FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Moya Morgan
Wednesday, May 24, 2000	202/585-0215
CSPP Hails House Passage of PNTR
Washington, DC - The Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP), a coalition of 10 Chief Executive Officers from America's leading information-technology companies, today applauded the bipartisan House passage of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) legislation with China, calling it a genuine victory for U.S. high-tech businesses and workers. "We commend members of Congress from both parties, who made the wise and honorable decision to pass Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China," said Carly Fiorina, president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Company.  Fiorina, who co-chairs CSPP's China PNTR effort with Intel Chairman Andrew S. Grove, added "I realize this was not a simple or easy decision for many, but I firmly believe that voting 'yes' on PNTR was the right thing to do--not only for American businesses and workers, but also for the people of China." "The outcome of this vote was critical, not only to U.S. high-tech companies, but also to the economy," Grove agreed.  "With the stakes so high for American workers, we are pleased that Members of the House realized that a vote for PNTR was an absolute necessity." "Now we must turn our attention to the Senate, where we are hopeful they'll follow the House's lead and vote in favor of PNTR," added Grove. "As Americans, we have an interest not only in promoting American businesses but also in promoting American values: respect for individual rights and liberties, environmental protection, and justice and accountability through the rule of law," Fiorina added.  "Members of the House who supported China PNTR demonstrated leadership in helping to advance each of these objectives by making China more accountable to the world community and by bringing information technology to the people of China.  I encourage the Senate to join in furthering these objectives by passing PNTR when they vote in the coming weeks." CSPP is the information technology industry's leading advocacy organization comprised exclusively of CEOs.  Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International Business Machines, Corp., is Chairman of the coalition, which has worked to develop and advocate the IT industry's public policy positions on technology and trade issues.  Currently, CSPP CEOs are focused on such issues as export controls, Internet taxation, encryption, international trade and electronic commerce. CSPP's current members are: Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. of International Business Machines Corp; Robert Bishop of SGI; Michael Capellas of Compaq Computer Corporation; Michael S. Dell of Dell Computer Corporation; Carleton S. Fiorina of Hewlett-Packard Company; Andrew S. Grove of Intel Corporation; Richard A. McGinn of Lucent Technologies; Scott G. McNealy of Sun Microsystems, Inc; Lars Nyberg of NCR Corporation; Lawrence A. Weinbach of Unisys Corporation. *   *   *