"We must harness the powerful new forces of technology, and use them to strengthen our oldest values - to promote freedom, to educate our children, and to lift our families and our nations up." - Al Gore

Al Gore understands that the Internet and other technologies are revolutionizing the way we work, live, and learn. New technologies are creating unprecedented opportunities for faster economic growth, higher wages, longer, healthier lives for all Americans, and a cleaner environment. Gore wants to ensure that the U.S. continues to be the best place in the world to start and expand a high-tech, high-wage company, that all Americans have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the Information Revolution, and that our newest technologies support our oldest and most cherished values.

For decades, Al Gore has worked to foster economic growth through technological innovation. As Vice President, he has been at the forefront of the Administration's efforts to ensure that the United States leads the world in the Information Revolution. Vice President Gore fought for the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which promotes private investment and competition in the telecommunications industry. He launched a public-private effort to connect every classroom to the Internet and to train every teacher to use technology effectively in the classroom in order to give our children access to the best learning tools possible. He convinced other governments to adopt a market-led approach to global electronic commerce. And he called for the creation of a Global Information Infrastructure - a network of networks that will send messages and images at the speed of light to every community on the planet.

As President, Al Gore would put in place a comprehensive approach for making the most of the opportunities created by new technologies.

CREATING THE HIGH-TECH, HIGH-WAGE JOBS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

In recent years, the information technology sector has accounted for almost one-third of America's economic growth and is generating jobs that pay 85 percent more than the private sector wage. Increasingly, more U.S. companies are using information and communications technologies to increase productivity, deliver "e-learning" to their workers, and sell their products in overseas markets. The New Economy is not just about Internet start-ups in Silicon Valley, it's also about auto companies using IT to cut the time required to develop new products, or to link up with their suppliers. Al Gore understands that it is America's entrepreneurs and workers who are creating the New Economy. He understands what economic and technology policies are needed to help U.S. companies to compete and win in today's global marketplace. As President, Al Gore will take the following eight steps to foster economic growth, innovation, and America's high-competitiveness:

• Build a Strong Economy: As Vice President, Al Gore has been a leader in fighting for a balanced budget, fiscal discipline, open markets, and a sound economic policy. As President, he will:
• Balance the budget, every year, except in times of national emergency.
• Increase our investments in areas that spur economic growth and increase long-term productivity, such as education, training, science and technology.
• Continue to streamline government, reducing its size and eliminating red tape and unnecessary regulations.
• Work to open foreign markets by expanding free and fair trade.

This economic policy will create the right conditions for further expansion of the high-tech sector.

• Make the Federal Tax Code an Agent for Innovation: Al Gore has been a long-time supporter of tax incentives aimed at spurring investment in research and development. As President, Gore will:
• Make the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit permanent, so that companies can make investments for the future; and
• Expand the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit, making the credit partially refundable so that small businesses can take better advantage of it.
• Ensure that the tax code accurately reflects the rapid obsolescence of high-tech equipment.
• Educate and Train the Workforce of Tomorrow: We must work not only to foster innovation, but also to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to benefit from the high-tech jobs that the New Economy is creating in record numbers. That is why Al Gore has an aggressive agenda for ensuring that all Americans have the skills they need for the 21st century. As President, Al Gore will:
• Help Create the Best System of Public Education, so our children get the education they need to succeed in the 21st century. Gore is committed to working with parents, teachers, and principals to create the modern classrooms, higher standards, and smaller class sizes every child deserves.
• New Jobs in the New Economy. Al Gore supports increasing the number of H-1B Visas to 200,000 per year while also enacting new provisions to protect and prepare the U.S. workforce and provide measures of fairness and equity for certain immigrants already in the U.S.
• Finish the Job of Putting Technology at the Fingertips of our Children. Used creatively, technology can make a real difference in the way that teachers teach and students learn - improving student academic performance and preparing them for the high-tech workplace of the 21st century. Parents can communicate more frequently with teachers on the progress that their children are making. Teachers can share lesson plans with each other, and keep up with the latest developments in their fields. Students can engage in "learning by doing" - collaborating with a scientist half way around the world on an experiment, using simulations that make it easier to understand complex concepts, or developing their own educational Web site. As President, Gore will build on the success we've had through the "E-rate" to finish connecting every classroom and library in the country to the Internet. He will also increase investment in training teachers and students to ensure they know how to use the Internet safely and effectively; support the development of "digital libraries" for K-12 education; and make sure that every child has access to modern, multimedia computers.
• Make Higher Education More Affordable. Gore has proposed the creation of new tax-free 401(j) training accounts to encourage parents to save for their children's college education, and workers to save for their own training. He has also proposed making up to $10,000 of college tuition tax deductible and expanding ways to help students attend college.
• Expand Worker Training Programs. To keep up with a fast-moving, fast-changing economy, workers must have the ability to continue learning and upgrading their skills for a lifetime. That is why Al Gore has focused on the next great frontier in American education: dramatically expanding opportunities for lifelong learning and worker training. Today, many of our most advanced industries are facing shortages of the skilled workers they need. Al Gore has proposed expanding programs, so that every adult who needs training to adapt to the new economy can get it - and can prosper from the technological change.
• Open Global Markets in Cyberspace for U.S. Companies: Global electronic commerce could reach up to $7 trillion in sales within four years. American workers and American businesses can benefit enormously from this economic boom - if we follow the right policies. As President, Al Gore will:
• Pursue an international agreement to make "cyberspace" a permanent "duty-free zone;"
• Insist that other countries apply their trade obligations under WTO in a way that does not discriminate against electronic commerce;
• Insist that other countries refrain from enacting trade-related measures that could impede e-commerce; and
• Crack down on foreign piracy of U.S. intellectual property.
• Ensure that U.S. Export Controls Reflect Marketplace Realities. As President, Al Gore would work to ensure that U.S. export controls concentrate on those technologies that pose the greatest risk to our national security and can be effectively controlled. He would ensure that export controls are updated to avoid unnecessary restrictions on high-tech exports in sectors such as computers, telecommunications equipment, semiconductors, and encryption software.
• Promote and Encourage Entrepreneurship. One of the primary reasons for the U.S. strength in technology industries is its world-class infrastructure for entrepreneurship - well-developed venture capital markets, angel investors, strong research universities, financial rewards for successful entrepreneurs in the form of equity and stock options, and a culture that encourages innovation and tolerates failure. As President, Al Gore will work with entrepreneurs to determine what policies would further strengthen the U.S. position as the best place in the world to start and grow a high-tech business - such as an emphasis on entrepreneurial education and expanded access to capital markets. He will also give a senior White House economic official the responsibility of promoting the entrepreneurial agenda within the Administration.
• Boost Investment in Science and Technology. Many of the technologies that are driving today's economy (e.g. the Internet, the World Wide Web, advanced digital wireless, biotechnology, medical imaging) are the outgrowth of long-term government investments in science and technology. As President, Al Gore will boost investments in R&D to foster innovation, increase productivity, and keep America at the cutting-edge of new technologies.
• Foster Competition in Telecommunications and the Widespread Deployment of Broadband Networks. With Al Gore's leadership, America has seen an explosion of innovation in telecommunications services and products - a revolution born of the free and open competition fostered by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Since the passage of the Act, competition has helped create 230,000 new jobs and $30 billion in private investment - making the telecommunications industry an engine of America's economic growth. Both established and new telecommunications companies are beginning to invest in the high-speed, always-on networks that represent the next stage in the evolution of the Internet. As President, Al Gore would:
• Continue to aggressively promote competition in the telecommunications sector so that any company can provide any service to any customer, and so that market forces rather than government regulation can prevent anti-competitive and anti-consumer behavior;
• Ensure that an adequate spectrum is available for "third generation" wireless services capable of providing voice, video, and high-speed data;
• Foster deployment of broadband networks in rural communities through loan guarantees and pilot projects; and
• Support efforts of the research community to develop cutting-edge applications through initiatives such as the Next Generation Internet.

CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND CREATING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY

Al Gore believes that we must redouble our efforts to close the digital divide and create digital opportunity. Increasingly, access to information technology and the skills needed to use it effectively are becoming essential to full participation in America's economic, political, and social life. Unfortunately, low income, rural and minority families are still much less likely to have access to computers and the Internet. Gore will work to ensure that all Americans benefit from the Information Age.

• As Vice President, Al Gore fought for the "E-rate" program to provide low cost Internet access to the schools that serve our nation's most disadvantaged children. As President, Al Gore will make sure we finish connecting every classroom and library in America to the Internet, train all teachers to use technology effectively, expand access to modern, multimedia computers, and encourage the development of high-quality educational software and online resources.
• Gore will launch a new crusade to make the Internet as universal as the telephone in every American household. As President, Gore will encourage public-private partnerships to bring affordable Internet access to the hardest-to-reach urban and rural communities, and to increase Americans' "information literacy" skills. Information literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, and synthesize information from multiple sources. As an interim step, Al Gore will work with the private sector to establish a national network of Community Technology Centers in low-income neighborhoods, where people can learn how to use computers and the Internet.
• Gore will also work with the private sector and community-based organizations to support the development of applications that will empower low-income families - such as adult literacy courseware that would allow low-income workers to compete for higher-wage jobs.

PROTECTING OUR VALUES IN A TECHNOLOGICAL ERA

• With Vice President Gore's leadership, America has seen an explosion of innovation in telecommunications services and products -- a revolution born of the free and open competition fostered by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Since the passage of the Act which Gore helped to shepherd, competition has spurred 230,000 new jobs and some $25 billion in private investment -- making the telecommunications industry a leader in America's economic growth. As President, Al Gore will build on these successes and sustain his commitment to a competitive telecommunications industry. And he will fight against efforts to undermine the benefits competition has brought.

DEVELOPMENT OF BROADBAND ACCESS AND NEXT GENERATION INTERNET

With rapid advancements in technology - sometimes faster than we can even comprehend - we must work hard to ensure that our newest technologies support our oldest and most cherished values. That is why Al Gore has called for an Electronic Bill of Rights for privacy and he has worked with 25 of the largest Internet companies to develop a parents' protection page that will allow parents to protect children from material they believe is inappropriate.

• Privacy:
• Al Gore has focused on the challenge of protecting personal privacy online. That is why he has called for an Electronic Bill of Rights for Privacy. He believes that consumers should have the right to know how and why their personal information is being collected, the right to block the transfer of that information to third parties, and the ability to verify the accuracy of their personal information.
• Al Gore has called for legislation on medical records, financial information, and genetic discrimination legislation because of the sensitivity of this information. He also has called for new legislation to prevent people from profiting from others' personal information by selling their Social Security number.
• Al Gore also supports efforts to protect privacy on the Internet. Specifically, Gore supports effective industry self-regulation of the Internet, but is demanding that the Internet industry offer better and more comprehensive self-regulatory privacy efforts. He supports new technologies that can put privacy protection in the hands of Internet users by, for example, allowing them to browse the Internet anonymously. While the number of popular websites with privacy policies have increased dramatically, much more needs to be done to improve the quality of these policies and their enforcement.
• Protecting Children from Inappropriate Material: Al Gore believes we need to give parents the tools they need to protect children from inappropriate material, in a way that is consistent with the Constitution and that builds on industry self-regulation. Al Gore supports an approach that:
• Gives parents and teachers the tools they need - such as blocking and filtering software - so they can make the choice about how best to prevent children from gaining access to inappropriate material. Al Gore has also worked with Internet industry leaders to ensure that these tools are "one click away" from major web sites;
• Increases law enforcement resources to crack down on material on the Internet that is clearly illegal; and
• Encourages parents to play a role too. We must encourage parents to explore the Internet with their children, and make it easier for them to find the exciting educational content that is on the Internet.

CREATING AN E-GOVERNMENT FOR THE 21st CENTURY

Al Gore has proposed creating an E-Government where citizens are on-line, not in line; creating a government that is always open. By providing information and the ability to do business over the Net with government, the American people can get what they need from government, when they need it, with fewer hassles, headaches, and delays.

• Put Virtually Every Federal Government Service On-Line by 2003. Under the Gore plan, Americans will be able to, for example, check the purity of their drinking water, find new job opportunities, or determine the quality of nursing home care for an aging parent or loved one. They will be able to apply for a Social Security number, ask to participate in a clinical medical trial, or pay their student loan online. Under this proposal, a virtual government field office will be available to all Americans - 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the convenience of the citizen.
• Create a More Accountable and Effective Federal Government. The Gore plan will require agencies to put progress reports on-line, so every American can see what has been achieved, and where government has fallen short. This "Interactive Town Square" will empower Americans to respond with suggestions on what actions need to be taken to improve the effectiveness and quality of government services. Armed with this information, citizens will also be able to work directly with others who share the same interest, for example, in their neighborhood veteran's health care clinic or planning their community's disaster preparation strategy.
• Make the Federal Government More Efficient and Less Expensive. Under the Gore plan, the government will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars by letting all buyers compete for government business on the Internet in "real time" auctions. In addition, the Gore plan will create a new on-line government auction site - "G-Bay" - to sell off equipment the government no longer needs. The savings will be used to produce even greater efficiency, more savings, and better services for the taxpayers.
• Ensure that E-Government is Accessible, Easy for Families to Use, and Protects Americans Privacy. Under the Gore plan, the federal government will work in partnership with the private sector to provide a free "digital certificate" to any citizen who wants to connect with the government on-line. Americans will be able to use this technology to gain information about their Social Security benefits, apply for a home loan, or report a crime in their neighborhood, all while protecting their privacy. As President, Al Gore will protect Americans' privacy - because it must remain a fundamental right as we enter the Information Age.

PROMOTING AN "E-SOCIETY"

Al Gore recognizes the potential of new information and communications technologies to help solve some of our toughest social challenges in addition to its role as an engine of economic growth. As President, he would work with the private sector, non-profit organizations, and state and local governments to promote applications of new information and communications technologies. His strategy would include reducing legal and regulatory barriers to IT applications, sponsoring research, funding pilot projects, making the government a leading-edge user of IT, and providing training to end-users of IT. Information technology could be used to:

• Improve the Quality of Life for People with Disabilities by making information technology accessible and improving state-of-the-art of technologies such as speech recognition and text-to-speech.
• Allow Adults to Learn at a Time, Place and Pace that is Convenient for Them by expanding access to high quality distance learning opportunities.
• Improve Access to Healthcare, Reduce Administrative Costs and Allow Consumers to Make Better Informed Decisions about their Health Care Needs through e-health applications such as computer-based patient records, remote consultation, and consumer health information.
• Enable People to Achieve a Better Balance Between the Competing Demands of Work and Family by encouraging employers to support telecommuting.
• Expand Access to America's Historical and Cultural Heritage by developing digital libraries.
• Increase our Ability to Respond Effectively to Man-Made and Natural Disasters through effective use of information technology.
• Empower Communities to Make Better Decisions about Issues Such as Sustainable Development by continuing to develop better geospatial information systems and increasing the sharing of geospatial information.
• Reduce Crime through uses of information technology such as crime mapping and secure, interoperable wireless networks.

INVESTING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR FUTURE

Al Gore will fight for robust investments in science and technology to encourage innovation and continued American prosperity. Increased investment in S&T can also strengthen U.S. national security, protect the environment, allow Americans to lead longer, healthier lives, and help train the next generation of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.

• Creating a Bipartisan Consensus on the Importance of Science and Technology: As President, Al Gore will work to increase public awareness of the importance of S&T, and to create a framework for S&T policy that will attract bipartisan support.
• The federal government should make sustained increases in its overall R&D investment, and provide for tax incentives that will increase private sector investment as well.
• Priority should be given to university-based research, because universities help prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.
• The federal government needs to maintain a balanced research portfolio that supports all areas of science and engineering. The research enterprise is becoming increasingly interdependent. Advances in computer science and the physical sciences and engineering, for example, are increasingly important to biomedical research. The research portfolio also needs to be balanced between fundamental, "curiosity-driven" research and research that is designed to meet particular national and societal objectives.
• Because the federal government now accounts for only one-third of the nation's overall R&D expenditures, government needs to develop new, innovative mechanisms for partnering with the private sector and encouraging university-industry partnerships.
• Biomedical Research: Launching a new campaign in the fight against diseases, Al Gore would double our investment over five years in cancer research- as part of a similar commitment to all medical research. This investment, which would consist of an increase of nearly $9 billion over five years in spending in cancer research, will help assure that scientists have the resources to develop new cutting edge treatments, prevention, and detection tools. Al Gore will increase basic research specifically to find more efficient preclinical testing protocols, because many of the breakthroughs in the years ahead will rely on insights from genomics. And he will make similar increases in funding for biomedical research to fight other diseases - from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to diabetes and HIV/AIDS.
• Bioinformatics and Bioengineering: Gore recognizes the growing interdependence and convergence between biological science and information science. For example, with the initial sequencing of the full human genome now complete, we now have the potential to produce new treatments, diagnostics and personalized medicine. But this will require new advances in bioinformatics to help discover the function of genes. To take advantage of the promise of this research, Al Gore will propose the creation of 20 centers of excellence in biomedical computing on the campuses of our finest schools. He will also call for an increased emphasis in biomedical engineering at NIH, which could lead to breakthroughs such as artificial kidneys, artificial retinas, and a cure for spinal cord injuries.
• Information Technology Research: Al Gore fully supports the recommendations of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee, including their recommendation to double IT research over a five year period. He also supports their call for the creation of centers that would focus on advancing state-of-the-art applications of IT, such as digital government and crisis management, and for research in the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of the Information Revolution.
• Support for Undergraduate and Graduate Education in Science and Engineering: To help meet the rising demand for workers with technical skills, Al Gore will increase funding for scholarships, fellowships, and traineeships for students pursuing careers in science and engineering.
• America's Space Program: Al Gore understands that America's space program has always been about pushing the envelope in science, technology, exploration, and discovery as a means of learning more about ourselves and the universe in which we live. Al Gore will complete the International Space Station, invest in safety upgrades to the Space Shuttle, and develop new space transportation technologies to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Additionally, Gore will make reaching further into the solar system through NASA's space science enterprise a priority and continue to emphasize earth science.
• Energy and the Environment: Al Gore will increase investment in technologies that will develop cleaner sources of energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, increase energy efficiency, and protect the environment. Examples of the technologies include fuel cells that emit only water, solar and other renewable forms of energy, bioenergy, energy-efficient housing, and "green" manufacturing technologies.
• Education research: Gore will support funding for rigorous research on what educational strategies work and why, and R&D that will advance the state-of-the-art in educational technology.
• Nanotechnology: Al Gore supports an expansion of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which could lead to the ability to store the Library of Congress in a device the size of a sugar cube, detection of tumors that are only a few cells in size, and new materials that are 10 times stronger than steel and a fraction of the weight.
• Defense Research: Al Gore recognizes the important role that technology plays in ensuring America's military superiority. As President, he would increase investment in defense research, especially in DARPA's budget for long-term, high-risk, breakthrough technologies.

Source: Al Gore for President 2000 Web Site