The First Congressional District is home to some of our country’s most innovative companies. From technology leaders like Intel, which developed the world’s first microprocessor more than 40 years ago, to Nike, a trailblazer in footwear innovation, companies in the First District are continually developing new and exciting products. As a Member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I will do everything I can to partner with our local innovators—in the tech sector and beyond—to support their efforts and protect their intellectual property.
To protect our technology companies that manufacture microchips for use in a wide array of electronic products, I signed on as an original cosponsor of legislation to help prevent the importation of counterfeit microchips. The existence of counterfeit chips in our military supply chain could potentially harm our service members by causing important equipment to malfunction, and these chips threaten the intellectual property rights of our technological innovators. I was glad to add my name to this bill, and I hope that it will soon be debated on the House floor.
Another important issue for the innovative companies in our district is the research and development of new technologies. Through my role on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, I have the chance to speak with business leaders on this topic, including the key role that research plays in our economic recovery. In recent Committee hearings I have sought to highlight the importance of public-private partnerships in developing new technologies by pointing to Oregon success stories like the Oregon Nanotechnology and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) and the statewide electric vehicle initiative.
