
confirmed, I will work diligently to ensure U.S. exporters have the 
market access and proper protections provided by our trade agreements.

    Question 2. Seasonal produce farmers, especially in my state of 
Florida and throughout the southeast, have been badly hurt by unfair 
trade practices surrounding Mexican produce imports. While this was not 
addressed in the USMCA, I have worked closely with USTR in the past two 
years to ensure that this issue is heard and addressed so Florida 
growers have the chance to succeed.

    a, The Trump Administration made it a priority to ensure every deal 
was fair to our Nation's growers. What is your plan to continue this 
work so domestic growers can compete on an even playing field?
    Answer. If confirmed as Secretary, Commerce will continue its 
outreach with growers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables 
on unfair trade practices to enhance their understanding of applicable 
trade remedy laws and processes and will continue to monitor foreign 
subsidy practices that have a direct impact on U.S. producers of 
seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables.

    Question 3. I've been fighting to protect American national 
security and intellectual property by preventing the U.S. government 
from purchasing technology, like drones, with American tax dollars. I 
was glad to see the Department of Commerce add Chinese drone company, 
DJI to the Entity list because of national security concerns. And 
earlier this year, former President Trump issued an EO directing U.S. 
agencies to prioritize removing Chinese-made drones from our 
government's fleets due to security risks.

    a. Can you confirm you plan to keep DJI on the Entity List?

    b. What further action can the Commerce Department take against 
companies like DJI, and any other Chinese-based company, that pose such 
obvious national security threats?
    Answer. I understand that parties are placed on the Entity List 
generally because they pose a risk to U.S. national security or foreign 
policy interests. I currently have no reason to believe that entities 
on that list should not be there. If confirmed, I look forward to a 
briefing on these entities. I further understand that the Department 
has an ongoing process in place to identify and review activities of 
entities to determine whether addition to the Entity List is warranted 
and that this is an interagency process.

    Question 4. Our nation is competing against known adversaries like 
Communist China and Russia in the space launch industry, and we must 
put American interests and national security first. I co-sponsored the 
American Space Commerce Act to bolster the domestic space industry and 
to ensure the U.S. remains a leader in space exploration.

    a. What is your plan to bolster the domestic space industry?
    Answer. I understand the commercial space industry is growing at an 
incredible speed--creating jobs, innovating, and fostering public-
private partnerships across the country. I know that NOAA and the 
Office of Space Commerce (OSC) play a key role in working with the 
commercial space industry. If confirmed, I look forward to learning 
more about the Office of Space Commerce and to working with Congress to 
ensure that it is properly resourced and can continue to serve this 
important function.