Biden Calls Raimondo “Effective, Forward-Thinking” - GOP Govs Say She “Failed RI Business Owners"

Biden Calls Raimondo “Effective, Forward-Thinking” - GOP Govs Say She “Failed RI Business Owners"

United States President-Elect Joe Biden on Friday officially announced his “key nominees of economic and jobs team” — including Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as his nominee for United State Commerce Secretary. 

Calling her “one of the most effective, forward-thinking Governors in America,” Biden introduced Raimondo along with his other nominees. 

The Republican Governors Association on Friday said in response that Raimondo had “failed Rhode Island’s business owners” — more below.

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Raimondo Addresses Nation 

Raimondo, who spoke following Biden's introductions, said she believes the mission of the Commerce Department “is a simple one — to help spur good-paying jobs, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate and grow, and to come together with working families and American businesses to create opportunities for all of us.”

In her speech, Raimondo spoke about her own upbringing — and her father losing his job in his 50s — saying in her goal to create jobs in Rhode Island she “knew what those jobs would mean for families who had fallen on hard times."

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We need to build a new American economy where everyone enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead. Tune in as I introduce members of the team that will get it done. https://t.co/PAOu57i9j5

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 8, 2021

Raimondo touted what she said was Rhode Island’s economic recovery under her tenure. “We’ve grown our way back,” she said, citing a “record number of jobs and record [low] unemployment rate” in the last 30 years.

“[It’s] the same faith in American workers I see in the Build Back Better agenda — inclusive recovery to build up those who have been left behind,” she said, of Biden’s economic recovery initiative. 

GOP Governors Association Questions Raimondo’s Record 

“Joe Biden’s recent announcement that he intends to tap Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to serve as Commerce Secretary raises an alarm for entrepreneurs and business owners across the country,” said the Republican Governors Association.

“Raimondo’s track record of failure on jobs and the economy is as lengthy as a CVS receipt and one worthy of scrutiny,” said RGA Deputy Communications Director Mike Demkiw. “Her policies contributed to making Rhode Island the worst place in America for business, a sad distinction for somebody who wants to head the federal agency tasked with representing American businesses and promoting economic growth.”

The RGA continued with the following:

“Here are a few highlights of Raimondo’s dubious record on jobs and the economy in Rhode Island:

Worst State In The Nation For Business. With Raimondo at the helm, Rhode Island was named the worst state in America for business twice, according to CNBC’s “Top States For Business” survey. In CNBC’s most recent survey for 2019, Rhode Island was not only ranked dead last, but also ranked as having the third worst overall economy in America. CNBC came to this conclusion by reviewing a number of different criteria, many of which fell under Raimondo’s purview. “The state’s issues have been remarkably consistent throughout. State finances have been in poor shape, sapping Rhode Island’s ability to tend to basic things like maintaining its aging infrastructure. The tax and regulatory climates have been rough, and economic growth has been sluggish.”

Worst State To Start A Business. For budding entrepreneurs and those looking to start a business, the Ocean State was clearly not one of the most desired locations to pursue this endeavor. A 2019 WalletHub study ranked Rhode Island as the worst state in America to start a business, while Forbes reported that the state was the worst in the nation for entrepreneurs under Raimondo.

One Of The Worst Economic Outlooks In America. As Raimondo plans to depart Providence for Washington, D.C., she will be leaving her successor with a challenge to right the ship of a state that has the eighth worst economic outlook in America. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rich States Poor States report took a look at 15 different policy variables to determine which states have the brightest economic futures ahead of them, and Rhode Island ranked 43rd.”