Washington,
D.C. — TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation
economy CEOs and senior executives, today issued a statement in response to
President Trump’s State of the Union address.
The following statement can be attributed to Linda Moore, President and
CEO of TechNet:
“In 2018, we urge the President and
Congress to work together to support pro-innovation policies that will make our
nation stronger, more prosperous, and more competitive.
“We agree with the President that more
needs to be done to rebuild our infrastructure, especially by extending
broadband to every corner of our nation.
Congress should make funding for next-generation infrastructure a top
priority. Investing in infrastructure is something that will not only
position our nation for the future, but it will also create jobs and
opportunities for Americans now.
“Additionally, our nation’s education
and workforce development programs need to be transformed to prepare today’s students
for the jobs of tomorrow and to help adults update their skill sets for a
changing economy. Ensuring that all children have access to high-quality
computer science education and reauthorizing career and technical education
programs like those authorized under the Perkins Act should be achievable
bipartisan goals this year. Last year,
President Trump made an important down-payment toward the goal of bringing
computer science education to all U.S. classrooms with a $200 million commitment.
This number should be increased in 2018.
“Just as important, the White House and
Congress must find a way to break the stalemate over immigration in a way that
drives job creation, protects American workers, and reflects our values as a
nation of immigrants. This begins with finding a legislative solution for
the Dreamers, but also includes reforms for our high-skilled immigration
system. Immigrants and their children founded 40 percent of Fortune 500
companies, and immigrant entrepreneurs have started more than half of startups
valued at $1 billion or more in the U.S.
We must ensure our economy continues to benefit by having the best and
brightest minds from other countries come innovate here alongside the best and
brightest American minds to help create more jobs and opportunities.
“We also believe that NAFTA should be
modernized with strong digital trade rules and wish the President would have
made clear tonight his commitment to keep the U.S. in a new and improved
NAFTA. Walking away from NAFTA
would not only be a missed opportunity to bring the deal into the 21st century,
it would cost the U.S. jobs and economic growth.
“And although the President did not
touch on this issue in his speech tonight, we remain committed to following through
on the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, which became law last year and authorizes
federal agencies to update their IT systems to the latest cloud technologies in
order to boost their cybersecurity defenses and better serve American citizens.
This year, the task is simpler — to fully the fund the MGT Act so that the
federal government can accelerate the transition from vulnerable legacy systems
to more secure, cutting-edge technologies.
We will continue working with the White House and Congress on this
important initiative.
“The simple truth is that government
struggles to keep pace with business at moments of transformative technological
change like the one we find ourselves in today. We need to focus on the
key policy areas that support the transformation of our economy and create new
opportunities for Americans. In doing so, we can ensure that United
States remains the global innovation leader.”