    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 17 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
    [Pages 751-759]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks in a Discussion at Cisco Systems, Inc., in San Jose, California

    April 21, 2006

        The President. I'm thrilled, John. Thanks for coming. This is going
    to be an interesting discussion, I hope, for you, because it's going to
    talk about how America intends to shape our future and not fear the
    future. That's what we're really here to talk about--interesting
    challenges facing the country.
        Yesterday--one reason you're so nice is because I invited him to
    lunch at the White House yesterday. [Laughter]
        John Chambers. Thank you.
        The President. He and Elaine came, and we had lunch with Hu Jintao,
    the President of China. And sitting there during the lunch, I was
    thinking about people's fears about whether or not we can compete
    against a country like China. If you really think about a global economy
    and a global world--there's some folks that say, ``Well, maybe we can't
    compete in the long run.''
        My attitude is just the opposite. Not only can we compete, we must
    compete and remain a leader of the world. And that's what we're here to
    talk about--how you do that. And before we do that, I do want to thank
    John and the good folks here at Cisco for hosting us. It's not easy to
    host the President. [Laughter]
        Mr. Chambers. That's for sure. [Laughter]
        The President. Our entourages are quite large. [Laughter] But I
    thank you for having me. I am excited to be at one of America's most
    innovative companies. And I was asking John--20 years ago, how many
    employees were there? There were zero. Ten years, maybe 6,000; today,
    47,000 highly trained, highly competent, skilled folks that are helping
    to change America and countries around the world as well. So thanks for
    having us. It's wonderful to be in entrepreneurial heaven.
        I also am honored to be here with the Governor. I cannot thank you
    enough for coming, Arnold. It's really thoughtful of you to be here. He
    is a--really an interesting man, a person--[laughter]. He didn't have to
    run for office but chose to do so, and I admire that in you. I admire
    somebody who doesn't always take the comfortable way in life, in order
    to serve something greater than himself. And I appreciate your service;
    I really do.
        Traveling with me today is Norm Mineta, a Cabinet Secretary. Mr.
    Secretary, thank you for coming. Norm Mineta is a person who has been
    able to--[applause]. He said, ``I'm glad to fly on Air Force One; I just
    wished you would have landed at Mineta Field.'' And his son, David, is
    here today. More importantly than son, David, being here, is tomorrow, I
    think, is David's daughter's birthday. So we've got the grandfather and
    the father. Thank you all for coming, and thanks for serving the country
    so well, Norm.
        I appreciate Mayor Ron Gonzales of the City of San Jose joining us.
    Mr. Mayor, thank you for being here. I appreciate your time. I want to
    thank my friend Floyd Kvamme who is the cochair of the President's
    Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, as well as George
    Scalise, who is with us as well. Thank you all for serving. I
    appreciate--there is Floyd; thanks for coming.
        And Lezlee Westine, it's good to see you, Lezlee. Thank you for
    coming, appreciate your service in my administration.
        Our economy is good. It's real good, and we intend to keep it that
    way. The fundamental question is, though, can it be that way 5 years
    from now or 10 years from now? And my answer is, absolutely, if we do
    some wise things. I happen to believe it's wise to keep taxes low so
    that people have incentive to invest and save and spend.
        I know we're going to have to do something about energy. I aim to be
    a competitive nation. Part of a competitive agenda means

    [[Page 752]]

    that we have got to deal with problems short-term and long-term, and
    we've got a problem when it comes to our dependence on oil. I know the
    folks here are suffering at the gas pump. Rising gasoline prices is like
    taking a--is like a tax, particularly on the working people and the
    small-business people.
        I pledge to the people here of California that if we find any price
    gouging, it will be dealt with firmly.
        I also recognize that our dependence on oil, and in the fact that we
    live in a global economy, is causing gasoline prices to go up. And the
    fundamental strategy to keep us competitive is to get off oil. Tomorrow
    I'm going to be in Sacramento to talk about your very innovative idea of
    hydrogen-powered automobiles. I'll be talking about plug-in hybrid
    automobiles that will enable people to drive on electricity for the
    first 40 miles. I'm going to be talking about our investment in ethanol
    to make sure--all of it, by the way, is aimed to making America
    competitive by changing our driving habits and our dependence upon oil.
        We have got to do so for not only economic reasons but for national
    security reasons as well. It's really important for people to understand
    that as the Indian economy grows or the Chinese economy grows, they need
    fossil fuel. And as they buy fossil fuel, it affects our price. And
    therefore, it's in our national interest to diversify as quickly as
    possible away from our reliance upon hydrocarbons--particularly oil--
    when it comes to our automobiles. And I'm convinced we can do so when we
    put our mind to it.
        A flexible economy, an economy that is not over-regulated is going
    to be necessary to keep us competitive. But the most important thing, in
    my judgment, to keep us competitive, is for the United States to remain
    on the leading edge of technology and to make sure we've got an
    education system that works.
        First, let me talk about technology. I do believe it is a proper use
    of Federal taxpayer money to double the R&D commitment in--to physical
    sciences at the Federal level. I believe it makes sense to spend
    taxpayers' money on research and development out of the Federal
    Government, because I have seen what expenditure of that kind of money
    has done in practical ways. And so have you. You may not realize it, but
    it was investment by the Defense Department that ultimately led to the
    Internet, which has kind of helped your business a little bit, John.
    [Laughter]
        Interestingly enough, tomorrow I'm going to be riding my bike in
    Napa Valley. I can't wait. I'll be plugged into an iPod. A lot of the
    reason the iPod exists is because of Federal research dollars. And
    therefore, I think it makes sense to spend your money on research at the
    Federal level in the basic sciences, to make sure that the United States
    of America remains the innovative center of the world.
        Secondly, I recognize that most money spent on research comes from
    the private sector. I suspect you spend a lot of money on research.
        Mr. Chambers. About $3 billion a year.
        The President. Three billion a year. I think it makes sense to
    encourage the private sector to spend the $200 billion a year we do
    total--$3 billion right out of Cisco.
        One way to do so is through the Tax Code. The research and
    development tax credit makes a lot of sense. Interestingly enough, the
    research and development tax credit expires on a regular basis. And
    therefore, people have to come, hat in hand, to Congress and say, ``Oh,
    save us.'' Unfortunately, it is difficult to plan for some companies if
    you're worried about whether or not the research and development tax
    credit exists.
        Therefore, to keep us on the leading edge of change, to make sure
    we're the innovative capital of the world, Congress needs to make the
    research and development tax credit a permanent part of the Tax Code.
        People have got to understand that if we don't educate our children
    in math and science, jobs are going to go to other countries. It's as
    simple as that. The jobs of the 21st century are going to require a
    skill level much different from when you and I got out of college. You
    did get out of college, yes? [Laughter] Look, I don't need to be
    talking; I barely got out myself. [Laughter]
        I mean, face it, we've got to have a different set of skills.
    History may not cut it. Math and science are going to be vital to make
    sure that this country educates the engineers, the chemists, the
    physicists--the

    [[Page 753]]

    types of folks that John Chambers and Francois are going to be looking
    for to hire. That's what we're really talking about.
        It starts, however, with making sure the public school system does
    its job in early grades. If I might, I'd just like to take a second to
    talk about the spirit behind the No Child Left Behind Act. I believe
    that the Federal Government should continue its role of providing money
    for Title I students, the poor students. I think that is a good use of
    your money.
        However, I do believe that in return for the expenditure of that
    money, it makes sense for us to ask whether or not we're getting our
    money's worth. That means whether or not a child is learning to read and
    write and add and subtract. I believe strongly that every child can
    learn, and therefore, I believe, there must be an accountability system
    in place to make sure that every child is learning.
        And so we passed the No Child Left Behind Act. Believe it or not, it
    was a bipartisan measure. Sometimes that can happen in Washington, DC--
    not enough, I fully concede. But it happened in this case, where we
    passed the No Child Left Behind Act that says to California or Texas or
    any other State: ``Develop an accountability system in return for this
    money, to show us whether or not a child can read at grade level by the
    third grade and remain at grade level.'' That's not too much to ask, is
    it?
        And so measurement is a central part, in my judgment, of holding
    people to account, of being able to figure out whether curriculum is
    working. We had all kinds of debates in Texas over the reading
    curriculum--what worked, what didn't work. The best way to determine
    what works is to have an accountability system. And that means the
    Governor or this local school board can say, ``We were doing just fine
    when we compare how we're doing to the school district next door.'' Or
    if you're not doing just fine, it gives, at least, parents and those
    concerned citizens a tool to say, ``You've got to change. Mediocrity is
    unacceptable. We're not going to accept the fact that children can't
    read by the fourth grade anymore in America.''
        If you're a reformer--Chambers is a reformer; he is unwilling to
    accept the status quo; he can't afford to accept the status quo in order
    to be competitive in this world. The accountability system gives people
    the opportunity to say, ``We demand change.''
        Interestingly enough, there is an achievement gap in America, but
    it's narrowing. Our fourth grade African American kids and our fourth
    grade Hispanic kids are beginning to improve in measurable ways, and
    that's really positive for the future of the country. And for the
    teachers who are working hard to meet the challenges of No Child Left
    Behind, the Governor and I both thank you a lot.
        We're doing fine in eighth grade math, by the way, because we
    measure. But when kids start heading into high school, the position of
    the United States relative to other countries for our beginning high
    school kids in math and science is not good enough. Like, we're 15th in
    the world, or something like that. We don't want to be 15th in the
    world; we want to be first in the world when it comes to teaching our
    children math and science.
        So here are some ideas. First, we ought to apply the same rigor to
    math that we've applied to reading. In reading, we measure early, and
    we've got supplemental service money, which means after-school tutorial
    money available for children who are not meeting standards. In other
    words, we measure, and we correct. That makes a lot of sense. We need to
    do the same thing in junior high math. So the Federal Government is
    going to make supplemental service money available for students who are
    falling behind in math right before they get into high school.
        That's one way to correct the problem, is to measure, to identify,
    and to solve. And that's what we intend to do through the new math
    initiative.
        Second, we've got to make sure that we understand what works. And so
    I put together a national math panel with math experts that will help
    develop curriculum and teaching tools so that we can say to the States
    and local school districts, here's what the experts think. Instead of
    kind of grasping for what might be relevant and might work, we're
    actually calling people together who know what they're talking about--
    just like we

    [[Page 754]]

    did in reading--and say, here, here's what you need to try in order to
    meet the standards.
        Thirdly, there are programs which work--and I bet you've got them
    here in California--and it's called the Advanced Placement program. It's
    a program that sets high standards and has classroom rigor. One of the
    problems we have is not enough teachers know how to teach AP. I'm going
    to ask the Congress to fund enough money to help train 70,000 teachers
    so they can become prepared to teach Advanced Placement.
        I went to a great school in Dallas that--inner-city school, it's not
    one of these suburban deals; it's inner-city, and the principal claimed
    that they were the leading high school in the country in terms of kids
    passing AP. You know, Texans tend to, kind of, put it out there in a way
    that--[laughter]. Whether it's first or not, what mattered was, there
    was a group of kids from all walks of life, different neighborhoods, all
    of them passing AP in math and science. They are going to be the leaders
    of the future. They're going to be our scientists and our chemists and
    our physicists. And we've got to make sure that that opportunity is
    available in more classrooms.
        Secondly, we went to a school the other day in suburban Maryland.
    There were two NASA employees there. These guys, as part of their job at
    NASA, were detailed to junior high classroom. And the reason why is--we
    call them adjunct professors--and the reason why is, is that sometimes
    it's not cool to be in the sciences. And these people make it at least
    seem relevant. And so we're going to attract 30,000 adjunct professors
    around the country to go into classrooms to say, ``This is why science
    and math are not only cool but are the ticket to a great future for
    you.''
        We've expanded our Pell grants. There's now 5 million kids in
    America getting Pell grants. It's a million more than 5 years ago. And
    I'm a believer in Pell grants; I think they make sense. But at Tuskegee
    the other day, I announced a new initiative that provides additional
    incentive for high school kids who qualify for Pell grants to take
    rigorous course loads. As a matter of fact, in the first 2 years of
    college, if you take a rigorous course load in high school and maintain
    a 3.0 GPA, you'll get $750--up to $750 additional on your Pell grant and
    up to $1,500 additional in your second year. If you take math and
    science or a critical language in college and maintain a 3.0 GPA, you
    can get up to an additional $4,000 on top of your current Pell grant.
    And the idea is to say that we believe everybody can learn, and there
    ought to be tangible incentives to encourage children to get the skills
    necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
        One of the reasons I'm so pleased the Governor is here is because
    there needs to be a collaborative effort between the Federal Government
    and the State government and the community college system and the
    private sector in order for us to achieve this important national
    objective, and that is for there to be excellence in math and science
    all throughout our society. And so the Governor is here to talk about
    California's role in--to making sure that not only California is
    competitive but that the country is competitive. When California does
    things well, it affects the country. And so when you are a part of this
    competitive initiative, it will help give confidence to others that
    we're doing the right thing.
        And so, welcome. Why don't you share with us some of your thoughts
    about what you're doing here.
        Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, thank you, Mr. President.
    First of all, I want to say congratulations on----
        The President. On what?
        Gov. Schwarzenegger. ----on really paying attention----
        The President. Oh. [Laughter]
        Gov. Schwarzenegger. ----to the competitiveness initiative.

    [At this point, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California made brief
    remarks.]

        The President. One part of the infrastructure that John Chambers and
    I talked about today was to make sure that broadband is available, high-
    speed broadband is available to nearly every American. And we're working
    it hard; we're making progress. I asked John today how we're doing. He
    said, ``There is momentum, but we've got a lot of room to

    [[Page 755]]

    catch up in terms of being competitive. Others countries are doing--have
    done a better job than we have.''
        We're making progress. And the reason I bring it up is, I just want
    you to know that I know it's important that we've got broadband highways
    all throughout the country so people can have access to it.
        One of the interesting things that the Governor and I just saw was
    some of the amazing innovation that's taking place here in Cisco. So we
    get on--we're looking in the camera, and all of a sudden up comes four
    people, and it's like they're right here. [Laughter] It was an amazing
    innovation that you're doing. And it just reminded me how important
    innovation is and why Cisco is doing well--it's because it's an
    innovative company with innovative people and an innovative CEO.
        And so, again, thanks for having me. I'm interested in your
    thoughts.
        Mr. Chambers. Mr. President, I think you said it right. The economy
    is good; jobs are good; and what we have today is because of our
    education from before. But we use network academies, and we put them
    around the world. It's a program that trains young people for getting
    jobs in the high-tech industry and using it in a practical way.
        The President. Network academy--what does that exactly mean? Some
    guy listening out there isn't going to know----
        Mr. Chambers. Well, there's a little bit of sizzle to it. [Laughter]
    What it is, is it trains people to build that highway that you talked
    about. And it trains people, instead of getting jobs in areas that
    really don't have much demand, you get jobs where there's a lot of
    demand. In fact, we can't meet it in this country. And they usually get
    30 to 50 percent higher pay because they've done that.
        The neat thing is, we're training 100,000 Americans in this area.
    The challenge is----
        The President. Cisco is training----
        Mr. Chambers. ----in network academies, with our colleges and high
    schools--so we generate the program. The challenge, however, is our
    competition globally is even moving faster on the math and science.
    China and India graduate 10 times the number of Ph.D.s we do. They have
    a population four times our size in each of those countries. We all--do
    the math--that creates a challenge for us. So it's about being the best
    and brightest in each of our organizations, and we have one of the
    students here who is just awesome at that. We've got to do better.

        The President. Yes. Again, so you took it upon yourself as an
    interested corporate citizen to provide employees to train others?

        Mr. Chambers. Started with a university system, an idea with one
    single employee, and we wired all of our schools, but nobody maintained
    it. So we began to train the students to maintain the system. It worked
    in one area, and then it spread globally.

        The President. What John said is really interesting. It is very
    important for our citizens to understand that education helps you get
    higher pay.

        Mr. Chambers. And jobs.

        The President. And a job, yes. It's hard to get higher pay without
    the job. [Laughter]

        Mr. Chambers. You got me. [Laughter]

        The President. I know, you're building--[laughter].

        Anyway, but people have got to understand that, one, it's not too
    late to go back to school. And secondly, there's a lot of really
    interesting opportunities to get the skills necessary to have the jobs
    that are going to be available in the 21st century. John Chambers just
    described one such avenue. You're doing 100,000 people--educating
    100,000 people here?

        Mr. Chambers. In this country--400,000 worldwide.

        The President. I appreciate that. One of the interesting things
    about America is the fact that there are corporate citizens who
    understand the problem that America faces, and they're doing their part.
    It's amazing how much training goes on within corporate America, and I
    appreciate your leadership on this. And I hope others who are interested
    in making sure this country is competitive do their part, as well, to
    reach out and train people. Use your skills and your expertise to give
    people the skills necessary, so we can remain a competitive nation.

        I suspect here in Silicon Valley there's a lot of job training going
    on, which is really important.

    [[Page 756]]

        Mr. Chambers. There is. We train locally, but we also are taking
    something, Mr. President, I think you would find extremely interesting.
    We took the terrible hurricane experience in our gulf coast, and we're
    working with Mississippi to redo their education system. We're putting
    $40 million of our own money into building a 21st century education
    system. We'll start with 52,000 students, 7 school districts, and take
    one of the States whose probably 49th in terms of math and science and
    see if we can't make an example of where it goes, with the teachers
    becoming the innovators, with the students not having--[inaudible].
    We'll put a wireless mesh over top of the whole community. And,
    literally, building our students not just to catch up but to lead in
    math and science.
        The President. I appreciate it. It's a great gesture, thanks.
        Added value in education can come in all different ways, as I said.
    And one such place is in our community college system. You've got a
    great community college system here in California. I know you're a
    strong supporter. Dr. Fong is with us, who is--tell us what you do, Doc.
    [Laughter]
        Bernadine Chuck Fong. A lot of things.
        The President. Well, you're the president of?
        Ms. Fong. I'm president of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. It's
    right near here.
        The President. Right. Close friend, by the way, of Condoleezza Rice.
        Ms. Fong. That's right--and Stanford buddies.
        The President. She's doing well.
        Dr. Fong. Yes, she is. [Laughter] Please say hello to her for me.
    And we'll keep her out of the NFL, if possible.
        The President. That's right, yes. Please. [Laughter] I need her
    advice. [Laughter]

    [Ms. Fong made brief remarks.]

        The President. Explain the academy, how Cisco works with you. I
    think people will be interested in this--I'm interested in it.
    [Laughter]
        Ms. Fong. The Cisco Academy is basically a degree program, and they
    will get a degree in network enterprise, and they will also get a Cisco
    certificate, and it trains individuals. We start, actually, with high
    school students. You've met two our students today who are Foothill
    students, but they're actually, currently also enrolled in high school.
    They want to be computer engineers ultimately, but they wanted to get a
    head start, so they're in our Cisco Academy.

    [Ms. Fong made further remarks.]

        The President. And it's called Cisco Academy because you helped
    design the curriculum?
        Mr. Chambers. We designed the curriculum, but it's implemented
    through the colleges and high schools. There is no social promotion. The
    grades--everyone knows how you compare both within the States and
    globally.
        The President. See, what's interesting about the community
    colleges--and I know the Governor knows this--is that they're about as
    market oriented as you can get. Community colleges are available;
    they're very flexible. In other words, the curricula can adjust
    depending upon the local needs. They're innovative. They're willing to
    take a Cisco program, implement it in the community college. They're
    very practical. In other words, they train people for jobs which
    actually exist.
        And it's--[laughter]--it's vital, and I appreciate it. And I know
    the Governor understands that, and we understand at the Federal level.
    We've got pretty good grant money--$150 million in the '07 budget,
    coming to help train workers. I just want people to understand that if
    you're wondering whether or not you're too old to go back to college,
    you're not. There is plenty of money available to help you go back. And
    2 years of additional education can enhance your salary a lot. It makes
    you more productive, and a more productive worker is one whose standard
    of living will go up.
        The community college system is, I think, one of America's greatest
    treasures, and I appreciate you, Dr. Fong, for being here. Thanks for
    your--[applause].
        Ms. Fong. Well, the Governor is also a product of our community
    college system.
        The President. Is he?
        Gov. Schwarzenegger. Absolutely, yes. Actually, I also want to just
    add that our community colleges are doing an extraordinary

    [[Page 757]]

    job with career tech and vocational education. It's really amazing the
    kind of things that they do. Because I think it is so important to
    recognize that, yes, we want to stress 4-year college, and, yes, we want
    to inspire kids to go to higher education and all this. But there are
    many kids that want to do--get into different professions. They want to
    be a carpenter or plumber, or they want to be a chef or a computer
    technician or a nurse--great professions with a great future and great
    salaries and all this. I think that community colleges here in the State
    are really doing an extraordinary job to prepare them for those jobs.
        The President. Good. Thank you. Good job.
        Temp Keller.
        Temp Keller. Yes, Mr. President.
        The President. You know, you probably don't want to answer this
    question, but, like, how does a guy get named ``Temp''? [Laughter]
        Mr. Keller. She's actually sitting right over there in the third
    row.
        The President. Is she? [Laughter] Well, that's a good answer. You
    know what, I'll just wait and ask her behind the stage. [Laughter]
        Welcome. Tell people what you do. Tell people what you have done
    with your program. It's really interesting.
        Mr. Keller. It would be my honor, and thank you all for having me.
        I'm the founder and president of an organization called RISE:
    Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators. And the fundamental
    idea behind RISE is we are going to revolutionize the way that this
    country recognizes and retains good, effective teachers in public
    schools serving low-income communities.

    [Mr. Keller made further remarks.]

        The President. And so how does your deal work?
        Mr. Keller. What we do--two very simple things. We essentially, one,
    identify good, effective teachers in low-income communities. Now, I'm
    sure there's a lot of people here in the room and listening that say,
    ``Well, that's not an easy thing to do.''
        The way that we do it, though, and what makes RISE truly innovative
    and truly unique is that we ask teachers. We say to them, ``How do you
    know you're any good at what you do? You went into teaching to make a
    difference. Demonstrate that you're making a difference.''

    [Mr. Keller made further remarks.]

        The President. Nothing better than being around a social
    entrepreneur. [Laughter]
        Mr. Keller. That's right.
        The President. Here's your chance. How do you raise money?
    [Laughter]
        Mr. Keller. Well----
        The President. Does corporate California support your program?
        Mr. Keller. They do. We have----
        The President. It's in corporate California's interest that you
    succeed.

    [Mr. Keller made further remarks.]

        The President. God, I love a guy who is enthusiastic about what he's
    doing. [Laughter] Thanks. By the way, I also know East Palo Alto.
    Vermeil, my buddy Vermeil. Actually, the students came to the South Lawn
    one time. It's a great school. Thanks, thanks for doing what you're
    doing.
        Francois, step up to the mike here, my man.

    [Francois Henley, president and chief executive officer, Silicon Genesis
    Corporation, made brief remarks.]

        The President. We want people coming here, or who live here, to feel
    comfortable starting their own business. I love the fact that I am the
    President of a country where people can start with nothing except an
    idea and desire and hard work, and end up owning your own business. And
    Arnold is right--we've got to make sure the environment for
    entrepreneurship remains strong throughout our country if we want to be
    on the leading edge.
         How fantastic is it that a guy comes from Montreal to realize his
    dreams? And you're employing people--who knows, you may hit on the thing
    that makes solar energy the source--I actually believe, one of these
    days, we're going to have homes that become little power generating
    units unto themselves, and if you don't use electricity, you'll feed it
    back into the grid. And maybe you're the guy. Maybe one of these days--
    [laughter]. Don't

    [[Page 758]]

    take this marketing too far, you know. [Laughter] One camera bank, and
    he goes crazy. [Laughter]
         Thanks for coming. I love your story. Good luck. I wish you all the
    best.
         He talked about patents. Basically he's talking about making sure
    it's easy to protect his ideas. What also I want you to know that I
    talked to President Hu Jintao about--and I know John Chambers says, as
    well, over in China--is we expect the same treatment for our products
    that are patented here in the United States, overseas. Intellectual
    property rights is a vital part of making sure a trading world is a fair
    trading world. And I spent time yesterday with the President, in a very
    respectful way, but a firm way, reminding him that if he's to be a good
    trading partner with the United States, that when Cisco sells a product
    there or Francois eventually sells a product there, that property needs
    to be--that intellectual property inherent in that property needs to be
    protected and respected.
        Final person. We're saving probably the best for the last, wouldn't
    you say, Arash? [Laughter]
        Arash Shokouh. Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. President. [Laughter]
    That's right.
        The President. You are a dash student?
        Mr. Shokouh. Yes.
        The President. Where?
        Mr. Shokouh. I'm a computer engineering student at San Jose State
    University. I'm also minoring in mathematics, as well as film acting.
        The President. Interesting. [Laughter] I got the strategy.
    [Laughter] Why did you major in the first two subjects? [Laughter]
        Mr. Shokouh. That's the first time I've been asked that. [Laughter]
    Well, I decided to do computer engineering because all my life I've been
    a complete computer nerd, always playing with computers, electronics,
    taking them apart, destroying them. I mean, my parents wouldn't really
    let me go too close to the television without somebody to supervise, but
    that's basically why. [Laughter]
        The President. And your dreams?
        Mr. Shokouh. I hope to, after I graduate from San Jose State
    University, I want to go on to pursue an MBA degree and hopefully start
    a small business designing consumer electronics components--plan A. Plan
    B, to go into a small startup where I can help lead the direction of the
    product, design the product.
        The President. And so, when did you start having this kind of notion
    about where your life would like to go?

    [Mr. Shokouh made brief remarks.]

        The President. You know what's interesting--why don't you tell folks
    your family history real quick, if you don't mind.
        Mr. Shokouh. Absolutely. I'm an Iranian American, and my parents,
    who are sitting right back there, are from Iran. My mom and dad came
    here at around 1980, and me and my sister were born here in San Jose.
        The President. I love America, a country that welcomes people. We've
    got to be a welcoming society. And our soul is renewed when people
    escape societies that can be really repressive and have a son like
    Arash, who sits here with the President and the Governor, talking about
    dreams. See, this is a country that has always got to be a place where
    people can dream big dreams and achieve them.
        The question facing America is, will we lose our confidence and
    become an isolated nation? Will we lose our confidence and our ability
    to compete in the global marketplace and become a protectionist nation?
    And the answer is, absolutely not. We will not lose our confidence. And
    here is part of our strategy to make sure that the United States of
    America continues to be the leader. And it's important for people to
    understand that being the economic leader of the world means that it's
    more likely you'll have a better job, and it's more likely you'll be
    able to realize your dreams, and it's more likely our standard of living
    will continue to rise.
        And that's the challenge ahead of us. It truly is. And I want to
    thank those who are here to help make the case why our citizens have got
    to be confident about the United States of America's place in the world
    and why we should never relinquish our standing in the world because we
    fear the future. We welcome it. We welcome competition, and we know
    we've got to put a strategy in place to be able to deal with that
    competition. And

    [[Page 759]]

    you're hearing the foundation for that strategy here today.
        I want to thank you all for lending your expertise. Thanks for
    joining me. God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:57 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    John T. Chambers, president and chief executive officer, Cisco Systems,
    Inc.; George Scalise, member, President's Council of Advisors on Science
    and Technology; Lezlee Westine, Deputy Assistant to the President and
    Director of Public Liaison; and Donald E. Vermeil, member, J. William
    Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The transcript released by the
    Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of Gov.
    Schwarzenegger. These remarks were not received in time for publication
    in the appropriate issue.