Summit 2009: U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said nearly 30 percent of federal stimulus money was already distributed and he expected the pace to quicken in the coming months.

Locke’s largely upbeat spin on the recovery plan to the gathering of state legislators and staff at the annual Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures came in sharp contrast to mostly dour fiscal news that has been the order of the day this week.

“I’m confident that the Department of Commerce and the entire Obama administration are on the right track,” he said. Locke acknowledged, however, that “there’s been no shortage of criticism of the recovery act in recent days. With unemployment continuing to rise, I understand and share the frustration that the economy isn’t getting better quicker...”