STATEMENT FROM THE PRESS SECRETARY

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NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL MEETING

President Clinton met today with the Vice President, members of his Cabinet, agency heads, and senior White House officials to review the status of the Administration's initiatives in science and technology. The meeting was convened as the first Cabinet-level meeting of the National Science and Technology Council, the Administration's senior interagency forum for development and coordination of science, space and technology policies throughout the federal government.

The agenda for the meeting included a review of the Administration's overall science and technology policy goals and the role of the NSTC in achieving those goals, as well as discussion of specific high priority science and technology initiatives.

In his remarks to the NSTC, the President stressed the importance of continuing to invest in science and technology as a critical element of achieving the Administration's economic, environmental, educational, and national security goals. "We need to invest both in fundamental science and in those technologies, such as advanced manufacturing and biotechnology, that will allow our industries to compete effectively in world markets. At the same time, we need to lead the world in international science and technology cooperation, such as on the Space Station. Science and technology programs like this allow us to build bridges between societies and nations as we deal with the challenges facing the post-Cold War global community, " said the President.

Vice President Al Gore noted the historic nature of this first meeting of the National Science and Technology Council, the establishment of which was proposed as a recommendation of the Vice President's National Performance Review. "With the establishment of the NSTC," said the Vice President, "we have a Cabinet Council, chaired by the President, that can act as a 'virtual agency' to organize the disparate parts of our science and technology enterprise into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. I view the NSTC as a significant success of our reinventing government process."

John H. Gibbons, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, stressed the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors. "Cooperation with the private sector helps us find the highest and best use for federal dollars in these tight budget times -- making sure we use federal programs to leverage the outstanding, innovative efforts of American companies."

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During the meeting, the President established the following goals for the Council:

As a top priority, each department and agency, individually and collectively, should continue to work to reprioritize science and technology investments to match national goals.

The NSTC should serve as a focus for establishing a closer and more productive relationship in the area of science and technology between the Federal Government and industry, State and local governments, universities, and other private sector institutions.

All NSTC members should work to establish a broad base of support among the American people and the Congress for continued investments in science and technology.

The NSTC should seek to advance our national interests through expanded international science and technology cooperation.

The National Science and Technology Council was established by Executive Order on November 23, 1993. Membership on the Council, which is chaired by the President, includes the Vice President; the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; the Secretary of Commerce; the Secretary of Defense; the Secretary of Energy; the Secretary of Health and Human Services; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Interior; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Labor; the Secretary of Transportation; the Secretary of Education; the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; the Director of the National Science Foundation; the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; the National Security Advisor; the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors; the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy; the Director of Central Intelligence; and the Director of the National Institutes of Health.