New Dems Host Innovation Roundtable in Menlo Park, CA on Tenth Stop of the On the Road Tour
Today, New Dem Members completed the tenth stop on the New Dems on the Road Tour, an initiative to get New Dem Members out of DC to hear from American workers, businesses, industry experts, nongovernmental organizations, and local leaders about how to improve policy in Washington.
New Dem Innovation & Technology Working Group Chair Sam Liccardo (CA-16) hosted New Dem Chair Brad Schneider (IL-10), Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Global Competitiveness Task Force Chair Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Rural Revitalization Working Group Chair Kim Schrier (WA-08), and New Dem Member Kevin Mullin (CA-15) for a roundtable discussion in Menlo Park, CA.
Rep. Liccardo and New Dem Members co-hosted the roundtable with TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of tech CEOs and senior executives. Members were joined at the roundtable by TechNet CEO Linda Moore and executives from a variety of technology companies to discuss the New Dem Innovation Agenda and how New Dems can continue to promote American innovation, invest in groundbreaking research, and create jobs right here at home.
“The New Democrat Coalition’s Innovation Agenda reflects the commitment required for America to win the 21st century—not merely to succeed in a contest against other nations, but to combat humanity’s greatest perils, such as climate change, disease, and poverty,” said Innovation & Technology Working Group Chair Sam Liccardo.
At the roundtable, participants discussed how Congress can take steps to unlock the potential of artificial intelligence while ensuring fairness, safety, and security, the importance of developing a skilled workforce to grow the innovation economy, and potential steps to build out infrastructure – including energy, housing, transportation, and broadband – that supports economic growth and a robust innovation ecosystem.
Background
Through New Dems on the Road, New Dem Members are holding conversations across the country to hear from the American people, with each meeting organized under the policy goals of one of the Coalition’s nine Working Groups. New Dems are meeting with local leaders, stakeholders, small business owners, industry experts, and more to hear about the cost of President Trump’s chaos and what New Dems can do to fight back and make progress on the issues that really matter to the American people.
The ninth New Dems On the Road event was held on August 28th in Silverton, OR where New Dem Leadership Member Andrea Salinas (OR-06) teamed up with New Dem Member Janelle Bynum (OR-05) for a roundtable discussion on rural economic development with local government officials, nonprofit groups, and local business leaders.
The eighth event was held on August 4th in Brea, CA, where New Dem Member Derek Tran (CA-45) hosted New Dem National Security Working Group Chair Gil Cisneros (CA-31) in his district to tour a facility that manufactures technologies used in the production of domestic nuclear energy, which is essential to our national security. During the tour, Reps. Tran and Cisneros met with manufacturers to discuss how these technologies are essential to lowering the cost of American energy production, decreasing energy prices for consumers, and securing energy independence.
The seventh event was held on July 30th in Gary, IN where New Dem Workforce and Education Working Group Chair Frank Mrvan (IN-01) hosted Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) for a roundtable discussion with representatives of organized labor, higher education institutions, and local nonprofits at the roundtable to discuss the federal government’s role in strengthening the workforce through education and training initiatives.
The sixth event was held on July 19th in Santa Barbara, CA where New Dem Vice Chair for Outreach Salud Carbajal (CA-24) hosted Top House Agriculture Committee Democrat and New Dem Angie Craig (MN-02) in Santa Barbara, CA for a roundtable discussion on wildfire preparedness and prevention with local government officials, first responders, wildfire experts, and nonprofit groups.
The fifth event was held on July 11th in Garner, NC, where New Dem Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02) hosted New Dem Member Nikema Williams (GA-05) and Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy for a roundtable discussion about the impacts of Congressional Republicans’ Big, Ugly Bill on the clean energy economy.
The fourth event was held on June 23rd in Frederick County, MD, where New Dem Rural Broadband Task Force Chair April McClain Delaney (MD-06) hosted Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budinski in Frederick County, Maryland to tour a local broadband construction site and hold a roundtable discussion on rural broadband.
The third event was held on May 22nd in Wilmington, DE, where New Dem Care Economy Task Force Chair Sarah McBride (DE-AL) hosted House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) and Economic Growth & Cost of Living Working Group Chair Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) in her district for a care economy roundtable discussion with medical professionals, advocates, non-profit leaders, labor representatives, and care providers.
The second event was held on May 9th in Metro East, IL, where Vice Chair Nikki Budzinski hosted Environment, Climate, & Clean Energy Working Group Chair Scott Peters (CA-50) and Rep. Wesley Bell (MO-01) for a clean energy roundtable discussion with business owners, industry and union representatives, academic researchers, and utility service providers.
The first event was held on April 23rd in Phoenix, AZ, where New Dem Immigration and Border Security Working Group Members Reps. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Lou Correa (CA-46) held an immigration roundtable discussion with industry and union representatives, members of the Arizona business community, and DACA recipients.
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