And let me say something that’s not in my script tonight.  I know this is not going to be easy.  But I really believe one of the reasons the American people gave me a second term was to take the tough decisions in the next four years that will carry our country through the next 50 years.  I know it is easier for me than for you to say or do.  But another reason I was elected is to support all of you, without regard to party, to give you what is necessary to join in these decisions.  We owe it to our country and to our future.

Our second piece of unfinished business requires us to commit ourselves tonight, before the eyes of America, to finally enacting bipartisan campaign finance reform.

Now, Senators McCain and Feingold, Representatives Shays and Meehan have reached across party lines here to craft tough and fair reform.  Their proposal would curb spending, reduce the role of special interests, create a level playing field between challengers and incumbents, and ban contributions from non-citizens, all corporate sources, and the other large soft-money contributions that both parties receive.

You know and I know that this can be delayed, and you know and I know that delay will mean the death of reform.

So let’s set our own deadline.  Let’s work together to write bipartisan campaign finance reform into law and pass McCain-Feingold by the day we celebrate the birth of our democracy, July the 4th.

There is a third piece of unfinished business.  Over the last four years we moved a record two and a quarter million people off the welfare roles.  Then last year Congress enacted landmark welfare reform legislation demanding that all able-bodied recipients assume the responsibility of moving from welfare to work.  Now each and every one of us has to fulfill our responsibility, indeed our moral obligation, to make sure that people who now must work can work.  And now we must act to meet a new goal:  two million more people off the welfare rolls by the year 2000.

Here is my plan:  Tax credits and other incentives for businesses that hire people off welfare; Incentives for job placement firms in states to create more jobs for welfare recipients; Training, transportation and child care to help people go to work.  Now I challenge every state—­turn those welfare checks into private sector paychecks.  I challenge every religious congregation, every community nonprofit, every business to hire someone off welfare.  And I’d like to say especially to every employer in our country who ever criticized the old welfare system, you can’t blame that old system anymore; we have torn it down.  Now, do your part.  Give someone on welfare the chance to go to work.

Tonight I am pleased to announce that five major corporations—­Sprint, Monsanto, ups, Burger King and United Airlines—­will be the first to join in a new national effort to marshal America’s businesses large and small to create jobs so that people can move from welfare to work.