[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[August 4, 1999]
[Pages 1381-1382]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Memorandum on the Year 2000 Computer Problem
August 4, 1999

Memorandum for Members of the Cabinet

Subject:  Year 2000 Computer Problem

    The end of 1999 is less than 6 months away. Federal agencies have 
made significant progress

in meeting the challenges posed by the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer problem 
since the Vice President and I discussed this issue at the Cabinet 
meeting in January 1998. Virtually all of the major Federal agencies 
have completed, or

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will soon complete, work on their mission-critical systems, and agencies 
are working aggressively to encourage compliance among their 
organizational partners for the delivery of key Federal services.
    Our efforts to solve the Y2K problem provide an important example of 
the Government's ability to respond to difficult management challenges, 
and I appreciate your commitment to this critical issue. However, your 
ongoing support through 1999 is essential to the Nation's ability to 
achieve the ultimate goal of minimizing Y2K-related failures in the 
public and private sectors.
    You should continue your outreach efforts to organizations 
domestically and internationally. We must encourage compliance efforts 
among our partners, such as State and local governments helping to 
deliver Federal services and private sector organizations supporting the 
Nation's critical infrastructure. Internationally, the continued 
exchanges of technical information with other governments about Y2K 
experiences will help to limit potential Y2K problems in our trading 
relationships.
    You also should maintain your focus on contingency and back-up 
plans. While many systems and processes have been tested multiple times, 
being prepared with alternate operating plans provides an important 
extra layer of insurance against unexpected difficulties and will 
enhance our ability to respond to any challenges associated with the 
date change.
    I also encourage you to continue to work closely with my Council on 
Year 2000 Conversion, and with each other, as we approach January 1, 
2000. If we continue our hard work on this important issue, I am 
confident that we will be able to oversee a successful transition to the 
new millennium.

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on August 5.