[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4803-S4804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REPORT ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT--PM 39

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.

To the Congress of the United States:
  This Nation's future depends on strong public and private support for 
science and technology. My Administration's decision to make sound 
investments in science and technology even as the Federal Government 
cuts other spending is premised on three basic assumptions:
 --Technology is the engine of economic growth.
 --Scientific knowledge is the key to the future.
 --Responsible government advances science and technology.
  The Congress and the American people can find evidence of the 
Administration's dedication to responsible government support for 
science and technology in our defense and economic policies as well as 
our management of the science and technology enterprise. We have 
decreased the Federal deficit, helped to create millions of new jobs, 
and improved the tax treatment of small businesses and of investments 
in research and development. Hemispheric and global trade agreements as 
well as relaxation of outdated export controls have opened huge export 
markets to America's high-tech industries. My National Security 
Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement (February 1995) depends on 
farsighted and efficient science and technology investments. Our 
foreign policy and security interests are also supported by mutually 
beneficial international cooperation in science and technology.
  We have consistently endorsed technology policies to increase 
prosperity and enhance environmental quality. In Technology for 
America's Economic Growth (February 1993) and Technology for a 
Sustainable Future (July 1994) this Administration conveyed to the 
American people our plans for public/private partnerships to improve 
the business environment, enhance access to quality education and 
training, support development of information infrastructure, ensure 
continued excellence in health care, and strengthen America's global 
competitiveness.
  Streamlined government based on strong partnerships--within the 
government, with the private sector, and among nations--is a hallmark 
of the Clinton/Gore Administration. The ``virtual department'' I 
created by establishing the National Science and Technology Council 
(NSTC) has cut bureaucratic red tape and produced a historic first: an 
integrated research and development budget that focuses on national 
goals. The NSTC has also produced large savings by enabling agencies to 
coordinate their efforts, divide tasks, and share resources.
  My Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) provides 
critical links to industry and academia. Their oversight of NSTC 
activities, such as development of strategies for the management and 
disposition of fissile materials, promises to improve the Federal 
effort. So, too, do the forums and workshops that have drawn in 
thousands of experts and stakeholders to help develop priorities in 
areas as diverse as fundamental science; environmental technology; and 
health; safety; and food research.
  I am also very proud of the steps we have taken to improve 
international cooperation in science and technology. Through the Gore-
Chernomyrdin Commission we have used science and technology cooperation 
to ease the Russians' transition to democracy and a market economy. We 
have received valuable new technology and cultivated a crucial partner 
in global affairs through Russian participation in the international 
space station. We have used the Megasciences Forum of the Organization 
for Economic Cooperation and Development and other international forums 
to explore ways to share the increasing costs of cutting-edge research 
while maintaining our position of world leadership. Bilateral science 
and technology cooperation with other nations, including advanced 
industrial economies such as 
[[Page S4804]] Japan, and big, emerging markets such as the People's 
Republic of China, serve us well in the global economy--giving us 
access to new ideas and new technologies while creating new 
opportunities for business.
  Economists have estimated that the social rate of return on 
investments in research and development averages about 50 percent, or 
about double the average private rate of return. Clearly a solid 
Federal investment program is justified even in the leanest times. It 
is especially important for the Federal Government to maintain its 
investments in science and technology when the pressures of 
international competition are leading businesses to focus on shorter 
term payoffs at the expense of more basic, longer term, and riskier 
research and development.
  In Science in the National Interest (August 1994), the Vice President 
and I reaffirmed our longstanding commitment to world leadership in 
science, mathematics, and engineering. Scientific discoveries inspire 
and enrich us. Equally important, science and mathematics education 
provides all Americans with the knowledge and skills they need to 
prepare for and adapt to the high-technology jobs of the future and to 
exercise the responsibilities of citizenship.
  This Administration has articulated clear goals and established 
priorities for Federal spending, and our economic policies have 
improved the climate for private investment as well. We intend to work 
closely with the Congress to ensure the well-being of our children and 
grandchildren. These investments will prepare us for the challenges of 
the 21st century.
                                                  William J. Clinton.  
  The White House, March 29, 1995.
  

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