On High-Tech

By Mike Honda

"... I've watched its remarkable transformation from Blossom Valley to Silicon Valley. ... We must continue to grow and expand our new economy, and we must continue to be leaders in the field of innovation. We must ensure that our businesses are staffed by the most talented and skilled employees. And we must ensure that our students learn the high-tech skills they'll need to compete for jobs in the 21st Century."
- Assemblymember Mike Honda

ENSURING A SKILLED WORKFORCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. As a former teacher, principal, and school board member and current member of the California Assembly Education Committee, Mike Honda has made improving education a top priority. In Silicon Valley, that means putting high-tech equipment in the classroom so that students have the skills they need to compete in the 21st Century workforce. It means making a priority of investing in science and technology programs for our kids and at the university level. In Congress, Honda is committed to authoring an incentive program to encourage businesses to partner up with public schools to provide resources to modernize classrooms.

PROVIDING SKILLED WORKERS IN THE SHORT TERM. While improving technology in the classroom and technology training for our teachers will provide businesses with skilled employees in the future, many high-tech firms are in need of qualified employees now. Mike Honda supports an appropriate increase in the H-1-B visa quota and a comprehensive education and training program that will develop our future technology workforce. Current proposals that Honda supports will also exclude from the cap foreigners who are employed at American universities and research centers, and those who have received a graduate degree from an American university in the last six months.

BLOCKING E-TAXES. Mike Honda believes that the new economy needs to be allowed to fully develop before being forced to shoulder the burden of new e-commerce taxes. Honda is joint authoring a bill that will establish a moratorium on certain internet taxes for a period of three years. Honda also supports proposals to establish a commission on e-commerce to study the impact of the internet on the economy.

FIGHTING FOR HIGH-TECH. Other high-tech initiatives Mike Honda supports include: protecting the e-rate for internet access for schools and libraries, defending patent protections, relaxation of encryption export controls, permanent trade relations with China, fighting high tech crime, and closing the digital divide.