US Senate confirms Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary
Mar 02, 2021
Washington [US], March 3 : The US Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Gina Raimondo as new US commerce secretary in President Joe Biden's administration.
Raimondo is the first female governor of Rhode Island, and has served as the state's Democratic governor since 2015, CNN reported.
Joe Biden's nominee has received the support of a majority of senators: 84 lawmakers supported her confirmation, while 15 opposed it.
Prior to serving as governor, Raimondo was elected general treasurer of Rhode Island in 2010. She also co-founded Point Judith Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm.
She was among the women considered to serve as Biden's vice president.
The nomination faced pushback from some Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Cruz has accused Raimondo of taking a "soft stance on China."
"Governor Raimondo's nomination is part of a pattern. So far every action, every nomination that we have seen from the nascent Biden administration in so far as it concerns China has lessened the scrutiny, has lessened the sanctions, has lessened the pressure on Communist China," Cruz said.
