Rep. Lofgren Helps Launch Innovation Agenda for 110th Congress

Agenda Aims to Keep America Competitive in Global Market

Media Contact: Pedro Ribeiro, 202.225.3072, Pedro.Ribeiro@mail.house.gov

Washington, DC — Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today joined with colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives in announcing an updated Innovation Agenda for the 110th Congress. The Innovation Agenda signals a renewed commitment to keeping America competitive in an expanding global market. It focuses on several key areas, including:

• Ensuring highly qualified math, science, and technology K-12 teachers by offering upfront tuition assistance to talented undergraduates who agree to teach in high needs schools.
• Enacting comprehensive immigration reform so that the most highly skilled workers from around the world are able to contribute to American innovation.
• Strengthening the patent system and ending the diversion of patent fees in order to spur research and development.
• Expanding broadband service to rural areas and funding the development of community networking centers in underserved communities.
• Expanding the production and distribution of clean, domestically produced fuels in order to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
• Helping small businesses raise capital for research and development.

“Our future success demands that we make the necessary investments today,” noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren. “America holds its preeminent position in the world because countless generations before us saw the need to invest in the future. We must do the same. To hold our position in the world we must invest in education, innovation, and economic growth. The Innovation Agenda is exactly this kind of investment. It will create a new generation of innovators, set us on the path to energy independence, strengthen our national security, and spur growth in our economy.”