The following statement was issued by Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) President Jeff Joseph following this evening’s Address to Congress by President Joe Biden:
“As President Biden said this evening, our nation is strongest when everyone has the opportunity to join the workforce and contribute to our economy. The American Families Plan introduced tonight during the President’s address to Congress proposes several initiatives that will help expand opportunity across our nation.
“The plan calls for significant investments in cradle to college education. These investments will make our education system more affordable and accessible for low- and middle-income students and enable historically disenfranchised communities to have a greater opportunity to climb the economic ladder and participate in the American dream. The plan also recognizes the importance and vitality of community colleges to the higher education ecosystem and seeks to address our nation’s teacher shortage. These investments will help create a larger, better educated pool of future employees for our members allowing them to continue to help drive economic growth and innovate.
“The American Families Plan includes a variety of other measures designed to remove barriers that prevent many from fully participating in the workforce. Investments in R&D and broadband will help maintain U.S. leadership in innovation and help close the equity gap in access to technology and education. These measures deserve close consideration and critical review by the Congress.
As Congress considers “pay fors” to cover the necessary investments we urge our political leaders to make wise choices. Following a historically challenging year, there is light at the end of the tunnel for American businesses to help restore and grow our economy and create jobs. Congress must avoid overly punitive tax policies that will handicap the ability for our members to drive growth and create jobs.
