May/June 2021

More articles in this issue:

• Hubert Joly‘s “The Heart of Business
• A Tech to Watch
• The NFT Fascination
• The Electric Future
• From the CEO

Washington DC is in a state of change

We have a new President, new regulators, a new Congress and new policymakers on our key committees. We are still reeling from a mob attack on the Capitol and our democratic process.

Our nation is also undergoing change. As we emerge from COVID we are struggling to find normal footing. We are trying to imagine what life will be like — in our offices, stores, schools and homes — in the wake of the pandemic

But no matter what else changes, CTA’s core principles stay the same:

• We believe America’ s global technology leadership is critically important and must be maintained.
• We do not seek government funding for our industry.
• We support balanced budgets, high-skill immigration, and free and fair trade.
• We believe innovation is the solution to climate change, health care, food production and other key challenges facing our nation and our world.

Policy Priorities

This year we will be working hard to educate Congress and the Biden Administration about our industry and our values.

We will be urging that Congress allocate additional spectrum for consumer use and remove obstacles and regulations that are slowing the rollout of wireless broadband infrastructure. As we look at some of the most pressing challenges like creating jobs, improving education and increasing access to health care — broadband is the key underlying technology.

We will be advocating a commitment to free and fair trade. The Biden administration can start with the removal of China tariffs that act as massive taxes on U.S. companies. We also will be pushing the administration to reestablish U.S. leadership through bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, and work with our Democratic free-market allies to disincentivize China’s bad behavior. 

We will be pushing the government to maintain leadership on key technologies of the future like robotics, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Leadership in these technologies will soon determine a nation’s economic and military strength. We need smart regulatory approaches to these technologies, not top-down mandates that would smother innovation.

We will be pushing back on government attacks on our crown-jewel companies. While we do not believe that big (or small companies) are inherently good or bad, we know that attacking our own national champion companies is a short-sighted and destructive policy that only benefits China and other economic competitors.

Finally, we will be encouraging Congress to leave partisan bickering behind and address the real concerns of the American people. We are active participants in groups like No Labels and the Commonsense Caucus that encourage policymakers to reach across partisan lines and find practical solutions to our nation’s challenges.

The technology industry is a key American asset. Over the past year CTA member companies showed their value as they allowed Americans to work, educate our children, be entertained, stock our kitchens, connect with loved ones, and access medical care — all without leaving the safety of our homes.

We look forward to working in Washington and the state capitols to enable even more ground-breaking innovation in the years to come.