Alexandria, VA (April 12, 2002) – The Printing Industries of America, (PIA), a trade association that represents over 13,000 printers in the manufacturing sector, announced strong support for Bruce James to become Public Printer of the United States. President Bush announced his "intention to nominate" James on Thursday, March 28. Benjamin Y. Cooper, Executive Vice President for Public Policy for PIA said, "We are fortunate to have a man of Bruce’s caliber consider joining the Bush administration. Bruce has been a strong supporter of the printing industry and has served his industry and community in many ways throughout his career. We look forward to working with him at the Government Printing Office." The Public Printer is the official title of the head of the Government Printing Office (GPO). The GPO is the "official" printer for the United States, although the majority of the printing handled by the GPO is procured under its very successful small business contracting programs. The agency is unique in that the Public Printer is nominated by the President, must be confirmed by the Senate, and when confirmed becomes an employee of Congress. This unusual arrangement has created difficulties for the agency in recent years. The GPO’s share of federal printing has declined in recent years particularly among Executive Branch agencies. These agencies have begun to bypass the legal requirement that the GPO provide such printing services. Also, the agency may have not have established itself as a leader in electronic communications. "We are hopeful that Bruce James, with his broad understanding of the industry, will be able to demonstrate to government customers what the private sector already knows - the printing industry is in the information business and print is still the way most people get their information, " Cooper added. The "intention to nominate" is the first step in the appointment process. Following clearance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the candidate’s name will be forwarded as an official nomination to the Senate Committee on Rules for consideration.