i3 - January/February 2017 - 48

Policy

By Michael Petricone

Looking At 2017

he American people have spoken, and Donald Trump
will be the 45th president of our nation.
In January we will have the defining ritual of our
democracy: a peaceful transition of power, with a
new administration bringing fresh ideas and new priorities.
During the campaign, many in the tech industry voiced concerns

about Mr. Trump's positions on key
us an opportunity to roll back regulaissues like trade and immigration.
tions that hurt our businesses and don't
While these concerns remain, we are
make any sense, like the recent startupoptimistic. There are many areas where
killing Department of Labor rule raising
we can work closely
the overtime rule from
with the Trump
$24,000 to $48,000.
administration to create
The new adminisMr. Trump
jobs and move our
tration can also lead the
economy forward.
effort to rationalize our
has declared
Mr. Trump does not
tax system, lowering
support for an
come into office with
business taxes (the highest
ambitious $1
a detailed technology
the developed world)
trillion program in
plan or firm positions
and encouraging U.S.
to restore
on our issues. This is
firms to repatriate the $3
America's
typical of his manbillion they currently hold
agement style. He is
overseas. The promise of
crumbling
not an ideologue, but is
infrastructure. these pro-business policies
a pragmatist who cuts
may explain why the stock
deals and gets things
market jumped to historic
done. The fact that he
highs immediately after
does not have set views on many of our
Election Day.
issues may actually be helpful, since he
More, Mr. Trump has declared support
will have the flexibility to respond as the
for an ambitious $1 trillion program
situation demands.
to restore America's crumbling infraComing from a business background, Mr. structure. This effort has the potential to
Trump is de-regulatory and will appoint
create jobs and put people back to work,
similarly deregulatory cabinet secretaries,
as Mr. Trump promised in his campaign.
agency officials and
We will work to make sure that any
Supreme Court
such program includes essential "21st
justices. His
Century Infrastructure"
adminislike broadband,
tration will
sensors, smart roads
provide
and bridges.

PresidentElect Donald
Trump and Vice
President-Elect
Mike Pence

We will continue to make our cast
on trade and immigration. The fact is
there is no way to "make America great"
without trading with other nations or
making sure that the U.S. is the magnet
for the world's best and brightest.
Thankfully, there is a history of presidential evolution on these issues. Barack
Obama ran as a trade opponent, and
then morphed into an ardent free trader
when he entered the oval office.
Thankfully, the vast majority of
CTA's Congressional allies returned to
Congress in November. Many of these
members bring long histories of expertise
and well-developed opinions on tech
issues. They are pro-tech, pro-trade and
pro-immigration. They will function as a
co-equal branch and advise the administration on innovation policy.
We are especially hopeful given the
ascension of Chuck Schumer as Senate
Minority Leader. Like Mr. Trump,
Schumer is a New Yorker and represents
a dynamic and growing technology
economy. Also like Mr. Trump, Schumer
is practical and non-ideological, willing
to make deals and get things done.
Throughout his career, Trump has
focused intently on data for validation.
As a real estate kingpin, he kept score
by the number of his buildings. As a TV
host, he closely monitored his ratings and
adjusted his show whenever they would
falter. As a candidate, he was obsessed
with polls. As president, his natural
metric will be the performance of the
economy, specifically the stock market.
He will be incentivized to work closely
with the business and tech communities,
indeed three of the top five companies in
the S&P 500 are CTA members.
At CTA, our job is to work with the
government to encourage pro-tech, proinnovation policies. Our companies drive
the economy, ensure America's global
leadership, and create the jobs of the
future. We look forward to working with
the Trump administration, identifying
common priorities and making our great
country even greater. ■
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

TY WRIGHT/GETTY IMAGES

T EC H P O L I CY

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