[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[February 13, 2006]
[Pages 229-231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks on Presenting the National Medals of Science and Technology
February 13, 2006
Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks and welcome to the White
House. It is an honor to be in the company of so many bright and
distinguished Americans. Each of our honorees has been blessed with
talent, and each has used their talent to the fullest.
The work we honor today has improved the lives of people everywhere.
It has helped move our economy forward, and it's helped make sure that
America is the leader of innovation in our world. The medals are our
Nation's way of expressing gratitude to gifted and visionary citizens. I
also appreciate the family members and friends who are here as well.
I want to thank members of my Cabinet who have joined us, Secretary
Gutierrez, Secretary Bodman. I want to thank Dr. Jack Marburger, who is the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy. I thank David Sampson
from Commerce for joining us. I want to thank Dr. Arden Bement, the Director of the National Science
Foundation, who is with us, Dr. Kathie Olsen, the Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation. I
want to thank the representatives from the National Science Foundation
and members of the board of the National Science and Technology Medals
Foundation. Those were the folks who decided that you won. [Laughter]
I thank Dr. Bill Jeffrey who is with us,
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. I want
to thank the previous recipients of the National Medals of Science and
Technology who've joined us. I thank my friends Congressman Sherry
Boehlert, as well as Dave
Reichert from the United States Congress
for being here. Thank you both for coming. Most of all, thank you all
for joining us.
The medals I'm about to present are the highest award a President
can bestow for astounding achievement in science and technology. They
recognize work that has helped expand the horizons of human knowledge.
The National Medal of Science honors those whose research has enhanced
our understanding of life and the world around us. And the National
Medal of Technology recognizes innovators whose
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work keeps America on the cutting edge with discoveries that change the
way we live.
The spirit of discovery is one of our national strengths. Our
greatest resource has always been the educated, hard-working, ambitious
people who call this country their home. From Thomas Edison's lightbulb
to Robert Ledley's CAT scan machine, most
of America's revolutionary inventions began with men and women with the
vision to see beyond what is and the desire to pursue what might be.
Think back to how much this country has changed since the--since we
first created the National Medal of Technology in 1980. Twenty-five
years ago, most Americans used typewriters instead of computers. Most of
us used pay phones instead of cell phones. Most of us used carbon paper
instead of laser printers. Most of us had rolodexes--you might remember
those--[laughter]. And on the long family trip, we'd play the license
plate game--[laughter]--and now we're watching DVDs.
Many technologies that are in our laboratories today will bring
cures and technologies that are beyond our imagination. And we will then
wonder how we ever lived without them. These kinds of changes are the
result of years of hard work by American innovators, like those we honor
here today.
Over the years, National Science and Technology laureates have been
responsible for breakthroughs that revolutionized telecommunications,
discovered the structure of DNA, led to the invention of the microchip.
These laureates have done work that have revolutionized organ
transplants and led to development of global positioning systems and
helped feed millions around the world.
Our Nation has a vital stake in the research and discovery that
makes these advances possible. And so in my State of the Union, I
encouraged our Nation to stay on the leading edge of technology and
education. I've talked about an American Competitiveness Initiative that
will double over the next 10 years the Federal commitment to the most
critical, basic research programs in the physical sciences. I think
that's a good use of taxpayers' money.
Six of today's eight science laureates have benefited from past
investment in this kind of research. If we want this country to but--be
the most competitive country in the world, we have got to spend money
now to make sure we stay on the leading edge of technological change. We
also got to recognize it's in the private sector where most money is
spent on research and development, yet we unwisely have allowed the
research and development tax credit to expire. If the United States
expects to remain competitive in a global economy, we must encourage our
private sector to continue to invest in leading-edge technologies, and
therefore, we ought to make the research and development tax credit a
permanent part of our Tax Code.
We can't be the leading country in the world in science and
technology unless we educate scientists and young mathematicians. And so
as part of the competitive initiative, I'm going to work with the
Congress to make sure we extend the same standards in the No Child Left
Behind Act that we apply to reading to math. The facts are that we're
doing fine with fourth grade kids in math and science. The facts, also,
are these, that we're falling off the face of the charts when it comes
to eighth grade math, and we've got to change that. And one of the sure
ways to change that is to apply special money for kids who need extra
help in junior high for math and science.
We can't make sure our children have got math and science--fine math
and science courses unless we've got teachers capable of teaching math
and science. And one way to do that is to expand education to high
school teachers in how to teach Advanced Placement. Advanced Placement
programs work. They make a significant difference in the lives of our
children. And
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so by making sure more teachers can teach AP, this country will be
better off in making sure that we've got the future scientists and
mathematicians living right here in the United States of America.
Another part of the initiative is to encourage school districts to
recruit 30,000 math and science professionals to teach in our Nation's
classrooms. I mean, we want young kids to think math and science are
cool subjects, that it's okay to be a mathematician, that it's exciting
to be a scientist. And there's no better way to make sure that young
students are encouraged to take math and science than to have successful
scientists explain to our students just the wonders of exploration.
You know, I was out in Albuquerque and had a good visit in Intel.
They've got an interesting program. They provide incentives for their
employees to go into the classrooms of local high schools and community
colleges to say to youngsters, ``Join us in these exciting fields.'' And
the exciting jobs of the 21st century are going to be in math and
science, and the American people must understand that if we don't
educate our kids in math and science, the jobs are going to go elsewhere
in the years to come. The competitive initiative recognizes we're great
when it comes to research and development, and we intend to stay that
way. But we've also got to be great when it comes to making sure our
students have got the skills necessary to compete in the 21st century.
I appreciate the work that today's laureates are doing to inspire
young scientists. We've got some young scientists from Benjamin Banneker
High School with us. Thank you all for joining us. I appreciate you
being here. I hope that you are inspired by the examples of excellence
and success that you see right here in this ceremony today.
You know, it's interesting, people generally do not pursue a career
in science or technology with the goal of fame. I'm kind of trying to
change that today. [Laughter] The work of discovery is quiet and often
solitary. Yet all Americans benefit from your imagination and your
talent and your resolve. And so today we're here to say thanks for what
you've done; thanks for helping improve the quality of life in this
country; thanks for inspiring others. Congratulations on your medals,
and now the military aide will read the citations.
[At this point, Lt. Col. Christian Cabaniss, USMC, Marine Corps Aide to
the President, read the citations, and the President presented the
medals.]
The President. Again, thank you for coming. Got a little reception
back here for the honorees and their families. I'm proud to have you
here in the White House. May God continue to bless our great Nation.
Thank you.
Note: The President spoke at 10:45 a.m. in the East Room at the White
House.