WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts has joined the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force to ensure high tech companies in Kansas and the rest of the nation remain competitive in a global economy.

The Task Force will compliment Senator Roberts’ work on with his own Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future, a committee of academic, government, and business leaders he formed in 1997 to advise him of Kansas’ technology needs.

"I am pleased to join this task force in support of an industry which has proven to be dynamic and key to economic growth for the nation and in Kansas," Senator Roberts said. "It is especially critical at this time of economic downturn to encourage high tech initiatives that promise to create and sustain jobs now and into the future."

Under the leadership of Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force will promote private sector innovation, create a business environment that fosters growth in the technology industry – through incentives, tax relief and regulatory reform, improve workforce enhancement, and eliminate barriers to trade among other priorities.

"I look forward to furthering the goals and recommendations of my own Advisory Committee on a national scale," Roberts said. "Its leadership on issues important to the state has brought real results to Kansas including cutting edge research and business opportunities."

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