Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Unveils "Building 21st Century Economy" Plan

Plan will promote new technology, research and scientific innovation in America

Santa Clara, California – Today, during a speech to the Silicon Valley Leadership Group as part of its "Road to the White House" Speakers Series, Senator John Edwards unveiled his agenda to promote technology, research, and scientific innovation in America. Edwards laid out a six-point plan to recharge America's competitiveness through improvements in technological infrastructure today and investments in research and education that will pay off tomorrow.

"Americans have always taken impossible tasks and turned them into reality," said Edwards. "Whether we are the country of the 21st century depends on what all of us do today. We need to take action today—not tomorrow—to ensure that we continue to lead. If we're going to be the most innovative country in the world, we also need to reverse the philosophy of the Bush administration, which values ideology over science. Policy should be science driven; science shouldn't be politics driven."

During the 20th century, America led the world in innovation. Today, America is challenged by other countries that have invested aggressively in education, engineering and infrastructure, giving them an edge in the global economy. Students are falling behind in science education–American 9th-graders are 18th in the world in science education. Federal funding for physical science research as a share of the GDP has been declining for 30 years, and the United States trails many European and Asian countries in high-speed access. Additionally, President Bush has repeatedly blocked progress by presiding over the most anti-science administration in American history, censoring research and slanting policy on issues ranging from climate change to air pollution to stem cell research, in order to advance his political agenda.

Building One America—where every person has a chance to succeed—means that the United States must confront the competitive challenges of the new century. Edwards has a six-point plan to ensure that our country stays competitive. Edwards' plan would:

• Support American ingenuity by investing in education, science, technology and innovation.
• Build the New Energy Economy and create more than 1 million new jobs.
• Restore America's leadership in science and math education and ensure that American children are prepared to build on our current technology successes.
• Create universal broadband access and close the digital divide.
• Guarantee true universal health care. Skyrocketing health care costs are a heavy burden on manufacturing companies and other businesses. Edwards has offered a specific plan to guarantee true universal health care for every man, woman and child in America.
• Respect science and make sure that government professionals charged with the collection and analysis of scientific data—from medical research to mercury emissions—are insulated from political influence.

For more information on Edwards' plan, please click here for the fact sheet.