Arlington, VA – 02/13/2013 – The following statement is attributable to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, regarding today’s Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration: 

“CEA applauds Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Charles Grassley for holding a hearing on comprehensive immigration reform. We also commend the testimony of Steve Case, co-founder and former CEO of America Online, who was instrumental in the passage of the JOBS Act.

“As Mr. Case outlined in is his testimony, our immigration policies have failed to adapt, placing our nation’s competitive advantage at risk. Not only should we staple green cards to the diplomas of foreign students earning graduate degrees in STEM fields from universities in the United States, we should similarly pursue policies incentivizing foreign-born entrepreneurs to start businesses and create jobs in the United States.

“We look forward to working with Chairman Leahy and the committee on an immigration policy that will make America the magnet for the world's brightest innovators and entrepreneurs. We urge both chambers and the White House to act quickly to enact the needed strategic immigration reforms to help our nation's economy and global competitiveness.”