[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 27 (Monday, July 10, 2006)]
[Pages 1296-1297]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at Cabot Microelectronics Corporation in Aurora, Illinois

July 7, 2006

    The President. Listen, thanks for the tour. The Speaker and I really 
enjoyed coming. Bill, appreciate you.
    William P. Noglows. It's an honor.
    The President. It is an honor to be here.
    This is an innovative company that is a sign of the times that are 
coming. This is a company that strives upon our country's greatest 
asset, which happens to be the brainpower of our citizens. And what's 
amazing as you walk through the labs and meet the people working here, 
you say, ``What's your degree in?'' Let me just say, there wasn't a lot 
of history majors--physicists, chemists, Ph.D.s, people with advanced 
degrees. It is clear that in order for this country of ours to be 
competitive in the future, we've got to understand the nature of the 
jobs of the future, and these jobs are going to require people who have 
got math and science skills.
    And so one way to make sure this country is competitive is to 
enhance math and science in early grades and encourage people to take 
math and science in the later years. And there's all kinds of ways to do 
that. One is to encourage Advanced Placement programs in our Nation's 
schools and help train 30,000 teachers in Advanced Placement. Another is 
to get people from institutions like this to go into our middle schools 
and high schools and say, ``It's okay to be a scientist,'' you know, 
``Math and science will be important for your future.'' In other words, 
try to inspire people. We call that an adjunct professor program.
    We've got a role at the Federal Government to make sure that we're 
research oriented in a technology-driven economy, and that is to spend 
your money on basic research, so that, for example, nanotechnology is a 
really important part of the economy--an important growing part of the 
economy. And I believe and the Speaker believes--as a matter of fact the 
House of Representatives believes that it makes sense to double the 
basic research budget of our Federal Government to help companies like 
this stay on the leading edge of change.
    And so we're here because we want our fellow citizens to understand 
that we've got some really innovative people here in our country, and 
that in order for us to be competitive in the future, we've got to 
emphasize math and science and research and technology.
    And so I want to congratulate you for running a good company. I want 
to thank the people who work here for making you look good. And I thank 
the Speaker for getting a bill out of the House that funds the American 
Competitiveness Initiative that I sent up to Congress. The Speaker did 
good work on that. I call upon the Senate to get it done. This will be a 
commitment to our Nation's future, so that people won't have to fear the 
future, because we intend to shape the future.
    Anyway, thanks for letting us come by. Proud to be here. You're a 
great company. Thanks for the good work you do. God bless.

[[Page 1297]]

Note: The President spoke at 2:12 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
William P. Noglows, chairman and chief executive officer, Cabot 
Microelectronics Corp. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of these remarks.