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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release February 3, 1997

White House and Governors Agree to Cooperate on Technology

The White House and the nation's governors agreed today to work together to promote economic growth by stimulating the development and use of new technologies in areas such as advanced manufacturing, education, health care and electronic commerce.

"Ensuring continued U.S. leadership in science and technology is critical to improving the lives of all Americans and ensuring that we can compete in the new global marketplace. As we approach the 21st century, strengthening our national science and technology system will require building new partnerships between the Federal and state governments," said President Clinton in a letter to Nevada Governor Bob Miller, Chairman of the National Governors' Association.

Speaking before the winter meeting of the National Governors' Association in Washington, Vice President Gore announced an agreement with the NGA to establish a new mechanism for coordinating Federal and state technology efforts.

"We are ready to launch a new 'U.S. Innovation Partnership' to coordinate Federal and state efforts to stimulate the development and use of new technologies that can help us meet our common goals of generating economic growth, improving our schools and health care, better protecting the environment at lower cost and reinventing our government at all levels," said Vice President Gore.

     Under the new partnership, the White House and Federal agencies
     will designate liaisons to work with states on such issues as:

     Removing regulatory barriers to the adoptions of new 
     technologies in such areas as telemedicine, environmental 
     technologies and the building and construction industries;

     Developing programs to stimulate technology investments in 
     rural areas and states that traditionally receive less 
     Federal research funding;

     Addressing the technical, legal and other issues associated 
     with the expansion of electronic commerce and

     Expanding the capacity of the Manufacturing Extension 
     Partnership to help modernize the nation's 380,000 small- 
     and medium-sized manufacturers.

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