CEA Decries Defeat of STEM Jobs Act

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following statement is attributable to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, following today’s defeat of the STEM Jobs Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:

“The empirical fact is that more immigrants with advanced degrees mean more jobs for all Americans. We urge both parties to put the promise of their platforms into action and forge a deal to keep the best and the brightest in America.”

“Many of the world’s top students come to the U.S. to obtain advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. The STEM Jobs Act would have allowed these individuals to use their knowledge and skills to create jobs here in America. Defeat of this bill means we are continuing to train foreign-born students only to force them to work for our global competitors.

“Having pushed for strategic immigration for over three years as a key plank of our Innovation Movement, we are disappointed that today one party put attracting the best immigrants and innovation second to some concept of random immigration. But, I appreciate the support of the 30 Democrats who voted for this bill.

“The empirical fact is that more immigrants with advanced degrees mean more jobs for all Americans. We urge both parties to put the promise of their platforms into action and forge a deal to keep the best and the brightest in America.”

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $206 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CEAfeed, http://twitter.com/ceafeed, http://blog.ce.org/.

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