•HRES 537 IH
try, is vital to United States competitiveness in elec-
tronics and critical to national defense;
Whereas the United States electronic interconnections indus-
try employs nearly 250,000 workers in the United States;
Whereas small and mid-sized businesses such as those that
make up the electronic interconnections industry are the
backbone of the United States economy;
Whereas the United States electronic interconnections indus-
try has annual gross sales exceeding $15,000,000,000;
Whereas the United States electronic interconnections indus-
try, while currently a net importer, has the potential to
become a net exporter, which will help reduce the United
States trade deficit;
Whereas growth projections have confirmed the potential for
a competitive printed wiring assembly industry, which is
expected to grow more than 20 percent annually during
the remainder of the 20th century;
Whereas the United States electronic interconnections indus-
try is responding to the challenge of international com-
petition and has reversed a market decline through a con-
certed effort in managerial excellence, operational effi-
ciency, technological development, improved communica-
tions, public policy advocacy, and workforce education
and training;
Whereas the United States electronic interconnections indus-
try struggles with inadequate capital formation in the
United States relative to its international competitors;
Whereas, although the United States electronic interconnec-
tions industry has battled back from the brink of extinc-
tion, ominous trends (such as declining research and de-
velopment by major electronics manufacturers, closed for-
•HRES 537 IH
eign markets, and high employee training costs) continue;
and
Whereas actions of the United States Government in the
areas of taxation, capital formation, technology develop-
ment, workforce development, and trade agreements are
vital to ensuring an internationally competitive United
States electronic interconnections industry well into the
21st century: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) to assist in ensuring the financial soundness
of the United States electronic interconnections in-
dustry, the Department of the Treasury should de-
velop an accelerated depreciation schedule to accu-
rately reflect the depreciation of equipment used by
the industry;
(2) the Department of Defense should develop
a dual-use technology program with the United
States electronic interconnections industry to up-
grade the technological capabilities of the industry;
(3) the International Trade Administration of
the Department of Commerce should develop a joint
industry-Government program to expand the export
of goods and services of the United States electronic
interconnections industry;
(4) the Department of Labor should develop a
joint program with the United States electronic
•HRES 537 IH
interconnections industry to upgrade the training
and skill levels of workers in the industry; and
(5) within 12 months after the date of the
adoption of this resolution, the Secretaries of the
Treasury, Defense, Commerce, and Labor should re-
port to the Congress on any actions taken within the
jurisdiction of the Secretaries, respectively, to in-
crease the competitiveness of the United States elec-
tronic interconnections industry.
Æ