[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000-2001, Book III)]
[January 16, 2001]
[Page 2928]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Final Report of the E-Commerce Working Group
January 16, 2001

    Today I am pleased to announce the release of the final report of my 
administration's E-commerce Working Group, ``Leadership for the New 
Millennium, Delivering on Digital Progress and Prosperity.'' During my 
administration, America's economy and society have been transformed by 
new information and communications technologies. The information 
technology sector has accounted for almost one-third of U.S. economic 
growth and has helped spark an increase in U.S. productivity and global 
competitiveness.
    Vice President Gore and I have worked hard to help Americans make 
the most of these new possibilities. We created a market-led approach to 
E-commerce that won acceptance around the world, promoted competition in 
the telecommunications industry, and increased our investment in the 
technologies of the 21st century. We strengthened the protection of 
personal information, especially sensitive medical and financial 
records. We helped to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that every 
child had the opportunity to become technologically literate. Thanks to 
the leadership of the Vice President, our Government is using the 
Internet to become more open, user-friendly, and efficient.
    But we are still at the dawn of the information age, and much more 
remains to be done to grasp its potential. We should use technology to 
advance our oldest and deepest values--dramatically increasing the 
number of people with disabilities who can work, lifting more families 
out of poverty, and putting access to a world-class education and 
cutting-edge skills at the fingertips of every American. These are 
challenges that are worthy of our great Nation.