From the President's Office - 1/23/09
Filed under: About, From The President's Office, News & Resources
I have attended many events in my life, but nothing comes even close to what happened in Washington, DC this week. The inauguration activities of President Obama were extraordinary! I am sure you have seen the pictures of more than two million people filling the mall on a frigid day, but you are probably not aware of the level of emotion that filled the air. As the new cabinet, House and Senate members, and former Vice Presidents and Presidents were announced; you could feel the excitement rising in the crowd. When President Obama appeared, an eruption of energy could be heard reverberating off of every building surrounding the mall. It was clear that people had come to view the man they hoped could bring change. It was truly an impressive sight.
The President has an aggressive and full agenda. And, as the following quote from his inaugural speech demonstrates, it appears that he intends to bring change to the roles science, technology and education play in the future of this country: "We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do."
Clearly, the President and his new administration have a lot on their plate from the economic crisis to the two wars we are engaged in. We will have to make an extra effort to be sure that the direction the President intends to take science, technology, and education in this country has the attention it deserves. Over the next several weeks we will be working hard on your behalf to this end and will keep you updated. Of major interest will be the 2009 budget, the stimulus package, and the proposed 2010 budget. It is an exciting time here, but things will be moving very fast, a lot is at stake, and it will take a lot of hard work and focus by many to assure success.
