President's State of the Union: Tech Highlights
Jan 29, 2008
As a follow-up to our earlier post about the President Bush's State of the Union address, here is a summary of what he had to say about tech policy-related issues in his speech to Congress last night:
- Without elaborating, he encouraged Congress to "promote health information technology."
- He called for the creation of a new international clean technology fund to help developing nations like India and China "make greater use of clean energy sources," and recommended continued investments in renewable fuels and advanced battery technology.
- He reiterated his support for free trade, pressing Congress to approve pending agreements wtih Colombia, Panama and South Korea. According to the President, "these agreements will level the playing field [and] will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers."
- At the same time, he asked Congress to reauthorize and reform the Trade Adjustment Assistance program to help displaced workers learn "new skills and find new jobs."
- He also asked Congress to follow through on funding the America Competes Act, which he signed into law last August, to increase federal support for education and research in math and science.
- In one of the more obviously partisan moments, the President urged Congress to pass the controversial electronic surveillance bill, the Protect America Act, to extend liability protection to telecom carriers that helped U.S. intelligence agencies monitor phone calls and e-mails of suspected terrorists without a warrant. The bill is set to expire February 1st, and the President received a standing ovation from supporters when he declared, "We have had ample time for debate. The time to act is now."
Tags:
Congress, President Bush
