Arlington, VA – 03/09/2012 – Following the passage of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in the House, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® today issued the following statement, attributable to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA:

“The House passage of the JOBS Act is a great start to supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and startups in America. But there is more Congress needs to do to help revitalize the American economy.

“CEA supports passage of  Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s (D-CA) IDEA Act – Immigration Driving Entrepreneurship in America – as well as Congressman Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) Advanced Degrees Visa Bill. Both approaches highlight the value of strategic immigration. By giving green cards to immigrants with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, and making it easier for students in those areas to get visas, we can keep the best and the brightest doing business in America. 

“On the Senate side, we look forward to expeditious passage of the bipartisan Startup Act, proposed by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mark Warner (D-VA), which would help entrepreneurs create jobs in America through actions CEA has long supported – reducing regulatory burdens, retaining talent and attracting investment.

“CEA’s Innovation Movement is closely following the movement of these bills, and our 200,000 members will continue to seek Congressional support for innovation and entrepreneurialism in America.”