[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 51 (Monday, December 22, 1997)]
[Pages 2047-2048]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Presenting the National Medals of Science and Technology

December 16, 1997

    The President. Thank you very much. Dr. Gibbons, Secretary Daley. 
I'm also delighted that Neal Lane, the Director of the National Science 
Foundation, and Dr. Harold Varmus, the Director of the NIH, are here 
with us, as well as the chairman of the House Science Committee; 
Congressman Sensenbrenner, thank you very much for being here.
    Today we honor 14 remarkable men and women for extraordinary 
individual accomplishments, from discovering new ways to chart the 
universe to exploring the internal universe of human nature. We honor 
them, however, also for their collective achievement. By giving these 
awards we honor the American passion for discovery that has driven our 
Nation forward from field to factory to the far reaches of cyberspace. 
This spirit of discovery will lead us into a new century and a new 
millennium.
    This is a moment of great challenge for our Nation, a time where we 
must rise to master the forces of change and progress as we move forward 
to the 21st century. Later this week I will announce or discuss the new 
economy, one of the most powerful forces of change. This morning I want 
to talk about the force of scientific and technological innovation. It 
is helping to fuel and shape that new economy, but its impact goes well 
beyond it.
    For 5 years in a row, I have increased our investments in science 
and technology while bringing down the deficit, often in the face of 
opposition. These investments have surely paid off in higher paying 
jobs, better health care, stronger national security, and improved 
quality of life for all Americans. They are essential to our efforts to 
address global climate change, a process begun last week in Kyoto with 
the strong leadership of the Vice President. They are critical to 
America's ability to maintain our leadership in cutting-edge industries 
that will power the global economy of the new century.
    Half our economic growth in the last half-century has come from 
technological innovation and the science that supports it. The 
information, communications, and electronics industries already employ 
millions of Americans in jobs that can pay up to 73 percent above the 
national average. Firms that use advanced technologies are more 
productive and profitable than those which do not.
    But technological innovation also depends upon Government support in 
research and

[[Page 2048]]

development. Let me give you just two examples. Five years ago, the 
Internet was unknown to most Americans. Today, thanks to farsighted 
investments, tens of millions of Americans surf the Web on a daily 
basis, and our investments in the next generation Internet will give our 
universities and national labs a powerful research and communication 
tool. Five years ago, the mystery of the human genetic system was only 
partly known. Today, Government-funded scientists have discovered genes 
linked to breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and our human genome project 
is revolutionizing how we understand, treat, and prevent some of our 
most devastating diseases.
    These ground-breaking innovations could not have happened without 
dedication, downright genius, and Government investment. Today I'm 
pleased to announce $96 million in new research and investments to 
continue that progress.
    First, the Defense Department will invest $14 million to help our 
universities, in partnership with private industry, to develop a new 
supercomputer on a chip, among other new projects. These chips will be 
no larger than my fingernail, but their computing power will be 25,000 
times greater than this entire mainframe computer. Let me try to 
illustrate; this is the size of the chip. It equals 25,000 of those. 
Pretty good work. [Laughter] This technology, once developed, will make 
possible everything from faster, cheaper home computers to advanced 
weapons systems to cleaner, more efficient car engines and many, many 
others.
    Second, the Commerce Department's advanced technology program will 
sponsor a series of private-sector competitions for $82 million in new 
grants to foster innovations like cleaner energy sources that reduce 
greenhouse gases, low-cost methods of producing lifesaving drugs, and 
radio-transmitting ID cards that can help to locate lost children, to 
name just a few. These investments will help to usher in a new era of 
discovery we can only dream of today.
    Benjamin Franklin once said he was sorry to have been born so soon 
because he would not, and I quote, ``have the happiness of knowing what 
will be known 100 years hence.'' It's hard to imagine what he would 
think if he were here, 200 years later. I'm sure he'd be filled with awe 
and pride that the American tradition of innovation he helped to 
establish is still driving our Nation forward.
    And who knows what will be known in only 25 years, whom we will be 
honoring: the researchers who find cures for cancer, perhaps scientists 
who discover life on other planets, the engineers who devise new energy 
sources to preserve our environment and sustain our economy for 
generations to come. The discoveries of tomorrow will be made possible 
by the scientists of today and by our continued commitment to their 
passionate quest.
    Now I am honored to present the men and women with the National 
Medals of Science and Technology. Please read the citations.

[At this point, Lt. Comdr. Wes Huey, USN, Navy aide to the President, 
read the citations, and the President presented the medals and 
congratulated the recipients.]

    The President. Give them all a hand here. [Applause]

[A group photograph was then taken.]

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 9:45 a.m. in Room 450 of the Old Executive 
Office Building.