SIA Competitiveness Press Releases
June 30, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Welcomes Research Funding in Supplemental Spending Bill
June 25, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Commends House Appropriations Committee for Supporting U.S. Innovation
June 19, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Applauds House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees for Bold Action in Support of U.S. Innovation
June 13, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Praises House Appropriations Subcommittee for Action in Support of U.S. Innovation
June 12, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Semiconductor Industry Urges for Passage of Three Bills to Help U.S. Employers Retain Critical Highly Educated Workers
June 6, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Praises House Passage of Nanotechnology Initiative Reauthorization by Vote of 407 to 6
June 5, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Senators Boxer and Gregg Realize Critical Need to Retain Extraordinary Talent in the United States
June 3, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Semiconductor Industry CEO's Call on House Leaders to Fund Critical Science and Engineering Research
May 23, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Applauds Senate Approval of Research Funding in Supplemental Appropriations Bill
April 29, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Wake Up Call: US Falls to Third Place in Exports
April 9, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Urges Constructive Consideration of U.S.-Columbia Free Trade Agreement
April 2, 2008 - SIA Press Release: New Data on U.S. High-Tech Sector Shows Importance of Semiconductor Industry to Economic Growth and Productivity
March 17, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Semiconductor Industry Welcomes Bipartisan Introduction of "New American Innovation Act"
March 8, 2008 - SIA Press Release: Semiconductor Industry Applauds House Budget Committee for Funding Critical American Innovation Initiatives
February 4 , 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Supports Increased Funding for Basic Research
January 28, 2008 - SIA Press Release: SIA Supports President’s Call for Renewed Push on Competitiveness Agenda
December 18, 2007 - SIA Press Release: SIA: Lots of Rhetoric but Little Action on Bipartisan Competitiveness Agenda
December 13, 2007 - SIA Press Release: SIA Hails 60th Birthday of Microelectronics Industry - Invention of Transistor on December 16, 1947 Changed the World
August 9, 2007 - SIA Press Release: President Bush Signs Landmark Legislation That Will Boost U.S. Economic Competitiveness -- SIA Applauds Enactment of America COMPETES Act
August 3, 2007 - SIA Press Release: SIA Cheers Senate Passage of H.R. 2272 -- Congress Acts Decisively to Boost U.S. Economic Competitiveness
August 2, 2007 - SIA Press Release: SIA Praises House Passage of H.R. 2272 -- House of Representatives Acts Decisively to Improve Math and Science Education and Support Basic Research
July 27, 2007 - SIA Press Release: Semiconductor Research Corporation Honored at White House Ceremony -- SRC Wins National Medal of Technology Award
December 11, 2006 - SIA Press Release: SIA Praises Passage of R&D Tax Credit Extension -- Urges continued bipartisan cooperation in 2007
December 5, 2006 - SIA Press Release: SIA says Consensus Should Lead to Action -- 109th Congress Must Extend and Enhance R&D Tax Credit
November 14, 2006 - SIA Press Release: SIA says Consensus Should Lead to Action -- 109th Congress Must Extend R&D Tax Credit, Raise Cap on H1-B Visas, and Pass
Science Appropriation Bill
June 23, 2006 -- Maintaining America's Technological Edge – Semiconductors, Security and International Competition. The Center for Strategic & International Studies’ Technology and Public Policy Program hosted SIA President George Scalise and Dr. William Howard, chairman of the 2005 Defense Science Board Task Force on High Performance Microchip Supply. Both experts, having recently returned from trips to China, explored the challenges the U.S. semiconductor industry faces in the new global marketplace and steps the United States must take to maintain its competitiveness in this strategically crucial industry. Video and a transcript of Scalise ’s opening comments is available in the new choosetocompete.org video library.
June 22, 2006 -- House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures hearing on the Impact of International Tax Reform on U.S. Competitiveness – Click Here for Testimony of Craig R. Barrett, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, California. Click Here for the House Committee on Ways and Means webpage with more information about this hearing.
May 9, 2006 -- Craig Barrett, Chairman Intel addressed the Heritage Foundation on American Competitiveness and Innovation Leadership in the 21st Century. Speaking at a closed roundtable event featuring education policy leaders, Barrett outlined the key areas of challenge America must address to maintain its innovation leadership — education, immigration, basic research, and investment climate. Video and a transcript of Barett’s opening comments is available in the new choosetocompete.org video library.
March 15, 2006 -- SIA Congressional Staff Discussion on Competitiveness Brian Halla, SIA Chairman and CEO of National Semiconductor; Dwight Decker, CEO of Conexant Systems; and SIA President George Scalise led a discussion about the conditions and challenges facing the semiconductor and high-tech industry. Over thirty key congressional staffers actively participated in an interactive session that explored the necessary steps to maintain America's leading edge in an industry vital to economic growth and national security. Increased federal funding for basic research, enhanced access to a highly educated, highly skilled workforce, and the characteristics of a strong investment climate were among items brought up during the session. Link to Briefings Powerpoint Presentation (PDF)
News Coverage of Competitiveness and Innovation Issues
Flagging Economy Needs Science Investments (San Francisco Chronicle - January 20, 2008)
American Brain Drain (Wall Street Journal - November 30, 2007)
Don’t Let Immigration Debate Block Needed Skilled Workers (The Patriot News - November 21, 2007)
Falling Behind the EU (Deseret Morning News - November 17, 2007)
To Stop 'Brain Drain,' The U.S. Needs Immigration Reform (Austin American-Statesman - October 23, 2007)
Running on Empty: Tech's Vanishing Circle of Engineers (Investors Business Daily - October 15, 2007)
H-1B Visa Foes Join To Pressure Congress On Green Card Reforms (Information Week - October 11, 2007)
September
August
How To Innovate Into The Future (San Francisco Chronicle - August 10, 2007)
Science Funding Bill Awaits Bush's Signature (PC Magazine - August 6, 2007)
Support For Science and Innovation is Essential (Sacramento Bee - August 6, 2007)
California Counting on Visas For Tech Workers, Farmworkers -- Reform Needed To Protect U.S. Economy (San Jose Mercury News - July 17, 2007)
Immigration Failings Still Need Fixing (Miami Herald - July 13, 2007)
Not Just About Mexico -- Immigration-Reform Failure Has Pushed Some High-Tech Business Out Of The U.S (Orlando Sentinel - July 11, 2007)
Determined To Reinspire A Culture Of Innovation (New York Times - July 10, 2007)
Microsoft Moves North (LA Times - July 10, 2007)
Minds Field: Expansion Of Visa Program Needed (Oklahoman - July 10, 2007)
On Immigration, A Few Easy Calls (Boston Globe - July 7, 2007)
June
The Other Side Of Immigration (Deseret Morning News - June 26, 2007)
Speaking The Language Of Globalization - OpEd By John Castellani (Cincinnati Enquirer - June 17, 2007)
Science Graduate Studies See Revival In Numbers (Financial Times - June 7, 2007)
Point System' For Allocating Green Cards Misses Mark (San Jose Mercury News - June 4, 2007)
May
The Legal Visa Crunch (The Wall Street Journal - May 30, 2007)
America's Competitiveness Challenge (The San Diego Union-Tribune - May 29, 2007)
We Close The Door To Educated Foreigners At Our Peril (Raleigh News & Observer - May 17, 2007)
Skilled Masses: Keeping The World's Talent In America (The Washington Post - May 4, 2007)
Shunning The Brightest (Florida Times-Union - May 2, 2007)
April
Our Opinion: Businesses Can't Compete With Low Cap On H-1B Visas (Tucson Citizen - April 24, 2007)
This Time, Get It Right (Miami Herald - April 15, 2007)
Bipartisan Balancing Act On Immigration Would Benefit All (San Jose Mercury News - April 15, 2007)
Rush To Fill H-1B Quotas Shows U.S. Lags In Race (San Antonio Express News - April 11, 2007)
Visa Quota Reflects Decline In U.S. Education (Oakland Tribune - April 11, 2007)
Young Scientists (Winston-Salem Journal - April 10, 2007)
Jobs And Immigrants (The Wall Street Journal - April 4, 2007)
March
Congress Must Fix Law Affecting Recruitment of Skilled Tech Workers - It's Really Time To Talk Sense About Immigration (Wilmington News Journal - March 25, 2007)
A Self-Inflicted Wound -- The U.S. Is Blocking The Best And Brightest Immigrants (The Washington Post - March 12, 2007)
Talent Needed; U.S. Should Keep Door Open To Skilled Professionals From Abroad (Columbus Dispatch - March 11, 2007)
Time To Expand H-1B Visas (Boston Herald - March 11, 2007)
When Gates Talks, Listen (The Durham Herald-Sun - March 9, 2007)
March 5, 2007 - SIA attended the Senate press conference on the introduction of the “America COMPETES Act” today. Both Senate Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell were in attendance, along with other key Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members (Alexander, Bingaman, Domenici, Stevens, Mikulski, and Hutchison) all of who spoke to their support of the legislation.
- America Competes Act Summary Document
- America Competes Act Section-by-Section Analysis
February
How To Keep America Competitive - OpEd By Bill Gates (Washington Post - February 25, 2007)
2006
Fight For Competitiveness (The San Francisco Chronicle - September 19, 2006)
A Pause For Bipartisan Praise - OpEd By Deborah Wince-Smith (The Hill - September 13, 2006)
Politics & Economics: Bush's Competitiveness Agenda Is Tested (Wall Street Journal - May 31, 2006)
The Increasing Power of the Silicon Chip (NPR - May 22, 2006)
Growing Geek Gap Gnaws U.S. Firms (Investor's Business Daily - May 12, 2006)
All Things Considered: Legal Immigrants Work, Does the System? (NPR - May 11, 2006)
Business & Lobbying: Chip Industry Struggles for $10 Million (The Hill - April 25, 2006)
Japan Reloads Chip R&D Effort (EE Times - March 29, 2006)
Singapore Pledges Tax Breaks, Tech Funding (EE Times - February 21, 2006)
