Friend,

President Biden's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Gov. Gina Raimondo, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation this week. The Secretary of Commerce will be key in revitalizing our economy after the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring the integrity of data and science.

For the last four years, science and data were ignored and literally rewritten by the Trump administration, and we've seen the disastrous results, from COVID to climate. That's why it's so important that we bring science back to the forefront of government -- and why I made sure to ask Governor Raimondo about how she will lead the Department of Commerce based on the facts. She's committed to putting science first, and so am I.

Our economy will not be able to recover if decisions are not made based on science and data. We need to be protecting salmon fisheries in Washington state and improving our climate and weather infrastructure across the country.

Putting science first is a top priority as we address the most pressing issues facing our country today. I appreciate that Governor Raimondo will lead her agency in making decisions based on science and data that will help our economy grow in the future, focusing on everything from oceans issues and fisheries to spectrum and space 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's why science needs to continue to prevail.

Thank you,

Maria Cantwell