The Lobby: Intel's R&D Tax Push

This article discusses the importance of innovation in the product life cycle that we discussed in class on Friday. A writer for cnn interviewed the head lobbyist of Intel about some of his priorities. Right now they are lobbying to make the Research and Development tax credit a permanent fixture for companies. Companies receive a tax credit for increasing R&D but the credit must be renewed every year by Congress. This is the first thing the lobbyist talked about and I think it is indicative of how lucrative the R&D aspect of a business can be. Ideas are a huge source of profit for companies and being the first to come up with something can mean making a lot of money. The article also addresses immigration reform to allow talented foreign workers (specifically those who have graduated from American universities) to receive green cards more easily, antitrust laws, and patent reform (again, addressing the importance of innovation).