THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today, I am pleased to announce the release of the final report of my Administration's E-commerce Working Group, "Leadership for the New Millennium, Delivering on Digital Progress and Prosperity."

During my Administration, America's economy and society have been transformed by new information and communications technologies. The information technology sector has accounted for almost one-third of U.S. economic growth, and has helped spark an increase in U.S. productivity and global competitiveness.

Vice President Gore and I have worked hard to help Americans make the most of these new possibilities. We created a market-led approach to e-commerce that won acceptance around the world, promoted competition in the telecommunications industry, and increased our investment in the technologies of the 21st century. We strengthened the protection of personal information, especially sensitive medical and financial records. We helped to bridge the digital divide by ensuring that every child had the opportunity to become technologically literate. Thanks to the leadership of the Vice President, our government is using the Internet to become more open, user-friendly, and efficient.

But we are still at the dawn of the Information Age, and much more remains to be done to grasp its potential. We should use technology to advance our oldest and deepest values -- dramatically increasing the number of people with disabilities who can work, lifting more families out of poverty, and putting access to a world-class education and cutting-edge skills at the fingertips of every American. These are challenges that are worthy of our great nation.

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