1.8.2007 TechVision21 Leadership Efforts to Save the Technology Administration

TechVision21 President and CEO Kelly Carnes has joined forces with six of her former colleagues in a bi-partisan effort to save the Technology Administration (TA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The agency which has absorbed severe budget cuts in the last several years now faces legislative efforts to eliminate the agency entirely.

In a letter to Congressional leaders, former political appointees from both sides of the aisle assert that "TA has served as a critical liaison between leaders from technology-based industries, state and local governments, the research community, and the Federal government. No other Federal agency has the sole and vital mission of fostering the role of technology and the innovation process to benefit the US economy. At a time when competitiveness has rocketed to the forefront of the national agenda, TA's mission has never been more important."

The former Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries continue by saying that "TA has given taxpayers an outsized return on their investment. In an era where America's global competitors are following our lead and expanding their own infrastructure, education systems, business climates and innovative capacity--where emerging economies are standing up entire Departments seeking to maximize technology's role in their economies--Congress should not eliminate this function in our nation."

Speaking to Tech Daily, Former Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Kelly Carnes, who served from 1997 to 2001, was quoted as saying that "during her time, the agency issued two reports to Congress with recommendations on the shortage of information technology workers and what should be done. She said those recommendations were echoed in reports by others and are now part of competitiveness proposals by both President Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "

Federal Computer Week. Com quoted Ms. Carnes as saying "Defunding and de-authorizing the agency is a big mistake, particularly in light of the fact that the global...economic competition and innovation is increasing."

"We are in effect disarming the United States [while] every other country is making innovation...one of their top priority issues," Carnes said.

The Technology Administration is the only federal agency charged with overseeing domestic policy to support and advocate for American business, innovation and competitiveness. TA manages the National Medal of Technology and oversees the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Neither NIST nor NTIS is slated for closure.