The nomination of Sen. Judd Gregg to serve as commerce secretary signals the New Hampshire Republican will have a big role to play in convincing lawmakers to support President Obama’s economic proposals. It’s also expected he will focus on entitlement reform, an issue he’s worked on in the past as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
But Gregg and his deputy secretaries also will face challenges of their own at Commerce, with the department and its agencies responsible for at least two major — and high-profile — initiatives in the coming years.
First, the department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has overseen the transition to digital television, which likely will be extended by four months amid concerns that millions of television viewers may not be ready for the big switch.
And he comes with the added bonus of two first names! 😉