FREMONT, CA: Ro Khanna, candidate for Congress in California’s 17th District, has received the emphatic endorsements of many of Silicon Valley’s most influential tech leaders and job creators. These leaders have joined together in calling for a new type of thought leadership that eschews special interest money and is less focused on ideological entrenchment and finger pointing, and more focused on results.
The endorsements are a strong validation of Ro’s forward looking vision for fostering innovation and keeping America as the most entrepreneurial and dynamic economy in the world.
Ro’s technology policy priorities include:
1. It is imperative that America reforms the immigration system to attract and retain the best and brightest from around the world. We need policies to make sure that entrepreneurs, technology leaders, and skilled engineers come to the United States and start businesses here instead of in Canada, Europe or China.
2. America needs a 21st century approach to education that uses technology to improve educational outcomes by expanding broadband to every classroom, introducing code into the curriculum in elementary school, and supporting Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to democratize access to education.
3. Promote a comprehensive strategy for increasing the number of women working in STEM fields. This includes special STEM and entrepreneurship classes for young women, so they learn, engage and become excited about potential STEM careers from an early age. We must also pass laws that require family and children friendly work policies and make sure there is equal pay for equal work.
4. Support small businesses by simplifying bureaucratic red tape, and having a one-stop shop to help startups navigate regulatory regime. Promote programs that partner with organizations like The Indus Entrepreneurs to help teach the skills of entrepreneurship.
5. Support entrepreneurs through student loan deferment, tax deductions for software purchases, and applying the Research and Development Tax Credit to employer taxes instead of income. We should also make technology licensing easier for startups from universities and our national laboratories.
6. Ensure that America leads in household high-speed broadband availability and mobile high-speed coverage at affordable rates. We also should make sure our schools have access to high-speed Internet by making that a priority of the federal E-Rate program.
7. Reform a tax code written in the 1960s to bring it up to date for the 21st century globalized economy. The current code incentivizes companies to park cash offshore and has numerous unjustifiable loopholes written by special interests. We need a tax regime that incentivizes companies to invest in the United States, and create good paying jobs here in California’s 17th district.
“I am humbled that so many leading innovators and job creators are supporting my message of bringing Silicon Valley solutions to Washington,” said Khanna.
“People across the district – from those that started companies to those who work hard every day to develop the next big idea – are calling for a new type of thought leadership that has been absent from our political discourse. Not only do these incredible technology leaders keep Silicon Valley at the forefront of innovation, they also create and sustain hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs for our community.
“I share their commitment to creating a better future, and I will stand by the issues that matter most to Silicon Valley so that we can continue to push the boundaries of innovation, and to bolster employment opportunities for everyone here in our district and across the country.”
A Bay Area resident for more than a decade, Ro has dedicated much of his career to working within the technology and manufacturing industries. Like many of the technology and entrepreneurial leaders in the Valley, Ro is the US born son of immigrants who came to this country to give their children an opportunity at the American dream. As an intellectual property attorney at both Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and O’Melveny & Myers, Ro has worked closely with numerous high technology companies.
Ro is a member of the California Workforce Development Board, serving as chair for the Advanced Manufacturing Committee-a position he was appointed to by Governor Jerry Brown. Ro returned home to Silicon Valley after spending two years in the Obama Administration, where he took a practical, hands-on approach to public service.
As Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Commerce, Ro regularly traveled around the country meeting with American manufacturers of all sizes to better understand their needs and the best ways for government to promote and support them. In this role, Ro managed 108 domestic Commerce offices dedicated to helping companies in the United States innovate and increase their exports to consumers around the world. Ro’s book on manufacturing, Entrepreneurial Nation: Why Manufacturing is Still Key to America’s Future, has won widespread praise for its strategies for keeping the best companies, jobs and opportunities in America.
“Ro understands that government needs to invest in technology to spur our future progress as a nation,” said Garry Tan, Partner at Y Combinator. “I have had tremendous opportunities that allowed me to work my way up – from growing up in a middle class neighborhood in Fremont, to attending Stanford University, and finally to pursuing my dream of being an entrepreneur. But not everyone is as lucky as me, and Ro will help young startups get on their feet. That’s something my business is committed to, and I have seen firsthand how investing in technological innovation has a great potential for growing our economy.”
“Ro represents what is best about the Silicon Valley: he is forward thinking, hard working, and always focused on how the government can work more intelligently and efficiently for the taxpayers who fund it,” said Steve Westly, managing partner at the Westly Group and former Comptroller of California. “He also embraces the idea that dynamism and disruptive innovation are good for government and good for society.
“He is a champion of clean technology, and I applaud his vocal support of increasing government investment in the type of research and design that has fueled world-changing inventions across the Valley. His knowledge of the global economy and dedication to public service are exactly what we need in the next generation of Silicon Valley leadership.”
“Ro Khanna is a new generation of leader who truly understands the needs of the high tech industry and the leadership role Silicon Valley plays on the global stage,” said Penny Herscher, President & CEO, First Rain. “I know he will partner with constituents across Silicon Valley to create more jobs – and more qualified STEM employees for those jobs. I support Ro Khanna for Congress.”
India Post News Service
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