[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 3 (Monday, January 24, 2000)]
[Pages 130-131]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Indications of a Third Consecutive Federal Budget Surplus

January 21, 2000

    Today we received further evidence that our economic strategy of 
fiscal discipline is working. The tough choices we made on deficit 
reduction have turned a deficit of $290 billion in 1992 into a surplus 
of $124 billion in 1999--the largest surplus in history and the second 
consecutive surplus in more than 40 years. The latest financial numbers 
from the Department of the Treasury indicate that we are on track this 
year to reach a third consecutive annual budget surplus. In the last 2 
years, we have paid down more than $140 billion in debt and these 
numbers confirm that we are continuing to pay down even

[[Page 131]]

more debt. I remain committed to maintaining our strategy of fiscal 
discipline to keep our economy strong and pay down the debt by 2015 for 
the first time since Andrew
Jackson was President.