State of the Union Address Should Spur Bipartisan Congressional Action on Competitiveness and Innovation Agenda, Says Technology CEO Council

U.S. Competitiveness in Global Marketplace is Vital to Economic Growth and Job Creation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CEOs from the nation's leading technology companies today urged Congressional and Administration actions in support of President Obama's State of the Union focus on U.S. competitiveness and innovation to promote American investment, economic growth and job creation.

In his annual address, President Obama outlined a competitiveness and innovation agenda that largely tracks the vision laid out by the Technology CEO Council.  Now, it's up to Congress and the Administration to act on this ambitious agenda.

The Technology CEO Council's innovation agenda includes:

• Tax policies that enable American innovators to compete and win in the global markets, ensuring U.S. jobs, investment and growth.
• Trade policies that give U.S. workers and entrepreneurs greater opportunities to access worldwide customers.
• Export control policies that place U.S. companies on an even playing field with overseas competitors while protecting national security.
• Investment in our nation's infrastructure, to ensure a modern and effective health-care system, efficient energy usage and "smart" highways and facilities.
• Education, immigration and research initiatives that prepare U.S. citizens for 21st Century jobs and create new industries.

"It's a simple choice, really. Do we want to remain the world's leading economy, or not?" asked Jonathan Hoganson of the Technology CEO Council. "If we want to be the leader in investment, ideas and innovation, then we need a competitive tax system, greater investment in innovation and access to the world's biggest and fastest growing markets."

Members of the Technology CEO Council include its Chairman Samuel J. Palmisano, Chairman and CEO of IBM Corporation; Steve Appleton, CEO of Micron Technologies; Greg Brown, CEO of Motorola; Ursula Burns of Xerox Corporation; Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell; Paul S. Otellini, President and CEO of Intel Corporation; Mike Splinter, CEO of Applied Materials; and, Joe Tucci, EMC Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

About the Technology CEO Council

The Technology CEO Council is a CEO policy advocacy group focused on ensuring U.S. competitiveness through technology leadership.  As some of the nation's largest employers, Technology CEO Council companies generate $280 billion in annual revenues and employ over 800,000 workers. Currently, The Technology CEO Council is focused on public policy initiatives related to U.S. competitiveness, 21st Century infrastructure, innovation and trade as well as how technology can help address the nation's health care and energy challenges. For more information, please visit http://www.techceocouncil.org

SOURCE Technology CEO Council