Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) took part in a TechVoice event on August 19 in Charlotte, NC, co-sponsored by CompTIA, the North Carolina Technology Association and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. During the hour-long session, McHenry fielded questions from moderators Melanie Chernoff, public policy manager at Red Hat, Inc., and Ron Culler, CTO at Secure Designs, Inc. The topics ranged from cybersecurity and data breach to tax reform, and McHenry showed a strong commitment to and understanding of the tech community.
When asked about tax reform, McHenry noted that corporate tax reform could not happen without also reforming individual tax rules. This is an important point, as most small businesses pay taxes as a sole proprietor or a pass-through entity and are taxed at individual tax rates. He also stated that he would support the Startup Innovation Tax Credit legislation currently pending in the Senate but not yet introduced in the House. When asked about his stance on H1-B visas, STEM visas and other efforts on high-skilled immigration, McHenry voiced support for a more dynamic H1-B visa cap that can respond to the U.S. demand for more high-skilled workers.
McHenry expressed disappointment and some frustration with the failure of the SEC to release regulations on the JOBS Act crowdfunding provisions. As chairman of the House Financial Services Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, McHenry has played a central role in encouraging the SEC to implement Section 201 of the JOBS Act. However, he held out some hope that regulations could be finalized by early 2014. CompTIA has also encouraged the SEC to move on these regulations in order to open up additional sources of capital for innovation and growth.
Following the event, McHenry remained to answer informal questions from attendees. TechVoice is pleased to have played a role in participating and hosting this event and providing direct access to Congress for members of the tech community.
