WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, released the following statement after President Obama named Commerce Department Secretary Gary Locke to be U.S. Ambassador to China:

“Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will be an outstanding U.S. ambassador to China. Gary Locke worked extremely well with the Commerce Committee and has shown a real understanding and appreciation for the importance of promoting job creation and economic growth, while also reinvigorating U.S. competitiveness and innovation. That’s exactly what we need. I hope the President nominates another strong candidate to run the Commerce Department, someone who can be a vocal advocate for the critical missions and work closely with Congress.”

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