Last night, President Obama addressed the U.S. Congress and the nation in his 6th State of the Union Address. Although the President touched on a number of issues that are currently facing the nation and the world, President Obama discussed a few policy issues that are important to Internet-enabled small businesses, including cross border trade and the promotion of an open and free Internet.
See below for excerpts from the President’s speech:
“21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure: modern ports, and stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest Internet.”
“21st century businesses, including small businesses, need to sell more American products overseas. Today, our businesses export more than ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages.”
“I’m the first one to admit that past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype, and that’s why we’ve gone after countries that break the rules at our expense. But 95 percent of the world’s customers live outside our borders. We can’t close ourselves off from those opportunities.”
“I intend to protect a free and open Internet, to extend its reach to every classroom, and every community and help folks build the fastest networks, so that the next generation of digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world.”
The eBay Inc. community has been supportive of both the modernization of the U.S. trade agenda and the preservation of the Open Internet. In fact, eBay-enabled businesses recently sent a letter to the President calling for the United States to update its trade laws in an effort to create more opportunities for Internet-enabled small businesses. eBay Inc. has also been involved in the current network neutrality debate and recent published a blog post discussing the importance of the Open Internet to small businesses and consumers.
Find more information on eBay Inc.’s public policy positions and watch the President’s State of the Union Address.