With each new session of Congress comes new hope that more will be done, and in a more bipartisan manner, than in the previous session. This is especially true for those with an interest in the American workforce, as several key pieces of legislation that affect it are either long overdue on being reauthorized or are quickly approaching their reauthorization deadline.[...]

This week, the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations issued an alarming report, U.S. Education Reform and National Security, on the connection between our comparatively weak schools and how they put America at a national security risk. The report notes that while the United States invests more in K-12 public education than many other developed countries, its students are ill-prepared[...]

In his State of the Union Speech, President Obama set a national goal of training two million Americans so they can transition to 21^st century jobs.  As the leading global provider of vendor-neutral IT workforce certifications, CompTIA applauds this goal and stands ready to work with the Administration to meet this important challenge.   The IT[...]

2012 promises to be an interesting year in Washington, D.C., with the upcoming presidential election dominating the political scene. Members of Congress will be anxious to wrap up the session so they can get home to campaign for reelection. This means that the calendar will be compressed and legislative achievements will be limited. That said, hot issues will kick up[...]

Funding equal to FY 2011 levels for the Perkins Act was included in the “mega-bus” FY2012 appropriations bill that Congress passed as it left for the holiday season. This is considered a victory for Perkins supporters who pushed back against reductions. The Perkins Vocational and Technical Education is a crucial component in the career and technical education arsenal[...]

Access to capital and a skilled workforce are critical to the success of small- and medium-sized IT businesses, CompTIA members told Congressional members and Administration officials today. On the final day of CompTIA's Washington D.C. Fly-In event, CompTIA members from across the country met with policymakers to stress the issues that are important to small- and medium-sized[...]

In more than 50 meetings on Capitol Hill today, CompTIA members from across the country stressed how instrumental small- and medium-sized IT companies are to the nation's economy. Members who attended CompTIA's Washington DC Fly-In event discussed specific legislation with elected officials and legislative staff, as well as the recurring themes of access to capital for[...]

A look at the week of November 7 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, the Senate passed a bill that funds multiple cybersecurity initiatives. Small businesses that expand to serve government contracts are lobbying for some mid-size business protections. Rep. James Langevin (D-RI) is calling on Congress to speed up work on a cybersecurity bill. Funding Bill[...]

The President’s $447 Billion jobs bill, S. 1660, the “American Jobs Act of 2011, ” failed to garner the votes needed to move forward.  By a margin of 50-49, the Senate vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster. This jobs bill was made particularly unpopular to most Republicans after Senate leadership changed the funding mechanism to a “millionaire[...]

A look at the week of September 19 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, agencies report doubts about the White House “cloud first” policy as cyberattacks continue to be a rising threat.  Government Health IT takes an in-depth look at the joint electronic health record (EHR) project that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs[...]

A look at the week of September 12 in public advocacy for the IT channel: This week, Obama revealed a new jobs plan with tax cuts targeted at small businesses.  Now that Congress is back in session, cybersecurity is topping their agenda.  The healthcare industry reports it is understaffed, in terms of its IT needs.  Small Business Is Focus of Tax Cuts—[...]

The President’s $447 billion jobs bill includes a number of provisions that would benefit small businesses.  This legislation, which was sent to Congress on Monday, would: •Provide a 50-percent reduction in payroll taxes for the first $5 million in wages.  Approximately 98 percent of all businesses pay out less than $5 million in wages. •Eliminate employer[...]

A look at the week of August 29 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, government agencies take steps to expand health IT to rural areas.  States and businesses struggle over sales tax as more transactions take place in cyberspace.  A new report finds that IT workers received millions of dollars in recruitment, retention and relocation incentives[...]

A look at the week of August 15 in public advocacy for the IT channel:   This week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a plan to improve U.S. cybersecurity by focusing on education.  A new Treasury report finds fewer small businesses than previously thought.  Unemployment in the IT sector remains much lower than the national average[...]

A look at the week of August 1 in public advocacy for the IT channel:   This week, the House established a Congressional Small Business Information Technology Caucus to address issues faced by small tech firms.  The Senate introduced data security legislation.  Cybersecurity bills are stalling in the House despite a growing sense of urgency over recent[...]

A look at the week of June 27 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, small medical practices adopting health IT systems are reporting that the lack of a standard code and software makes communicating between systems a challenge.  The Department of Homeland Security plans to release guidelines for organizations to avoid the most common types of[...]

A look at the week of June 20 in public advocacy for the IT channel: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) introduced a bill allowing foreign IT students to remain in the country after graduation.  The first wave of healthcare IT trained professionals will graduate this spring, helping to address a major shortage of workers in this field. The White House hopes that news of recent[...]

A look at the week of June 13 in public advocacy for the IT channel: A bill to keep foreign workers in the U.S. is encountering difficulties finding majority support in the House.  The SEC has announced that public companies must disclose any breach that could jeopardize intellectual property or trade secrets.  Federal agencies are reporting cost savings and[...]

The CompTIA mission is to advance the global IT industry.  A cornerstone of that mission is to support a national network for career training and education.  Tomorrow’s IT entrepreneurs may be today’s student or dislocated worker that needs access to training and knowledge.  Hence our deep engagement and support for federal, state and local programs that[...]

Darrell Issa (CA-49), chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a report this week detailing the committee’s findings on regulations that impede job creation. This purpose of this report was to identify regulations that hinder job growth, with a particular focus on the concerns of small businesses. Issa’s committee has significant power to influence[...]

Yesterday, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held the first (of possibly several) hearings focused on scrutinizing the rollout of the $7 billion fund administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Development Agency. Testimony from the Inspector Generals from each respective agency indicated that there was[...]

Is the latest $2 billion public/private commitment to small business a real opportunity for the channel? The answer may not come until this decade is complete (it's a 5-year program), but the details are worth a closer look by solution providers, vendors and business customers. Though the word "stimulus" has taken on a somewhat negative connotation with some, IT channel[...]