Senate Confirms Locke as Commerce Chief

(CQ Politics – Adrianne Kroepsch)

Two months after President Obama’s inauguration and after two withdrawn nominations, the Senate confirmed Gary Locke as Commerce secretary by voice vote Tuesday.

Locke, 59, enjoyed a friendly reception from Democrats and Republicans on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee at his March 19 confirmation hearing. The panel approved the former Democratic governor of Washington for the job, 25-0.

During the vetting, he appeared to satisfy panel members of both parties with his positions on the wide range of issues and programs managed by the Commerce Department. In particular, he assured senators that the Commerce Department will run an open and independent 2010 census, beating back suggestions that the White House would control and politicize the population count. Census results are used to determine the distribution of congressional districts and the apportionment of House lawmakers.

Locke also took an aggressive stance on trade during his confirmation hearing. A free-trade supporter, he said he would work to open markets for American-made goods and would take a tough stance on enforcement of U.S. trade laws.