Jay Rockefeller: “I rise in strong support of John Bryson of California, whom President Obama has nominated to be his Secretary of…”

“I rise in strong support of John Bryson of California, whom President Obama has nominated to be his Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Bryson's nomination comes at a very critical time for our country and for our economy. No one disputes the Secretary of Commerce is an important part of the President's economic team. That person is now missing in the Commerce Department. Commerce has to do with jobs. There is nobody there. That dictates that we have a leader with strong, real- world experience. This position has been vacant since Ambassador Locke left for China in late July. It is stunning to think, with what the country is going through, we don't have a Cabinet Secretary who can attend to manufacturing and other kinds of jobs and job-related efforts that he will do. But because of the insistence of the minority--and I had no objection to this--we were unable to move this nomination until the trade agreements were finished. The trade agreements had to come forward and passed, that was done, and then it was OK to proceed to the Bryson nomination. The Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmed Mr. Bryson by a voice vote. I recall no objections at all. Mr. Bryson will be an excellent Secretary of Commerce, and America is entitled to have a Secretary of Commerce on the job. Mr. Bryson possesses a rare combination of actual real-life business experience and a very broad intellect.…”