[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     NEW MILLENNIUM CLASSROOMS ACT

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to call to the attention of 
the Senate a letter of endorsement given to my bill, the New Millennium 
Classrooms Act, by a group of 11 senior executives of Silicon Valley's 
leading technology and venture capital firms.
  Mr. President, the New Millennium Classrooms Act, through tax-based 
incentives, would provide schools and companies the means by which 
partnerships can be created and computers, software, and related 
technological equipment can be brought to our schools.
  Encouraging private investment and involvement, the New Millennium 
Classrooms Act achieves this important goal without unduly increasing 
Federal Government expenditures, creating yet another federal program 
or department and will keep control where it belongs--with the 
teachers, the parents, and the students.
  Providing today's children with high technological equipment and 
software will provide them with the necessary and invaluable computer 
skills needed to ensure their future success and our nation's status as 
the technological and economic leader in the New Economy.
  I ask that the letter from the Silicon Valley firms be printed in the 
Record.
  The letter follows:
                                                   April 15, 1999.
     Hon. Spencer Abraham,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Abraham: As senior executives of the nation's 
     leading technology companies and venture capital firms, we 
     write to commend you for your continued support of policies 
     that will help to ensure our nation's technological and 
     economic leadership. Specifically, we thank you for 
     introducing the New Millennium Classrooms Act (S. 542), an 
     important step toward making computers, software and the 
     Internet available to American schoolchildren.
       By relying on market-based incentives, your legislation 
     will increase the supply of computer technology available to 
     children in grades K-12. We are particularly supportive of 
     enhanced provisions to encourage the donation of computers 
     and equipment to schools that serve underprivileged students, 
     allowing all American children the opportunity to prepare for 
     the New Economy on equal footing. Your legislation will allow 
     the potential of our nation's children to be fully realized 
     in the 21st century, while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
       Thank you for introducing this important legislation and 
     for continuing your leadership on issues critical to the 
     success of America's New Economy.
           Sincerely,
         Wilfred Corrigan, CEO, LSI Logic, Corp.; Carl Feldbaum, 
           President, Biotechnology Industry Organization; Dr. 
           Dwight D. Decker, President, Conexant Systems; Michael 
           Goldberg, CEO, OnCare; Floyd Kvamme, Partner, Keiner 
           Perkins Caufield & Byers; Willem Roelandts, CEO, 
           Xilinx; Scott Ryles, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch; 
           Ted Smith, Chairman, FileNet; Burt McMurtry, Partner, 
           Technology Venture Investors; Michael Rowan, CEO, 
           Kestrel Solutions; Dr. Henry Samueli, CTO & Co-
           Chairman, Broadcom.

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