COVID-19 has impacted every community in our country.

As the Governor of Rhode Island, I saw firsthand how our families, our children, and our communities have been impacted by this virus. Millions of Americans are out of work, and over 400,000 small businesses have been forced to shut their doors. Minority-owned and women-run businesses have been the hardest hit.

Now, I also know firsthand the pain that losing a job causes a family. I still remember when my dad lost his job after 28 years of work in manufacturing. It was a tough time for us and too many families all across our country today are having to make the same sacrifices we had to make back then.

And it’s not just the pandemic. We are facing an urgent economic crisis, a climate emergency, longstanding racial inequities, and the need to restore America’s leadership on the world’s stage.

But there is hope ahead. Because when we come together as a country, there is nothing that can stop us. We innovate. We grow. And we will meet these unprecedented challenges by building back better and ensuring that every American is part of our success.

As the Secretary of Commerce, I am committed to helping working Americans and businesses – small and large - combat this pandemic head-on, creating millions of good-paying jobs, and powering a more just, sustainable economy. An economy where workers are treated with dignity and respect, businesses have the tools they need to innovate, and America can out-compete any country in the world. We’re going to revitalize domestic manufacturing, strengthen critical supply chains here in the United States, and set the stage for economic growth for decades to come.

I’m proud to be leading the Commerce Department. Our hard-working, talented workforce have the tools, data, and expertise we need to help communities address the challenges we face as a nation.

We want the Commerce Department to be about opportunity and competitiveness.

The opportunity to start or grow a business.

The opportunity to get a good, stable job.

The opportunity to pursue the American Dream, regardless of where you live or where you come from.

Let’s create a future that is made in America. That invests in our communities and for future generations. It's time to Build Back Better, to build back smarter, build back stronger, and to build back equitably.

I am Gina Raimondo, and I am proud to serve as the 40th Secretary for the Department of Commerce.