Bryson nominated for Commerce post
Approval hinges on trade deals, says GOP
WASHINGTON – Seeking to boost exports and accelerate the growth of the U.S. alternative energy industry, President Barack Obama is bringing in business executive and environmentalist John Bryson to lead the Commerce Department.
But Bryson’s nomination was already in peril Tuesday, as Republican lawmakers renewed their threats to block any commerce secretary nominee until the Obama administration sends them final legislation on three key free trade agreements.
Bryson would bring a unique skill set to the Commerce Department, an agency tasked in part with representing the interests of U.S. businesses abroad. The 67-year-old is the former chairman and chief executive of Edison International, a California-based power company; co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy organization; and has served on the board of major international businesses, including the Boeing Co. and the Walt Disney Co.
Obama announced Bryson’s nomination Tuesday at the White House, lauding him as, “a business leader who understands what it takes to innovate, create jobs and to persevere through tough times.”
Tuesday’s announcement shifts Obama’s focus back to the economy after several weeks dominated by foreign policy, from the death of Osama bin Laden to the president’s four-country, six-day European trip.
Among Bryson’s key roles at Commerce would be overseeing Obama’s plans to double U.S. exports in the next four years, an initiative the president says would lead to much-needed job growth.
But the president would also be gaining a key energy adviser, particularly in the clean energy sector. Bryson helped oversee Edison’s transformation into a leading wind and solar company and launched a plan to turn 65 million square feet of unused commercial rooftops into solar power stations with enough electricity for more than 160,000 homes.
Shortly after Obama announced Bryson’s nomination, GOP lawmakers said they stood by their earlier pledges to block any trade-related nominees, including commerce secretary, until the administration submits final legislation for trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.