[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.