TechVoice Puts Advocacy at Your Fingertips

Last month, CompTIA, in conjunction with the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) and several regional tech associations, launched www.techvoice.org, a grassroots advocacy website focusing on the needs of members like you.

The website is filled with news, blogs and other information about what’s going on in Washington, DC, and highlights specific issues affecting the industry.  Among the many useful items on TechVoice, one item stands out in particular: the TechVoice Legislative Resource Center.

The Legislative Resource Center can be found under the "Get Involved" tab of the TechVoice homepage. Even though you may be sitting at your home or office computer, this powerful tool makes you the ultimate advocate for the IT industry. With just a click of a mouse, you can find out who your elected officials are, learn about their voting record, track legislative activity, read CompTIA legislative alerts, and even send letters to your elected officials, among other things.

There are a couple of ways to utilize this feature.  One depends on us – your public advocacy staff at CompTIA.  Just two weeks ago we issued a legislative alert sharing with members the fact that the House of Representatives was about to vote on the repeal of 1099.  It was then just a couple of clicks to find your member of Congress and send a letter already drafted that urged him or her to vote in favor of repeal.  Simple.  Time effective.  The House voted 314 to 112 in favor of repeal.  All you need to do is sign up for the TechVoice Action Alerts and you too can be heard. 

The other way in which members can utilize the “Get Involved” feature is to use it as an educational tool.  Want to know how your member voted on patent reform or net neutrality or extension of the R&D tax credit?  Now you can track your member’s voting record.  Want to know who is running for what office in your state or congressional district, this information is all here.  Well-informed and active citizens can make a difference. 

Log on to www.techvoice.org and give the Legislative Resource Center a spin. Look for our Action Alerts.  These alerts are sent sparingly but are messages sent directly to you when vital legislative milestones unfold.

If you have any questions regarding TechVoice or the Legislative Resource Center, please feel free to contact Matthew L. Evans, manager of public advocacy, at mevans@comptia.org.