CTA praises pick of former tech exec and association chair

CTA and The Trump Administration have nominated Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to be director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The USTDA promotes U.S. exports, including identifying new markets and connecting foreign demand to U.S. supply and the capital to finance projects.

Issa is a former tech exec and Consumer Technology Association officer. He announced at the beginning of the year he was exiting Congress at the end of this term.

was active on a variety of communications legislative fronts, including rolling back FCC regs, the broadcast incentive auction, privacy and copyright.

Issa was also co-founder last year of the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies.

Issa was CEO of Directed Electronics (the Viper car alarm) and chair of the then Consumer Electronics Association (now CTA) before stepping down to run for Congress. He was elected in 2000. The announcement comes as CTA is holding its annual convention in Las Vegas, a convention Issa once presided over.

Issa is a member of the Judiciary Committee, which shares jurisdiction over communications issues with Energy & Commerce.

"Rep. Issa has spent decades as a successful business leader and has a record of supporting free market policies while serving in Congress," said CTA president Gary Shapiro. "This extensive and unique experience makes Darrell an excellent choice, and will allow him to deploy his entrepreneurial experience and strategic negotiating skills for the benefit of American businesses and the U.S. economy. We congratulate Rep. Issa on his new role leading this important agency, as it works to support U.S. innovation and competition in today's global economy."

While CTA likes that pro-active Trump Administration trade move, it is far less enamored of the Trump tariff policy, another move billed by the Administration as promoting U.S. goods, but which CTA says will result in higher consumer prices.