[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 15 (Monday, January 24, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 3779-3780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1758]



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Part V





The President





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Proclamation 7269--National Biotechnology Month, 2000
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 15 / Monday, January 24, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

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                Proclamation 7269 of January 19, 2000

                
National Biotechnology Month, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As we stand at the dawn of a new century, we recognize 
                the enormous potential that biotechnology holds for 
                improving the quality of life here in the United States 
                and around the world. These technologies, which draw on 
                our understanding of the life sciences to develop 
                products and solve problems, are progressing at an 
                exponential rate and promise to make unprecedented 
                contributions to public health and safety, a cleaner 
                environment, and economic prosperity.

                Today, a third of all new medicines in development are 
                based on biotechnology. Designed to attack the 
                underlying cause of an illness, not just its symptoms, 
                these medicines have tremendous potential to provide 
                not only more effective treatments, but also cures. 
                With improved understanding of cellular and genetic 
                processes, scientists have opened exciting new avenues 
                of research into treatments for devastating diseases--
                like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart 
                disease, AIDS, and cancer--that affect millions of 
                Americans. Biotechnology has also given us several new 
                vaccines, including one for rotavirus, now being tested 
                clinically, that could eradicate an illness responsible 
                for the deaths of more than 800,000 infants and 
                children each year.

                The impact of biotechnology is far-reaching. 
                Bioremediation technologies are cleaning our 
                environment by removing toxic substances from 
                contaminated soils and ground water. Agricultural 
                biotechnology reduces our dependence on pesticides. 
                Manufacturing processes based on biotechnology make it 
                possible to produce paper and chemicals with less 
                energy, less pollution, and less waste. Forensic 
                technologies based on our growing knowledge of DNA help 
                us exonerate the innocent and bring criminals to 
                justice.

                The biotechnology industry is also improving lives 
                through its substantial economic impact. Biotechnology 
                has stimulated the creation and growth of small 
                businesses, generated new jobs, and encouraged 
                agricultural and industrial innovation. The industry 
                currently employs more than 150,000 people and invests 
                nearly $10 billion a year on research and development.

                Recognizing the extraordinary promise and benefits of 
                this enterprise, my Administration has pursued policies 
                to foster biotechnology innovations as expeditiously 
                and prudently as possible. We have supported steady 
                increases in funding for basic scientific research at 
                the National Institutes of Health and other science 
                agencies; accelerated the process for approving new 
                medicines to make them available as quickly and safely 
                as possible; encouraged private-sector research 
                investment and small business development through tax 
                incentives and the Small Business Innovation Research 
                program; promoted intellectual property protection and 
                open international markets for biotechnology inventions 
                and products; and developed public databases that 
                enable scientists to coordinate their efforts in an 
                enterprise that has become one of the world's finest 
                examples of partnership among university-based 
                researchers, government, and private industry.

                Remarkable as its achievements have been, the 
                biotechnology enterprise is still in its infancy. We 
                will reap even greater benefits as long as we

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                sustain the intellectual partnership and public 
                confidence that have moved biotechnology forward thus 
                far. We must strengthen our efforts to improve science 
                education for all Americans and preserve and promote 
                the freedom of scientific inquiry. We must protect 
                patients from the misuse or abuse of sensitive medical 
                information and provide Federal regulatory agencies 
                with sufficient resources to maintain sound, science-
                based review and regulation of biotechnology products. 
                And we must strive to ensure that science-based 
                regulatory programs worldwide promote public safety, 
                earn public confidence, and guarantee fair and open 
                international markets.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim January 2000 as National 
                Biotechnology Month. I call upon the people of the 
                United States to observe this month with appropriate 
                programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-1758
Filed 1-21-00; 10:34 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P