[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
[February 4, 2006]
[Pages 193-194]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
February 4, 2006

    Good morning. This week in the State of the Union Address, I set 
forth my American Competitiveness Initiative. This plan will help our 
Nation to compete with confidence, raise the standard of living for our 
families, and generate new jobs for our citizens.
    Generations of risk takers, inventors, and visionaries have made 
America the world's most prosperous and innovative nation. Just 25 years 
ago, most Americans used typewriters instead of computers, rotary phones 
instead of cell phones, and bank tellers instead of ATMs. Today, America 
is at the doorstep of even more technological advances. But we cannot 
afford to be complacent. We're seeing the rise of new competitors like 
China and India, who are making great strides in technology. In 
response, some people want to wall off our economy
from the world. That is called protectionism. The American people should 
not fear our economic future because we intend to shape our economic 
future.

    To keep America the world's most competitive and innovative nation, 
we must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. My 
American Competitiveness Initiative will encourage innovation throughout 
our economy and give American children a firm grounding in math and 
science.

    This initiative has three key elements. The first element is to 
double the Federal commitment to the most critical basic research 
programs in the physical sciences over the next decade. Most of the 
technological advances we enjoy today are the fruits of research 
investments made years ago, and many of these advances benefited from 
Government support. The increased

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funding I have proposed will support America's creative minds as they 
explore promising areas such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and 
alternative energy sources. These investments will lead to new 
inventions that offer better choices for consumers and a better life for 
our citizens.
    The second element of this new initiative is to encourage bolder 
private sector investment in technology, because the private sector 
remains America's greatest engine of innovation. The research and 
development tax credit gives businesses an incentive to invest in 
projects that could lead to new discoveries. Congress allowed this tax 
credit to expire at the end of 2005, and the House and Senate are now 
considering another temporary extension. But a temporary extension does 
not allow our innovators to plan and invest with certainty. Other 
countries offer permanent tax incentives for research and development. 
To keep America the world's leader in technology and innovation, 
Congress needs to make the tax credit for research and development 
permanent.
    The third element of this initiative is to make sure our children 
learn the skills they will need to keep America the world's most 
innovative country. Math and science are critical to many of our 
country's fastest-growing industries, so we must encourage our children 
to take more math and science classes and make sure those classes are 
rigorous enough to compete with other nations. I'm proposing that we 
train 70,000 high school teachers to lead Advanced Placement courses in 
math and science, bring 30,000 math and science professionals to teach 
in classrooms, and give early help to students who struggle with math so 
they have a better chance at good, high-wage jobs. If we ensure that 
America's children succeed in life, they will ensure that America 
succeeds in the world.
    The American Competitiveness Initiative will help our Nation remain 
the world's economic leader. By investing in research and development, 
unleashing the innovative spirit of America's entrepreneurs, and making 
sure that our economy has workers highly skilled in math and science, we 
will lay the foundation for lasting economic prosperity.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 10:20 a.m. on February 3 at the 
Marriott Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM, for broadcast at 10:06 
a.m. on February 4. The transcript was made available by the Office of 
the Press Secretary on February 3 but was embargoed for release until 
the broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of this address.