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Skriven 2006-02-04 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060204) for Sat, 2006 Feb 4
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 4, 2006

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿAudio
ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week in the State of the Union address, I
set forth my American Competitiveness Initiative. This plan will help our
Nation to compete with confidence, raise the standard of living for our
families, and generate new jobs for our citizens.

Generations of risk-takers, inventors, and visionaries have made America
the world's most prosperous and innovative nation. Just 25 years ago, most
Americans used typewriters instead of computers, rotary phones instead of
cell phones, and bank tellers instead of ATMs. Today America is at the
doorstep of even more technological advances. But we cannot afford to be
complacent. We're seeing the rise of new competitors, like China and India,
who are making great strides in technology. In response, some people want
to wall off our economy from the world. That is called protectionism. The
American people should not fear our economic future because we intend to
shape our economic future.

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To keep America the world's most competitive and innovative nation, we must
continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. My American
Competitiveness Initiative will encourage innovation throughout our economy
and give American children a firm grounding in math and science.

This initiative has three key elements. The first element is to double the
Federal commitment to the most critical basic research programs in the
physical sciences over the next decade. Most of the technological advances
we enjoy today are the fruits of research investments made years ago, and
many of these advances benefitted from government support. The increased
funding I have proposed will support America's creative minds as they
explore promising areas, such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and
alternative energy sources. These investments will lead to new inventions
that offer better choices for consumers and a better life for our citizens.

The second element of this new initiative is to encourage bolder private
sector investment in technology, because the private sector remains
America's greatest engine of innovation. The research and development tax
credit gives businesses an incentive to invest in projects that could lead
to new discoveries. Congress allowed this tax credit to expire at the end
of 2005, and the House and Senate are now considering another temporary
extension. But a temporary extension does not allow our innovators to plan
and invest with certainty. Other countries offer permanent tax incentives
for research and development. To keep America the world's leader in
technology and innovation, Congress needs to make the tax credit for
research and development permanent.

The third element of this initiative is to make sure our children learn the
skills they will need to keep America the world's most innovative country.
Math and science are critical to many of our country's fastest-growing
industries, so we must encourage our children to take more math and science
classes and make sure those classes are rigorous enough to compete with
other nations. I'm proposing that we train 70,000 high school teachers to
lead Advanced Placement courses in math and science, bring 30,000 math and
science professionals to teach in classrooms, and give early help to
students who struggle with math so they have a better chance at good
high-wage jobs. If we ensure that America's children succeed in life, they
will ensure that America succeeds in the world.

The American Competitiveness Initiative will help our nation remain the
world's economic leader. By investing in research and development,
unleashing the innovative spirit of America's entrepreneurs, and making
sure that our economy has workers highly skilled in math and science, we
will lay the foundation for lasting economic prosperity.

Thank you for listening.

END

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