These cuts are real.  They will require sacrifice from everyone.  But these cuts do not undermine our fundamental obligations to our parents, our children, and our future, by endangering Medicare, or Medicaid, or education, or the environment, or by raising taxes on working families.

I have said before, and let me say again, many good ideas have come out of our negotiations.  I have learned a lot about the way both Republicans and Democrats view the debate before us.  I have learned a lot about the good ideas that we could all embrace.

We ought to resolve our remaining differences.  I am willing to work to resolve them.  I am ready to meet tomorrow.  But I ask you to consider that we should at least enact these savings that both plans have in common and give the American people their balanced budget, a tax cut, lower interest rates, and a brighter future.  We should do that now, and make permanent deficits yesterday’s legacy.

Now it is time for us to look also to the challenges of today and tomorrow, beyond the burdens of yesterday.  The challenges are significant.  But America was built on challenges, not promises.  And when we work together to meet them, we never fail.  That is the key to a more perfect Union.  Our individual dreams must be realized by our common efforts.

Tonight I want to speak to you about the challenges we all face as a people.

Strengthening Families

Our first challenge is to cherish our children and strengthen America’s families.  Family is the foundation of American life.  If we have stronger families, we will have a stronger America.

Before I go on, I would like to take just a moment to thank my own family, and to thank the person who has taught me more than anyone else over 25 years about the importance of families and children—­a wonderful wife, a magnificent mother and a great First Lady.  Thank you, Hillary.

All strong families begin with taking more responsibility for our children.  I have heard Mrs. Gore say that it’s hard to be a parent today, but it’s even harder to be a child.  So all of us, not just as parents, but all of us in our other roles—­our media, our schools, our teachers, our communities, our churches and synagogues, our businesses, our governments—­all of us have a responsibility to help our children to make it and to make the most of their lives and their God-given capacities.

To the media, I say you should create movies and CDs and television shows you’d want your own children and grandchildren to enjoy.

I call on Congress to pass the requirement for a V-chip in TV sets so that parents can screen out programs they believe are inappropriate for their children.  When parents control what their young children see, that is not censorship; that is enabling parents to assume more personal responsibility for their children’s upbringing.  And I urge them to do it.  The V-chip requirement is part of the important telecommunications bill now pending in this Congress.  It has bipartisan support, and I urge you to pass it now.