Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, urged President Biden to focus on bipartisan solutions that will grow our economy, strengthen our global competitiveness, and ensure the U.S. wins the next era of innovation in his State of the Union address. The following statement can be attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:

“The United States is in a race to win the next era of innovation. Technology plays a leading role in creating jobs, strengthening our economy, and protecting our national security by advancing American values and interests globally. We need the right policies in place so current and future technologies are developed and launched in this country, not somewhere else. We hope the President uses the State of the Union to address how we can work together to advance U.S. technology leadership globally while enacting policies that create new opportunities for Americans across the country.

“The President deserves a lot of credit for his Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Under the President’s leadership, we are taking the necessary steps to harness AI’s many benefits while addressing its risks, something we address in our AI for America initiative. The U.S. must be the global leader in AI investment, development, and deployment to ensure it is implemented responsibly across the world. We hope the President uses the State of the Union to highlight how AI can provide an equitable, prosperous future for our nation and all who live here.

“The Executive Order on AI includes provisions that will bolster our workforce through investments in upskilling and training programs and our ability to attract and retain the world’s best talent. America’s competitiveness depends on a strong and skilled workforce. We hope the President addresses the need to strengthen our talent pipeline by ensuring equitable access to skills training for all occupations, investments in STEM education from an early age, and reforms to our outdated immigration system to make it easier for the best and brightest talent to come and stay in the U.S.

“We also hope the President will once again call for a federal data privacy law. There are now 15 states with comprehensive data privacy laws, including 10 that have passed since the start of 2023. This growing patchwork of state laws is confusing consumers and businesses and having a chilling effect on our economy. Failing to pass a federal data privacy law will cost our economy more than $1 trillion over ten years, with $200 billion being paid by small businesses. We need one federal privacy law that protects consumers’ data and privacy no matter where they live, while providing businesses with certainty about their responsibilities.

“In the CHIPS and Science Act, Congress allocated $10 billion over seven years to create the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs Program and usher in a new era of innovation, prosperity, and economic growth in the U.S. Currently, 31 Tech Hubs have been designated by the Administration but only five to ten will each receive approximately $40-$70 million in funding, beginning this summer. The President must call on Congress to fund the Tech Hubs Program at the authorized levels to drive economic opportunities and accelerate our global competitiveness for years to come.

“These policy issues have bipartisan support, and we hope the President and Congress can work together to pass these priorities to grow our economy, strengthen our global competitiveness, and win the next era of innovation.”

Earlier this year, TechNet released its 2024 Federal Policy Agenda, which provides an overview of the top priorities that will enable the U.S. to win the next era of innovation. It includes how the U.S. must:

  • Lead Artificial Intelligence Globally
  • Pass a Federal Data Privacy Law
  • Strengthen Cybersecurity
  • Invest in America’s STEM Talent Pipeline
  • Win the Race for Global Talent
  • Fully Fund America’s New Tech Hubs
  • Fix Laws That Stifle Innovation
  • Defend U.S. Technology Leadership
  • Promote Digital Trade
  • Support the Workforce of Tomorrow
  • Unleash America’s Mobility Future
  • Fight Climate Change

You can read TechNet’s full 2024 Federal Policy Agenda here.