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January 8th, 2001 - E-Pass Washington

Technology & the Bush Presidency

American President-elect George W. Bush is promising a devout commitment to the development of technology, according to his initiative papers. While the Clinton administration has been supportive of technology, Bush represents a new era in deregulation and promotion.

Bush’s “High Tech Plan” is composed of three main goals. First, there will be an effort to “Lift barriers to innovation and fight efforts in the United States and Overseas to impose new obstacles”. Secondly, the President-elect has vowed “to help our nation develop and maintain a workforce prepared to seize the opportunities of the high technology economy”. Finally, the administration will “Establish a stable environment that encourages research and innovation in the private sector and the military”. 

To accomplish the first goal, the administration is suggesting comprehensive legal reform, a revamp of the current export control system, and an international agenda that supports America’s high-tech companies (tariff-free internet, increased efforts to combat piracy, and the development of internationally compatible standards of e-commerce).

In developing and maintaining a prepared workforce, Bush plans to first increase the limit on “H-1B” visas. These visas will go to temporary, high-skilled workers. He also sees his well-known school voucher plans as playing a major part in this effort. The educational system of the U.S. is crucial in supplying the qualified labor needed by America’s high-tech community.

Perhaps the most important of Bush’s plans is his last. The “stable environment” for research and development he talks of is to come in the form of  government initiatives to increase military spending on R&D by $20 billion. In addition, the new administration will support legislative efforts to enact permanent tax credits for R&D in the private sector.

 

Here are a few other interesting things about technology and the new Bush administration:

• Bush has said that should the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Microsoft be overturned on appeal the government will drop the case entirely.

• A new era was indeed noted when Vice President-elect Cheney was handed a smartcard from the GSA as the key to the government-supported transition offices. (pictured at right).

 

• Bush has proposed $3 billion be used to integrate technology with schools and libraries.

 

• The new administration is to include a government-wide Chief Information Officer and a Cabinet member who oversees the state of the technology industry.

 

(Source for Proposals: Bush-Cheney Official Website).

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