    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [June 24, 2000]
    [Pages 1247-1248]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Internet Address
    June 24, 2000

        Good morning. Here in America, a revolution in technology is
    underway. It is more than a time of innovation; it's a time of
    fundamental transformation, the kind that happens, at most, every 100
    years. Today, in my first Saturday webcast, I'd like to speak to you
    about how we can seize the potential of this information revolution to
    widen the circle of our democracy and make our Government much more
    responsive to the needs of our citizens.
        Early in our history, people often had only one option when they
    needed the help of the National Government. They had to visit a
    Government office and stand in line. Indeed, as Vice President
    Gore has pointed out, after the Civil War
    the only way our veterans could collect their pensions was by traveling
    all the way to Washington, DC, and waiting for a clerk to dig out their
    war records. Those war records were actually bound in red tape. That
    gave rise to the universal symbol of bureaucratic delay that has existed
    down to the present day.
        Thankfully, things have gotten a lot easier for citizens over the
    years. In recent years, advances in computing and information technology
    have led to remarkable gains. Under the leadership of Vice President
    Gore, we have greatly expanded the spread
    of information technology throughout the Government, cutting reams of
    redtape, putting vast resources at the fingertips of all of our
    citizens. Citizens now are using Government websites to file their
    taxes, compare their Medicare options, apply for student loans, and find
    good jobs. They're tapping into the latest health research and browsing
    vast collections in the Library of Congress and following along with
    NASA's missions in outer space. This is just the beginning.
        Today I'm pleased to announce several major steps in our efforts to
    go forward in creating a high-speed, high-tech, user-friendly
    Government. First, we're going to give our citizens a single, customer-
    focused website where they can find every on-line resource offered by
    the Federal Government.
        This new website, FirstGov.gov, will be created at no cost to the
    Government by a team led by Eric Brewer, who
    developed one of the most successful Internet search technologies

    [[Page 1248]]

    with the help of Government grants. In the spirit of cutting through
    redtape, this new website will be created in 90 days or less. It will
    uphold the highest standards for protecting the privacy of its users.
        When it's complete, FirstGov will serve as a single point of entry
    to one of the largest, perhaps the most useful collection of webpages in
    the entire world. Whether you want crucial information in starting a
    small business or you want to track your Social Security benefits, you
    can do it all in one place, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
        Second, now that we're poised to create one-stop shopping for
    Government services, we'll also greatly expand the scope of those
    services. Increasingly, we'll give our citizens not only the ability to
    send and receive information but also to conduct sophisticated
    transactions on-line.
        For example, this year the Federal Government will award about $300
    billion in grants and buy $200 billion in goods and services. Over the
    coming year, we will make it possible for people to go on-line and
    compete for these grants and contracts through a simplified electronic
    process. Moving this enormous volume of business on-line will save a
    great deal of money and time for our taxpayers. It will also expand
    opportunities for community groups, small businesses, and citizens who
    never before have had a chance to show what they can do.
        Third, in conjunction with the nonprofit Council for Excellence in
    Government, we're launching a major competition to spur new innovative
    ideas for how Government can serve and connect with our citizens
    electronically. The Council will award up to $50,000 to those students,
    researchers, private sector workers, or Government employees who present
    the most creative ideas.
        In the early years of our Republic, Thomas Jefferson said,
    ``America's institutions must move forward hand in hand with the
    progress of the human mind.'' Well, today, the progress of the human
    mind is certainly racing forward at breakneck speed. If we work
    together, we can ensure that our democratic institutions keep pace. With
    your help, we can build a more perfect, more responsive democracy for
    the information age.
        Thanks for listening.

     Note:  The address was recorded at 3:15 p.m. on June 23 at a private
    residence in Los Angeles, CA, for broadcast at 10 a.m. on June 24. In
    his remarks, the President referred to Eric Brewer, cofounder, Inktomi.
    The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on June 23 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.