Arlington, Va. – The Electronic Industries Alliance's (EIA) interim President and CEO, Charlie Robinson, issued the following statement today in response to President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night:

"In last year's State of the Union address, the tech agenda was front and center. In the American Competitiveness Initiative, President Bush offered a balanced plan to keep the United States at the forefront of the global economy, especially the information and communications technology and electronics sectors. In doing so he adopted many of the proposals the Electronic Industries Alliance outlined in our 2004 policy playbook, The Technology Industry at an Innovation Crossroads. We made modest progress on that agenda in 2006, but much more work remains.

"We're confident that the president remains committed these issues, but last night they were crowded out by other priorities. Still, this speech offers some promise that by continuing to work on a bipartisan basis, we can enact much of the innovation agenda this year.

"We fully support the president's call to strengthen math and science skills. This is a key plank of the innovation agenda and will make our children and our country more competitive for some of the best jobs the global economy has to offer.

"As we work to strengthen America's future workforce, we cannot ignore the technology sector's current needs. President Bush reiterated his call for comprehensive immigration reform, and no bill will be complete without improving the skilled-worker visa and green card systems.

"Information technology has a vital role to play in transforming America's health care system, while reducing costs and medical errors. We commend the president for including this among his health care priorities.

"It's also encouraging that the president expressed support for balancing the budget while keeping taxes in check. That would further enhance America's standing as the world's premiere marketplace. Tax policy should foster economic growth and enhance the ability of U.S. companies to compete at home and abroad, and U.S. rules must be competitive with the systems of other countries, particularly those of our key trading partners.

"Bipartisan consensus on these issues is easy to envision. We hope leaders in Congress and the Administration seize this opportunity and work together to make America a more prosperous place to live and work. EIA – and the innovators and entrepreneurs we represent – stands ready to help."