Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and
women
of the 112th
Congress
, as well as your new Speaker,
John Boehner
. And as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this
Chamber
, and pray for the
health
of our colleague and our friend
Gabby Giffords
.
It's no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. The debates have been contentious; we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. And that's a good thing.
That's what
a robust democracy demands.
That's what
helps set us apart as a
nation
.
But there's a reason the tragedy in
Tucson
gave us pause. Amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our
public debate
,
Tucson
reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater something more consequential than
party
or political preference.
We are part of the
American family
. We believe that in a
country
where every race and
faith
and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a
little girl
in
Tucson
are not so different than those of our own
children
, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled.
That, too, is what sets us apart as a
nation
.
Now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of cooperation. What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.
I believe we can. I believe we must.
That's what
the people who sent us here expect of us. With their votes, they've determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from
Democrats
and
Republicans
. We will move forward together, or not at all for the challenges we face are bigger than
party
, and bigger than politics.
At stake right now is not who wins the next election after all, we just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this
country
, or somewhere else. It's whether the hard work and
industry
of our people is rewarded. It's whether we sustain the leadership that has made
America
not just a place on a map, but a light to the
world
.
We are poised for
progress
. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the
stock market
has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The
economy
is growing again.
But we have never measured
progress
by these yardsticks alone. We measure
progress
by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and
the quality of life
those jobs offer. By the prospects of a
small business
owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities
for a better life
that we pass on to our
children
.
That's the project the
American people
want us to work on. Together.
We did that in December. Thanks to the
tax cuts
we passed,
Americans
' paychecks are a little bigger today. Every business can write off the
full cost
of the new investments they make this year. These steps, taken by
Democrats
and
Republicans
, will grow the
economy
and add to the more than one million private sector jobs created last year.
But we have more
work to do
. The steps we've taken over the last two years may have broken the back of this recession but to win the
future
, we'll need to take on challenges that have been decades in the making.
Many
people watching
tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown. You didn't always need a degree, and your competition was pretty much limited to your neighbors. If you worked hard, chances are you'd have a job for life, with a decent paycheck, good benefits, and the occasional promotion. Maybe you'd even have the pride of seeing your kids work at the same
company
.
That
world
has changed. And for many, the change has been painful. I've seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories, and the vacant storefronts of once busy
Main Streets
. I've heard it in the frustrations of
Americans
who've seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear proud men and
women
who feel like the
rules
have been changed in the middle of the game.
They're right. The
rules
have changed. In a single generation, revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work and do business. Steel mills that once needed 1,000 workers can now do the same work with 100. Today, just about any
company
can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there's an
internet connection
.
Meanwhile, nations like
China and India
realized that with some changes of their own, they could compete in this new
world
. And so they started educating their
children
earlier and longer, with greater emphasis on math and science. They're investing in research and new technologies. Just recently,
China
became home to the
world
's largest private solar research facility, and the
world
's fastest computer.
So yes, the
world
has changed. The competition for jobs is real. But this shouldn't discourage us. It should challenge us. Remember for all the hits we've taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline,
America
still has the largest, most prosperous
economy
in the
world
. No workers are more productive than ours. No
country
has more successful companies, or grants more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs. We are home to the
world
's best colleges and universities, where more students come to study than any other place on
Earth
.
What's more, we are the first
nation
to be founded for the sake of an idea the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. That is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. It's why our students don't just memorize equations, but answer questions like "What do you think of that idea? What would you change about the
world
?
What do you want
to be when you grow up?"
The
future
is ours to win. But to get there, we can't just
stand still
. As
Robert Kennedy
told us, "The
future
is not a gift. It is an achievement." Sustaining the
American Dream
has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age.
Now it's our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the
rest of the world
. We have to make
America
the best place on
Earth
to do business. We need to take responsibility for our
deficit
, and
reform
our
government
. That's how our people will prosper. That's how we'll win the
future
. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how we get there.
The first step in winning the
future
is encouraging American
innovation
.
None of us can predict with certainty what the next big
industry
will be, or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn't know that something called the
Internet
would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do what
America
does better than anyone is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We are the
nation
that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the
nation
of
Edison
and the
Wright brothers
; of
Google
and
Facebook
.
In America
,
innovation
doesn't just change our lives. It's how we make a living.
Our
free enterprise system
is what drives
innovation
. But because it's not always profitable for companies to
invest
in
basic research
, throughout history our
government
has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need.
That's what
planted the seeds for the
Internet
.
That's what
helped make
possible
things like
computer chips
and
GPS
.
Just think of all the good jobs from manufacturing to retail that have come from those breakthroughs.
Half a century ago, when the
Soviets
beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called
Sputnik�
we had no idea how we'd beat them to the moon. The science wasn't there yet. NASA didn't even exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn't just surpass the
Soviets
; we unleashed a wave of
innovation
that created new industries and millions of new jobs.
This is our generation's
Sputnik
moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of
research and development
we haven't seen since the height of the
Space Race
. In a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to
Congress
that helps us meet that goal. We'll
invest
in
biomedical research
,
information technology
, and especially
clean energy
technology an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
Already, we are seeing the promise of
renewable energy
.
Robert
and
Gary Allen
are
brothers
who run a small
Michigan
roofing
company
. After
September 11th
, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the
Pentagon
. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard.
Today, with the help of a
government
loan, that
empty space
is being used to manufacture
solar shingles
that are being sold all across the
country
. In
Robert
's words, "We reinvented ourselves."
That's what
Americans
have done for over two hundred years: reinvented ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the
Allen Brothers
, we've begun to reinvent our
energy policy
. We're not just handing out money. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling
America
's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in
clean energy
, we'll fund the
Apollo Projects
of our time.
At the
California Institute of Technology
, they're developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
, they're using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our
nuclear facilities
. With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first
country
to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by
2015
.
We need to get behind this
innovation
. And to help pay for it, I'm asking
Congress
to eliminate the billions in taxpayer
dollars
we currently give to
oil companies
. I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing yesterday's
energy
, let's
invest
in tomorrow's.
Now,
clean energy
breakthroughs will only translate into
clean energy
jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they're selling. So tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: by
2035
, 80% of
America
's electricity will come from
clean energy
sources. Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear,
clean coal
, and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all and I urge
Democrats
and
Republicans
to work together to make it happen.
Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to
America
's success. But if we want to win the
future
if we want
innovation
to produce jobs in
America
and not overseas then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.
Think about it. Over the next ten years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a
high school degree
. And yet, as many as a quarter of our students aren't even finishing
high school
. The quality of our math and
science education
lags behind many other nations.
America
has fallen to 9th in the proportion of
young people
with a
college degree
. And so the question is whether all of us as
citizens
, and as parents are willing to do what's necessary to give every child a chance to succeed.
That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It's family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the
TV
is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the
Super Bowl
who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the
science fair
; that success is not a function of fame or
PR
, but of hard work and discipline.
Our schools share this responsibility. When a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance. But too many schools don't meet this test. That's why instead of just pouring money into a system that's not working, we launched a competition called
Race to the Top
. To all
fifty states
, we said, "If you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and
student achievement
, we'll show you the money."
Race to the
Top
is the most meaningful
reform
of our
public schools
in a generation. For less than one percent of what we spend on education each year, it has led over 40
states
to raise their standards for teaching and learning. These standards were developed, not by
Washington
, but by Republican and Democratic governors throughout the
country
. And
Race to the Top
should be the approach we follow this year as we replace
No Child Left Behind
with a law that is more flexible and focused on what's best for our kids.
You see, we know what's
possible
for our
children
when
reform
isn't just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals;
school boards
and communities.
Take a school like
Bruce Randolph
in
Denver
. Three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in
Colorado
; located on turf between two rival gangs. But last May, 97% of the seniors received their diploma. Most will be the first in their family to go to
college
. And after the first year of the school's transformation, the principal who made it
possible
wiped away tears when a student said "Thank you, Mrs.
Waters
, for showing� that we are smart and we can make it."
Let's also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child's success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. In
South Korea
, teachers are known as "
nation
builders."
Here in America
, it's time we treated the people who educate our
children
with the same level of respect. We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. And over the next ten years, with so many
Baby Boomers
retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
In fact, to every
young person
listening tonight who's contemplating their career
choice
: If you want to make a difference in the life of our
nation
; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child become a teacher.
Your country needs you
.
Of course, the education race doesn't end with a
high school
diploma. To compete,
higher education
must be within reach of every American. That's why we've ended the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that went to banks, and used the savings to make
college
affordable for millions of students. And this year, I ask
Congress
to go further, and make permanent our tuition
tax credit
worth $10,000 for four years of
college
.
Because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in today's fast-changing
economy
, we are also revitalizing
America
's
community colleges
. Last month, I saw the promise of these schools at
Forsyth Tech
in
North Carolina
. Many of the students there used to work in the surrounding factories that have since left town. One mother of two, a woman named
Kathy Proctor
, had worked in the
furniture industry
since she was 18 years old. And she told me she's earning her degree in biotechnology now, at 55 years old, not just because the furniture jobs are gone, but because she wants to inspire her
children
to pursue their dreams too. As
Kathy
said, "I hope it tells them to never give up."
If we take these steps if we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best
possible
chance at an education, from the day they're born until the last job they take we will reach the goal I set two years ago: by the end of the decade,
America
will once again have the highest proportion of
college
graduates in the
world
.
One last point about education. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American
citizens
. Some are the
children
of
undocumented workers
, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as
Americans
and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no sense.
Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. I am prepared to work with
Republicans
and
Democrats
to protect our
borders
, enforce our laws and address the millions of
undocumented workers
who are now living in the shadows. I know that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let's agree to make that effort. And let's stop expelling talented, responsible
young people
who can staff our research labs, start new businesses, and further enrich this
nation
.
The third step in winning the
future
is rebuilding
America
. To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information from high-speed rail to high-speed
internet
.
Our infrastructure
used to be
the best but our lead has slipped. South Korean homes now have greater
internet access
than we do.
Countries in Europe
and
Russia
invest
more in their roads and railways than we do.
China
is building faster trains and newer airports. Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our
nation
's infrastructure, they gave us a "D."
We have to do better.
America
is the
nation
that built the
transcontinental railroad
, brought electricity to
rural communities
, and constructed
the interstate highway system
. The jobs created by these projects didn't just come from laying down tracks or pavement. They came from businesses that opened near a town's new
train station
or the new off-ramp.
Over the last two years, we have begun rebuilding for the
21st century
, a project that has meant thousands of good jobs for the hard-hit
construction industry
. Tonight, I'm proposing that we redouble these efforts.
We will put more
Americans
to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. We will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment, and pick projects based on what's best for the
economy
, not politicians.
Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of
Americans
access to high-speed rail, which could allow you go places in half the time it takes to travel by car. For some trips, it will be faster than flying without the pat-down. As we speak, routes in
California
and the
Midwest
are already underway.
Within the next five years, we will make it
possible
for business to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of all
Americans
. This isn't just about a faster
internet
and fewer dropped calls. It's about connecting every part of
America
to the digital age. It's about a rural community in
Iowa
or
Alabama
where farmers and
small business
owners will be able to sell their products
all over the world
. It's about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device; a student who can take classes with a digital textbook; or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor.
All these investments in
innovation
, education, and infrastructure will make
America
a
better place
to do business and create jobs. But to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success.
Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the
tax code
to benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all the rest are hit with one of the highest
corporate tax
rates in the
world
. It makes no sense, and it has to change.
So tonight, I'm asking
Democrats
and
Republicans
to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the
playing field
. And use the savings to lower the
corporate tax
rate
for the first time
in 25 years without adding to our
deficit
.
To help businesses sell more products abroad, we set a goal of doubling our exports by
2014
because the more we
export
, the more jobs we create at home. Already, our exports are up. Recently, we signed agreements with
India
and
China
that will support more than 250,000 jobs in the
United States
. And last month, we finalized a
trade agreement
with
South Korea
that will support at least 70,000
American jobs
. This agreement has unprecedented support from business and labor;
Democrats
and
Republicans
, and I ask this
Congress
to pass it as soon as
possible
.
Before I took office, I made it clear that we would enforce our
trade agreements
, and that I would only sign deals that keep
faith
with American workers, and promote
American jobs
.
That's what
we did with
Korea
, and that's what I intend to do as we pursue agreements with
Panama
and
Colombia
, and continue our
Asia Pacific
and
global trade
talks.
To reduce barriers to growth and investment, I've ordered a review of
government
regulations. When we find
rules
that put an unnecessary burden on businesses, we will fix them. But I will not hesitate to create or enforce commonsense safeguards to protect the
American people
.
That's what
we've done in this
country
for more than a century. It's why our food is safe to eat, our water is safe to drink, and our air is safe to breathe. It's why we have
speed limits
and
child labor laws
. It's why last year, we put in place consumer protections against hidden fees and penalties by
credit card
companies, and new
rules
to prevent another
financial crisis
. And it's why we passed
reform
that finally prevents the
health insurance
industry
from exploiting patients.
Now, I've heard rumors that a few of you have some concerns about the new
health care law
. So let me be the first to say that anything can be improved. If you have ideas about how to improve this law by making care better or more affordable, I am eager to work with you. We can start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on
small businesses
.
What I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when
insurance companies
could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition. I'm not willing to tell
James Howard
, a brain
cancer patient
from
Texas
, that his treatment might not be covered. I'm not willing to tell
Jim Houser
, a
small business
owner from
Oregon
, that he has to go back to paying $5,000 more to cover his employees. As we speak, this law is making prescription drugs cheaper for seniors and giving uninsured students a chance to stay on their parents' coverage. So instead of re-fighting the battles of the last two years, let's fix what needs fixing and move forward.
Now, the final step a critical step in winning the
future
is to make sure we aren't buried under a mountain of debt.
We are living with a legacy of
deficit
-spending that began almost a decade ago. And in the wake of the
financial crisis
, some of that was necessary to keep credit flowing, save jobs, and put money in people's pockets.
But now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront the fact that our
government
spends more than it takes in. That is not sustainable. Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means. They deserve a
government
that does the same.
So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years. This would reduce the
deficit
by more than $400 billion over the next decade, and will bring
discretionary spending
to the lowest share of our
economy
since
Dwight Eisenhower
was president.
This freeze will require painful cuts. Already, we have frozen the salaries of hardworking
federal
employees for the next two years. I've proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs.
The Secretary
of
Defense
has also agreed to cut tens of billions of
dollars
in spending that he and his generals believe our military can do without.
I recognize that some in this
Chamber
have already proposed deeper cuts, and I'm willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. But let's make sure that we're not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable
citizens
. And let's make sure what we're cutting is really excess weight. Cutting the
deficit
by gutting our investments in
innovation
and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. It may feel like you're
flying high
at first, but it won't take long before you'll feel the impact.
Now, most of the cuts and savings I've proposed only address annual domestic spending, which represents a little more than 12% of our budget. To make further
progress
, we have to stop pretending that cutting this kind of spending alone will be enough. It won't.
The bipartisan
Fiscal Commission
I created last year made this
crystal clear
. I don't agree with all their proposals, but they made important
progress
. And their conclusion is that the only way to tackle our
deficit
is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it in domestic spending,
defense spending
,
health care
spending, and spending through
tax breaks
and loopholes.
This means further reducing
health care
costs, including programs like
Medicare and Medicaid
, which are the single biggest contributor to our long-term
deficit
.
Health insurance
reform
will slow these rising costs, which is part of why nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the
health care law
would add a quarter of a trillion
dollars
to our
deficit
. Still, I'm willing to look at other ideas to bring down costs, including one that
Republicans
suggested last year: medical malpractice
reform
to rein in frivolous lawsuits.
To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen
Social Security
for
future generations
. And we must do it without putting at risk current retirees, the most vulnerable, or
people with disabilities
; without slashing benefits for
future generations
; and without subjecting
Americans
' guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the
stock market
.
And if we truly care about our
deficit
, we simply cannot afford a permanent extension of the
tax cuts
for the wealthiest 2% of
Americans
. Before we take money away from our schools, or scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their
tax break
.
It's not a matter of punishing their success. It's about promoting
America
's success.
In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all
Americans
is to simplify the individual
tax code
. This will be a tough job, but members of both parties have expressed interest in doing this, and I am prepared to join them.
So
now is the time
to act.
Now is the time
for both sides and both houses of
Congress Democrats
and
Republicans
to forge a principled compromise that gets the job done. If we make the hard choices now to rein in our deficits, we can make the investments we need to win the
future
.
Let me take this one step further. We shouldn't just give our people a
government
that's more affordable. We should give them a
government
that's more competent and efficient. We cannot win the
future
with a
government
of the past.
We live and do business in the
information age
, but the last major reorganization of the
government
happened in the age of black and
white
TV
. There are twelve different agencies that deal with exports. There are at least five different entities that deal with
housing policy
. Then there's my favorite example: the
Interior Department
is in charge of salmon while they're in fresh water, but the
Commerce Department
handles them in when they're in saltwater.
And I
hear it gets even more complicated once they're smoked.
Now, we have made great strides over the last two years in using technology and getting rid of waste. Veterans can now download their
electronic medical records
with a click of the mouse. We're selling acres of
federal
office space
that hasn't been used in years, and we will cut through red tape to get rid of more. But we need to think bigger. In the coming months, my administration will develop a proposal to merge, consolidate, and reorganize the
federal government
in a way that best serves the goal of a more competitive
America
. I will submit that proposal to
Congress
for a vote and we will push to get it passed.
In the coming year, we will also work to rebuild people's
faith
in the institution of
government
. Because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax
dollars
are being spent, you will be able to go to a website and get that information for the very first time in history. Because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting with lobbyists, I ask
Congress
to do what the
White House
has already done: put that information online. And because the
American people
deserve to know that special interests aren't larding up legislation with pet projects, both parties in
Congress
should know this: if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.
A
21st century
government
that's open and competent. A
government
that lives within its means. An
economy
that's driven by new skills and ideas. Our success in this new and changing
world
will require
reform
, responsibility, and
innovation
. It will also require us to approach that
world
with a new level of engagement in our foreign affairs.
Just as jobs and businesses can now race across
borders
, so can new threats and new challenges. No single wall separates
East and West
; no one rival superpower is aligned against us.
And so we must defeat determined enemies wherever they are, and build coalitions that cut across lines of region and race and religion.
America
's moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom, justice, and dignity. And because we have begun this work, tonight we can say that American leadership has been renewed and
America
's standing has been restored.
Look to
Iraq
, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and
women
have left with their heads held high; where American combat patrols have ended; violence has come down; and a new
government
has been formed. This year, our civilians will forge a lasting
partnership
with the
Iraqi people
, while we finish the job of bringing our troops out of
Iraq
.
America
's commitment has been kept; the
Iraq War
is coming to an end.
Of course, as we speak,
al Qaeda
and their affiliates continue to plan attacks against us. Thanks to our intelligence and
law enforcement
professionals, we are disrupting plots and securing our cities and skies. And as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our
borders
, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for
the rule of law
, and with the conviction that American Muslims are a part of our
American family
.
We have also taken the fight to
al Qaeda
and their allies abroad. In
Afghanistan
, our troops have taken
Taliban
strongholds and trained
Afghan Security Forces
. Our purpose is clear by preventing the
Taliban
from reestablishing a stranglehold over the
Afghan people
, we will deny
al Qaeda
the safe-haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11.
Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under the control of the insurgency. There will be tough fighting ahead, and the
Afghan government
will need to deliver better governance. But we are strengthening the capacity of the
Afghan people
and building an enduring
partnership
with them. This year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead. And this July, we will begin to bring our troops home.
In
Pakistan
,
al Qaeda
's leadership is under more pressure than at any point since
2001
. Their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. Their safe-havens are shrinking. And we have sent a message from the Afghan border to the
Arabian Peninsula
to all parts of the globe: we will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you.
American leadership can also be seen in the effort to secure the worst weapons of war. Because
Republicans
and
Democrats
approved the
New START Treaty
, far fewer
nuclear weapons
and launchers will be deployed. Because we rallied the
world
,
nuclear materials
are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of terrorists.
Because of a diplomatic effort to insist that
Iran
meet its obligations, the
Iranian government
now faces tougher and tighter sanctions than ever before. And on the
Korean peninsula
, we stand with our ally
South Korea
, and insist that
North Korea
keeps its commitment to abandon
nuclear weapons
.
This is just a part of how we are shaping a
world
that favors peace and prosperity. With our European allies, we revitalized
NATO
, and increased our cooperation on everything from counter-terrorism to
missile defense
. We have reset our relationship with
Russia
, strengthened Asian alliances, and built new partnerships with nations like
India
. This March, I will travel to
Brazil
,
Chile
, and
El Salvador
to forge new alliances for
progress
in the
Americas
. Around the globe, we are standing with those who take responsibility helping farmers grow more food; supporting doctors who care for the sick; and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity.
Recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just be our power it must be the purpose behind it. In
South Sudan
with our assistance the people were finally able to vote for independence after years of war. Thousands lined up
before dawn
. People danced in the streets. One man who lost four of his
brothers
at war summed up the scene around him: "This was a battlefield for most of my life. Now we want to be free."
We saw that same desire to be free in
Tunisia
, where the
will of the people
proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight,
let us
be clear:
the United States of America
stands with the people of
Tunisia
, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people.
We must never forget that the things we've struggled for, and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhere. And we must always remember that the
Americans
who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and
women
who serve our
country
.
Tonight,
let us
speak with one voice in reaffirming that our
nation
is united in support of our troops and their families.
Let us
serve them as well as they have served us by giving them the equipment they need; by providing them with the care and benefits they have earned; and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own
nation
.
Our troops come from every corner of this
country
they are black,
white
,
Latino
, Asian and
Native American
. They are Christian and Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay. Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the
country
they love because of who they love. And with that change, I call on all of our
college
campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the
ROTC
. It is
time to leave
behind the divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one
nation
.
We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. Reforming our schools; changing the way we use
energy
; reducing our
deficit
none of this is easy. All of it will take time. And it will be harder because we will argue about everything. The cost. The details. The letter of every law.
Of course, some countries don't have this problem. If the
central government
wants a
railroad
, they get a
railroad
no matter how many homes are bulldozed. If they don't want a bad story in the newspaper, it doesn't get written.
And yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, I know there isn't a person here who would trade places with any other
nation
on
Earth
.
We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our
Constitution
. We may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same
dream
that says this is a
country
where anything's
possible
. No matter who you are. No matter
where you come from
.
That
dream
is why I can stand here before you tonight. That
dream
is why a
working class
kid from
Scranton
can stand behind me. That
dream
is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father's
Cincinnati
bar can preside as
Speaker of the House
in the greatest
nation
on
Earth
.
That
dream
that
American Dream
is what drove the
Allen Brothers
to reinvent their roofing
company
for a new era. It's what drove those students at
Forsyth Tech
to learn a new skill and work towards the
future
. And that
dream
is the story of a
small business
owner named
Brandon Fisher
.
Brandon
started a
company
in
Berlin
,
Pennsylvania
that specializes in a new kind of drilling technology. One day last summer, he saw the news that halfway across the
world
, 33 men were trapped in a Chilean mine, and no one knew how to save them.
But
Brandon
thought his
company
could help. And so he designed a rescue that would come to be known as
Plan B. His
employees worked around the clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. And
Brandon
left for
Chile
.
Along with others, he began drilling a 2,000 foot hole into the ground, working three or four days at a time with no sleep.
Thirty-seven
days later,
Plan B
succeeded, and the miners were rescued. But because he didn't want all of the attention,
Brandon
wasn't there when the miners emerged. He had already gone home, back to work on his next project.
Later, one of his employees said of the rescue, "We proved that
Center Rock
is a little
company
, but we do
big things
."
We do
big things
.
From the earliest days of our founding,
America
has been the story of
ordinary people
who dare to
dream
. That's how we win the
future
.
We are a
nation
that says, "I might not have a lot of money, but I have this great idea for a new
company
. I might not come from a family of
college
graduates, but I will be the first to get my degree. I might not know those people in trouble, but
I think I can
help them, and I need to try. I'm not sure how we'll reach that
better place
beyond the horizon, but I know we'll get there. I know we will."
We do
big things
.
The idea of
America
endures. Our destiny remains our
choice
. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people that our
future
is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the
state
of our union is strong.
Thank you,
God Bless You
, and may
God Bless
the
United States of America.
“ ”