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Knoxville Community 2/19/92 [OA 6097] [1]
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26
17
6
6
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
ONLY 2
February 18, 1992
to incorporale-
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMARES
FROM:
ANDY FERGUSON
ASt
Browling+
CAB AFFS.
SUBJECT:
REMARKS TO KNOXVILLE COMMU
I. SUMMARY
DARMAN??
Tomorrow, February 19, at 11:45
1,000 business and community leaders
about the role of research and techi
growth.
II. DISCUSSION
The remarks (15 minutes, on teleprompter) come after a
tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where you will
witness a public-private research agreement to be signed by
Secretary Watkins.
Note that the basic shape of these remarks will remain
the same, but we have not yet incorporated comments from
OMB, Cabinet Affairs, and Policy Development.
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Three
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments. Tennessee is a state with special
significance for me -- after all, it's the volunteer state.
During Operation Desert Storm you proved it all over again. Let
me take this opportunity to thank the 6,700 Tennessee reservists
and National Guard who were called up for Desert Storm and who
served this state, served this country with distinction.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the enthusiasm of cutting-edge research, the resources of
government and the energy of private enterprise. You are pointing
our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. As imperial communism
died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America stands
alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
-- each and every one of them. But the new era opens up to us
limitless possibilities, fresh challenges of the kind that have
always brought out the best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a two-part plan, starting with a
2
short-term package -- seven common sense steps to spur investment
and create jobs. With inflation down and interest rates lower
than they've been in 20 years, our plan offers incentives to
business to buy equipment, upgrade their plants and start hiring
again. It offers a real boost to the housing market -- often at
the forefront of economic recovery -- with a $5,000 tax credit
for first-time homebuyers.
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. [You may
have heard about other tax plans floated on Capitol Hill. The
House Democrats are offering 25 cents-a-day in middle-income tax
relief in exchange for cuts in Medicare, student loans, farm
payments and a permanent tax on upper-income Americans. Their
plan will deepen the deficit by $30 billion and cost jobs as
well. That's a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one.]
Here in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your
country. No more games. Pass our plan and get this economy
moving again.
Then we must look forward, beyond the short-term into the
next century. Believe it or not, looking forward has become a
more radical notion than it sounds. From some quarters, we hear
the dim voice of defeatism, that tin trumpet sounding retreat.
We're told that our future lies in turning away from the world,
pulling down the shades and hoping the rest of the world just
goes away.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
3
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future must embrace challenges, not cut
and run. It must push back the frontiers of knowledge and
technology, and use our great strengths of individual initiative
and determination. If we do, the America of the future will
compete, and it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge that their opportunities
will be greater than ours. Our generation will make good on that
pledge -- but only if we continue to lead the world.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
5
Engine of Economic Growth. That is the mission. That is the
challenge of the '90s.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
one of our greatest strengths: research and development. I've
asked for a record investment in R&D: $76 billion next year
alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion for research in energy
technologies to improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion,
clean coal technologies and alternatives to petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
6
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic scientific and technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
These incredible technologies can't just sit in the science
books -- they need to work for America. So we're moving them out
of the laboratory and into the marketplace. We've been busy
sweeping away the obstacles that inhibit the transfer of
technology from the government to private enterprise. Just over
a year ago, I signed a bill that allows private industries to
take competitive advantage of government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
7
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. In fact, the cutting-
tool company Hertel has decided to locate one of its
manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the scientists and
facilities there. Hertel joins 23 other companies that have
moved to your area for the same reason. That's the bottom-line
of these agreements: jobs for Knoxville, jobs for America.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete still stand in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs -- and
the time to lower it is now.
8
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each one of these measures has world-shaping implications.
There is a strategy for a competitive, vigorous America, and it
springs from a vision of what our future should be. The great
blessing of our country is that we Americans have the power to
create our own future. We have that extraordinary opportunity
once again: to guarantee that when our children attend school,
they receive the best education in the world -- and that when
they leave school, they enter a growing economy with good jobs of
their choosing. Let us never forget: The future we plan for
today belongs to them.
I am fortunate to be President at an exciting time in our
history. The world still looks to this great country -- we have
so much to be grateful for, and I am proud to serve as your
President.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
# # # #
Following communts
Document 30861555 No.
have been reviewed
WI registed or taken:
RANDUM
Demonest
Calio.
Porter
2
DATE: 2/18/92
Rollas
Rogicoh
N/C
DUE
BY:
2:00 TODAY
Moore
SUBJECT: PRESIDENTI
Petersmayer
Scow
RIUM-COLISEUM
Smith
Findly
X- Gray
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE notice
bootleg N/Cnic K 6538
SCOWCROFT Rostow
MOORE 2533 phone
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
comments @3
BROMLEY 7116
ROGICH N/L
CALIO
Mc
ROLLINS
NK
DEMAREST
SMITH
FITZWATER
BOSKIN
GRAY Swanson 2607312
FINDLAY 6594
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm.
122, x2930, no later than 2:00 TODAY, Tuesday, February 18,
with a copy to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Two
92 FEB 18 All : 09
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments, humor, Tennessee color.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the resources of government, the enthusiasm of cutting-edge
research and the energy and inventiveness of private enterprise.
You are pointing our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. In the last year imperial
communism died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America
stands alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
proudly. But the new era opens up to us limitless possibilities,
fresh challenges of the kind that have always brought out the
best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a short-term plan -- seven common
sense steps -- to spur investment and create jobs. With
inflation down and interest rates at historic lows, my short-
term plan offers the stimulus our economy needs and lays the
groundwork for a strong recovery.
2
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. And here
in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your country. America
can no longer wait. [Placeholder for tax insert.] Pass my plan
and get this economy moving again.
With my plan in place, we must look forward, beyond the
short-term into the next century. Believe it or not, looking
forward has become a more radical notion than it sounds. Even
now, in this moment of great triumph for America, we hear from
some quarters the dim voice of defeatism, a tinny trumpet
sounding retreat. We're told that our future lies in turning
away from the world, in isolating our country behind some wall of
protection to re-create a simpler, less challenging past.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future will pull down barriers, not build
them up. It will embrace challenges, not cut and run. It will
push back the frontiers of knowledge and technology, not pine for
an irretrievable past. And because of this, when the America of
the future competes, it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
3
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge to our children and
grandchildren that their lives will be better than ours -- that
their standard of living will be higher, that their opportunities
will be greater. Our generation will make good on its pledge
only if we continue to lead the world, and as president I hold
this promise as a solemn vow.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy targets both.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
4
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Joining with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
I set a series of education goals, and one of the most important
was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be first in
math and science. Yes, it's an ambitious goal. That's why we've
set it.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
level. To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of America's best scientists
were engaged in winning the cold war. The new era will free up
those priceless talents to concentrate on the technologies of
tomorrow -- improving productivity and guaranteeing our longterm
prosperity. We will transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
Engine of Economic Growth.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
5
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
our strenths: research and development. I've asked for a record
investment in R&D: $76 billion this year alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion in technologies to
improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion and alternatives to
petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
6
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
Our challenge will be to put these incredible technologies
to work for America, to move them out of the laboratory and into
the marketplace. We've been busy sweeping away the obstacles
that inhibit the transfer of technology from the government to
private enterprise. Just over a year ago, I signed a bill that
allows private industries to take competitive advantage of
government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. This kind of agreement
means jobs: the cutting-tool company Hertel has decided to locate
one of its manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the
scientists and facilities there.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
7
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete have stood in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs. The
time to lower is now.
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each of these measures I've spoken of this afternoon springs
from a vision of what our future should be. The great blessing
of our country has always been that we Americans create our own
future. This is no less true today than it was in the 19th
century, when a vast frontier opened up before us and the
Industrial Revolution promised unprecedented prosperity.
8
In this century, with confidence in themselves and faith in
their talents, Americans made good on the dreams of their
grandparents. Our grandchildren and their children will do the
same for us, if we hold to the same confidence and faith, if we
face the future unafraid, if today we bravely lay the foundation
for the world they will enjoy tomorrow.
# # # #
KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
THANK YOU, SENATOR BAKER FOR THAT KIND
INTRODUCTION. MY GREETINGS TO MAYOR ASHE AND THE OTHER
KNOXVILLE COMMUNITY LEADERS HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO
SALUTE MY TWO CABINET MEMBERS HERE WITH ME: SECRETARY
fand?
OF ENERGY JIM WATKINS AND EDUCATION SECRETARY LAMAR
ALEXANDER.
((YOU MAY KNOW THAT LAMAR, AS PART OF HIS MISSION
TO PROMOTE LIFELONG LEARNING, CONVINCED ME TO LEARN HOW
TO USE A COMPUTER. IT'S REALLY PAID OFF. NOW I CAN
50/50
MAKE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS TWICE AS FAST.))
AND I WANT TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO CONGRESSMEN JIMMY
DUNCAN, JIMMY QUILLEN, AND DON SUNDQUIST.
Howard Strength
previdenty
- 2 -
TENNESSEE IS A STATE WITH SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR
ME. AFTER ALL, IT'S THE VOLUNTEER STATE. AND DURING
OPERATION DESERT STORM YOU PROVED IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE 6,700
TENNESSEE RESERVISTS AND NATIONAL GUARD WHO WERE CALLED
UP FOR DESERT STORM AND WHO SERVED THIS STATE, SERVED
*
THIS COUNTRY WITH DISTINCTION.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE IN KNOXVILLE, FOR WHAT YOU
HAVE DONE HERE IS A MODEL FOR THE NATION. KNOXVILLE
COMBINES IN ONE PLACE THE ENTHUSIASM OF CUTTING-EDGE
RESEARCH, THE RESOURCES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE ENERGY OF
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. YOU ARE POINTING OUR COUNTRY TOWARD
THE NEXT AMERICAN CENTURY.
WE STAND TODAY AT A PIVOT POINT IN HISTORY -- AT
THE END OF ONE ERA AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER. AS
IMPERIAL COMMUNISM DIED, AND AS THE CLOUDS OF THE COLD
WAR PART, AMERICA STANDS ALONE, THE UNDISPUTED LEADER
A
OF THE WORLD.
- 3 -
THE OLD ERA DEMANDED GREAT SACRIFICES OF OUR
COUNTRY; WE MET THEM -- EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
BUT THE NEW ERA OPENS UP TO US LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES,
FRESH CHALLENGES OF THE KIND THAT HAVE ALWAYS BROUGHT
OUT THE BEST IN AMERICA.
FOR THE SHORT TERM, OF COURSE, OUR CHALLENGE IS TO
FIRE UP THE ECONOMY. I'VE PUT TOGETHER A TWO-PART
PLAN, STARTING WITH A SHORT-TERM PACKAGE -- SEVEN
COMMON SENSE STEPS TO SPUR INVESTMENT AND CREATE JOBS.
WITH INFLATION DOWN AND INTEREST RATES LOWER THAN
THEY'VE BEEN IN 20 YEARS, OUR PLAN OFFERS INCENTIVES TO
BUSINESS TO BUY EQUIPMENT, UPGRADE THEIR PLANTS AND
START HIRING AGAIN. IT OFFERS A REAL BOOST TO THE
HOUSING MARKET OFTEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ECONOMIC
RECOVERY - WITH A $5,000 TAX CREDIT FOR FIRST-TIME
*
HOMEBUYERS.
- 4 -
I'VE ASKED CONGRESS TO PASS MY PLAN BY MARCH 20.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT OTHER TAX PLANS FLOATED ON
CAPITOL HILL. THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE OFFERING 25
CENTS-A-DAY IN MIDDLE-INCOME TAX RELIEF IN EXCHANGE FOR
CUTS IN MEDICARE, STUDENT LOANS, FARM PAYMENTS AND --
TRUE TO FORM -- A LARGE, PERMANENT TAX INCREASE. THEIR
PLAN WILL DEEPEN THE DEFICIT BY $30 BILLION AND COST
JOBS AS WELL. THAT'S A LOSE-LOSE PROPOSITION IF EVER
THERE WAS ONE. HERE IN KNOXVILLE, LET ME AGAIN REMIND
THE CONGRESS: WE'RE A MONTH AND A DAY AWAY FROM THE
DEADLINE. HELP YOUR COUNTRY. NO MORE GAMES. PASS OUR
#
PLAN AND GET THIS ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN.
THEN WE MUST LOOK FORWARD, BEYOND THE SHORT-TERM
INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, LOOKING
FORWARD HAS BECOME A MORE RADICAL NOTION THAN IT
SOUNDS. FROM SOME QUARTERS, WE HEAR THE DIM VOICE OF
DEFEATISM, THAT TIN TRUMPET SOUNDING RETREAT. WE'RE
TOLD THAT OUR FUTURE LIES IN TURNING AWAY FROM THE
WORLD, PULLING DOWN THE SHADES AND HOPING THE REST OF
THE WORLD JUST GOES AWAY.
- 5 -
DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE TOUGH TALK AND PATRIOTIC
BLUSTER: PROTECTIONISM COMES FROM FEAR -- FEAR THAT
AMERICAN WORKERS CAN'T COMPETE -- FEAR THAT AMERICAN
INGENUITY IS SPENT - -- FEAR THAT WE MUST TURN AWAY FROM
THE WORLD BECAUSE WE CAN NO LONGER LEAD THE WORLD.
THAT'S NOT THE FUTURE I SEE FOR THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
THE AMERICA OF THE FUTURE MUST EMBRACE CHALLENGES,
NOT CUT AND RUN. IT MUST PUSH BACK THE FRONTIERS OF
KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND USE OUR GREAT STRENGTHS
OF INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE AND DETERMINATION. IF WE DO,
THE AMERICA OF THE FUTURE WILL COMPETE, AND IT WILL
A
WIN.
- 6 -
THIS CENTURY HAS TAUGHT US MANY LESSONS. BUT ABOVE
THEM ALL STANDS AN OVERARCHING TRUTH: IF AMERICA IS TO
ECONOMICALLY
SUCCEED ECONOMICALLY AT HOME, WE MUST LEAD ABROAD. OUR
LEADERSHIP ENSURES MARKETS FOR AMERICAN PRODUCTS AND
JOBS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS; IT GIVES US ROOM TO SPREAD
OUR WINGS AND SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE CAN DO. LET US
NEVER FORGET: OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL IS THE EAGLE, NOT THE
A
OSTRICH.
EACH GENERATION OF AMERICANS MAKES AN IMPLICIT
COMPACT WITH THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW: WE PLEDGE
THAT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE GREATER THAN OURS.
OUR GENERATION WILL MAKE GOOD ON THAT PLEDGE -- BUT
ONLY IF WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WORLD.
- 7 -
so FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS MY ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR AMERICA'S CONTINUED
LEADERSHIP, IN THE WORLD WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS PIVOT
POINT IN HISTORY -- THIS MOMENT OF UNPARALLELED
OPPORTUNITY -- WITH A POSITIVE STRATEGY TO BUILD ON THE
ENDURING STRENGTHS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: OUR
CAPACITY FOR HARD WORK, OUR CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,
OUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS.
TO CONTINUE AS THE WORLD'S ECONOMIC LEADER WE MUST
EXCEL IN TWO VITAL AREAS: EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
THAT'S WHERE OUR FUTURE LIES. OUR STRATEGY MUST TARGET
BOTH -- AND IT DOES.
- 8 -
AMERICAN SCIENCE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. WE'VE
GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SAME IS TRUE OF AMERICAN
SCIENCE EDUCATION. TOMORROW'S MARKETPLACE WILL DEMAND
WORKERS HIGHLY-SKILLED IN MATH AND SCIENCE.
TENNESSEANS KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, AND I THANK
YOU FOR LENDING ME YOUR FORMER GOVERNOR AND U.T.
PRESIDENT, LAMAR ALEXANDER. THROUGH OUR AMERICA 2000
EDUCATION
EDUCATION STRATEGY, WE'RE GETTING THE MESSAGE TO THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY.
Biportism
WORKING WITH THE NATION'S GOVERNORS, SECRETARY
ALEXANDER AND I SET SIX AMBITIOUS EDUCATION GOALS, AND
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS THIS: BY THE YEAR 2000,
AMERICA'S STUDENTS WILL BE FIRST IN THE WORLD IN MATH
AND SCIENCE.
- 9 -
THE BUDGET I'VE RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
CALLS FOR MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN MATH AND SCIENCE
EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THAT'S MORE THAN A 120 PERCENT
INCREASE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS FOR PROGRAMS AT THE
PRE-COLLEGE LEVEL. JUST TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS LAST
IN KNOXVILLE, I MENTIONED THAT OUR ENERGY SECRETARY,
JIM WATKINS, HAD JOINED UP WITH U.T. AND OAK RIDGE TO
START A NEW MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMY FOR AMERICA'S
TEACHERS.
ONCE AGAIN, TENNESSEE SET THE PACE FOR THE COUNTRY.
TO BETTER TRAIN TEACHERS, WE PLAN TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER
OF MATH AND SCIENCE INSTRUCTORS RECEIVING FEDERALLY-
ASSISTED IN-DEPTH INSTRUCTION IN THEIR FIELD. THIS
YEAR, ALMOST HALF THE NATION'S PRECOLLEGE MATH AND
SCIENCE TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE SOME FEDERALLY-FUNDED
TRAINING.
- 10 -
IN THE OLD ERA NOW ENDING, MANY OF OUR BEST
SCIENTISTS HELPED AMERICA WIN THE COLD WAR. THE NEW
ERA WILL FREE UP THOSE PRICELESS TALENTS TO TRANSFORM
THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY INTO THE ENGINE OF ECONOMIC
GROWTH. THAT IS THE MISSION. THAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF
THE '90S.
BUT IT WILL TAKE THE RIGHT KIND OF INVESTMENTS --
THE KIND WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR THREE YEARS. THESE HAVE
BEEN TOUGH DECISIONS. THIS YEAR, I'VE ASKED FOR A
FREEZE ON DISCRETIONARY DOMESTIC SPENDING -- WHICH
MEANS THAT ANY INCREASES HAVE TO BE THE RESULT OF HARD
THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIES. WE'VE DONE THE HARD
THINKING. AND WE'VE MADE A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION. OUR
FUTURE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS DEMANDS THAT WE INVEST
TODAY IN ONE OF OUR GREATEST STRENGTHS: RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT. I'VE ASKED FOR A RECORD INVESTMENT IN
R&D:' $76 BILLION NEXT YEAR ALONE.
LET ME GIVE YOU JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT THIS
MEANS.
- 11 -
THIS YEAR WE'RE INVESTING $803 MILLION TO ASSIST
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH-
PERFORMANCE COMPUTING SYSTEM 1000 TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN TODAY'S COMPUTER. SUCH A SYSTEM WILL FORECAST
DROUGHTS AND HURRICANES, DESIGN BETTER AIRCRAFT, AND
UNLOCK THE RIDDLE OF THE GENOME.
WE'RE INVESTING MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR RESEARCH
IN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY --
NUCLEAR FUSION, CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES AND
ALTERNATIVES TO PETROLEUM.
WE'RE INVESTING ALMOST $1.5 BILLION IN
TRANSPORTATION R&D. TO RELIEVE OUR OVERBURDENED
HIGHWAYS AND AIRPORTS, WE'RE STIMULATING RESEARCH IN
NEW TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS INTELLIGENT
VEHICLE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS AND HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
- 12 -
WE'RE INCREASING INVESTMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH -- FOR A TOTAL OF MORE THAN $4 BILLION -- SO
THAT WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WORLD IN CONQUERING
DISEASE AND RELIEVING WORLD HUNGER. THIS RESEARCH CAN
PAY DIVIDENDS UNDREAMED OF JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, NOT
ONLY IN HEALTH CARE BUT IN MANUFACTURING, ENERGY, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. ONE RECENT DEVELOPMENT:
MICROORGANISMS THAT EMIT LIGHT SIGNALS WHEN THEY
ENCOUNTER POLLUTION IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND THERE'S MUCH MORE: SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES FOR
THE SUPERCONDUCTING SUPERCOLLIDER, AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED MATERIALS.
WE WILL DOUBLE THE BUDGET FOR THE NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION -- HOME TO SOME OF OUR MOST FANTASTIC
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.
- 13 -
AND FOR A GENERATION, WHEN AMERICANS HAVE LOOKED TO
THE FUTURE THEY HAVE LOOKED TO THE STARS. WE'RE
INTENSIFYING OUR EFFORTS TO EXPLORE THE MOON AND THE
PLANETS -- A QUEST THAT NOT ONLY LIFTS OUR SPIRITS BUT
BRINGS TANGIBLE BENEFITS IN NEW TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMIC
GROWTH.
THESE INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES CAN'T JUST SIT IN THE
SCIENCE BOOKS -- THEY NEED TO WORK FOR AMERICA. so
WE'RE MOVING THEM OUT OF THE LABORATORY AND INTO THE
MARKETPLACE. WE'VE BEEN BUSY SWEEPING AWAY THE
OBSTACLES THAT BLOCK THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY FROM
THE GOVERNMENT TO PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. JUST OVER TWO
YEARS AGO, I SIGNED A BILL THAT ALLOWS PRIVATE INDUSTRY
TO TAKE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT RESEARCH.
- 14 -
THERE ARE 675 PUBLIC-PRIVATE AGREEMENTS ACTIVE
TODAY. IN FACT, I JUST WITNESSED ANOTHER ONE OUT AT OAK
RIDGE THIS MORNING. COORS STRUCTURAL CERAMICS COMPANY
AND OAK RIDGE WILL BE PERFECTING A NEW CERAMIC MATERIAL
THAT'S TOUGHER THAN STEEL. IN FACT, COORS HAS DECIDED
TO LOCATE IN THIS AREA, TO BE NEAR THE SCIENTISTS AND
FACILITIES AT OAK RIDGE. COORS JOINS MORE THAN 20
OTHER COMPANIES THAT HAVE MOVED TO YOUR AREA FOR THE
SAME REASON. THAT'S THE BOTTOM-LINE OF THESE
AGREEMENTS: JOBS FOR KNOXVILLE, JOBS FOR AMERICA.
OUR NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE BRINGS
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TOGETHER WITH PRIVATE BUSINESSES
TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN OFFER IN NEW
TECHNOLOGY. THIS INITIATIVE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCES AT OUR NATIONAL LABS, INCLUDING
OAK RIDGE, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE.
- 15 -
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE: GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS
SETTING AN INDUSTRIAL POLICY, PICKING WINNERS AND
LOSERS AND PROTECTING FAVORED INDUSTRIES FROM MARKET
FORCES. THE LIGHTNING PACE OF TODAY'S ECONOMY IS TOO
QUICK, TOO VITAL FOR THE DEADENING HAND OF THE
BUREAUCRAT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD ONLY IF WE GIVE
THE MARKETPLACE FULL PLAY. A COMPETITIVE MARKET CUTS
FAT, ENCOURAGES EFFICIENCY AND REWARDS INNOVATION.
THAT'S WHY FOR THREE YEARS WE'VE TRIED TO
ENCOURAGE PRIVATE VENTURE CAPITAL. AMERICA TAXES
CAPITAL GAINS AT A RATE HIGHER THAN ANY OF OUR WORLD
fact of
COMPETITORS, YET THE SAME PESSIMISTS WHO COMPLAIN WE
CAN'T COMPETE STILL STAND IN THE WAY OF LOWER CAPITAL
GAINS TAXES. LET'S PUT AN END TO THAT SELF-DEFEATING
NONSENSE. CONGRESS MUST LOWER THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX TO
CREATE JOBS -- AND THE TIME TO LOWER IT IS NOW.
X
- 16 -
FINALLY, WE'VE ASKED CONGRESS TO MAKE THE R&E TAX
CREDIT A PERMANENT PART OF THE TAX CODE. FOR PRIVATE
COMPANIES, THIS CREDIT REDUCES THE COST OF RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT BY AS MUCH AS 20 PERCENT. AMERICAN
BUSINESSES MUST BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE KNOWING
THOSE SAVINGS ARE SECURE.
EACH ONE OF THESE MEASURES HAS WORLD-SHAPING
IMPLICATIONS. THERE IS A STRATEGY FOR A COMPETITIVE,
VIGOROUS AMERICA, AND IT SPRINGS FROM A VISION OF WHAT
OUR FUTURE SHOULD BE. THE GREAT BLESSING OF OUR
COUNTRY IS THAT WE AMERICANS HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE
OUR OWN FUTURE. WE HAVE THAT EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY
ONCE AGAIN: TO GUARANTEE THAT WHEN OUR CHILDREN ATTEND
SCHOOL, THEY RECEIVE THE BEST EDUCATION IN THE WORLD
-- AND THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE SCHOOL, THEY ENTER A
**
GROWING ECONOMY WITH GOOD JOBS OF THEIR CHOOSING. LET
US NEVER FORGET: THE FUTURE WE PLAN FOR TODAY BELONGS
TO THEM.
- 17 - -
I AM FORTUNATE TO BE PRESIDENT AT AN EXCITING TIME
IN OUR HISTORY. THE WORLD STILL LOOKS TO THIS GREAT
COUNTRY FOR LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL
*
FOR, AND I AM PROUD TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT.
GOD BLESS YOU, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
# # # #
KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
THANK YOU, SENATOR BAKER FOR THAT KIND
INTRODUCTION. MY GREETINGS TO MAYOR ASHE AND THE OTHER
KNOXVILLE COMMUNITY LEADERS HERE TODAY. I'D LIKE TO
SALUTE MY TWO CABINET MEMBERS HERE WITH ME: SECRETARY
band?
OF ENERGY JIM WATKINS AND EDUCATION SECRETARY LAMAR
ALEXANDER.
((YOU MAY KNOW THAT LAMAR, AS PART OF HIS MISSION
TO PROMOTE LIFELONG LEARNING, CONVINCED ME TO LEARN HOW
TO USE A COMPUTER. IT'S REALLY PAID OFF. NOW I CAN
50/50
MAKE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS TWICE AS FAST.)
AND I WANT TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO CONGRESSMEN JIMMY
DUNCAN, JIMMY QUILLEN, AND DON SUNDQUIST.
Howard into leadership strength
previdency
- 2 -
TENNESSEE IS A STATE WITH SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR
ME. AFTER ALL, IT'S THE VOLUNTEER STATE. AND DURING
OPERATION DESERT STORM YOU PROVED IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE 6,700
TENNESSEE RESERVISTS AND NATIONAL GUARD WHO WERE CALLED
UP FOR DESERT STORM AND WHO SERVED THIS STATE, SERVED
*
THIS COUNTRY WITH DISTINCTION.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE IN KNOXVILLE, FOR WHAT YOU
HAVE DONE HERE IS A MODEL FOR THE NATION. KNOXVILLE
COMBINES IN ONE PLACE THE ENTHUSIASM OF CUTTING-EDGE
RESEARCH, THE RESOURCES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE ENERGY OF
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. YOU ARE POINTING OUR COUNTRY TOWARD
THE NEXT AMERICAN CENTURY.
WE STAND TODAY AT A PIVOT POINT IN HISTORY - -- AT
THE END OF ONE ERA AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER. AS
IMPERIAL COMMUNISM DIED, AND AS THE CLOUDS OF THE COLD
WAR PART, AMERICA STANDS ALONE, THE UNDISPUTED LEADER
A
OF THE WORLD.
- 3 -
THE OLD ERA DEMANDED GREAT SACRIFICES OF OUR
COUNTRY; WE MET THEM -- EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
BUT THE NEW ERA OPENS UP TO US LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES,
FRESH CHALLENGES OF THE KIND THAT HAVE ALWAYS BROUGHT
OUT THE BEST IN AMERICA.
FOR THE SHORT TERM, OF COURSE, OUR CHALLENGE IS TO
FIRE UP THE ECONOMY. I'VE PUT TOGETHER A TWO-PART
PLAN, STARTING WITH A SHORT-TERM PACKAGE -- SEVEN
COMMON SENSE STEPS TO SPUR INVESTMENT AND CREATE JOBS.
WITH INFLATION DOWN AND INTEREST RATES LOWER THAN
THEY'VE BEEN IN 20 YEARS, OUR PLAN OFFERS INCENTIVES TO
BUSINESS TO BUY EQUIPMENT, UPGRADE THEIR PLANTS AND
START HIRING AGAIN. IT OFFERS A REAL BOOST TO THE
HOUSING MARKET - OFTEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ECONOMIC
RECOVERY - WITH A $5,000 TAX CREDIT FOR FIRST-TIME
*
HOMEBUYERS.
- 4 -
I'VE ASKED CONGRESS TO PASS MY PLAN BY MARCH 20.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT OTHER TAX PLANS FLOATED ON
CAPITOL HILL. THE HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE OFFERING 25
CENTS-A-DAY IN MIDDLE-INCOME TAX RELIEF IN EXCHANGE FOR
CUTS IN MEDICARE, STUDENT LOANS, FARM PAYMENTS AND --
TRUE TO FORM : A LARGE, PERMANENT TAX INCREASE. THEIR
PLAN WILL DEEPEN THE DEFICIT BY $30 BILLION AND COST
JOBS AS WELL. THAT'S A LOSE-LOSE PROPOSITION IF EVER
THERE WAS ONE. HERE IN KNOXVILLE, LET ME AGAIN REMIND
THE CONGRESS: WE'RE A MONTH AND A DAY AWAY FROM THE
DEADLINE. HELP YOUR COUNTRY. NO MORE GAMES. PASS OUR
A
PLAN AND GET THIS ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN.
THEN WE MUST LOOK FORWARD, BEYOND THE SHORT-TERM
INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, LOOKING
FORWARD HAS BECOME A MORE RADICAL NOTION THAN IT
SOUNDS. FROM SOME QUARTERS, WE HEAR THE DIM VOICE OF
DEFEATISM, THAT TIN TRUMPET SOUNDING RETREAT. WE'RE
TOLD THAT OUR FUTURE LIES IN TURNING AWAY FROM THE
WORLD, PULLING DOWN THE SHADES AND HOPING THE REST OF
THE WORLD JUST GOES AWAY.
- 5 -
DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE TOUGH TALK AND PATRIOTIC
BLUSTER: PROTECTIONISM COMES FROM FEAR - FEAR THAT
AMERICAN WORKERS CAN'T COMPETE -- FEAR THAT AMERICAN
INGENUITY IS SPENT -- FEAR THAT WE MUST TURN AWAY FROM
THE WORLD BECAUSE WE CAN NO LONGER LEAD THE WORLD.
THAT'S NOT THE FUTURE I SEE FOR THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
THE AMERICA OF THE FUTURE MUST EMBRACE CHALLENGES,
NOT CUT AND RUN. IT MUST PUSH BACK THE FRONTIERS OF
KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY, AND USE OUR GREAT STRENGTHS
OF INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE AND DETERMINATION. IF WE DO,
THE AMERICA OF THE FUTURE WILL COMPETE, AND IT WILL
A
WIN.
- 6 -
THIS CENTURY HAS TAUGHT US MANY LESSONS. BUT ABOVE
THEM ALL STANDS AN OVERARCHING TRUTH: IF AMERICA IS TO
ECONOMICALLY
SUCCEED ECONOMICALLY AT HOME, WE MUST LEAD ABROAD. OUR
LEADERSHIP ENSURES MARKETS FOR AMERICAN PRODUCTS AND
JOBS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS; IT GIVES US ROOM TO SPREAD
OUR WINGS AND SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE CAN DO. LET US
NEVER FORGET: OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL IS THE EAGLE, NOT THE
A
OSTRICH.
EACH GENERATION OF AMERICANS MAKES AN IMPLICIT
COMPACT WITH THE GENERATIONS THAT FOLLOW: WE PLEDGE
THAT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE GREATER THAN OURS.
OUR GENERATION WILL MAKE GOOD ON THAT PLEDGE -- BUT
ONLY IF WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WORLD.
- 7 -
SO FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS MY ADMINISTRATION HAS
BEEN LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR AMERICA'S CONTINUED
LEADERSHIP, IN THE WORLD WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS PIVOT
POINT IN HISTORY -- THIS MOMENT OF UNPARALLELED
OPPORTUNITY -- WITH A POSITIVE STRATEGY TO BUILD ON THE
ENDURING STRENGTHS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: OUR
CAPACITY FOR HARD WORK, OUR CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,
OUR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE RISKS.
TO CONTINUE AS THE WORLD'S ECONOMIC LEADER WE MUST
EXCEL IN TWO VITAL AREAS: EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
THAT'S WHERE OUR FUTURE LIES. OUR STRATEGY MUST TARGET
BOTH -- AND IT DOES.
- 8 -
AMERICAN SCIENCE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. WE'VE
GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SAME IS TRUE OF AMERICAN
SCIENCE EDUCATION. TOMORROW'S MARKETPLACE WILL DEMAND
WORKERS HIGHLY-SKILLED IN MATH AND SCIENCE.
TENNESSEANS KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, AND I THANK
YOU FOR LENDING ME YOUR FORMER GOVERNOR AND U.T.
PRESIDENT, LAMAR ALEXANDER. THROUGH OUR AMERICA 2000
EDUCATION
EDUCATION STRATEGY, WE'RE GETTING THE MESSAGE TO THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY.
Beportism
WORKING WITH THE NATION'S GOVERNORS, SECRETARY
ALEXANDER AND I SET SIX AMBITIOUS EDUCATION GOALS, AND
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS THIS: BY THE YEAR 2000,
AMERICA'S STUDENTS WILL BE FIRST IN THE WORLD IN MATH
AND SCIENCE.
- 9 -
THE BUDGET I'VE RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS
CALLS FOR MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN MATH AND SCIENCE
EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THAT'S MORE THAN A 120 PERCENT
INCREASE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS FOR PROGRAMS AT THE
PRE-COLLEGE LEVEL. JUST TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS LAST
IN KNOXVILLE, I MENTIONED THAT OUR ENERGY SECRETARY,
JIM WATKINS, HAD JOINED UP WITH U.T. AND OAK RIDGE TO
START A NEW MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMY FOR AMERICA'S
TEACHERS.
ONCE AGAIN, TENNESSEE SET THE PACE FOR THE COUNTRY.
TO BETTER TRAIN TEACHERS, WE PLAN TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER
OF MATH AND SCIENCE INSTRUCTORS RECEIVING FEDERALLY-
ASSISTED IN-DEPTH INSTRUCTION IN THEIR FIELD. THIS
YEAR, ALMOST HALF THE NATION'S PRECOLLEGE MATH AND
SCIENCE TEACHERS WILL RECEIVE SOME FEDERALLY-FUNDED
TRAINING.
- 10 -
IN THE OLD ERA NOW ENDING, MANY OF OUR BEST
SCIENTISTS HELPED AMERICA WIN THE COLD WAR. THE NEW
ERA WILL FREE UP THOSE PRICELESS TALENTS TO TRANSFORM
THE ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY INTO THE ENGINE OF ECONOMIC
GROWTH. THAT IS THE MISSION. THAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF
THE '90S.
BUT IT WILL TAKE THE RIGHT KIND OF INVESTMENTS --
THE KIND WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR THREE YEARS. THESE HAVE
BEEN TOUGH DECISIONS. THIS YEAR, I'VE ASKED FOR A
FREEZE ON DISCRETIONARY DOMESTIC SPENDING -- WHICH
MEANS THAT ANY INCREASES HAVE TO BE THE RESULT OF HARD
THINKING ABOUT PRIORITIES. WE'VE DONE THE HARD
THINKING. AND WE'VE MADE A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION. OUR
FUTURE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS DEMANDS THAT WE INVEST
TODAY IN ONE OF OUR GREATEST STRENGTHS: RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT. I'VE ASKED FOR A RECORD INVESTMENT IN
R&D:' $76 BILLION NEXT YEAR ALONE.
LET ME GIVE YOU JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF WHAT THIS
MEANS.
- 11 -
THIS YEAR WE'RE INVESTING $803 MILLION TO ASSIST
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH-
PERFORMANCE COMPUTING SYSTEM 1000 TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN TODAY'S COMPUTER. SUCH A SYSTEM WILL FORECAST
DROUGHTS AND HURRICANES, DESIGN BETTER AIRCRAFT, AND
UNLOCK THE RIDDLE OF THE GENOME.
WE'RE INVESTING MORE THAN $1 BILLION FOR RESEARCH
IN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY --
NUCLEAR FUSION, CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES AND
ALTERNATIVES TO PETROLEUM.
WE'RE INVESTING ALMOST $1.5 BILLION IN
TRANSPORTATION R&D. TO RELIEVE OUR OVERBURDENED
HIGHWAYS AND AIRPORTS, WE'RE STIMULATING RESEARCH IN
NEW TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS INTELLIGENT
VEHICLE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS AND HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
- 12 -
WE'RE INCREASING INVESTMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH -- FOR A TOTAL OF MORE THAN $4 BILLION -- so
THAT WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE WORLD IN CONQUERING
DISEASE AND RELIEVING WORLD HUNGER. THIS RESEARCH CAN
PAY DIVIDENDS UNDREAMED OF JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, NOT
ONLY IN HEALTH CARE BUT IN MANUFACTURING, ENERGY, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. ONE RECENT DEVELOPMENT:
MICROORGANISMS THAT EMIT LIGHT SIGNALS WHEN THEY
ENCOUNTER POLLUTION IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND THERE'S MUCH MORE: SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES FOR
THE SUPERCONDUCTING SUPERCOLLIDER, AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED MATERIALS.
WE WILL DOUBLE THE BUDGET FOR THE NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION -- HOME TO SOME OF OUR MOST FANTASTIC
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES.
- 13 -
AND FOR A GENERATION, WHEN AMERICANS HAVE LOOKED TO
THE FUTURE THEY HAVE LOOKED TO THE STARS. WE'RE
INTENSIFYING OUR EFFORTS TO EXPLORE THE MOON AND THE
PLANETS -- A QUEST THAT NOT ONLY LIFTS OUR SPIRITS BUT
BRINGS TANGIBLE BENEFITS IN NEW TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMIC
GROWTH.
THESE INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES CAN'T JUST SIT IN THE
SCIENCE BOOKS -- THEY NEED TO WORK FOR AMERICA. so
WE'RE MOVING THEM OUT OF THE LABORATORY AND INTO THE
MARKETPLACE. WE'VE BEEN BUSY SWEEPING AWAY THE
OBSTACLES THAT BLOCK THE TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY FROM
THE GOVERNMENT TO PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. JUST OVER TWO
YEARS AGO, I SIGNED A BILL THAT ALLOWS PRIVATE INDUSTRY
TO TAKE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF GOVERNMENT RESEARCH.
- 14 -
THERE ARE 675 PUBLIC-PRIVATE AGREEMENTS ACTIVE
TODAY. IN FACT, I JUST WITNESSED ANOTHER ONE OUT AT OAK
RIDGE THIS MORNING. COORS STRUCTURAL CERAMICS COMPANY
AND OAK RIDGE WILL BE PERFECTING A NEW CERAMIC MATERIAL
THAT'S TOUGHER THAN STEEL. IN FACT, COORS HAS DECIDED
TO LOCATE IN THIS AREA, TO BE NEAR THE SCIENTISTS AND
FACILITIES AT OAK RIDGE. COORS JOINS MORE THAN 20
OTHER COMPANIES THAT HAVE MOVED TO YOUR AREA FOR THE
SAME REASON. THAT'S THE BOTTOM-LINE OF THESE
*
AGREEMENTS: JOBS FOR KNOXVILLE, JOBS FOR AMERICA.
OUR NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE BRINGS
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TOGETHER WITH PRIVATE BUSINESSES
TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN OFFER IN NEW
TECHNOLOGY. THIS INITIATIVE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCES AT OUR NATIONAL LABS, INCLUDING
OAK RIDGE, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE.
- 15 -
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE: GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS
SETTING AN INDUSTRIAL POLICY, PICKING WINNERS AND
LOSERS AND PROTECTING FAVORED INDUSTRIES FROM MARKET
FORCES. THE LIGHTNING PACE OF TODAY'S ECONOMY IS TOO
QUICK, T00 VITAL FOR THE DEADENING HAND OF THE
BUREAUCRAT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD ONLY IF WE GIVE
THE MARKETPLACE FULL PLAY. A COMPETITIVE MARKET CUTS
FAT, ENCOURAGES EFFICIENCY AND REWARDS INNOVATION.
THAT'S WHY FOR THREE YEARS WE'VE TRIED TO
ENCOURAGE PRIVATE VENTURE CAPITAL. AMERICA TAXES
CAPITAL GAINS AT A RATE HIGHER THAN ANY OF OUR WORLD
fortheck
COMPETITORS, YET THE SAME PESSIMISTS WHO COMPLAIN WE
CAN'T COMPETE STILL STAND IN THE WAY OF LOWER CAPITAL
GAINS TAXES. LET'S PUT AN END TO THAT SELF-DEFEATING
NONSENSE. CONGRESS MUST LOWER THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX TO
CREATE JOBS -- AND THE TIME TO LOWER IT IS NOW.
X
- 16 -
FINALLY, WE'VE ASKED CONGRESS TO MAKE THE R&E TAX
CREDIT A PERMANENT PART OF THE TAX CODE. FOR PRIVATE
COMPANIES, THIS CREDIT REDUCES THE COST OF RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT BY AS MUCH AS 20 PERCENT. AMERICAN
BUSINESSES MUST BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE KNOWING
THOSE SAVINGS ARE SECURE.
EACH ONE OF THESE MEASURES HAS WORLD-SHAPING
IMPLICATIONS. THERE IS A STRATEGY FOR A COMPETITIVE,
VIGOROUS AMERICA, AND IT SPRINGS FROM A VISION OF WHAT
OUR FUTURE SHOULD BE. THE GREAT BLESSING OF OUR
COUNTRY IS THAT WE AMERICANS HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE
OUR OWN FUTURE. WE HAVE THAT EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY
ONCE AGAIN: TO GUARANTEE THAT WHEN OUR CHILDREN ATTEND
SCHOOL, THEY RECEIVE THE BEST EDUCATION IN THE WORLD
-- AND THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE SCHOOL, THEY ENTER A
*
GROWING ECONOMY WITH GOOD JOBS OF THEIR CHOOSING. LET
US NEVER FORGET: THE FUTURE WE PLAN FOR TODAY BELONGS
TO THEM.
- 17 -
I AM FORTUNATE TO BE PRESIDENT AT AN EXCITING TIME
IN OUR HISTORY. THE WORLD STILL LOOKS TO THIS GREAT
COUNTRY FOR LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL
**
FOR, AND I AM PROUD TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT.
GOD BLESS YOU, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
# # # #
PRESIDENT -S SEEN
2/18/92
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
02 FEB 18 P3:54
February 18, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMAREST
FROM:
ANDY FERGUSON
It
SUBJECT:
REMARKS TO KNOXVILLE COMMUNITY
I. SUMMARY
Tomorrow, February 19, at 11:45 a.m., you will address
1,000 business and community leaders in Knoxville, Tenn.
about the role of research and technology in future economic
growth.
II. DISCUSSION
The remarks (15 minutes, on teleprompter) come after a
tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where you will
witness a public-private research agreement to be signed by
Secretary Watkins.
Note that the basic shape of these remarks will remain
the same, but we have not yet incorporated comments from
OMB, Cabinet Affairs, and Policy Development.
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Three
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments. Tennessee is a state with special
significance for me -- after all, it's the volunteer state.
During Operation Desert Storm you proved it all over again. Let
me take this opportunity to thank the 6,700 Tennessee reservists
and National Guard who were called up for Desert Storm and who
served this state, served this country with distinction.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the enthusiasm of cutting-edge research, the resources of
government and the energy of private enterprise. You are pointing
our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. As imperial communism
died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America stands
alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
-- each and every one of them. But the new era opens up to us
limitless possibilities, fresh challenges of the kind that have
always brought out the best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a two-part plan, starting with a
2
short-term package -- seven common sense steps to spur investment
and create jobs. With inflation down and interest rates lower
than they've been in 20 years, our plan offers incentives to
business to buy equipment, upgrade their plants and start hiring
again. It offers a real boost to the housing market -- often at
the forefront of economic recovery -- with a $5,000 tax credit
for first-time homebuyers.
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. [You may
have heard about other tax plans floated on Capitol Hill. The
House Democrats are offering 25 cents-a-day in middle-income tax
relief in exchange for cuts in Medicare, student loans, farm
payments and a permanent tax on upper-income Americans. Their
plan will deepen the deficit by $30 billion and cost jobs as
well. That's a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one.]
Here in Knoxville, let me ask commiss them again: Help your
country. No more games. Pass our plan and get this economy
moving again.
Then we must look forward, beyond the short-term into the
next century. Believe it or not, looking forward has become a
more radical notion than it sounds. From some quarters, we hear
the dim voice of defeatism, that tin trumpet sounding retreat.
We're told that our future lies in turning away from the world,
pulling down the shades and hoping the rest of the world just
goes away.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
3
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future must embrace challenges, not cut
and run. It must push back the frontiers of knowledge and
technology, and use our great strengths of individual initiative
and determination. If we do, the America of the future will
compete, and it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge that their opportunities
will be greater than ours. Our generation will make good on that
pledge -- but only if we continue to lead the world.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
4
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy must target both -- and it does.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Working with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
I set a series of ambitious education goals, and one of the most
important was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be
first in math and science.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
level. To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of our best scientists
helped America win the Cold War. The new era will free up those
priceless talents to transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
5
Engine of Economic Growth. That is the mission. That is the
challenge of the '90s.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
one of our greatest strengths: research and development. I've
asked for a record investment in R&D: $76 billion next year
alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion for research in energy
technologies to improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion,
clean coal technologies and alternatives to petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
6
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic scientific and technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
These incredible technologies can't just sit in the science
books -- they need to work for America. So we're moving them out
of the laboratory and into the marketplace. We've been busy
sweeping away the obstacles that inhibit the transfer of
technology from the government to private enterprise. Just over
a year ago, I signed a bill that allows private industries to
take competitive advantage of government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
7
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. In fact, the cutting-
tool company Hertel has decided to locate one of its
manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the scientists and
facilities there. Hertel joins 23 other companies that have
moved to your area for the same reason. That's the bottom-line
of these agreements: jobs for Knoxville, jobs for America.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete still stand in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs -- and
the time to lower it is now.
8
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each one of these measures has world-shaping implications.
There is a strategy for a competitive, vigorous America, and it
springs from a vision of what our future should be. The great
blessing of our country is that we Americans have the power to
create our own future. We have that extraordinary opportunity
once again: to guarantee that when our children attend school,
they receive the best education in the world -- and that when
they leave school, they enter a growing economy with good jobs of
their choosing. Let us never forget: The future we plan for
today belongs to them.
I am fortunate to be President at an exciting time in our
history. The world still looks to this great country -- we have
so much to be grateful for, and I am proud to serve as your
President.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
#
#
#
#
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 18, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
DAVID DEMARES
FROM:
ANDY FERGUSON
ASt
SUBJECT:
REMARKS TO KNOXVILLE COMMUNITY
I. SUMMARY
Tomorrow, February 19, at 11:45 a.m., you will address
1,000 business and community leaders in Knoxville, Tenn.
about the role of research and technology in future economic
growth.
II. DISCUSSION
The remarks (15 minutes, on teleprompter) come after a
tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where you will
witness a public-private research agreement to be signed by
Secretary Watkins.
Note that the basic shape of these remarks will remain
the same, but we have not yet incorporated comments from
OMB, Cabinet Affairs, and Policy Development.
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Three
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments. Tennessee is a state with special
significance for me -- after all, it's the volunteer state.
During Operation Desert Storm you proved it all over again. Let
me take this opportunity to thank the 6,700 Tennessee reservists
and National Guard who were called up for Desert Storm and who
served this state, served this country with distinction.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the enthusiasm of cutting-edge research, the resources of
government and the energy of private enterprise. You are pointing
our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. As imperial communism
died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America stands
alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
-- each and every one of them. But the new era opens up to us
limitless possibilities, fresh challenges of the kind that have
always brought out the best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a two-part plan, starting with a
2
short-term package -- seven common sense steps to spur investment
and create jobs. With inflation down and interest rates lower
than they've been in 20 years, our plan offers incentives to
business to buy equipment, upgrade their plants and start hiring
again. It offers a real boost to the housing market -- often at
the forefront of economic recovery --- with a $5,000 tax credit
for first-time homebuyers.
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. [You may
have heard about other tax plans floated on Capitol Hill. The
House Democrats are offering 25 cents-a-day in middle-income tax
relief in exchange for cuts in Medicare, student loans, farm
payments and a permanent tax on upper-income Americans. Their
plan will deepen the deficit by $30 billion and cost jobs as
well. That's a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one.]
Here in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your
country. No more games. Pass our plan and get this economy
moving again.
Then we must look forward, beyond the short-term into the
next century. Believe it or not, looking forward has become a
more radical notion than it sounds. From some quarters, we hear
the dim voice of defeatism, that tin trumpet sounding retreat.
We're told that our future lies in turning away from the world,
pulling down the shades and hoping the rest of the world just
goes away.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
3
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future must embrace challenges, not cut
and run. It must push back the frontiers of knowledge and
technology, and use our great strengths of individual initiative
and determination. If we do, the America of the future will
compete, and it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge that their opportunities
will be greater than ours. Our generation will make good on that
pledge -- but only if we continue to lead the world.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
4
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy must target both -- and it does.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Working with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
I set a series of ambitious education goals, and one of the most
important was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be
first in math and science.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
level. To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of our best scientists
helped America win the Cold War. The new era will free up those
priceless talents to transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
5
Engine of Economic Growth. That is the mission. That is the
challenge of the '90s.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
one of our greatest strengths: research and development. I've
asked for a record investment in R&D: $76 billion next year
alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion for research in energy
technologies to improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion,
clean coal technologies and alternatives to petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
6
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic scientific and technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
These incredible technologies can't just sit in the science
books -- they need to work for America. So we're moving them out
of the laboratory and into the marketplace. We've been busy
sweeping away the obstacles that inhibit the transfer of
technology from the government to private enterprise. Just over
a year ago, I signed a bill that allows private industries to
take competitive advantage of government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
7
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. In fact, the cutting-
tool company Hertel has decided to locate one of its
manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the scientists and
facilities there. Hertel joins 23 other companies that have
moved to your area for the same reason. That's the bottom-line
of these agreements: jobs for Knoxville, jobs for America.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete still stand in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs -- and
the time to lower it is now.
8
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each one of these measures has world-shaping implications.
There is a strategy for a competitive, vigorous America, and it
springs from a vision of what our future should be. The great
blessing of our country is that we Americans have the power to
create our own future. We have that extraordinary opportunity
once again: to guarantee that when our children attend school,
they receive the best education in the world -- and that when
they leave school, they enter a growing economy with good jobs of
their choosing. Let us never forget: The future we plan for
today belongs to them.
I am fortunate to be President at an exciting time in our
history. The world still looks to this great country -- we have
so much to be grateful for, and I am proud to serve as your
President.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
#
#
#
#
Document 30861555 No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
1209
DATE: 2/18/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
2:00 TODAY
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT,
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
FITZWATER
BOSKIN
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm.
122, x2930, no later than 2:00 TODAY, Tuesday, February 18,
with a copy to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
TO: DANIEL B. MC GROARTY
February 18, 1992
The NSC staff has no objection to the proposed presidential remarks.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
for
Brent June Scowcroft
one small change
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Two
02 FEB 18 All : 09
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments, humor, Tennessee color.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the resources of government, the enthusiasm of cutting-edge
research and the energy and inventiveness of private enterprise.
You are pointing our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. In the last year imperial
communism died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America
stands alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
proudly. But the new era opens up to us limitless possibilities,
fresh challenges of the kind that have always brought out the
best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a short-term plan -- seven common
sense steps -- to spur investment and create jobs. With
inflation down and interest rates at historic lows, my short-
term plan offers the stimulus our economy needs and lays the
groundwork for a strong recovery.
2
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. And here
in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your country. America
can no longer wait. [Placeholder for tax insert.] Pass my plan
and get this economy moving again.
With my plan in place, we must look forward, beyond the
short-term into the next century. Believe it or not, looking
forward has become a more radical notion than it sounds. Even
now, in this moment of great triumph for America, we hear from
some quarters the dim voice of defeatism, a tinny trumpet
sounding retreat. We're told that our future lies in turning
away from the world, in isolating our country behind some wall of
protection to re-create a simpler, less challenging past.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future will pull down barriers, not build
them up. It will embrace challenges, not cut and run. It will
push back the frontiers of knowledge and technology, not pine for
an irretrievable past. And because of this, when the America of
the future competes, it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
3
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge to our children and
grandchildren that their lives will be better than ours -- that
their standard of living will be higher, that their opportunities
will be greater. Our generation will make good on its pledge
only if we continue to lead the world, and as president I hold
this promise as a solemn VOW.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy targets both.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
4
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Joining with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
I set a series of education goals, and one of the most important
was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be first in
math and science. Yes, it's an ambitious goal. That's why we've
set it.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
level. To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of America's best scientists
were engaged in winning the cold war. The new era will free up
those priceless talents to concentrate on the technologies of
tomorrow -- improving productivity and guaranteeing our longterm
prosperity. We will transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
Engine of Economic Growth.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
5
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
our strenths: research and development. I've asked for a record
investment in R&D: $76 billion this year alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion in technologies to
improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion and alternatives to
petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
6
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
Our challenge will be to put these incredible technologies
to work for America, to move them out of the laboratory and into
the marketplace. We've been busy sweeping away the obstacles
that inhibit the transfer of technology from the government to
private enterprise. Just over a year ago, I signed a bill that
allows private industries to take competitive advantage of
government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. This kind of agreement
means jobs: the cutting-tool company Hertel has decided to locate
one of its manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the
scientists and facilities there.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
7
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete have stood in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs. The
time to lower is now.
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each of these measures I've spoken of this afternoon springs
from a vision of what our future should be. The great blessing
of our country has always been that we Americans create our own
future. This is no less true today than it was in the 19th
century, when a vast frontier opened up before us and the
Industrial Revolution promised unprecedented prosperity.
8
In this century, with confidence in themselves and faith in
their talents, Americans made good on the dreams of their
grandparents. Our grandchildren and their children will do the
same for us, if we hold to the same confidence and faith, if we
face the future unafraid, if today we bravely lay the foundation
for the world they will enjoy tomorrow.
# # # #
Bob Grady's connect
p.7 5:55 per Barbara
Bob / comment seady
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
P.
February 18, 1992
Draft Four
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments. Tennessee is a state with special
significance for me -- after all, it's the volunteer state.
During Operation Desert Storm you proved it all over again. Let
me take this opportunity to thank the 6,700 Tennessee reservists
and National Guard who were called up for Desert Storm and who
served this state, served this country with distinction.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the enthusiasm of cutting-edge research, the resources of
government and the energy of private enterprise. You are pointing
our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. As imperial communism
died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America stands
alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
-- each and every one of them. But the new era opens up to us
limitless possibilities, fresh challenges of the kind that have
always brought out the best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a two-part plan, starting with a
2
short-term package -- seven common sense steps to spur investment
and create jobs. With inflation down and interest rates lower
than they've been in 20 years, our plan offers incentives to
business to buy equipment, upgrade their plants and start hiring
again. It offers a real boost to the housing market -- often at
the forefront of economic recovery -- with a $5,000 tax credit
for first-time homebuyers.
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. [You may
have heard about other tax plans floated on Capitol Hill. The
House Democrats are offering 25 cents-a-day in middle-income tax
relief in exchange for cuts in Medicare, student loans, farm
payments and a permanent tax on upper-income Americans. Their
plan will deepen the deficit by $30 billion and cost jobs as
well. That's a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one.]
Here in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your
country. No more games. Pass our plan and get this economy
moving again.
Then we must look forward, beyond the short-term into the
next century. Believe it or not, looking forward has become a
more radical notion than it sounds. From some quarters, we hear
the dim voice of defeatism, that tin trumpet sounding retreat.
We're told that our future lies in turning away from the world,
pulling down the shades and hoping the rest of the world just
goes away.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
3
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future must embrace challenges, not cut
and run. It must push back the frontiers of knowledge and
technology, and use our great strengths of individual initiative
and determination. If we do, the America of the future will
compete, and it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge that their opportunities
will be greater than ours. Our generation will make good on that
pledge -- but only if we continue to lead the world.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
4
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy must target both -- and it does.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Working with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
I set six ambitious education goals, and one of the most
important was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be
first in math and science.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs.
That's more than a 120 percent increase over three years for
programs at the pre-college level. To better train teachers, we
plan to double the number of math and science instructors
receiving federally-assisted in-depth instruction in their field.
This year, almost half the nation's precollege math and science
teachers will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of our best scientists
helped America win the Cold War. The new era will free up those
priceless talents to transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
5
Engine of Economic Growth. That is the mission. That is the
challenge of the '90s.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
one of our greatest strengths: research and development. I've
asked for a record investment in R&D: $76 billion next year
alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion for research in energy
technologies to improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion,
clean coal technologies and alternatives to petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
6
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago, not
only in health care but in manufacturing, energy, and
environmental protection. One recent development: microorganisms
that emit light signals when they encounter pollution in the
environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic scientific and technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
These incredible technologies can't just sit in the science
books -- they need to work for America. So we're moving them out
of the laboratory and into the marketplace. We've been busy
sweeping away the obstacles that block the transfer of technology
from the government to private enterprise. Just over two years
ago, I signed a bill that allows private industry to take
competitive advantage of government research.
There are 6 75
7
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
active today.
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. In fact, the cutting-
tool company Hertel has decided to locate one of its
manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the scientists and
facilities there. Hertel joins 23 other companies that have
moved to your area for the same reason. That's the bottom-line
of these agreements: jobs for Knoxville, jobs for America.
Our National Technology Initiative brings government
officials together with private businesses to let them know what
government can offer in new technology. This initiative will
take advantage of the irreplaceable resources at our national
labs, including Oak Ridge, to foster technological excellence.
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete still stand in the way of lower capital
8
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs -- and
the time to lower it is now.
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each one of these measures has world-shaping implications.
There is a strategy for a competitive, vigorous America, and it
springs from a vision of what our future should be. The great
blessing of our country is that we Americans have the power to
create our own future. We have that extraordinary opportunity
once again: to guarantee that when our children attend school,
they receive the best education in the world -- and that when
they leave school, they enter a growing economy with good jobs of
their choosing. Let us never forget: The future we plan for
today belongs to them.
I am fortunate to be President at an exciting time in our
history. The world still looks to this great country -- we have
so much to be grateful for, and I am proud to serve as your
President.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
#
#
#
#
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7021 ; 2-18-92 ; 16:15 ;
2023953261->
6218;# 1
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WASHINGTON. OC 20500
DATE: Feb. 18,1992
TO: Dan McGroarty
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
FAX NUMBER: 6218
FROM: Sturc Clson
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 2734
FAX NUMBER:
(202)395-3261
NUMBER OF PAGES, INCLUDING COVER SHEET 2
Here are the points and like to include.
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7021 ; 2-18-92 ; 16:15 ;
2023953261-
6218;# 2
Proposed Additions to Tennessee Speech:
Page 5:
this
"I've asked for a record investment in R&D: $76 billion this year alone. Furthermore,
we're coordinating this R&D across all of our federal agencies, so that we get the maximum
return from our investment."
Page 5:
"This research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago, not only in health care
but in manufacturing. energy production, environmental protection, and many other areas.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals when they encounter
pollution in the environment."
Pages 5 and 6:
"We will double the budget for the National Science Foundation ⑉ home to some of our
most fantastic scientific and technological advances. At the National Institutes of Health.
fundamental research will continue to spur tomorrow's medical miracles, such as a
children's vaccine that can protect against dozens of diseases from birth."
Page 6:
"Our National Technology Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new technology. This initiative
will take advantage of the unique and irreplaceable resources at our national laboratories.
including Oak Ridge, to foster technological excellence."
lliposible
Document 30861555 No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE: 2/18/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
2:00 TODAY
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
FITZWATER
BOSKIN
GRAY
FINDLAY
MCGROARTY
HOLIDAY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm.
122, x2930, no later than 2:00 TODAY, Tuesday, February 18,
with a copy to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
andy Comments
Andy - bracket
Tax insut
100g Assistant to the President
PHILLIP D. BRADY
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Two
32 FEB 18 All : 09
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments, humor, Tennessee color.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the resources of government, the enthusiasm of cutting-edge
research and the energy and inventiveness of private enterprise.
You are pointing our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
As
one era and the beginning of another. In the last year imperial
communism died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America
stands alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them -
eachandevery one of them.
proudly. But the new era opens up to us limitless possibilities,
fresh challenges of the kind that have always brought out the
best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
2 part plan starting with a
the economy. I've put together a ^ short-term plan -- seven common
sense steps -- to spur investment and create jobs. With
inflation down and interest rates at historic lows, my our short-
incentives to miness to what buy equipment, upgrade
term plan offers the stimulus our economy needs and lays the their plants,
and start
groundwork for a strong recovery
It offers the housing market- - often at the culling forefornt hiving again
of economic secourcry - a real boost though a $5,000 tax
aedit for first-time homebuyers.
you may have heard about other Tax as 254 plans a day froatedon/Curres tax increase Aill. cuts student Coons, in fam Medicare,
The House Democrats are offeing permanent on ta yoper income Americans
ad
a pretty steep price 2 for a
Their plan well. will cost jobs as
payments
in exchange
worsen the
for a
definit by
30 billion and
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20.V And here
So
in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your country. America
No more games-
our
can no longer wait. Placeholder for tax insert. Pass my plan
and get this economy moving again.
Then
With my plan in place, we must look forward, beyond the
short-term into the next century. Believe it or not, looking
forward has become a more radical notion than it sounds. Even
From some quarters
now, in this moment of great triumph for America, we hear from
Still
some quarters the dim voice of defeatism, that a tinny trumpet
sounding retreat. We're told that our future lies in turning
pulling down the shades
away from the world, in isolating our country behind some wall of
and hopers the rest of the world wollwill just so away.
protection to re-create a simpler, less challenging past.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
must
The America of the future will pull down barriers, not build
them up. It will embrace challenges, not cut and run. It will west
and use our great
push back the frontiers of knowledge and technology, not pine for
stengths of individual determination. indiaturad If we do,
an irretrievable past. And because of this, when the America of
will
and
the future competes, it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
That's Whe saying It while wat won't your give headache you much will whef get you lot wouse. can sure
3
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge to our children and
grandchildren that their lives will be better than ours that
their standard of living will be higher, that their opportunities
thomorus.
that
will be greater Our generation will make good on its pledge
but
only if we continue to lead the world, and as president I hold
this promise as a solemn VOW. -
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy must targets both and it does.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
4
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
Joining with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
ambitions
I set a series of A education goals, and one of the most important
was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be first in
math and science. Yes, it's an ambitious goal. That's why we've
set it.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
level. To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
our
In the old era now ending, many of America's best scientists
helped America
were engaged in winning the cold War. The new era will free up
those priceless talents to concentrate on the technologies of
tomorrow -- improving productivity and guaranteeing our longterm
prosperity. We will transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
Engine of Economic Growth. That is the Mission. That is the challenge
of the 90's.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
nat. security of to
To safegumb on
5
pash Gare
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
our strenths: research and development. I've asked for a. record
investment in R&D: $76 billion this year alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion in technologies to
improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion and alternatives to
petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
6
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
can science sit books
they
Our challenge will be to put these incredible technologies need
So we must
to work for America, to move them out of the laboratory and into
We'redoms just that
the marketplace. We've been busy sweeping away the obstacles
that inhibit the transfer of technology from the government to
private enterprise. Just over a year ago, I signed a bill that
allows private industries to take competitive advantage of
government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. This kind of agreement
means jobs: the cutting-tool company Hertel has decided to locate
one of its manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the
scientists and facilities there.
We re getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
7
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
still stand
complain we can't compete have steed in the way of lower capital
It's time to
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
and
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs The
it.
time to lower is now.
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
a
future knowing those savings are secure.
one
have
major
inflications.
There
is competitive stratesy Amarix for ar a and
Each ^ of these measures I've I spoken of this afternoon springs
from a vision of what our future should be. The great blessing
of our country has always been that we Americans create our own
future. This is no less true today than it was in the 19th
we have that extraording opportunity once again. I am fortunate
to be President at an exciting time in our history. The world still Loohs
century, when a vast frontier opened up before us and the
to this great country # form principles and - we have so much to be gratual
Industrial Revolution promised unprecedented prosperity.
for and I am proud to have the honor of serving as your President.
God Bless
8
In this century, with confidence in themselves and faith in
their talents, Americans made good on the dreams of their
grandparents. Our grandchildren and their children will do the
same for us, if we hold to the same confidence and faith, if we
face the future unafraid, if today we bravely lay the foundation
for the world they will enjoy tomorrow.
# # # #
Document 30861555 No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
92 FEB 18 P3: 48
DATE: 2/18/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
2:00 TODAY
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
HORNER
SKINNER
MCBRIDE
SCOWCROFT
MOORE
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BRADY
PORTER
BROMLEY
ROGICH
CALIO
ROLLINS
DEMAREST
SMITH
FITZWATER
BOSKIN
GRAY
FINDLAY
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm.
122, x2930, no later than 2:00 TODAY, Tuesday, February 18,
with a copy to this office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
(Ferguson/Gershowitz)
February 18, 1992
Draft Two
32 FEB 18 All : 09
OAKRIDGE
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: KNOXVILLE AUDITORIUM-COLISEUM
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1992
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
11:45 AM
(Acknowledgments, humor, Tennessee color.)
It's a pleasure to be in Knoxville, for what you have done
here is a model for the nation. Knoxville combines in one place
the resources of government, the enthusiasm of cutting-edge
research and the energy and inventiveness of private enterprise.
You are pointing our country toward the next American century.
We stand today at a pivot point in history -- at the end of
one era and the beginning of another. In the last year imperial
communism died, and as the clouds of the Cold War part, America
stands alone, the undisputed leader of the world.
The old era demanded great sacrifices; our country met them
proudly. But the new era opens up to us limitless possibilities,
fresh challenges of the kind that have always brought out the
best in America.
For the short term, of course, our challenge is to fire up
the economy. I've put together a short-term plan -- seven common
sense steps -- to spur investment and create jobs. With
inflation down and interest rates at historic lows, my short-
term plan offers the stimulus our economy needs and lays the
groundwork for a strong recovery.
2
I've asked Congress to pass my plan by March 20. And here
in Knoxville, let me ask them again: Help your country. America
can no longer wait. [Placeholder for tax insert.] Pass my plan
and get this economy moving again.
With my plan in place, we must look forward, beyond the
short-term into the next century. Believe it or not, looking
forward has become a more radical notion than it sounds. Even
now, in this moment of great triumph for America, we hear from
some quarters the dim voice of defeatism, a tinny trumpet
sounding retreat. We're told that our future lies in turning
away from the world, in isolating our country behind some wall of
protection to re-create a simpler, less challenging past.
Don't be fooled by the tough talk and patriotic bluster:
protectionism comes from fear -- fear that American workers can't
compete -- fear that American ingenuity is spent -- fear that we
must turn away from the world because we can no longer lead the
world. That's not the future I see for the United States of
America.
The America of the future will pull down barriers, not build
x
them up. It will embrace challenges, not cut and run. It will
push back the frontiers of knowledge and technology, not pine for
an irretrievable past. And because of this, when the America of
the future competes, it will win.
This century has taught us many lessons. But above them all
hangs an overarching truth: If America is to succeed
economically at home, we must lead abroad. Our leadership
3
ensures markets for American products and jobs for American
workers; it gives us room to spread our wings and show the world
what we can do. Let us never forget: Our national symbol is the
eagle, not the ostrich.
Each generation of Americans makes an implicit compact with
the generations that follow: We pledge to our children and
grandchildren that their lives will be better than ours -- that
their standard of living will be higher, that their opportunities
will be greater. Our generation will make good on its pledge
only if we continue to lead the world, and as president I hold
this promise as a solemn VOW.
So for the last three years my administration has been
laying the foundation for America's continued leadership in the
world. We have approached this pivot point in history -- this
moment of unparalleled opportunity -- with a positive strategy to
build on the enduring strengths of the American people: our
capacity for hard work, our cutting-edge technology, our
willingness to take risks.
To continue as the world's economic leader we must excel in
two vital areas: education and technology. That's where our
future lies. Our strategy targets both.
American science is the best in the world. We've got to
make sure that the same is true of American science education.
Tomorrow's marketplace will demand workers highly-skilled in math
and science. Tennesseans know the importance of that, and I
4
thank you for lending me your former governor, Lamar Alexander,
to help get the message to the rest of the country.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED
Joining with the nation's governors, Secretary Alexander and
SIX
AMBITIOUS
I set a series of education goals, and one of the most important
IS
was this: By the year 2000, America's students will be first in
ACHIEVEMENT
OBE
math and science. Yes, it's an ambitious goal. That's why we've x
set it.
The budget I've recently submitted to Congress calls for
more than $2 billion in math and science education programs -- an
ADD Thes
OVER LAST YEAR-
:
18 percent increase this year for programs at the pre-college
AN OVER 120 PERCENT INCREASE IN JUST THREF YEARS
level To better train teachers, we plan to double the number of
math and science instructors receiving federally-assisted in-
depth instruction in their field. That means that this year,
00
almost half the nation's precollege math and science teachers
will receive some federally-funded training.
In the old era now ending, many of America's best scientists
were engaged in winning the cold war. The new era will free up
those priceless talents to concentrate on the technologies of
tomorrow -- improving productivity and guaranteeing our longterm
prosperity. We will transform the Arsenal of Democracy into the
Engine of Economic Growth.
But it will take the right kind of investments -- the kind
we've been making for three years. These have been tough
decisions. This year, I've asked for a freeze on discretionary
domestic spending -- which means that any increases have to be
the result of hard thinking about priorities. We've done the
*
SOURCE: FY 93 FLLSET REPORT (copy attached.)
5
hard thinking. And we've made a fundamental decision. Our
future economic competitiveness demands that we invest today in
our strenths: research and development. I've asked for a record
investment in R&D: $76 billion this year alone.
Let me give you just a few examples of what this means.
This year we're investing $803 million to assist private
enterprise in the development of a high-performance computing
system 1000 times more powerful than today's computer. Such a
system will forecast droughts and hurricanes, design better
aircraft, and unlock the riddle of the genome.
We're investing more than $1 billion in technologies to
improve energy efficiency -- nuclear fusion and alternatives to
petroleum.
We're investing almost $1.5 billion in transportation R&D.
To relieve our overburdened highways and airports, we're
stimulating research in new transportation technologies such as
intelligent vehicle highway systems and high-speed rail.
We're increasing investment in biotechnology research -- for
a total of more than $4 billion -- so that we continue to lead
the world in conquering disease and relieving world hunger. This
research can pay dividends undreamed of just a few years ago.
One recent development: microorganisms that emit light signals
when they encounter pollution in the environment.
And there's much more: substantial increases for the
AND EDUCATION EDUCA
superconducting supercollider, agricultural research, and the
X
development of advanced materials. We will double the budget for
66% INCREASE SINCE 1989. IN EDUCATION R&D.
6
the National Science Foundation -- home to some of our most
fantastic technological advances.
And for a generation, when Americans have looked to the
future they have looked to the stars. We're intensifying our
efforts to explore the Moon and the planets -- a quest that not
only lifts our spirits but brings tangible benefits in new
technology and economic growth.
Our challenge will be to put these incredible technologies
to work for America, to move them out of the laboratory and into
the marketplace. We've been busy sweeping away the obstacles
that inhibit the transfer of technology from the government to
private enterprise. Just over a year ago, I signed a bill that
allows private industries to take competitive advantage of
government research.
So far, 650 such public-private agreements have been
reached. In fact, I just witnessed another one out at Oak Ridge
this morning. Coors Structural Ceramics Company and Oak Ridge
will be perfecting a new ceramic material that's tougher than
steel, perfect for making cutting tools. This kind of agreement
means jobs: the cutting-tool company Hertel has decided to locate
one of its manufacturing sites in Oak Ridge, to be near the
scientists and facilities there.
We're getting the message out. Our National Technology
Initiative brings government officials together with private
businesses to let them know what government can offer in new
technology.
7
But make no mistake: government has no business setting an
industrial policy, picking winners and losers and protecting
favored industries from market forces. The lightening pace of
today's economy is too quick, too vital for the deadening hand of
the bureaucrat. We will continue to lead only if we give the
marketplace full play. A competitive market cuts fat, encourages
efficiency and rewards innovation.
That's why for three years we've tried to encourage private
venture capital. America taxes capital gains at a rate higher
than any of our world competitors, yet the same pessimists who
complain we can't compete have stood in the way of lower capital
gains taxes. Let's put an end to that self-defeating nonsense.
Congress must lower the capital gains tax to create jobs. The
time to lower is now.
Finally, we've asked Congress to make the R&E tax credit a
permanent part of the tax code. For private companies, this
credit reduces the cost of research and development by as much as
20 percent. American businesses must be able to plan for the
future knowing those savings are secure.
Each of these measures I've spoken of this afternoon springs
from a vision of what our future should be. The great blessing
of our country has always been that we Americans create our own
future. This is no less true today than it was in the 19th
century, when a vast frontier opened up before us and the
Industrial Revolution promised unprecedented prosperity.
8
In this century, with confidence in themselves and faith in
their talents, Americans made good on the dreams of their
grandparents. Our grandchildren and their children will do the
same for us, if we hold to the same confidence and faith, if we
face the future unafraid, if today we bravely lay the foundation
for the world they will enjoy tomorrow.
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