WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the second session of the 118th session of Congress gets under way, the American Edge Project (AEP), a coalition of two dozen domestic organizations, today released a new toolkit outlining the urgent need to advance American innovation in the face of rising competitive threats.
“Technology and innovation are the backbone of America’s economic prosperity, national security might, and geopolitical standing,” said Doug Kelly, CEO of the American Edge Project. “We are at a critical juncture. Adversaries such as China and Russia are working hard to supplant America’s technological leadership and overtake us as the global leader in innovation. That is why it is so important for our leaders to enact smart policies that strengthen our domestic technology industry and help lay the groundwork for years of economic growth and prosperity. The stakes are too high for us to get this wrong.”
The toolkit highlights how American technology and innovation strengthened the U.S. economy, helped spread democratic values around the globe, and sustained our national security advantage. It warns that anti-innovation policies could forfeit our competitive edge to foreign adversaries, especially China, that are investing heavily in emerging technologies and utilizing them for mass surveillance and oppression.
With artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotech and other fields set to transform the global landscape, the toolkit urges policymakers to resist short-sighted regulations and instead focus on thoughtful policy solutions that strengthen U.S. technology, support innovation, and further advance democratic values.
View the toolkit here.
BACKGROUND:
The American Edge Project is a coalition of domestic organizations representing a cross-section of U.S. innovators who are dedicated to telling the story about technology’s positive influence on America’s economy and the vital role innovation plays in our society. Former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, former U.S. Representative Chris Carney, and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith are directors of the American Edge Project. AEP’s National Security Advisory Board is comprised of Former White House Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend; retired four-star General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., United States Marine Corps (USMC), who served as former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and former Acting Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Michael J. Morell. Former U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) serve as Co-Chairs of the Project’s Economic Advisory Board. Former U.S. Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) and Former U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) serve as Co-Chairs of the Project’s Open & Accessible Internet Advisory Board.
Visit AmericanEdgeProject.org for more information.
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