Secretary Clinton’s Tech Platform Highlights Key Semiconductor Priorities

by David Isaacs, Vice President, Government Affairs

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today unveiled a set of policy initiatives aimed at bolstering U.S. technology and innovation leadership. SIA welcomes attention from the presidential candidates on policies to strengthen the semiconductor industry and the broader tech sector. Secretary Clinton’s plan embraces a number of the semiconductor industry’s longstanding priorities, including the following:

1) Increasing the research budgets of federal agencies like the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and DARPA;
2) Reforming America’s outdated high-skilled immigration system;
3) Rebuilding U.S. leadership in high-performance computing;
4) Continuing key reforms of the U.S. export control system; and
5) Expanding investments in STEM education programs.

In January, SIA released an eight-point plan to advance semiconductor priorities. Additionally, SIA and other tech leaders sent an open letter to the presidential candidates in May to provide input on the priorities critical to sustaining America’s tech leadership and economic strength. The initiatives outlined in the presidential platform letter are intended to ensure Americans possess the skills needed for 21st century success, foster a business climate that rewards risk and promotes innovation, encourage a fair and open global market for goods and services, and maintain cutting-edge U.S. infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship.

Importantly, both SIA’s policy plan and the tech community’s presidential platform expressed clear, resolute support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an agreement that would tear down barriers to trade with Asia-Pacific countries and enable more products made in the United States to be shipped to customers around the world. The TPP is good for U.S. competitiveness, economic growth, and job creation. We strongly urge the presidential candidates to support the TPP and ask Congress to approve it.

In the months ahead, SIA looks forward engaging with the presidential candidates on these and other policy initiatives that will strengthen the semiconductor industry, the tech sector, and our country.