| Friends --
I am excited to announce my next slate of Cabinet nominees with key members of my jobs team.
This team will help us emerge from the most inequitable economic and jobs crisis in modern history by building an economy where every American is in on the deal. They share my belief that the middle class built this country and that unions built the middle class. They know how to work with states, cities, small towns, and tribal communities, along with labor, entrepreneurs, and businesses to get things done for American workers.
And they will work tirelessly to ensure every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead, and that our businesses can thrive and outcompete the rest of the world:
Governor Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce
Currently serving her second term as the 75th Governor of Rhode Island -- the first woman to hold the position -- Gov. Raimondo is known as an effective and innovative executive whose strong management brought her state back from what was, at the time she first ran for Governor, the worst unemployment rate of any state in the nation. A champion of creative, forward-thinking economic initiatives, Governor Raimondo launched successful workforce training programs to prepare Americans for the 21st century economy. She will be a key player in helping position the United States as an exporter of 21st century products and leader in the clean energy economy.
Mayor Marty Walsh as Secretary of Labor
If confirmed, Mayor Walsh would be the first union member to serve in this role in nearly half a century. Mayor Walsh has worked tirelessly to rebuild the middle class, create a more inclusive, resilient economy, and fight for workers in his hometown -- including fighting for a $15 minimum wage and paid family leave. Having served as the head of both Laborers' Union Local 223 and the Boston Metropolitan District Building Trades Council, Mayor Walsh has the necessary experience, and relationships to help workers recover from this historic economic downturn and usher in a new era of worker power.
Isabel Guzman as Small Business Administrator
Currently serving as Director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate and a key leader in the state’s COVID-19 economic recovery, she works closely with entrepreneurs to help them weather the pandemic and support innovation, job creation, and economic growth in the nation’s largest state network of small businesses. A former senior advisor and deputy chief of staff at the SBA -- and a small business entrepreneur herself -- she is a passionate advocate for small businesses who knows firsthand the opportunities they create for families and communities.
Don Graves as Deputy Secretary of Commerce
An experienced public servant who has been my long-time trusted advisor on jobs and the economy, Graves is a widely respected leader who has successfully taken on some of the toughest challenges facing our economy. When Detroit grappled with bankruptcy, President Obama and I put Graves in charge of coordinating the response to bring the city back -- working with municipal, state, business, and community leaders, he oversaw the historic effort to revitalize the Motor City. Graves knows how to successfully manage some of the federal government’s most critical and impactful job and small business-focused programs.
This experienced team will advance my administration’s Build Back Better agenda, digging us out from the worst jobs crisis in nearly a century by supporting small businesses, dramatically increasing union density, and rebuilding the backbone of America -- our middle class.
They will usher in a new wave of worker power, help struggling small businesses recover and re-open, and put Americans back to work by creating millions of good-paying union jobs. They will be key in building a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive economy that delivers every American a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead.
Thanks for reading,
Joe |
