TechNet’s 2023 Federal Policy Agenda Offers Several Ideas for Bipartisan Progress in Congress

Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, urged President Joe Biden to focus on bipartisan solutions that will help grow America’s economy and protect privacy for all Americans in his second State of the Union address. The following statement can be attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:

“President Biden and Congress have laid the foundation for long-term success in America through the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. The State of the Union is an opportunity for the President to address how these legislative achievements will be properly implemented and realign the partisan conversation around how we can work together to win the 21st century.

“Expanding broadband to all corners of the country, investing in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and, as we told the President last week, creating regional technology hubs across the U.S. will usher in a new era of American economic growth, innovation, and prosperity. But these provisions must be fully funded and implemented properly or we risk falling further behind our foreign competitors.

“We must also ensure the U.S. has the high-skilled talent required for these emerging technologies to be developed and launched in this country, not in China. We hope the President addresses the need to strengthen our talent pipeline by investing in STEM and computer science education and workforce training programs while also advocating for changes to our outdated immigration system to make it easier for the U.S. to attract and retain the best and brightest talent from across the globe.

“Instead of advocating for arbitrary legislation that would target America’s most successful companies, weaken our national security, and degrade the products consumers and small businesses rely on every day, we also hope the President uses his speech to call for a federal privacy law – something that the Administration, members of Congress, and most Americans agree should be a top priority. Now is the time for the Administration and Congress to work together to end the growing 50-state patchwork of privacy laws and pass one national standard that protects consumers’ data and privacy no matter where they live, while providing businesses with certainty about their responsibilities.

“The President and Congress have worked together to pass historic, impactful legislation, and we applaud these efforts. We look forward to working with both branches to further advance innovation across the U.S., grow our economy, and strengthen American global competitiveness in the year ahead.”

Earlier this year, TechNet outlined its federal policy principles in detail for the 118th Congress. TechNet will work with Congress and the Administration to accomplish the following priorities:

Realize the Full Potential of the CHIPS and Science Act

  • Fully fund regional tech hubs and the STEM education and training programs.
  • Reduce STEM talent shortages by recapturing unused visas, creating a startup visa for entrepreneurs, exempting STEM Ph.D. graduates from green card caps, and eliminating per-country caps.
  • Focus government resources on countering China’s rapid STEM investments.

Improve Data Privacy and Bolster Cybersecurity

  • Pass a bipartisan national data privacy bill and harmonize frameworks, standards, and requirements with respect to the evolution of digital ID verification.
  • Increase federal funding for cybersecurity resilience.

Unleash America’s Mobility Future

  • Pass a national framework to promote the safe testing, deployment, and operation of autonomous vehicles.
  • Develop a UAS regulatory framework to drive the full integration of commercial drones into the National Airspace System.
  • Accelerate America’s transition to electric vehicles.

Fix Tax Laws that Stifle Innovation

  • Pass permanent solutions to the impending 1099-K reporting and R&D expensing issues.

Protect U.S. Technology Leadership

  • Ensure U.S. antitrust and content moderation policies do not harm consumers, weaken our national security interests and global competitiveness, or hinder the ability of small and medium-sized businesses to reach their customers.
  • Advocate for voluntary government artificial intelligence (AI) guidelines that establish consensus standards and outline a comprehensive approach to AI by ensuring public engagement, limiting the regulatory scope, and promoting trustworthiness within the technology.

Advance a Pro-growth American Trade Agenda

  • Support the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council to establish modern trade standards and strengthen critical supply chains.
  • Remove tariffs on imports from China.

Support the Workforce of Tomorrow

  • Adopt policies that facilitate hybrid and fully remote work and invest in workforce training programs.
  • Pass legislation to protect the flexibility of independent work.
  • Support Dreamers living and working in the United States.

Fight Climate Change

  • Shape and support the implementation of climate policies passed in the 117th Congress.