Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller said the Commerce Department "has a major role to play in rebuilding our economy" and Locke is an excellent choice to run the show. "He is a seasoned executive, he understands the importance of economic development at the state level, and he is a life-long advocate and champion for American productivity," Rockefeller said. Ranking member Kay Bailey Hutchison said she hoped Locke "will be proactive in helping U.S. businesses' marketing efforts abroad and be an advocate from within the administration for responsible tax and regulatory policies."

Software and Information Industry Association President Ken Wasch touted Locke's executive experience and noted that Washington state "has the most manufacturing export-related jobs of any in the country." "Gov. Locke understands the need for America to compete in the global economic marketplace," Wasch said. SIIA General Counsel Mark Bohannon added the department's agenda - ensuring quality patents, opening markets and removing barriers to trade, advancing the U.S. technology base, and implementing export controls - factors importantly into economic recovery.