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Urges Use of America’s Abundant Natural Resources to Increase Energy SecurityWASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue today issued the following statement on President-elect Barack Obama’s nominations of Ken Salazar to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Tom Vilsack to serve as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture: “These are two important posts in the next administration and we look forward to working with this team to transform our energy challenges into opportunities. “America has abundant natural resources. Together with the private sector, these nominees have a tremendous opportunity to harness the great potential of America’s renewable, alternative, and traditional energy resources to reduce our dependence on imported energy. “During the current economic downturn, the U.S. Chamber is hopeful that the President-elect’s team shares our commitment to producing affordable, reliable, and diverse supplies of energy and ensuring a vibrant energy infrastructure. With a balanced, long-term energy strategy and a close partnership with U.S. businesses, this administration has the potential to drive our economic recovery by generating new jobs, increasing our exports, and promoting technology.”The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.