Medtronic CEO to Attend President's State of the Union Address as Senator Klobuchar's Guest

Press Release

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced today that William Hawkins, the chairman and chief executive officer for Medtronic, Inc., will attend President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday as her guest. Medtronic was founded in 1949 in a garage in Minneapolis as a medical equipment repair shop and has grown into the largest medical technology company in the world. The company today develops life-changing products and therapies that help people with chronic diseases.

"Companies like Medtronic show how innovation can be a catalyzing force in the American economy," Klobuchar said. "It is important that Washington hear from business leaders like Bill who share my commitment to revitalizing America's innovative edge to help our businesses find new markets for their products and compete in the global economy."

Klobuchar has worked with Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) to reform and streamline the regulatory process for medical device companies like Medtronic. The senators have worked with the device industry to make sure the recently announced changes to the 510(k) approval process will protect patients without stifling new health care breakthroughs.

"I am honored to attend the State of the Union address with Senator Klobuchar. We share a strong commitment to creating an economic environment conducive to driving innovation in medical technology that can improve the lives of people suffering from chronic diseases," Hawkins said. "We commend the recent actions of the FDA and the Obama administration, which recognize and address the impact regulations can have on innovation and job creation. Creating a more predictable and consistent regulatory system makes it possible for patients to get quicker access to novel medical devices developed by companies like Medtronic. The medical device industry is a true American success story and we collectively will write the next chapter through principled collaboration throughout the innovation ecosystem."

Hawkins also joined Klobuchar at an Innovation Summit she convened at the University of Minnesota earlier this week. He was part of a panel discussion looking into the ways the public and private sectors can work together to strengthen the economy by revitalizing innovation, promoting products abroad, and reducing regulatory burdens. Klobuchar is a leader in Congress on issues of economic innovation, and she serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on Innovation, Competitiveness, and Export Promotion.

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