Bill Clinton: “Federal Government's Readiness for the Year 2000 December 14, 1999 With the end of the year in sight, I am pleased to…”

“Federal Government's Readiness for the Year 2000 December 14, 1999 With the end of the year in sight, I am pleased to announce that OMB's final quarterly report shows that the Federal Government is ready for the year 2000. As of today, 99.9 percent of the Government's mission-critical computer systems are Y2K compliant. They have been fixed, tested, and certified as ready for operation on January 1, 2000. We have met the challenge of making sure that the Federal Government can continue to serve the American people as we enter the next century. Three years ago when we started our intensive work on Y2K, only one- fifth of the mission-critical systems was ready. Many said that the Federal Government was not up to the job, that the deadline would not be met, and that the price tag would be exorbitant, as much as $50 billion. Today, the facts are clear: We have done our job; we have met the deadline; and we have done well below cost projections. I want to thank the thousands of dedicated men and women of the Federal Government who spent long hours, late nights, and many weekends getting us ready for the new year. Many of these same people will be mobilized and working throughout the New Year's weekend. Thanks to them, we have every reason to approach the changeover with confidence about the operations of the Federal Government. However, no amount of preparation can prevent glitches.…”