LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led a panel discussion at the CES in Las Vegas, the world’s largest tech conference, with U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) on their emerging tech policy priorities. The Senators spoke about closing the urban and rural tech divide, expanding access to high-speed internet, regulating artificial intelligence, building a strong tech workforce, advancing semiconductor technology, and ensuring data privacy.
CES is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association and held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, hosting presentations of new products and technologies in the consumer electronics industry. As a former computer programmer and software developer, Senator Rosen had attended CES in the past – and after visiting for the first time as a U.S. Senator in 2019, she decided to work on convening a yearly panel of Senators and bringing a bipartisan group of her colleagues to Las Vegas. This is Senator Rosen’s third year leading a panel with Senate colleagues.
“Nevada is honored to host the world’s largest showcase of cutting-edge technological development and innovation every year,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to have led another bipartisan panel discussion at CES, and I want to thank Senators Luján, Lummis, and Hickenlooper for joining me. We discussed policy priorities to improve the lives of hardworking people, like increasing high-speed internet access, regulating artificial intelligence, and enhancing data privacy. I am confident that we will continue working in a bipartisan way to address these priorities.”
“Whether you’re accessing the internet for homework, booking a telemedicine appointment, or looking up driving directions – access to broadband is critical,” said Senator Luján. “Today, I was honored to join Senator Rosen and my colleagues to discuss advancing tech innovation and the need to continue investing in the Affordable Connectivity Program to help lower the costs of a reliable internet connection. I look forward to building on these productive conversations and continue working in the Senate to drive tech innovation for our constituents back home and the generations to come.”
“Broadband access should not be determined by zip code, yet for far too many people across Wyoming and the United States, it’s an unfortunate reality,” said Senator Lummis. “Now more than ever, it is essential we work to bridge the digital divide that persists between urban and rural communities by ensuring rural areas across Wyoming and the United States have the ability to access fast and reliable broadband. I appreciated the opportunity to join Senators Rosen, Lujan and Hickenlooper in this productive conversation to identify ways we can work together to address domestic broadband accessibility and ensure the United States continues driving global technological innovation.”
“Technology is transforming our everyday lives. From advances in artificial intelligence to the demands of an expanding workforce, and keeping our data private, everything is about to change,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Thank you, Senator Rosen and the Consumer Technology Association, for bringing us together to discuss how we’ll make sure we take advantage of this transformation.”
Senator Rosen has been a leader in advocating for tech innovation and improving access to STEM careers. She recently helped introduce the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act to allocate $7 billion for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides qualifying households across Nevada with affordable high-speed internet. Last year, Senator Rosen introduced her bipartisan STEM RESTART Act, which would support mid-career internships for workers looking to return or transition into the STEM workforce. She also helped pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which invests $52 billion in domestic computer chip manufacturing to help address the current shortage. Additionally, Rosen helped write the broadband section of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is delivering $65 billion to make high-speed internet more available and affordable to Americans. In 2020, Senator Rosen’s Building Blocks of STEM Act, which breaks down barriers to allow more young girls to study computer science, was signed into law.
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