WASHINGTON – Some 17 tech trade group leaders representing the broad US technology industry have submitted a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump about how to leverage technology for the benefit of the nation and the American people.

In the joint letter, the tech execs offered recommendations to leverage innovation to foster growth opportunities and job creation for more people across the country, especially as the Trump transition team begins to fill key posts. 

“We are a powerful engine for economic growth and competitive strength, driving over $1 trillion into the American economy,” the letter says. “The companies and innovators we represent employ over 5.7 million people who live and work in communities in every state of the nation. As leaders of organizations representing the world’s most dynamic technology companies, we are committed to moving the country forward toward a brighter economic future.”

In noting the role their companies’ technologies play in the US economy as “the platform for powering everything from small main street businesses to the leading powerhouse companies that are the envy of the world,” the groups have also worked together to develop recommendations they offered to the transition team on key positions within an administration that can help drive innovation and economic growth for the country.

The following is the text of the letter, sent by the leaders of 1776, ACT |The App Association, Allied For Startups, BSA | The Software Alliance, Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Engine, Entertainment Software Association (ESA), Internet Association, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), Silicon Valley Leadership Group, TechNet, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), and Technology CEO Council:

Dear Mr. President-elect:

Congratulations on your election as the 45th president of the United States.

As leaders of organizations representing the world’s most dynamic technology companies, we are committed to moving the country forward toward a brighter economic future. The companies and innovators we represent employ over 5.7 million people who live and work in communities in every state of the nation; our strength is our range of perspectives. We are the incubator of technologies transforming people’s lives for the better. We are a powerful engine for economic growth and competitive strength, driving over $1 trillion into the American economy.

As you know, the technology sector consists of industries ranging from silicon to software, social media to digital services, factory computing to supply-chain management, and from smart vehicles to virtual reality. Our technologies enable growth and unlock efficiencies across the entire US economy. Indeed, we are increasingly the platform for powering everything from small main street businesses to the leading powerhouse companies that are the envy of the world.

We are united by our commitment to ingenuity and our drive to accelerate the achievement of success.  It is with that in mind that we urge you to consider the principles below in setting successful policy to foster growth and innovation across the nation:

Investing in Jobs and a More Inclusive Economy: You have often spoken about America’s need for an economy that creates more jobs for more of our people, and we agree.  Doing so means deploying the latest innovations to create jobs, drive economic growth, and offer innovative opportunities to the American workforce.  For example, as you advance investment in traditional infrastructure based in concrete and steel, we urge also investing in technology infrastructure. Such investments that enable new advances can be an avenue to prosperity and international competitiveness, just as much as rebuilding roads and bridges will contribute enormously to our economy.

Leveraging Our Strengths: The world is increasingly global and integrated, but America’s technological leadership places it in a unique position to pioneer new frontiers of innovation and to drive prosperity for citizens. Through tax reform, for example, we can establish a tax code that motivates more investment and jobs here in America that also leads to more innovations for products that are sold around the world. Modernizing laws, regulations and rules regarding data, including international data transfers, will also help make critical strides toward this goal.

Working Faster and Smarter: We must work faster and smarter to achieve continued prosperity. That is our forte: our industries are committed to productivity growth, breaking down artificial barriers, working across silos, and innovating to solve our biggest challenges.  With more people in government who share this outlook, we can make meaningful progress in areas ranging from smarter regulation to enabling more startups.

In addition to these initial ideas, our organizations have worked together to develop the attached recommendations for your transition team on the key positions within an administration and the qualifications that have the power to drive our modern economy, drive innovation and investment, and put Americans to work.  We recognize a critical early step in achieving your goals of moving the country forward in a productive way will be identifying the right people for critical positions.  We would welcome the opportunity to meet with your leadership team to discuss our policy and personnel ideas in greater depth.

In short, we stand ready to help your Administration tap into 21st century innovation to achieve prosperity for the nation.

• Prev
• Next