The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, Consumer Technology Association (CTA) ® CEO and Vice Chair:

“America’s innovators need stability and predictability. Businesses and entrepreneurs can’t build when the foundations of government keep shaking. We all benefit when the United States lives up to its ideals as the “shining city on the Hill” – a predictable, reliable, and stable place to build and grow a business.
 
That makes government shutdowns especially harmful. Shutdowns interrupt vital conversations between government and industry, stall trade talks, disrupt services Americans rely on, demoralize government workers, and make our democracy seem unstable to the rest of the world. We can’t be globally competitive if we periodically shut down government!
 
We elect our legislators to fix problems that matter for Americans. If legislators can’t come to an agreement quickly, President Trump can show true leadership by threading the needle, listening to Democratic concerns about Americans losing affordable health care access and Republican concerns that the number is relatively small. President Trump has the political power to craft a reasonable compromise that is patriotic and humane and urge legislators on both sides of the aisle to support it, or seek a shorter continuing resolution to allow time for good faith negotiations on protecting the health of the most at-risk Americans.

Our nation deserves problem solvers, discussion, compromise, and stability. Leaders need to show some leadership. Top leaders of both parties must prioritize work to break through the partisan gridlock, open our government, and ensure we aren't just wasting time and money to the delight of our global rivals.”

About Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®:
As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators – from startups to global brands – helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES® – the most powerful tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech.