(Washington, D.C.) – Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) President Thomas A. Schatz issued the following statement today regarding the e-Contract released by Republican members of Congress:

“As the nation moves into the 21^st Century, there is nothing more important for the continued global high tech leadership of the United States than allowing the free market to flourish.  Since the federal government has proven its ineptitude in high technology time and time again, the e-Contract is essential to keep the government from hacking its way into this vibrant industry.

“There is a litany of high tech horror stories inside Washington, including the failure of the Internal Revenue Service’s $4 billion computer modernization effort, the last-ditch attempt to comply with the Y2K computer bug and the misguided antitrust crusade against successful companies.  The high tech industry itself is marked by cutthroat and ubiquitous competition; high and improving quality; and energetic innovation and entrepreneurship.  The e-Contract is on the front lines of the battle to remove the government from the equation and maintain high tech superiority in the United States.

“In sharp contrast to Vice President Gore, who waxes eloquent about inventing the Internet and launching a $75 million satellite to observe the Earth from space, Republican members of Congress have established a realistic and essential e-Contract with the American people.  As was demonstrated by the success of the Contract With America, Republican leaders can be counted on to keep their promises to bring greater accountability to the federal government and allow the free market to continue to be the driving force in the nation’s astonishing economic success.  CCAGW’s 600,000 members are proud to support the e-Contract.”

CCAGW is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.