Proclamations Proc. 7269 hoods, tutoring children, donating blood, organizing food drives, or reach- ing out in some other way to those in need, our citizens can work together to make this a day on, not a day off, and to make their own contributions to Dr. King's legacy of service. Martin Luther King, Jr., was not content to rest on past successes or to com- promise his convictions. If he were with us now to mark his 71st birthday, he would exhort us not to grow weary in doing good but to reach out to one another in the spirit of service and forge a future in which all Ameri- cans are proud of our diversity and united in our reverence for freedom, justice, and equality. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Monday, January 17, 2000, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I call upon all Americans to observe this occasion with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in honor of Dr. King's life and achievements and in response to his call to service. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7269 of January 19, 2000 National Biotechnology Month, 2000 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation As we stand at the dawn of a new century, we recognize the enormous po- tential that biotechnology holds for improving the quality of life here in the United States and around the world. These technologies, which draw on our understanding of the life sciences to develop products and solve prob- lems, are progressing at an exponential rate and promise to make unprece- dented contributions to public health and safety, a cleaner environment, and economic prosperity. Today, a third of all new medicines in development are based on bio- technology. Designed to attack the underlying cause of an illness, not just its symptoms, these medicines have tremendous potential to provide not only more effective treatments, but also cures. With improved under- standing of cellular and genetic processes, scientists have opened exciting new avenues of research into treatments for devastating diseases--like Par- kinson's and Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, and cancer--that affect millions of Americans. Biotechnology has also given us several new vaccines, including one for rotavirus, now being tested clinically, that could eradicate an illness responsible for the deaths of more than 800,000 infants and children each year. The impact of biotechnology is far-reaching. Bioremediation technologies are cleaning our environment by removing toxic substances from contami- 19
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