As Senate chair of the Joint Economic Committee, Klobuchar has pushed for a competitive agenda that promotes long-term economic growth through strengthening math and science education, boosting exports, and making sure businesses are able to compete on a level playing field

Washington, D.C. – At the 10^th annual Digital Patriots Dinner, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) honored U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar with the “Digital Patriot Award” for her work to strengthen the American economy by promoting innovation. As Senate chair of the Joint Economic Committee, Klobuchar has pushed for a competitive agenda for America that promotes long-term economic growth through strengthening math and science education, boosting exports, and making sure businesses are able to compete on a level playing field.

"In order to compete in the global economy we need to be a country that thinks, that invents, that makes things and exports them to the world,” said Klobuchar. “I am honored to receive this award, and I will continue to support efforts to create a competitive agenda for this country that encourages research and innovation, boosts exports and helps our businesses grow and thrive.”

As Senate chair of the Joint Economic Committee and a member of the President’s Export Council and the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees, Klobuchar has authored legislation to help small businesses tap into new markets abroad and has pushed for strong funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for American students. She has been a champion of comprehensive immigration reform and has authored bipartisan legislation to reform the visa system to ensure that the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs get their start in America. Klobuchar also cosponsored legislation to ensure marketplace fairness by giving states the option to require out-of-state businesses, including online retailers, to collect sales taxes that they are already owed.

Klobuchar chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer rights, where she has worked to advance policies that protect consumers from anti-competitive behavior and make sure businesses are able to compete on a level playing field. She helped lead the effort to pass the America Invents Act to overhaul the nation’s outdated patent system and has pushed efforts to fight patent trolls.

The CEA, a technology trade association with more than 2,000 member companies, selects Digital Patriots based on their work to advance innovation and support a legal framework that allows tech innovation to flourish. Senator Rob Portman and VOXX International Corp. Chairman and Founder John Shalam were also honored as Digital Patriots this year.

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