Sen. Gregg's Tech Track Record
Senate Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg , who recently emerged as the top contender for Commerce secretary, has earned high marks for his stance on issues of importance to the tech sector including casting votes for key trade agreements and tax bills. He supported the Central America Free Trade Agreement as well as accords with Australia, Chile, Morrocco and Singapore and backed a permanent federal research and development tax credit. He has been an advocate for high skilled immigration and co-sponsored legislation last Congress that would allocate more visas to immigrants with advanced degrees.
Gregg also supported the high-tech industry on stock options legislation and Internet taxation issues and has voted for overhauls to the nation's securities and class action litigation regimes. He has an 82 percent lifetime vote rating on the Information Technology Industry Council's congressional scorecard, which was created in 1998. On the flip side, Gregg voted against U.S. competitiveness legislation that authorized major monetary increases in federal R&D programs, citing concerns about funding levels. He also voted against some larger omnibus bills that contained tech supported tax language.
While Gregg has not had to vote on controversial legislation that would overhaul the U.S. patent system, he has not indicated he would support the bill in the form that nearly reached the Senate floor last spring. Gregg has, however, been helpful from his position on the Appropriations Commerce-State-Justice Subcommittee to end fee diversion at the Patent and Trademark Office, sources said.
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