Department of Commerce . . . Secretary of Commerce
Department of Commerce is helping shape history!
It's
great to be in the company of people who are imaginative and creative.
It is invigorating to be with men and women who demonstrate an outstanding
work ethic.
That's
the Department of Commerce. That's you, in this building and in our
offices, bureaus and agencies across our great land and even abroad
in our embassies and consulates.
Together
you, the Department of Commerce, represent America's public servants
at their finest.
I speak from my heart. I know that this is true, because for 20-months,
I have benefited from your work. And, much more importantly, so has
the nation, so have the American people. So has the President.
"American
Jobs, American Values." Our new motto reflects an essential truth
-- What we do here, and why we do it, and how we do it, does matter.
American values guide our
actions. Our values include belief in individual rights … a
commitment to equality of opportunity for all … and
an understanding that the individual, not "fate," shapes destiny.
Our values also honor hard work, achievement and success. And, in
the war against those who hate all we stand for, Americans have shown
the world how deeply we love freedom, each other and our country.
When
you act on your American values, you help make "the American
Dream" a reality for millions. You also show that the Department
of Commerce is one with America.
Your
work on behalf of "American Jobs" is impressive, critical
and professionally demanding. I will not try to cite all that you
do. Frankly, I am afraid I would miss someone. That would be wrong.
Each of you contributes to our success. Everyone in the Department
of Commerce shares in the successes of the last year.
Instead, of citing programs, let's look at
the big picture. The Department of Commerce is about --
opportunity, trade, innovation, entrepreneurship, and stewardship.
Over and over again, we touch on those themes as we carry out our
duties.
When we talk "Opportunity" we mean opportunity for every
American to participate and to benefit from the American free enterprise
system. We are committed, in whatever office, division or agency,
in which we work, to helping all Americans participate in shaping
this nation's 21st Century destiny.
That's what our
Economic Development Administration is all about … That's
what our Minority Business Development Agency is all about.
Trade
is another of our primary concerns. We have always talked "trade"
here. It is fundamental to American prosperity. Department of Commerce
trade promotion work through our International Trade Administration
enables Americans to export ideas and inventions around the world.
Your
trade efforts help Americans secure better jobs and a higher quality
of life. It also
helps improve the lives of many of the other six billion people on
this planet.
Open
trade fosters an environment of free enterprise. Competition inspires
innovation. Innovation increases productivity that leads to new, higher
paying jobs, which leads to a better quality of life. And that can
lead to a world of peace and prosperity.
That's
why President Bush says, "Open trade is not just an economic
opportunity, it is a moral imperative."
Innovation
and entrepreneurship are as American as "apple pie." We
have good programs that nurture and advance innovation and entrepreneurship.
Many of
you are the driving forces that make those programs work. But each of
us -- regardless of whether we work in TA or NTIA or HR - is playing
a role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Because our purpose
here is to create an environment in which the creative geniuses of
America can transform ideas into good jobs. You do that by making
the Department of Commerce an ever more effective force on behalf
of the American free enterprise system.
The
same is true of "Stewardship." We exercise major marine
and weather stewardship responsibilities. We are also, in a very real
sense, stewards of American capitalism. Everyday your efforts contribute
to making our system more dynamic and vital - from global monitoring
done by NOAA to science and standards by NIST to new patents and trademarks.
Because
of you, the leaders of America's free enterprise system know the Department
of Commerce as a friend, ally and defender.
Just as the
logo shows, you work for American Jobs … based on American
values. So because of you I can speak out effectively against the
corrupt practices of a few who would destroy the people's faith in
our system.
Because
of you, the Department of Commerce is a powerful partner with American
industry and workers for a growing economy.
Yes,
what you do, why you do it, and how you do it, does matter.
Last
year, less than a month after the terrorist attacks against our homeland,
President Bush praised federal employees for their "remarkable
professionalism and purpose."
The
American values, that President Bush listed, are the same values that
I have seen in practice over and over again in this department. They
are:
