John Kerry 2004 On The Issues

America is a country of innovators and optimists, and the genius of the American people has always driven the story of American progress.
A few decades ago, entire regions of our country were shrouded in darkness until visionary leadership and the Rural Electric Administration brought light and power to millions of Americans. More recently, leadership that looked beyond the next election to the next generation funded the DNA research that has saved thousands of lives and improved thousands more.

Today, the possibilities for progress are limitless - but they won't be realized under a government that starves science and technology and slashes budgets for future research; that stifles the creativity and entrepreneurship that will produce the next big idea; that lets politics and ideology trump progress and science.

Technological advances do not happen by accident - they happen when a society that values progress thinks big and invests in its people and their ideas. Today, we need to tap the ingenuity and innovation at the heart of our history and the core of our character.

John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure that America leads in the great discoveries that bring greater prosperity. They have a plan to grow America's high-tech economy and create millions of high-wage jobs in the industries of the future, and they will increase funding for K-12 math and science education and long-term research to ensure America's scientific, economic and technological leadership in the 21st century.

John Kerry and John Edwards will:

Strengthen Our Economy And Fuel High-Tech Job Growth
Venture capital-backed startups have created millions of American jobs. By eliminating capital gains taxes for long-term investments in small businesses, John Kerry and John Edwards will create a business environment that encourages investment in innovation and break down barriers to future job growth and economic expansion.

Bridge The Digital Divide
Today, America has slipped to 10th in the world in adapting broadband technology. John Kerry and John Edwards will wire every corner of America and provide first responders with a secure broadband network by 2006.

Invest In The Breakthroughs Of Tomorrow
Today, Americans are discovering new ways to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. John Kerry and John Edwards will invest more in the research likely to create the industries and jobs of the future and lead to discoveries that will help us improve millions of lives and better understand the world we live in.

Let Scientists Do Science Again
John Kerry and John Edwards will let scientific findings drive scientific decisions and make scientific reports public so all Americans can make informed decisions. To help the scientists of tomorrow, they will improve K-12 math and science education and expand America's science and engineering workforce.

A Plan To Create Millions Of High-Wage Jobs In The Industries Of The Future

Strengthening America’s Leadership in Science, Technology, and Innovation

John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to ignite the growth of America's high-tech economy that will help create millions of high-tech, high-wage jobs in the industries of the future such as the broadband Internet, clean energy, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. John Kerry and John Edwards are also committed to increasing investments in areas such as K-12 math and science education and long-term, high-risk research that will help ensure America's scientific, economic and technological leadership in the 21st century.

George Bush has failed to lead on science, technology, and innovation. He has politicized or ignored scientific and technical advice. His budget plan cuts almost every area of research that is critical to our future economic growth, and during his tenure, America's position as a leader in broadband Internet technology has eroded from 4th in the world to 10th in the world.

The Kerry-Edwards plan will be paid for by accelerating the transition to digital television while ensuring that Americans continue to enjoy free, over-the-air television. This will provide wireless broadband for first responders, expand the spectrum that is available for unlicensed wireless broadband and also free up at least $30 billion of spectrum for public auction - paying for his investments in innovation. Some highlights of the Kerry-Edwards plan include:

Create a Business Environment That Will Enhance America's Competitiveness

• Eliminate capital gains for long-term investments in small businesses

• Extend the Research & Experimentation tax credit

Create High-Tech, High-Wage Jobs with a National Strategy for Universal Broadband

• Provide a tax credit to ensure that broadband access is universal and affordable

• Provide broadband to all first responders by the end of 2006

• Expand spectrum that is available for wireless broadband

Invest in Research for the Industries of the Future

• Provide substantial research increases for clean energy, medicine, advanced manufacturing, information technology, nanotechnology, and other priorities.

Build a High-Tech Workforce

• Expand America's science, engineering, and technical workforce.

Build an Information Society

• Use technology to transform everything from medicine to government.

Principles of the Kerry-Edwards Plan

• The ability to innovate - to create new products, services and even entirely new industries - is a unique strength of the American people and the American economy. The United States has an entrepreneurial culture, world-class research universities, the highest concentration of "angel" and venture capital, and an openness to new ideas and hard-working immigrants from all over the world. The United States cannot take this leadership for granted, and must be prepared to make the same types of investments in science and education that we made in the wake of Sputnik to maintain this edge.
  

• The private sector is the engine of economic growth and job creation. The government's important responsibility is to create an environment that will foster private sector investment and vigorous competition, and to support the building blocks of a dynamic and innovative economy - such as research and development and a workforce that is second to none.
  

• The creation and adoption of new technologies are important because of the key economic and societal benefits that they provide. Information and communications technologies increase the productivity of businesses that use them creatively, and can transform the way teachers teach and students learn. Clean sources of energy will reduce our dependence on Middle East oil, and preserve the environment for our children. Life sciences technology will help prevent disease, cure serious illnesses, and improve our quality of life. New technologies are absolutely essential for maintaining America's military might, and protecting our people from terrorist attacks.

What Innovation Can Accomplish

New technologies will not only create the jobs of the future, but also help meet important national goals and improve our quality of life. Examples include:

• A universally available broadband network that is 10 to 100 times faster than today's network, reaches rural and inner-city communities, and that enables a new generation of applications in e-learning and e-health.
  

• Clean energy - such as nanotechnology-based photovoltaics or bioenergy - that is competitive with fossil fuels, can end our dependence on Middle East oil, and can reduce the threat of global warming.
  

• New technologies for education and life-long learning that are as engaging as the best video game and effective as a one-on-one tutor.
  

• Tools that sequence a complete human genome in hours rather than months, enabling the creation of personalized medicines that minimize the risks of adverse reactions.
  

• Computer interfaces based on speech and gestures that will empower more people with disabilities to work, and to be full participants in the Information Society.

The Kerry-Edwards Plan

Create a Business Environment That Will Enhance America's Competitiveness

John Kerry and John Edwards are committed to creating a business environment that will promote private sector investment, innovation, competition, and the formation of new businesses. This will require a responsible fiscal policy, targeted tax cuts that reward long-term investments, and trade and regulatory policies that will enhance America's high-tech competitiveness. They will:

Eliminate capital gains taxes for long-term investments in small businesses. Small, entrepreneurial firms play a critical role in creating new jobs and commercializing new technologies. As new companies, they are less wedded to incremental improvements to existing products and services, but often have difficulty attracting capital because of the high degree of risk involved. John Kerry will exempt investments held for five or more years in small businesses - a proposal that would cost $6 billion over ten years.

Extend the Research and Experimentation tax credit. The Research & Experimentation tax credit provides a powerful incentive for companies to invest in R&D, but its effectiveness would be greatly increased if it were extended so that companies could rely on its existence. John Kerry will work with the Congress to find a way to pay for extending the Research and Experimentation tax credit with the goal of making it permanent.

Reform or eliminate regulations that impede America's high-tech competitiveness. John Kerry will reform or eliminate regulations that are blocking the growth of new technologies. Examples include:

• Supporting stem cell research, which could help find cures for Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, and cancer.
  

• Shifting the emphasis of computer export controls from attempting to control widely available business computers to controlling the availability of classified software created for applications such as weapons development.
  

• Using market-oriented, performance-based and other mechanisms that encourage the development of innovative solutions to meet public goals such as environmental protection, rather than forcing prescriptive measures. For example, tradable permits were used successfully to reduce the emissions that cause acid rain. This will increase the incentive of companies to adopt environmental technologies, as opposed to doing the minimum required to comply with "command and control" environmental regulations.
  

• Ensuring that distributed energy resources (such as wind turbines, solar power systems, fuel cells) can be reliably and affordably connected to the power grid.
  

• Ensuring that the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has the resources it needs to review a growing number of new patent applications and issue high-quality patents by ending the diversion of patent fees.

 
Open foreign markets to U.S. goods and services. John Kerry is committed to expanding trade and opening markets for U.S. goods and services abroad. He will vigorously crack down on unfair trade practices, such as piracy of our intellectual property and China's discriminatory policies towards semiconductors and other technological products. In addition, he will work to ensure that China honors its World Trade Organization (WTO) accession agreement to stop forced technology transfers as a prerequisite for doing business in China.

End special tax breaks for moving jobs overseas - and cut corporate taxes in the United States. John Kerry recognizes that we cannot keep all jobs in America, but he believes that we need to end special tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas. The savings can be used to lower corporate taxes by 5 percent - providing a tax break for 99 percent of taxpaying corporations. This is part of the broader Kerry-Edwards plan to improve the competitiveness of the American economy, making it a more attractive place to create high-quality jobs.

Cut the budget deficit in half while investing in priorities. John Kerry has a plan to cut the deficit in half while paying for all his priorities. The Kerry-Edwards plan does this by paying for all proposals, keeping discretionary spending other than education and security growing less than inflation, and cutting corporate welfare. In contrast, George Bush has passed trillions of dollars of tax cuts - squeezing out investment in critical areas such as science and technology. This not only passes the burden of debt onto our children, but also shortchanges the vital investments that are needed to enrich future generations.

Create High-Tech, High-Wage Jobs with a National Strategy for Universal Broadband

During the Bush administration, the United States has fallen from 4th to 10th in terms of adoption of broadband. Not only that, other countries such as South Korea and Japan are now deploying networks that are 20-50 times faster than what is available in the United States. At the same time, America has lost 800,000 high-tech jobs since George Bush took office.

John Kerry will have a national broadband policy that will speed the deployment of this essential infrastructure, since the widespread adoption of broadband could add $500 billion to the U.S. economy, generate more than 1.2 million jobs, and transform the way we learn, work, and deliver digital opportunity throughout the country. He will:

Provide tax incentives to make broadband access universal. The Kerry-Edwards plan will provide a 10 percent tax credit for investments in today's broadband technology in rural and inner city areas. Investments in the next-generation of high-speed broadband anywhere in the country would be eligible for a 20 percent tax credit - this would be available for speeds more than 20 times the current generation of broadband. These tax credits would be in effect for five years and the proposal would cost $2 billion over that period.

Ensure universal broadband for "first responders" by the end of 2006. John Kerry is committed to ensuring that our first responders - the firefighters and police officers who work every day to keep America safe - have access to the latest Information Age tools. Broadband networks will enable rapid and seamless communication between federal and local authorities when the terror alert level is raised.

Expand the spectrum available for new broadband wireless services and "first responders" - while raising at least $30 billion to fund science and technology innovation. The Kerry-Edwards plan will complete the transition to digital television, and accelerate the return of valuable spectrum that is currently being used for broadcasting the "analog" television signal, while ensuring that Americans continue to enjoy free, over-the-air television, including subsidies to ensure all Americans can make the transition. The plan will also provide shared access to unassigned TV channels where this will not interfere with television reception. The spectrum that is freed up by this shift will be divided between three uses:

• First, some of the spectrum will be given to "first responders" such as police and firefighters. Providing more of the highest-quality spectrum will help first responders who badly need secure, interoperable wireless networks that allow officials in different federal, state and local agencies to communicate with one another.
  

• Second, some of the spectrum will go for unlicensed, public use. Provide the low-frequency spectrum needed to facilitate the rapid growth of affordable wireless broadband. The explosive growth of "WiFi" shows the benefits of making some spectrum available on an unlicensed basis. This could be particularly important for rural areas, since the cost of deploying these new services could be 3 to 4 times cheaper than existing wireless technologies - increasing competition with cable and telephone companies. In addition, John Kerry would make the regulatory changes that are needed to unleash new broadband networking technologies such as cognitive radio, mesh networks, ultra-wide band, and software-defined radio.
  

• Third, the remaining spectrum will be auctioned off for licensed use. This will generate $30 billion in revenues from this and other spectrum auctions. The Kerry-Edwards plan would target this revenue to his proposed investments in science, technology, and innovation.

Promote private sector investment and competition in broadband. John Kerry supports a telecommunications policy that will promote investment, encourage competition, deliver new services, unleash innovation, and accelerate the development of universal, affordable broadband networks and applications. Competition will also help promote an "open" Internet - an Internet in which individuals can be producers as well as consumers of information, an Internet in which new ideas for content and applications can emerge from individuals and small companies and spread rapidly, and an Internet that allows "many to many" communication.

Encourage marketplace solutions to attract broadband providers to underserved regions. John Kerry will spread to rural and underserved areas across America the marketplace solution that was successful in bringing broadband to Western Massachusetts. By joining their purchasing power, businesses, hospitals and other significant telecommunications users in a rural region will be able to attract investment in broadband networks and then benefit from increased economic activity and job creation. By bringing more opportunity to rural America, the telecommunications revolution can strengthen the social fabric of many communities.

Invest in Research for the Industries of the Future

Federal support for long-term research that is beyond the time horizons of individual companies has played a critical role in creating high-tech products, services, and industries. This is particularly true for basic research at our nation's universities, where we have the dual benefit of research and advanced training of our future scientists and engineers. The contribution of government-funded university research, however, is often critical for igniting the process of innovation. Examples of the outcomes of government research include the Internet, advanced microprocessors, medical imaging, and recombinant DNA (which created the biotechnology industry). Seventy percent of industrial patents cite publicly funded research, clear evidence of its importance.

Unfortunately, government support for many key disciplines of science and engineering, particularly the physical sciences and engineering, has been declining. The Bush administration's latest budget proposes cutting the science funding (in real terms) in 21 out of 24 agencies over the next five years - including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. This puts America's scientific and technological leadership at risk. John Kerry and John Edwards want America to be the world leader in innovation and discovery and is committed to increasing the federal government's investment in research and innovation. They will:

Restore integrity and honesty to science policy. Leading scientists who have worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations have criticized the Bush administration for distorting and politicizing science policy. On critical issues such as mercury pollution, lead poisoning, global warming, and stem cell research, the administration has stacked advisory committees, and suppressed or ignored the best advice from scientific and technical experts. John Kerry will make sure that his administration gets the best possible advice on science, technology and environmental issues.

Provide broad-based increases in funding for research, helping to create the industries and jobs of the future. John Kerry will boost support for the physical sciences and engineering by increasing research investments in agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This funding will help with the broad areas of science and technology that will provide the foundations for economic growth and prosperity in the 21st century including:

• Nanotechnology: Additional investments in nanotechnology could lead to dramatic improvements in our ability to detect and treat cancer, a "lab-on-a-chip" for defense against biological warfare, and clean sources of energy that are competitive with fossil fuels. Increased investment is also needed in "nanoelectronics" - since the current generation of semiconductor technology is beginning to reach fundamental limits. The U.S. should also lead the world in the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology, and expand its research on the environmental and human health effects of nanomaterials.
  

• Advanced manufacturing: There have been 2.7 million lost manufacturing jobs under President Bush. New manufacturing technologies can allow U.S. companies to be more competitive, developing products more rapidly, and cost-effectively. Kerry will double the funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which would speed the adoption of new technology by small and medium-sized manufacturers - the backbone of our economy. In addition, Kerry will restore funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP). ATP has played an important role in technological development, including accelerating the development of digital mammography technology, which has improved cancer detection and reduced the need for unnecessary biopsies. In contrast, George Bush has proposed slashing MEP by 90 percent and eliminating ATP.
  

• Information technology: John Kerry believes IT research can lead to the jobs and industries of the future and therefore supports recommendations of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee that call for an increase in long-term IT research. More research is needed, for example, to make high-productivity information systems that are dependable, reliable, and resistant to cyber-attacks.
  

• Life sciences: Advances in the biological sciences, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices and pharmaceuticals can help us detect, treat, prevent and even cure diseases - allowing Americans to lead longer and healthier lives. John Kerry supports research that would allow us to develop "personalized medicines" that minimize the risk of adverse reactions.
  

• Clean energy: John Kerry has a plan to make America energy independent from Middle East oil, which will require increasing our investment in R&D for clean energy and energy-efficient technologies.
  

• Industrial biotechnology: Advances in biotechnology such as "synthetic biology" can lead to biodegradable plastics, energy, fuels, and chemicals based on agriculture waste as opposed to Middle East oil, new tools for bioremediation, and cleaner industrial processes that use fewer toxic chemicals. Many of these applications can create jobs and increase incomes in rural America.

Expand support for "curiosity-driven" research and long-term, high-risk research. Because it is not possible to predict where the next key breakthrough will come from, the Kerry-Edwards plan will increase support for research that is driven solely by the quest for fundamental understanding about the world around us. For example, the technology for MRI, now routinely used in hospitals to detect tumors and internal tissue damage in patients, is an outgrowth of fundamental physics research on nuclear magnetic resonance. The heart of the Global Positioning System is an atomic clock, originally developed to test Einstein's theories. At the time, no one would have predicted these future applications. The Kerry-Edwards plan will also maximize the effectiveness of research investments by addressing current shortcomings such as: grants that are of inadequate size and duration; science agencies that under-invest in high-risk, high-return research; and the need for greater exploration of the ethical, legal, and social implications of new technologies.

Devote more defense research and development to long-term research. Past investments in defense research have provided military superiority to the men and women in America's armed forces, with capabilities such as stealth technology, precision-guided munitions, and night vision goggles. This year, the Bush administration has proposed cutting the long-term portion of the defense R&D budget by 15 percent. Under the Kerry-Edwards plan, investment in long-term, high-risk defense research through agencies such as DARPA and the Office of Naval Research would be increased.

Use prizes to stimulate technological innovation. Prizes have a number of advantages as a tool for stimulating technological innovation compared to traditional grants and contracts. For example, they allow the government to set a goal, while allowing researchers and entrepreneurs to pursue different strategies for reaching that goal. The private sector's X Prize illustrates the power of this approach. This prize has captured the public imagination, and encouraged two-dozen teams of rocket scientists from around the world to develop reusable spaceships. The Kerry-Edwards plan would provide every science agency with the authority to establish prizes to foster technological advances.

Accelerate the pace of scientific discovery by investing in cyber-infrastructure. In the same way that roads, railways and ports provided the infrastructure for the industrial economy, new information and communications technologies will provide the infrastructure for the knowledge economy. Cyber-infrastructure, composed of supercomputers, optical networks, vast digital libraries, networked scientific instruments, and software tools for simulation and collaboration, has the potential to accelerate progress in virtually every science and engineering discipline.

Balance science and security by streamlining our visa system to facilitate scientists and students to work and study in the United States while improving our security. In the wake of 9/11, America took important steps to improve security for visa applicants to the United States. However, we can improve our visa system to process visa applications for legitimate scientists and students more quickly while still screening individuals that pose a genuine security risk. With more resources and better procedures, we do not need to face a tradeoff between scientific exchange and national security. As Robert M. Gates, former Director of Central Intelligence during the first Bush administration has noted, Osama bin Laden and other terrorists are on the brink of achieving an unanticipated victory, one that could have long-term consequences for the United States. That is because the unpredictability and delays associated with getting a student visa is causing international students to stop applying to U.S. colleges and universities. This not only damages our economy, it also limits our ability to win the war of ideas by educating the future leaders of developing countries.

Build a High-Tech Workforce for the 21st Century

Our current efforts to educate and prepare American workers to thrive in an increasingly technological society are totally inadequate. Building a high-tech workforce is needed for economic growth, national security, and a vibrant democracy capable of grappling with issues such as global warming and bioethics. Over the course of the campaign John Kerry will outline the details of his plan to build the workforce of the future, including investing in K-12 math and science education, rewarding colleges for increasing the number of science and engineering degrees, and creating state-of-the-art online learning technologies that allow hardworking American workers to get high-quality training and education at a time, place, and pace that works for them.

Build an Information Society

New information and communications technologies can do more than change the way we shop and do business. Used creatively, they can also improve our quality of life and advance some of our most time-honored values. The evolution of the Internet and other information and communications technologies has been driven by bottom-up, decentralized "experiments" by individual users, independent developers, university researchers, companies, non-profits, and "virtual communities." In some areas, there are appropriate steps that the government can take, working with the private sector, to promote key applications of IT that improve our quality of life. These include: overcoming legal and regulatory barriers to the adoption of IT, making the government an intelligent user of new technologies to carry out its missions, support for R&D and pilot projects, and establishing longer-term national goals on the use of IT. John Kerry will direct his Cabinet to develop an "Innovation Agenda" built upon public-private partnerships that advance the following goals:

Promote digital opportunity. Innovative applications of information technology can improve the lives of people in underserved communities. That's why John Kerry will expand the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). TOP has supported grassroots projects that have delivered real results, such as information systems that raise the rates of childhood immunization in inner cities. The Bush administration has proposed eliminating this program.

Make our government more open, responsive, and efficient. Americans are entitled to the most efficient and effective government that is user-friendly, accessible 24/7 from any Internet enabled computer, and enables greater two-way interactions between citizens and their government on the important issues of the day.

Transform America's health care system. Information technology can dramatically improve America's health care system by reducing administrative costs, allowing patients to make more informed decisions about their health care needs, improving the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, reducing medical errors which kill an estimated 44,000 - 98,000 Americans every year, and improving the quality of care in rural and urban communities with remote consultation.

Empower people with disabilities to lead more independent lives. Universal design of information systems and new technologies such as speech recognition can allow people with disabilities to be full participants in the Information Society. Information technology, designed from the beginning to be usable by people with disabilities, can also allow more people with disabilities to work.

Put America's cultural heritage at the fingertips of every American. New technologies are allowing us to digitize America's vast treasure trove of historical documents, photographs, paintings, recordings, sculptures, and monuments. Currently, for example, the Smithsonian can only exhibit 2-3 percent of their holdings. Our goal should be to dramatically expand access to America's cultural heritage, working with our nation's libraries, archives, and museums.

Source: John Kerry for President 2004 Web Site