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OSTP [Office of Science and Technology Policy]
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Records pertain to the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: 2005-0336-F 2005-0336-F FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records Collection/Office of Origin: Chief of Staff, White House Office of Series: Card, Andrew, Files Subseries: OA/ID Number: 08374 Folder ID Number: 08374-010 Folder Title: OSTP [Office of Science and Technology Policy] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 10 16 6 2 DCF, THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON 12/23 Document Originally Attached to Following Page Date: 12/23/91 TO: Sam Skinner FROM: ANDY CARD AC HAS SEEN Action Your Comment Let's Talk X FYI what I talked wallan. Nothing Document Originally Attached to Following Page THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON AC HAS SEEN December 17, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR ANDY CARD FROM: D. ALLAN BROMLEY man SUBJECT: Another Leak When Dr. Joseph Broz joined me last Fall as a White House Fellow I asked him to try to pull together as much data as possible about small U.S. businesses, their funding, dynamics, purchase, etc. Since then he has made very substantial progress in pulling together a previously unavailable database relevant to these companies -- companies that have been responsible for a very disproportionate fraction of the job creation and innovation in this country in the past decade. Copies of a very preliminary analysis of these data were made available to John Sununu, Boyden Gray and Mike Boskin for comments and suggestions as well as to several of the industrial members of PCAST. All were told that the study was at a very preliminary stage and that the material should be closely held. In parallel with the data analysis a few of us spent a little time thinking about what policy suggestions might flow from the data in the tax, regulation and related areas of major importance to small businesses. These thoughts were very preliminary, and in some cases, clearly half-baked; they were for discussion and rough evaluation only. Because Joe Broz needed some assistance and because OSTP had originally agreed to take on Mark DeSantis, a former member of Senator Heinz' staff, for a temporary period following the Senator's death, and because Mark had finished his original assignment, I asked him to assist Joe through the end of his OSTP appointment on December 31 of this year. Joe Broz, Mark DeSantis and others in OSTP were well aware that there was to be no release of any part of this study prior to its review within OSTP and eventually the EOP. Unfortunately, as the attached memo from Joe Broz and the attached brief news report shows, Mark DeSantis talked to a reporter in Joe Broz' absence from the office, and even more unfortunately focussed on one of the discussion topics capital gains taxes (on which the data do have a significant bearing) with the remark quoted. I have no idea where the "State of the Union" idea originated nor do I have any idea what may appear in the January National Journal where we have been told there will be a much longer piece. Obviously I have taken steps to again alert my staff to the "loose lips" peril but this is already out. Given the earlier unhappiness regarding press reports on critical technologies I certainly did not need this one on capital gains taxation! Comments or suggestions would be welcome. December 16, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR DR. D. ALLAN BROMLEY FROM: DR. JOSEPH S. BROZ R. SUBJECT: UNAUTHORIZED AND PREMATURE RELEASE OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE SMALL, HIGH-TECH BUSINESS STUDY In recognition of OSTP's firm policy concerning unauthorized release of information, I must notify you that unauthorized information has appeared in the December 14, 1991 issue of the National Journal, "Inside Washington" section (p. 3005). This piece quotes unknown "White House sources" and erroneously claims that we are developing a capital gains tax cut package for inclusion in the State of the Union address. Directly after this statement, a temporary and junior member of our staff is quoted in a context which gives a damaging veneer of authenticity to the piece. The staff member acknowledges having spoken with the Journal reporter, but states that he gave none of the information reported in the piece other than the misrepresented quotation. To my knowledge, and after considerable investigation, no member of the OSTP staff immediately connected to the study claims to have made to the press any statements regarding details of the analysis, tax policies or small business issues as was stated in the publication. Apparently, an unknown source has contributed much of the information to the press regarding our efforts. There are indications that the reporter involved may be preparing a larger article on small high-tech business to be published by the same journal in January. It is impossible for me to predict the scope and content of the forthcoming article since unknown sources are involved, nor can I assess the degree to which it might damage the Administration or compromise the efforts of OSTP. My primary concern regarding this "leak" does not rest with the numerical specifics of the analysis which are fully substantiated and from entirely public sources, but rather, I am disturbed about the possibility that some very preliminary, discussion-level policy options that have been internally discussed in the context of small, high-tech business may be represented as actual Administration policy. Given the hidden nature of the sources, I cannot say whether these internal and privileged discussions have been publicly disclosed at this time. INSIDE WASHINGTON Stumping for Yes, Times Tax Credits Still Change Automakers and other big Congress struggled last month U.S. manufacturers are clam- against isolationist fever-and oring on Capitol Hill for a lukewarm Bush Administra- restoration of a favorite tax tion-to appropriate $400 mil- preference-the investment lion to help the Soviet Union tax credit, repealed in 1986. destroy its nukes. The idea And they're getting a recep- failed in the House as part of a tive hearing. Some main- $1 billion aid package and stream economists say an passed the Senate (and later ITC, which would permit the House) in scaled-down companies to subtract a por- form only after Richard G. tion of their plant and equip- Lugar, R-Ind., Sam Nunn, D- ment spending from their tax Ga., and David L. Boren, D- bill, would provide a much Okla., assembled a coalition. bigger investment bang for Now, the Administration is the buck than would a cut in glad to have the aid. "I can't the capital gains tax. And think of anything that is more some Democrats say the ITC in the national security inter- could credibly serve as the est of the United States growth component of a Dem- Secretary of State James A. ocratic fairness-and-growth Baker III said last weekend. economic policy package. Or- ganized-labor representatives, who traditionally have op- the White House's Office of posed the ITC as a corporate Science and Technology Poli- Move Over, Doonesbury subsidy for replacing workers cy is quietly developing a pro- with machines, remain skepti- posal for capital gains cut tar- Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D- petitiveness. "Inept, insensi- cal but are willing to explore geted for small business that Calif., eyeing an election-year tive and arrogant" were new prospects. White House sources say is showdown, minced no words among Waxman's assess- likely to be included in Presi- at a Dec. 10 hearing of his ments. Although Republicans dent Bush's January State of Energy and Commerce Sub- blasted the "partisan witch- the Union address. "We'd like committee on Health and the hunt," Waxman called for a And Cuts to think we were first out of Environment, which is prob- criminal investigation of possi- the gate on this," said Mark F. ing Vice President Dan ble conflict-of-interest charges After decades of languishing DeSantis, a policy analyst in Quayle's leadership of the against Allan B. Hubbard, the in the background politically, the science office. President's Council on Com- council's executive director. Dress Right (or Else)! The military's obsession with couture seems unquenchable. In the mid 1980s, the Navy was convulsed over whether aviators should wear brown shoes with winter uniforms. With the air service having wrapped up multimillion-dollar uniform redesign, Air&Force Times reports, a new edict will ban crew neck T-shirts with open-collar uniforms-to enhance the esprit de corps essential to an effective military force, the brass say. What is so professional about the appearance of a large amount of chest hair coming from a man's open shirt collar ?!! Times read- er gripes. 4 believe that a neat, clean crew neck projects a more positive.image. NATIONAL JOURNAL 12/14/91 3005 AC HAS SEL. of To Brant KSeaway And THE WASHINGTON WHITE HOUSE for RECEIVED DEC 20 1991 December 19, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR ANDREW H. CARD FROM: D. ALLAN BROMLEY Anan SUBJECT: PRESIDENTIAL TRAVEL Pursuant to your memorandum of December 17 requiring notification of staff assistance on the President's trip to Australia and the Far East, Mrs. Sara R. Bowden will accompany me. With the President's approval, I would like to join the President's traveling group in Korea and Japan where there are important science and technology components to the visits. Mrs. Bowden and I plan to fly commercial to Korea arriving on January 4, 1992. After joining the President's party, I would then return with the President. AC HAS SEEN THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON RECEIVED DEC 24 1991 December 19, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR ANDREW H. CARD DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FROM: D. ALLAN BROMLEY Amai THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBJECT: Presidential Travel No the fank. Rike Pursuant to your memorandum of December 17 requiring notification of staff assistance on the President's trip to Australia and the Far East, Mrs. Sara R. Bowden will accompany me. With the President's approval, I would like to join the President's traveling group in Korea and Japan where there are important science and technology components to the visits. Mrs. Bowden and I plan to fly commercial to Korea arriving on January 4, 1992. After joining the President's party, I would then return with the President. Plo. copies and Sam Darman THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON AC HAS SEEN December 17, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR ANDY CARD FROM: D. ALLAN BROMLEY Mar SUBJECT: Another Leak When Dr. Joseph Broz joined me last Fall as a White House Fellow I asked him to try to pull together as much data as possible about small U.S. businesses, their funding, dynamics, purchase, etc. Since then he has made very substantial progress in pulling together a previously unavailable database relevant to these companies companies that have been responsible for a very disproportionate fraction of the job creation and innovation in this country in the past decade. Copies of a very preliminary analysis of these data were made available to John Sununu, Boyden Gray and Mike Boskin for comments and suggestions as well as to several of the industrial members of PCAST. All were told that the study was at a very preliminary stage and that the material should be closely held. In parallel with the data analysis a few of us spent a little time thinking about what policy suggestions might flow from the data in the tax, regulation and related areas of major importance to small businesses. These thoughts were very preliminary, and in some cases, clearly half-baked; they were for discussion and rough evaluation only. Because Joe Broz needed some assistance and because OSTP had originally agreed to take on Mark DeSantis, a former member of Senator Heinz' staff, for a temporary period following the Senator's death, and because Mark had finished his original assignment, I asked him to assist Joe through the end of his OSTP appointment on December 31 of this year. Joe Broz, Mark DeSantis and others in OSTP were well aware that there was to be no release of any part of this study prior to its review within OSTP and eventually the EOP. Unfortunately, as the attached memo from Joe Broz and the attached brief news report shows, Mark DeSantis talked to a reporter in Joe Broz' absence from the office, and even more unfortunately focussed on one of the discussion topics -- capital gains taxes (on which the data do have a significant bearing) with the remark quoted. I have no idea where the "State of the Union" idea originated nor do I have any idea what may appear in the January National Journal where we have been told there will be a much longer piece. Obviously I have taken steps to again alert my staff to the "loose lips" peril but this is already out. Given the earlier unhappiness regarding press reports on critical technologies I certainly did not need this one on capital gains taxation! Comments or suggestions would be welcome. December 16, 1991 MEMORANDUM FOR DR. D. ALLAN BROMLEY FROM: DR. JOSEPH S. BROZ R. SUBJECT: UNAUTHORIZED AND PREMATURE RELEASE OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE SMALL, HIGH-TECH BUSINESS STUDY In recognition of OSTP's firm policy concerning unauthorized release of information, I must notify you that unauthorized information has appeared in the December 14, 1991 issue of the National Journal, "Inside Washington" section (p. 3005). This piece quotes unknown "White House sources" and erroneously claims that we are developing a capital gains tax cut package for inclusion in the State of the Union address. Directly after this statement, a temporary and junior member of our staff is quoted in a context which gives a damaging veneer of authenticity to the piece. The staff member acknowledges having spoken with the Journal reporter, but states that he gave none of the information reported in the piece other than the misrepresented quotation. To my knowledge, and after considerable investigation, no member of the OSTP staff immediately connected to the study claims to have made to the press any statements regarding details of the analysis, tax policies or small business issues as was stated in the publication. Apparently, an unknown source has contributed much of the information to the press regarding our efforts. There are indications that the reporter involved may be preparing a larger article on small high-tech business to be published by the same journal in January. It is impossible for me to predict the scope and content of the forthcoming article since unknown sources are involved, nor can I assess the degree to which it might damage the Administration or compromise the efforts of OSTP. My primary concern regarding this "leak" does not rest with the numerical specifics of the analysis which are fully substantiated and from entirely public sources, but rather, I am disturbed about the possibility that some very preliminary, discussion-level policy options that have been internally discussed in the context of small, high-tech business may be represented as actual Administration policy. Given the hidden nature of the sources, I cannot say whether these internal and privileged discussions have been publicly disclosed at this time. INSIDE WASHINGTON Stumping for Yes, Times Tax Credits Still Change Automakers and other big U.S. manufacturers are clam- Congress struggled last month oring on Capitol Hill for against isolationist fever-and restoration of a favorite tax a lukewarm Bush Administra- preference-the investment tion-to appropriate $400 mil- tax credit, repealed in 1986. lion to help the Soviet Union And they're getting a recep- destroy its nukes. The idea tive hearing. Some main- failed in the House as part of a stream economists say an $1 billion aid package and ITC, which would permit passed the Senate (and later companies to subtract a por- the House) in scaled-down tion of their plant and equip- form only after Richard G. ment spending from their tax Lugar, R-Ind., Sam Nunn, D- bill, would provide a much Ga., and David L. Boren, D- bigger investment bang for Okla., assembled a coalition. the buck than would a cut in Now, the Administration is the capital gains tax. And glad to have the aid. "I can't some Democrats say the ITC think of anything that is more could credibly serve as the in the national security inter- est of the United States growth component of a Dem- ocratic fairness-and-growth Secretary of State James A. Baker III said last weekend. economic policy package. Or- ganized-labor representatives, who traditionally have op- the White House's Office of posed the ITC as a corporate Science and Technology Poli- Move Over, Doonesbury subsidy for replacing workers cy is quietly developing a pro- with machines, remain skepti- posal for capital gains cut tar- Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D- cal but are willing to explore petitiveness. "Inept, insensi- geted for small business that Calif., eyeing an election-year tive and arrogant" were new prospects. White House sources say is showdown, minced no words among Waxman's assess- likely to be included in Presi- at a Dec. 10 hearing of his ments. Although Republicans dent Bush's January State of Energy and Commerce Sub- blasted the "partisan witch- And Cuts the Union address. "We'd like committee on Health and the hunt," Waxman called for a to think we were first out of Environment, which is prob- criminal investigation of possi- the gate on this," said Mark F. ing Vice President Dan After decades of languishing ble conflict-of-interest charges DeSantis, a policy analyst in Quayle's leadership of the in the background politically, against Allan B. Hubbard, the the science office. President's Council on Com- council's executive director. Dress Right (or Else)! The military's obsession with couture seems unquenchable. In the mid-1980s, the Navy was convulsed over whether aviators should wear brown shoes with winter uniforms. With the air service having wrapped up a multimillion-dollar uniform redesign, Air Force Times reports, a new edict will ban crew neck T-shirts with open-collar uniforms-to enhance the esprit de corps essential to an effective military force,' the brass say. "What is so professional about the appearance of a large amount of chest hair coming from a man's open shirt collar a Times read- er gripes. 4 believe that a neat, clean crew neck projects a more positive image." NATIONAL JOURNAL 12/14/91 3005