This is the America we have begun to build.  This is the America we can leave to our children—­if we join together to finish the work at hand.  Let us strengthen our nation for the 21st century.

Rarely have Americans lived through so much change in so many ways in so short a time.  Quietly, but with gathering force, the ground has shifted beneath our feet as we have moved into an information age, a global economy, a truly new world.

For five years now, we have met the challenge of these changes as Americans have at every turning point in our history, by renewing the very idea of America, widening the circle of opportunity, deepening the meaning of our freedom, forging a more perfect union.  We shaped a new kind of government for the information age.  I thank the vice president for his leadership, and the Congress for its support, in building a government that is leaner, more flexible, a catalyst for new ideas, and most of all, a government that gives the American people the tools they need to make the most of their own lives.

We have moved past the sterile debate between those who say government is the enemy and those who say government is the answer.  My fellow Americans, we have found a third way.  We have the smallest government in 35 years, but a more progressive one.  We have a smaller government but a stronger nation.

We are moving steadily toward a an even stronger America in the 21st century—­an economy that offers opportunity, a society rooted in responsibility, and a nation that lives as a community.

First, Americans in this chamber and across this nation have pursued a new strategy for prosperity:  fiscal discipline to cut interest rates and spur growth; investments in education and skills, in science and technology and transportation, to prepare our people for the new economy; new markets for American products and American workers.

When I took office, the deficit for 1998 was projected to be $357 billion, and heading higher.  This year, our deficit is projected to be $10 billion, and heading lower.

For three decades, six presidents have come before you to warn of the damage deficits pose to our nation.  Tonight, I come before you to announce that the federal deficit, once so incomprehensively large that it had 11 zeros, will be simply zero.

I will submit to Congress, for 1999, the first balanced budget in 30 years.

And if we hold fast to fiscal discipline, we may balance the budget this year—­four years ahead of schedule.

You can all be proud of that, because turning a sea of red ink into black is no miracle.  It is the product of hard work by the American people, and of two visionary actions in Congress:  The courageous vote in 1993 that led to a cut in the deficit of 90 percent and the truly historic bipartisan balanced budget agreement passed by this Congress.

Here’s the really good news:  If we maintain our resolve, we will produce balanced budgets as far as the eye can see.