The grant demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to bolstering disaster resilience in underserved communities. Extreme weather can take a disastrous toll on people’s lives and livelihoods. Just one extreme weather event can bring devastating effects to a community — including heavy rainfall and flooding. Last month, Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves and Congressman James...

Hello everyone! Thank you for the warm welcome from Mayor Robinson and Administrator Hall. I am so pleased to be here in Lake City with my friend, and one of the great leaders of this country, Congressman Clyburn, to celebrate this significant milestone for disaster relief in South Carolina. Communities in this state are unfortunately no stranger to extreme weather, and like so many other states...

Hello everyone! I’m pleased to be here in Rosemont, celebrating this investment with you all. Thank you to the Sustainability Institute for hosting this event and bringing together this coalition of local and state leaders, including Mayor Cogswell, Mayor Burgess, and Representative Wetmore. The importance of this work to advance sustainability in South Carolina can’t be overstated. I would also...

Announcement underscores Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to climate resiliency From sea level rise and storm surges to eroding infrastructure, coastal communities are on the frontlines of dealing with the worsening impacts of climate change. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to combatting the climate crisis, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently announced that...

Funding for 19 transformational projects to reach multiple states and territories under NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative as part of Investing in America agenda Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced today that the Department of Commerce and NOAA are recommending $575 million in funding across 19 projects to boost climate resilience in the nation’s coastal and Great Lakes states and...

How much heat can a person safely endure? It depends. Much less visible and dramatic than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes, heat is considered the silent killer, affecting the lives and health of people across the country. An average of 702 heat-related deaths occur each year in the United States, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Certain groups of...

Biden-Harris Administration expands agency efforts to ensure operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce joined more than 20 federal agencies to release its updated Climate Adaptation Plan and expand the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to ensure federal operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts. The updated...

Thank you, Dr. Elliott, for that introduction. Good morning, everyone! I’m pleased to join you all today to speak about our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s important work in building a climate-ready nation. I’d like to thank Dr. Spinrad and the entire NOAA team for helping make this event possible. Millions of Americans are impacted by extreme heat waves, which are growing in...

Hello everyone! I’m very pleased to be back here today speaking with you all. I’d like to give a big thank you to the BIS team for putting together this remarkable conference. The last time I spoke at this conference was in 2022. Looking back, I don’t think anyone expected that in two years’ time, Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine would still be ongoing. But I believe that is a...

Proposed Budget Supports Key Commerce Department Initiatives and Programs to Increase Access to Good Jobs, Strengthen Competitiveness in the 21st Century Today, the Biden-Harris Administration submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Following historic progress made since the President took office—with nearly 15 million jobs created and inflation down two-thirds—President...