AeA Federal Government Affairs

Presidential Candidates Positions on Technology

Check out ALL of our Upcoming Government Affairs Events

July 8, 2008:   Sen Obama's Top Aides at AeA

As part of AeA’s continuing outreach to the campaigns of presidential candidates, senior staff to Sen. Barack Obama met with over 70 executives from the high-tech industry, US universities, and technology professional societies to discuss Sen. Obama’s positions on innovation and competitiveness. The meeting this week at AeA’s David Packard Conference Center in Washington, DC, included Pete Rouse, Chief of Staff, and Karen Kornbluh, Policy Director. The meeting was conducted in partnership with the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, which is co-chaired by AeA and Intel Corporation.


After Mr. Rouse and Ms. Kornbluh outlined Sen. Obama’s competitiveness agenda, industry representatives stressed key competitiveness points including:

• The importance of improved math and science education at both elementary school and university levels
• The need to increase spending on government-funded basic research and development
• The urgency of reforming the county’s policies on H-1B visas and green cards
• The need to make permanent the R&D tax credit
• The importance of addressing increased health care costs for US companies, making them less competitive in the global market

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Obama advisors expressed a desire to follow-up on this meeting to get more specifics on the policy agenda “that will work to improve the US economy and our global competitiveness.”   Representatives from AeA in Washington, DC, are flying to Chicago next week to continue these discussions and AeA will host a smaller group of high-tech industry representatives for a meeting in Washington in early August to present a more detailed agenda to the campaign staff.

AeA President Chris Hansen offered his assistance to arrange meetings with company CEOs around the country and Obama advisors in order to gain a broader context for the high-tech policy agenda. AeA has made the same offer to Sen. McCain’s campaign.

More information on Sen. Obama’s Chief of Staff.

Read Sen. Obama's speech on US competitiveness.

May 30, 2008:   Grant Aldonas, Trade Advisor to McCain Campaign, Meets with AeA International Committee to Discuss Candidates Trade Views

Grant Aldonas, Trade Advisor to the McCain Campaign, began his discussion on trade by asserting that Washington’s vision of international economics is out of date and challenged the assumption that globalization is the cause of downward pressure on wages of U.S. workers. He believes that American workers need to be able to adapt to global changes and become more competitive. The U.S. could lose its competitive edge if its markets do not remain open. Senator McCain has a strong free trade stance and supports the use of the multilateral and bilateral processes. McCain also recognizes the importance of Asia and plans to devote time and resources to securing American economic interests in the region. McCain supports an international economic policy that would anchor the U.S. with China. However, Aldonas suggested that the U.S. will have to delicately balance between enforcing China’s economic responsibilities and remaining sufficiently economically engaged with the nation. Minutes with more detailed information on the comments by Aldonas and responses to member company questions are available to members on the AeA website.

Grant Aldonas, Trade Advisor to the McCain Campaign pictured here
with Rob Mulligan, Senior Vice President International, AeA

For more information contact Rob Mulligan, Senior Vice President International, at 202.682.4452

***PREVIOUS EVENTS***

AeA Cyber Series Event on Appropriations

Speaker: Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-MD), House Appropriations Committee

Rep. Ruppersberger discussed the appropriations process and current congressional agenda.

Rep. Ruppersberger serves in the following capacities

• Appropriations Subcommittee of Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies;
• Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government;
• Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch Chairman of the Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee of the Select Intelligence Committee.
• Chairman of the Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee of the Select Intelligence Committee
• Assistant Democratic Whip.

John Palafoutas, Senior Vice President AeA listens as Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-MD), House Appropriations Committee addresses AeA member companies. 

  Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-MD), House Appropriations Committee fields questions from AeA member companies in the new David Packard Conference Center.

AeA Cyber Series Event on Appropriations

Speaker: Rep. Chaka Fattah, (D-PA), House Appropriations Committee

Rep. Fattah discussed current congressional funding of math and science programs, and answered member questions concerning upcoming appropriations activities

Rep. Fattah serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee of Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies; and Homeland Security.

He is also the Architect of GEAR UP, which has become the largest pre-college awareness program in this nation's history and has contributed nearly $2 billion toward the educational advancement of low-income students.

This event was sponsored by:

Frank Orlandella, Director of Federal and State Public Affairs, Agilent and Rep. Chaka Fattah discuss a point in front of the AeA member audience

Frank Orlandella, Director of Federal and State Public Affairs, Agilent, Rep. Chaka Fattah, and John Palafoutas, Senior Vice President AeA kick off this Cyber Series event

Frank Orlandella, Director of Federal and State Public Affairs, Agilent and Rep. Chaka Fattah pose for a joint photo.

• AeA releases its latest report, We Are Still Losing the Competitive Advantage: Now Is the Time To Act.

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt Visits AeA's Silicon Valley Council to promote HHS's Value Drive Driven Healthcare Initiative.  Tim Guertin, AeA Chairman of the Board and President and CEO of Varian Medical Systems, began the ceremony by introducing the Honorable Michael O. Leavitt...read more.

Duane Dauner, President, California Hospital Association; Dr. Jeffrey Rideout, Vice President, Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco; Secretary Michael Leavitt, HHS; and Tim Guertin, President & CEO, Varian Medical Systems and AeA’s Chairman of the Board (L-R).

• Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-16-CA), Chairwoman, Immigration Subcommittee, House Judiciary Committee visits AeA to speak to members on the agenda of the committee in the 110^th Congress.

Event sponsor Jack Krumholtz, Managing Director of Federal Government Affairs, Microsoft Corporation; Rep. Lofgren; and Rob Mulligan, Senior VP International, AeA (L-R) .

Participating in AeA's Federal Government Affairs Committees will enhance your company’s ability to remain updated and have an impact on legal and regulatory changes affecting your company. Participation is open to any AeA member company, and there is no limit to the number of employees per company who sign up.  Committees include:

• National Government Affairs Committee
• Human Resources / Workforce / Education Committee
• Intellectual Property Working Group
• RFID Task Force
• Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Committee
• Tax Committee  
• Technology for Government (T4G) Committee