[November 26, 2008]

OPINION: Richardson Could Be in Hot Seat at Commerce Dept.

(Albuquerque Journal (NM) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 26--If Gov. Bill Richardson becomes America's next secretary of commerce as expected, he'll take over a sprawling agency with almost 40,000 employees and a host of wildly divergent challenges.

First -- and perhaps most important given the current financial crisis -- Richardson will have a seat at the table when President-elect Barack Obama convenes his economic team to talk about solutions.

While Timothy Geithner, Obama's choice for treasury secretary, and Lawrence Summers, who will lead the National Economic Council, are seen as key players, Richardson should have an important role in promoting American business and advising on international trade.

The commerce secretary is in charge of the International Trade Administration, and part of the ITA's role is to make sure American businesses have access to international markets. It's also responsible for making sure counterfeit foreign goods don't flood U.S. markets.

The new commerce secretary would arrive in Washington prepared to offer immediate, informed counsel on pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. These deals are finalized but fragile, and still need to be ratified by Congress before they go into effect.

The Bush administration negotiated the agreements, but the Democratic-controlled Congress has delayed ratifying them in part because of pressures from organized labor.

It's unclear whether Obama will send the agreements to Congress for approval. He reportedly opposes the Colombia pact because he wants the country to crack down on the murders of trade unionists and has suggested the South Korea trade agreement be renegotiated to provide U.S. automakers better terms.

These trade deals could test Richardson's famous negotiating skills and if Obama decides to scuttle them, his convictions as a free trade advocate.

"Opening new markets for U.S. exports has been a top Bush administration priority, including signing free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea ," said Jamie Estrada, a Las Cruces native and deputy assistant secretary of commerce in the Bush administration. "Unfortunately, these FTAs are still pending approval by Congress. Hopefully, Congress will act on these agreements before they adjourn, but if not, the next secretary of commerce will have to deal with it."

Will Richardson, a former NAFTA cheerleader, try to convince Obama and his Democratic colleagues in Congress to accept the deals, or will he suppress his free trade instincts?

The Commerce Department, which has an $8 billion annual budget, also is in charge of gathering reams of economic and demographic data, issuing patents and trademarks, helping to set technical standards, forecasting the weather, conducting ocean and coastal zone research, managing marine fisheries and sanctuaries, and developing telecommunications and technology policy.

That last one -- telecom -- also presents an immediate challenge for the next commerce secretary, who will help oversee the impending transition from analog to digital television beginning in February.

Americans are passionate about TV, and if the switch is bungled, the new commerce secretary will be among the government off icials who could incur the public's wrath.

Finally, there's the U.S. Census, slated for completion in 2010. Yep, the Commerce Department is in charge of that, too.

Conducting the census is a mammoth undertaking and the population count often triggers political dust-ups as members of Congress complain about the findings. Census data determines how many House seats each state gets, and it is used for redistricting everything from school boards to congressional districts.

Census numbers also determine the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funding each year. Not surprisingly, politicians try to use the Census to the advantage of their political parties, their constituents and themselves. If politicians are unhappy with it, the U.S. Census Bureau and Commerce Department will shoulder the brunt of their criticism.

Richardson -- if he is appointed as expected after Thanksgiving -- will bring a wealth of government experience to the job, having served as a U.S. energy secretary, United Nations ambassador and chief executive of New Mexico .

Judging by the challenges that lie ahead, he'll need every bit of it.

E-mail: mcoleman@abqjournal.com

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