Washington needs tech policy reboot

It doesn’t take a news junkie to know the federal government is paralyzed.  Unfortunately, it couldn’t come at a worse time. 

Washington is attempting to haphazardly manage a series of crises – including the spread of Ebola and the rise of ISIL in the Middle East – and is struggling to regain credibility with the American people after a series of institutional blunders.  Long story short, Washington has a competence problem.

{mosads}Meanwhile, across the nation, innovators continue to meet consumer demands and solve everyday problems.

Modern technological marvels have transformed the Yellow Pages and the telephone to a new reality of smart vehicles, the Internet of Things, and advanced communication systems.  The next wave of technological solutions is just around the corner.

To stay ahead of the curve, I’ve developed several principles that can help our country maintain its high tech edge – a proposal called, “A Fresh Technology Agenda for Growth, Innovation, and Opportunity.”

It’s an effort to spur a real debate about the best federal policies to empower creators and consumers. 

As part of the process, I’m visiting this week with several of Silicon Valley’s most innovative technology companies, seeking feedback on my proposals and learning more about their ideas.

As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I believe the best ideas don’t come from beltway bureaucrats – they come from innovators who are willing to color outside the lines and think differently.

You don’t a need some senator to explain the power of technology in breaking down barriers to opportunity and lowering the cost of entry into the marketplace.  Our nation’s innovators get it, but Washington is way behind, regulating rapidly growing industries like health IT with old rules that predate the VCR.

Moreover, we’ve all witnessed the tremendous power of technology in giving a voice to people and causes looking to change the world. Just think of the power of Twitter in nascent democratic movements in Tahrir Square and Hong Kong.

To promote life-saving, world-changing, job-creating technology, I’m working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a pro-growth agenda. 

First, Congress must modernize outdated federal regulations. 

Currently, innovators must comply with time-consuming Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that haven’t been updated since Nixon was reelected – long before the iPad was even contemplated.  The FDA’s statutory authority to regulate traditional medical devices such as MRI machines was never intended to apply to low-risk mobile health applications.  

Low-risk health IT deserves a modern oversight framework that promotes innovation, supports job growth, and protects patient safety.  Congress should send the message that startup innovators don’t need costly corporate counsels and D.C. lobbyists to navigate the FDA and open the right political doors. 

All anyone should need is a good idea and a dream. 

The economic gains of unleashing the mobile app market are tremendous: a half million new jobs and $26 billion in economic benefit by 2017.  There’s no time to waste.

If we want to lower health costs and improve outcomes, we need to incentivize new breakthroughs and stop unnecessary government meddling.  

Congress must also address policies that unfairly block innovation.  Uber has learned the hard lesson that sometimes regulators and entrenched political interests can hold back progress.  Government needs to get out of the business of picking winners and losers.

One way to do that is by requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to be more responsive to all individuals who apply for a new technology or license; a bill I wrote would require a response within a year.  Another idea I’ve put forward would modernize federal labeling requirements for electronic devices such as phones, computers, and tablets. 

Both of these ideas would lower costs for consumers, expand options for manufacturers, and enable continued growth in the market for wearable devices and connectivity. 

Ultimately, government must do a better job of listening and understanding the tech industry.  Right now, government is stuck in an analog mindset, while innovators have moved the rest of the country into the digital age.

America has always been a nation of trailblazing thinkers and creators.  It’s who we are.  It’s why two hundred years ago, brave pioneers left the comforts of settled life to explore uncharted territory out west.  The very concept of how we govern – a constitutional democracy – was an innovation.

Our nation’s future depends on a new generation of innovators who can clear the cobwebs of outdated thinking and look toward the future.  I am committed to reforming government so they can have the necessary space to work and create.  To do that, Congress must start listening.

Fischer is Nebraska’s junior senator, serving since 2013. She sits on the Armed services; the Commerce, Science and Transportation; the Environment and Public Works; the Indian Affairs; and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship committees.