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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
New Democrats Lead On Technology Issues
WASHINGTON, DC-- The New Democrat Coalition, a group of 63 centrist Democrats, is demonstrating its leadership on high-technology issues this week as the Joint Economic Committee hears from numerous high-technology executives and experts.
Representatives Cal Dooley (California), Adam Smith (Washington), Anna Eshoo (California), Jim Moran (Virginia), Bill Luther (Minnesota), Bobby Etheridge (North Carolina), Debbie Stabenow (Michigan), Jim Davis (Florida), and Karen McCarthy (Missouri), as well as Joint Economic Committee and NDC Member David Minge (Minnesota) are all participating in the Joint Economic Committee hearings this week.
“New Democrats support the high-technology economy because we recognize that the New Economy is creating jobs and opportunity for all Americans,” explained Smith. Some of the policies on which New Democrats have led include:
permanent extension of the research and experimentation tax credit;
national education standards;
technology in schools and e-rate funding;
charter schools;
reasonable export controls on encryption technology and “supercomputers”;
reform of unilateral sanctions policy;
economic engagement with China;
patent reform; and
securities litigation reform.
New Democrats have earned kudos from industry groups scoring Members on high-technology votes. Of the 14 House Democrats earning perfect scores from the Information Technology Industry Council in the 105th Congress, 10 were New Democrats: Ken Bentsen (Texas), Jim Davis (Florida), Dooley, Eshoo, Etheridge, Darlene Hooley (Oregon), Jane Harman (California; retired), Moran, David Price (North Carolina), and Tauscher.
The House Democratic Leadership has also recognized the New Democrats’ leadership on high technology issues and last week named nine of the group’s Members to the High Technology Task Force, including co-chair Anna Eshoo. Other members include Dooley, Smith, Matsui, Loretta Sanchez (California), Ellen Tauscher (California), Brian Baird (Washington), Rush Holt (New Jersey), Jay Inslee (Washington), and David Wu (Oregon).
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