1 00:00:00,790 --> 00:00:06,091 JOHN BOEHNER: Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you, 2 00:00:06,091 --> 00:00:08,569 the President of the United States. (Applause.) 3 00:00:08,569 --> 00:00:28,375 Thank you. (Continued applause.) 4 00:00:28,375 --> 00:00:31,971 Thank you so much. Thank you. 5 00:00:31,971 --> 00:00:40,308 Thank you very much. 6 00:00:40,308 --> 00:00:50,487 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, fellow Americans: 7 00:00:50,487 --> 00:00:58,048 Fifty-one years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this chamber that “the Constitution makes 8 00:00:58,048 --> 00:01:11,059 us not rivals for power but partners for progress.” (Applause.) 9 00:01:11,059 --> 00:01:22,061 “It is my task,” he said,“to report the State of the Union -- to improve it is the task of us all.” 10 00:01:23,014 --> 00:01:27,755 Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, 11 00:01:27,755 --> 00:01:30,828 there is much progress to report. 12 00:01:32,367 --> 00:01:58,640 After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. (Applause.) 13 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:06,482 After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs. 14 00:02:07,651 --> 00:02:10,784 We buy more American cars than we have in five years, 15 00:02:11,276 --> 00:02:20,054 and less foreign oil than we have in 20. (Applause.) 16 00:02:20,054 --> 00:02:25,135 Our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, 17 00:02:25,135 --> 00:02:35,783 and consumers, patients, and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. (Applause.) 18 00:02:35,783 --> 00:02:41,027 So, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, 19 00:02:42,474 --> 00:03:01,531 and we can say with renewed confidence that the State of our Union is stronger. (Applause.) 20 00:03:01,531 --> 00:03:06,992 But we gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans 21 00:03:07,345 --> 00:03:11,038 whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. 22 00:03:12,054 --> 00:03:17,216 Our economy is adding jobs -- but too many people still can’t find full-time employment. 23 00:03:18,247 --> 00:03:21,772 Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time highs 24 00:03:22,712 --> 00:03:26,807 -- but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged. 25 00:03:28,407 --> 00:03:34,859 It is our generation’s task, then, to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth 26 00:03:35,504 --> 00:03:46,239 -- a rising, thriving middle class. (Applause.) 27 00:03:46,239 --> 00:03:51,099 It is -- (Applause) 28 00:03:51,099 --> 00:03:56,423 It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country -- 29 00:03:57,577 --> 00:04:02,147 the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, 30 00:04:03,009 --> 00:04:06,767 no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, or who you love. 31 00:04:08,429 --> 00:04:13,189 It is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, 32 00:04:13,974 --> 00:04:20,710 and not just the few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, 33 00:04:21,018 --> 00:04:33,158 and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. (Applause.) 34 00:04:33,158 --> 00:04:38,128 The American people don’t expect government to solve every problem. 35 00:04:39,098 --> 00:04:42,926 They don’t expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. 36 00:04:44,034 --> 00:05:09,284 But they do expect us to put the nation’s interests before party. (Applause.) 37 00:05:09,284 --> 00:05:13,315 They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. 38 00:05:14,545 --> 00:05:18,803 For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together, 39 00:05:18,803 --> 00:05:24,789 and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all. 40 00:05:26,019 --> 00:05:31,204 Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget -- 41 00:05:32,127 --> 00:05:36,130 decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. 42 00:05:37,730 --> 00:05:42,062 Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit 43 00:05:42,062 --> 00:05:47,986 by more than $2.5 trillion -- mostly through spending cuts, 44 00:05:47,986 --> 00:05:52,212 but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. 45 00:05:53,351 --> 00:05:59,734 As a result, we are more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction 46 00:05:59,734 --> 00:06:02,867 that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. 47 00:06:04,452 --> 00:06:08,754 Now we need to finish the job. And the question is, how? 48 00:06:10,769 --> 00:06:15,775 In 2011, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn’t agree 49 00:06:15,775 --> 00:06:17,808 on a plan to reach our deficit goal, 50 00:06:18,408 --> 00:06:23,983 about a trillion dollars’ worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. 51 00:06:25,260 --> 00:06:31,957 These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness. 52 00:06:32,972 --> 00:06:37,735 They’d devastate priorities like education, and energy, and medical research. 53 00:06:39,012 --> 00:06:44,473 They would certainly slow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. 54 00:06:46,027 --> 00:06:50,163 That’s why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, and economists 55 00:06:50,163 --> 00:06:57,715 have already said that these cuts, known here in Washington as the sequester, are a really bad idea. 56 00:06:59,483 --> 00:07:05,897 Now, some in Congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts 57 00:07:06,804 --> 00:07:10,588 by making even bigger cuts to things like education and job training, 58 00:07:11,388 --> 00:07:14,245 Medicare and Social Security benefits. 59 00:07:15,676 --> 00:07:34,536 That idea is even worse. (Applause.) 60 00:07:34,536 --> 00:07:37,762 Yes, the biggest driver of our long-term debt 61 00:07:37,762 --> 00:07:41,141 is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. 62 00:07:41,757 --> 00:07:48,202 And those of us who care deeply about programs like Medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms 63 00:07:48,925 --> 00:07:54,102 -- otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children, 64 00:07:54,764 --> 00:07:58,648 and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations. 65 00:08:00,171 --> 00:08:06,195 But we can’t ask senior citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction 66 00:08:06,225 --> 00:08:15,700 while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and the most powerful. (Applause.) 67 00:08:15,700 --> 00:08:20,341 We won’t grow the middle class simply by shifting the cost of health care or college 68 00:08:20,341 --> 00:08:22,336 onto families that are already struggling, 69 00:08:22,797 --> 00:08:27,582 or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers and more cops and more firefighters. 70 00:08:28,736 --> 00:08:33,529 Most Americans -- Democrats, Republicans, and independents -- 71 00:08:33,529 --> 00:08:37,096 understand that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity. 72 00:08:37,942 --> 00:08:43,240 They know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction, 73 00:08:43,825 --> 00:08:49,033 with spending cuts and revenue, and with everybody doing their fair share. 74 00:08:50,079 --> 00:08:52,426 And that’s the approach I offer tonight. 75 00:08:53,904 --> 00:08:58,947 On Medicare, I’m prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of health care savings 76 00:08:58,947 --> 00:09:00,961 by the beginning of the next decade 77 00:09:00,961 --> 00:09:08,451 as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission. (Applause.) 78 00:09:08,451 --> 00:09:16,004 Already, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs. (Applause.) 79 00:09:16,004 --> 00:09:19,686 And the reforms I’m proposing go even further. 80 00:09:20,486 --> 00:09:23,648 We’ll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies 81 00:09:24,017 --> 00:09:27,509 and ask more from the wealthiest seniors. (Applause.) 82 00:09:27,509 --> 00:09:31,956 We’ll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, 83 00:09:31,956 --> 00:09:37,462 because our medical bills shouldn’t be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital; 84 00:09:37,462 --> 00:09:49,173 they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive. (Applause.) 85 00:09:49,173 --> 00:09:52,917 And I am open to additional reforms from both parties, 86 00:09:53,717 --> 00:09:57,304 so long as they don’t violate the guarantee of a secure retirement. 87 00:09:58,196 --> 00:10:01,251 Our government shouldn’t make promises we cannot keep -- 88 00:10:01,759 --> 00:10:21,365 but we must keepthe promises we’ve already made. (Applause.) 89 00:10:21,365 --> 00:10:24,429 To hit the rest of our deficit reduction target, 90 00:10:25,106 --> 00:10:28,705 we should do what leaders in both parties have already suggested, 91 00:10:29,074 --> 00:10:34,365 and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions 92 00:10:34,365 --> 00:10:36,069 for the well-off and the well-connected. 93 00:10:37,099 --> 00:10:41,898 After all, why would we choose to make deeper cuts to education and Medicare, 94 00:10:42,744 --> 00:10:45,279 just to protect special interest tax breaks? 95 00:10:45,955 --> 00:10:47,443 How is that fair? 96 00:10:48,259 --> 00:10:55,922 Why is it that deficit reduction is a big emergency justifying making cuts in Social Security benefits 97 00:10:55,922 --> 00:10:58,048 but not closing some loopholes? 98 00:10:58,509 --> 00:11:04,528 How does that promote growth? (Applause.) 99 00:11:04,528 --> 00:11:10,738 Now is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform 100 00:11:10,738 --> 00:11:19,142 that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit. (Applause.) 101 00:11:19,142 --> 00:11:28,423 We can get this done. (Applause.) 102 00:11:28,423 --> 00:11:32,123 The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time 103 00:11:32,123 --> 00:11:36,806 filling out complicated forms, and more time expanding and hiring -- 104 00:11:37,498 --> 00:11:41,380 a tax code that ensures billionaires with high-powered accountants can’t work the system 105 00:11:41,380 --> 00:11:44,255 and pay a lower rate than their hardworking secretaries; 106 00:11:44,808 --> 00:11:48,037 a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas, 107 00:11:48,775 --> 00:11:51,323 and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers 108 00:11:51,323 --> 00:11:54,611 that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America. 109 00:11:54,611 --> 00:12:08,006 That’s what tax reform can deliver. That’s what we can do together. (Applause.) 110 00:12:08,006 --> 00:12:13,725 I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy. 111 00:12:15,309 --> 00:12:18,135 The politics will be hard for both sides. 112 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,203 None of us will get 100 percent of what we want. 113 00:12:23,265 --> 00:12:28,594 But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, 114 00:12:28,594 --> 00:12:32,232 visit hardship on millions of hardworking Americans. 115 00:12:33,754 --> 00:12:39,115 So let’s set party interests aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts 116 00:12:39,638 --> 00:12:42,864 with smart savings and wise investments in our future. 117 00:12:42,864 --> 00:12:48,692 And let’s do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors. (Applause.) 118 00:12:48,738 --> 00:12:53,018 The greatest nation on Earth (Applause.) 119 00:12:53,018 --> 00:12:55,915 The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business 120 00:12:55,915 --> 00:13:00,197 by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. (Applause.) 121 00:13:00,197 --> 00:13:08,438 We can't do it. (Applause.) 122 00:13:08,438 --> 00:13:14,862 Let’s agree. Let's agree right here, right now to keep the people’s government open, 123 00:13:14,862 --> 00:13:16,688 and pay our bills on time, 124 00:13:16,688 --> 00:13:32,205 and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. (Applause.) 125 00:13:32,205 --> 00:13:37,439 The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis 126 00:13:37,439 --> 00:13:42,637 to see their elected officials cause another. (Applause.) 127 00:13:42,637 --> 00:13:50,892 Now, most of us agree that a plan to reducethe deficit must be part of our agenda. 128 00:13:51,968 --> 00:14:03,041 But let’s be clear, deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. (Applause.) 129 00:14:03,041 --> 00:14:06,327 A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs -- 130 00:14:06,327 --> 00:14:16,969 that must be the North Star that guides our efforts (Applause.) 131 00:14:16,969 --> 00:14:21,320 Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: 132 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,285 How do we attract more jobs to our shores? 133 00:14:24,823 --> 00:14:28,898 How do we equip our people with the skills they need to get those jobs? 134 00:14:29,729 --> 00:14:33,711 And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? 135 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,134 A year and a half ago, I put forward an American Jobs Act 136 00:14:38,134 --> 00:14:41,712 that independent economists said would create more than 1 million new jobs. 137 00:14:41,712 --> 00:14:45,761 And I thank the last Congress for passing some of that agenda. 138 00:14:46,145 --> 00:14:49,800 I urge this Congress to pass the rest. (Applause.) 139 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:55,271 But tonight, I’ll lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for 140 00:14:55,871 --> 00:15:02,474 and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago. 141 00:15:03,198 --> 00:15:09,918 Let me repeat -- nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime. 142 00:15:09,918 --> 00:15:13,790 It is not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government 143 00:15:13,790 --> 00:15:20,228 that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth. (Applause.) 144 00:15:20,228 --> 00:15:31,822 That's what we should be looking for. (Applause.) 145 00:15:31,822 --> 00:15:36,693 Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. 146 00:15:37,323 --> 00:15:40,275 After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, 147 00:15:40,275 --> 00:15:44,298 our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. 148 00:15:44,928 --> 00:15:50,879 Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. 149 00:15:50,879 --> 00:16:00,058 And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again. (Applause.) 150 00:16:00,089 --> 00:16:04,387 There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. 151 00:16:05,217 --> 00:16:10,414 Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in Youngstown, Ohio. 152 00:16:10,414 --> 00:16:16,971 A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing 153 00:16:16,971 --> 00:16:20,313 that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. 154 00:16:20,913 --> 00:16:24,096 There’s no reason this can’t happen in other towns. 155 00:16:24,542 --> 00:16:29,029 So tonight, I’m announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, 156 00:16:29,029 --> 00:16:32,512 where businesses will partner with the Department of Defense and Energy 157 00:16:32,512 --> 00:16:37,588 to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs. 158 00:16:38,327 --> 00:16:42,672 And I ask this Congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs 159 00:16:42,689 --> 00:16:47,953 and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America. 160 00:16:47,953 --> 00:17:02,925 We can get that done. (Applause.) 161 00:17:02,925 --> 00:17:09,040 Now, if we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas. 162 00:17:10,270 --> 00:17:18,234 Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy -- every dollar. 163 00:17:19,234 --> 00:17:24,443 Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. 164 00:17:25,396 --> 00:17:28,751 They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; 165 00:17:29,382 --> 00:17:33,379 devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful. 166 00:17:34,348 --> 00:17:39,036 Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. 167 00:17:39,036 --> 00:17:42,763 Now is the time to reach a level of research and development 168 00:17:42,763 --> 00:17:45,148 not seen since the height of the Space Race. 169 00:17:45,148 --> 00:17:57,412 We need to make those investments. (Applause.) 170 00:17:57,412 --> 00:18:02,069 Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy. 171 00:18:03,529 --> 00:18:09,819 After years of talking about it, we’re finally poised to control our own energy future. 172 00:18:10,896 --> 00:18:14,003 We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years (Applause.) 173 00:18:15,234 --> 00:18:19,476 We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, 174 00:18:19,476 --> 00:18:23,656 and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar -- 175 00:18:23,656 --> 00:18:26,753 with tens of thousands of good American jobs to show for it. 176 00:18:27,707 --> 00:18:34,713 We produce more natural gas than ever before -- and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it. 177 00:18:35,589 --> 00:18:39,477 And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution 178 00:18:39,477 --> 00:18:42,482 that threatens our planet have actually fallen. 179 00:18:44,405 --> 00:19:05,665 But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. (Applause.) 180 00:19:05,696 --> 00:19:09,742 Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. 181 00:19:11,649 --> 00:19:17,869 But the fact is the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. 182 00:19:19,453 --> 00:19:28,700 Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods -- all are now more frequent and more intense. 183 00:19:29,731 --> 00:19:35,482 We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, 184 00:19:35,482 --> 00:19:40,257 and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. 185 00:19:41,641 --> 00:19:45,637 Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science -- 186 00:19:45,637 --> 00:19:55,853 and act before it’s too late. (Applause.) 187 00:19:55,853 --> 00:19:59,023 Now, the good news is we can make meaningful progress on this issue 188 00:19:59,023 --> 00:20:01,381 while driving strong economic growth. 189 00:20:02,350 --> 00:20:07,277 I urge this Congress to get together, pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, 190 00:20:07,277 --> 00:20:10,944 like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. 191 00:20:12,312 --> 00:20:18,317 But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. 192 00:20:18,317 --> 00:20:27,164 I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, 193 00:20:27,164 --> 00:20:32,216 to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, 194 00:20:32,216 --> 00:20:36,088 and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy. 195 00:20:37,810 --> 00:20:40,860 Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market 196 00:20:40,860 --> 00:20:42,684 and the jobs that came with it. 197 00:20:42,684 --> 00:20:44,585 And we’ve begun to change that. 198 00:20:45,446 --> 00:20:50,251 Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. 199 00:20:50,251 --> 00:20:51,789 So let’s generate even more. 200 00:20:52,912 --> 00:20:57,397 Solar energy gets cheaper by the year -- let’s drive down costs even further. 201 00:20:58,182 --> 00:21:02,483 As long as countries like China keep going all in on clean energy, so must we. 202 00:21:03,729 --> 00:21:07,971 Now, in the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power 203 00:21:07,971 --> 00:21:11,538 and greater energy independence. We need to encourage that. 204 00:21:11,538 --> 00:21:14,456 And that’s why my administration will keep cutting red tape 205 00:21:14,456 --> 00:21:18,907 and speeding up new oil and gas permits. (Applause.) 206 00:21:18,907 --> 00:21:21,250 That’s got to be part of an all-of-the-above plan. 207 00:21:21,250 --> 00:21:25,314 But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology 208 00:21:25,314 --> 00:21:31,062 that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and our water. 209 00:21:32,722 --> 00:21:36,655 In fact, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, 210 00:21:37,362 --> 00:21:39,353 the public, own together. 211 00:21:40,060 --> 00:21:44,682 So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust 212 00:21:44,682 --> 00:21:50,288 that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. 213 00:21:51,287 --> 00:21:56,783 If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, 214 00:21:57,413 --> 00:21:58,389 then so can we. 215 00:21:58,758 --> 00:22:01,719 Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses 216 00:22:01,719 --> 00:22:06,601 from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long. 217 00:22:08,185 --> 00:22:10,250 I’m also issuing a new goal for America: 218 00:22:10,250 --> 00:22:23,098 Let’s cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years. (Applause.) 219 00:22:23,098 --> 00:22:24,671 We'll work with the states to do it. 220 00:22:24,671 --> 00:22:28,081 Those states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills 221 00:22:28,081 --> 00:22:33,282 by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make that happen. 222 00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:41,020 America’s energy sector is just one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. 223 00:22:42,296 --> 00:22:44,845 Ask any CEO where they’d rather locate and hire -- 224 00:22:45,352 --> 00:22:50,449 a country with deteriorating roads and bridges, or one with high-speed rail and Internet; 225 00:22:51,095 --> 00:22:54,014 high-tech schools, self-healing power grids. 226 00:22:55,199 --> 00:23:00,057 The CEO of Siemens America -- a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina -- 227 00:23:00,057 --> 00:23:04,407 said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they’ll bring even more jobs. 228 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,358 And that’s the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world. 229 00:23:08,127 --> 00:23:10,792 And I know you want these job-creating projects in your district. 230 00:23:10,792 --> 00:23:15,314 I’ve seen all those ribbon-cuttings. (Laughter.) 231 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:25,067 So tonight, I propose a “Fix-It-First” program 232 00:23:25,067 --> 00:23:28,859 to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, 233 00:23:28,859 --> 00:23:48,201 like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. (Applause.) 234 00:23:48,231 --> 00:23:50,738 And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, 235 00:23:51,184 --> 00:23:56,096 I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital 236 00:23:56,096 --> 00:23:58,755 to upgrade what our businesses need most: 237 00:23:59,601 --> 00:24:04,178 modern ports to move our goods, modern pipelines to withstand a storm, 238 00:24:04,947 --> 00:24:08,643 modern schools worthy of our children. (Applause.) 239 00:24:08,643 --> 00:24:13,831 Let’s prove that there’s no better place to do business than here in the United States of America, 240 00:24:13,831 --> 00:24:16,069 and let’s start right away. We can get this done. 241 00:24:17,700 --> 00:24:21,731 And part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector. 242 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:27,671 The good news is our housing market is finally healing from the collapse of 2007. 243 00:24:28,932 --> 00:24:32,763 Home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years. 244 00:24:32,763 --> 00:24:38,430 Home purchases are up nearly 50 percent, and construction is expanding again. 245 00:24:39,876 --> 00:24:43,294 But even with mortgage rates near a 50-year low, 246 00:24:43,985 --> 00:24:48,774 too many families with solid credit who want to buy a home are being rejected. 247 00:24:49,789 --> 00:24:56,251 Too many families who never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no. 248 00:24:57,389 --> 00:25:00,884 That’s holding our entire economy back. We need to fix it. 249 00:25:01,791 --> 00:25:04,022 Right now, there’s a bill in this Congress 250 00:25:04,022 --> 00:25:07,359 that would give every responsible homeowner in America 251 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:12,716 the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today’s rates. 252 00:25:14,131 --> 00:25:18,904 Democrats and Republicans have supported it before, so what are we waiting for? 253 00:25:19,719 --> 00:25:28,554 Take a vote, and send me that bill. (Applause.) 254 00:25:28,554 --> 00:25:36,302 Why would we be against that? (Applause.) 255 00:25:36,302 --> 00:25:40,248 Why would that be a partisan issue, helping folks refinance? 256 00:25:41,448 --> 00:25:46,868 Right now, overlapping regulations keep responsible young families from buying their first home. 257 00:25:47,652 --> 00:25:51,664 What’s holding us back? Let’s streamline the process, and help our economy grow. 258 00:25:54,029 --> 00:25:59,519 These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, housing -- 259 00:26:00,395 --> 00:26:05,538 all these things will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs. 260 00:26:06,829 --> 00:26:12,167 But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training 261 00:26:12,424 --> 00:26:19,981 to fill those jobs. (Applause.) 262 00:26:19,981 --> 00:26:23,251 And that has to start at the earliest possible age. 263 00:26:25,144 --> 00:26:30,645 You know, study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, 264 00:26:31,214 --> 00:26:33,392 the better he or she does down the road. 265 00:26:34,485 --> 00:26:40,402 But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. 266 00:26:41,848 --> 00:26:45,755 Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for a private preschool. 267 00:26:46,462 --> 00:26:49,552 And for poor kids who need help the most, 268 00:26:50,043 --> 00:26:54,561 this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. 269 00:26:56,006 --> 00:27:01,450 So tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool 270 00:27:01,450 --> 00:27:07,886 available to every single child in America. (Applause.) 271 00:27:07,886 --> 00:27:23,716 That's something we should be able to do. (Applause.) 272 00:27:23,716 --> 00:27:27,556 Every dollar we invest in high-quality early childhood education 273 00:27:27,556 --> 00:27:30,245 can save more than seven dollars later on -- 274 00:27:30,245 --> 00:27:37,418 by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. 275 00:27:38,741 --> 00:27:44,938 In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, 276 00:27:45,799 --> 00:27:50,915 studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, 277 00:27:51,499 --> 00:27:57,040 graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. 278 00:27:58,163 --> 00:27:59,855 We know this works. 279 00:28:00,409 --> 00:28:05,517 So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. 280 00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:19,745 Let’s give our kids that chance. (Applause.) 281 00:28:19,745 --> 00:28:25,061 Let’s also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path to a good job. 282 00:28:26,645 --> 00:28:30,420 Right now, countries like Germany focus on graduating their high school students 283 00:28:30,420 --> 00:28:34,746 with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges. 284 00:28:35,284 --> 00:28:38,708 So those German kids, they're ready for a job when they graduate high school. 285 00:28:39,477 --> 00:28:41,561 They've been trained for the jobs that are there. 286 00:28:42,946 --> 00:28:45,343 Now at schools like P-Tech in Brooklyn, 287 00:28:45,712 --> 00:28:50,768 a collaboration between New York Public Schools and City University of New York and IBM, 288 00:28:51,168 --> 00:28:57,103 students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate's degree in computers or engineering. 289 00:28:58,318 --> 00:29:02,565 We need to give every American student opportunities like this. (Applause.) 290 00:29:02,565 --> 00:29:08,898 And four years ago -- four years ago, we started Race to the Top -- 291 00:29:09,344 --> 00:29:15,378 a competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, 292 00:29:15,378 --> 00:29:18,688 all for about 1 percent of what we spend on education each year. 293 00:29:19,796 --> 00:29:24,358 Tonight, I’m announcing a new challenge to redesign America’s high schools 294 00:29:24,358 --> 00:29:28,705 so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy. 295 00:29:28,705 --> 00:29:32,682 And we’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, 296 00:29:33,312 --> 00:29:39,061 and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math -- 297 00:29:39,599 --> 00:29:44,057 the skills today’s employers are looking for to fill the jobs that are there right now 298 00:29:44,057 --> 00:29:45,645 and will be there in the future. 299 00:29:47,552 --> 00:29:52,480 Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. 300 00:29:53,372 --> 00:29:56,801 It’s a simple fact the more education you’ve got, 301 00:29:56,801 --> 00:30:01,222 the more likely you are to have a good job and work your way into the middle class. 302 00:30:02,114 --> 00:30:07,027 But today, skyrocketing costs price too many young people out of a higher education, 303 00:30:07,488 --> 00:30:10,206 or saddle them with unsustainable debt. 304 00:30:11,852 --> 00:30:17,049 Through tax credits, grants and better loans, we’ve made college more affordable 305 00:30:17,049 --> 00:30:20,161 for millions of students and families over the last few years. 306 00:30:20,837 --> 00:30:27,237 But taxpayers can’t keep on subsidizing higher and higher and higher costs for higher education. 307 00:30:27,945 --> 00:30:39,957 Colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it’s our job to make sure that they do. (Applause.) 308 00:30:39,957 --> 00:30:43,779 So tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education Act 309 00:30:43,779 --> 00:30:47,562 so that affordability and value are included in determining 310 00:30:47,562 --> 00:30:52,597 which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. (Applause.) 311 00:30:52,597 --> 00:30:58,650 And -- and tomorrow, my administration will release a new “College Scorecard” 312 00:30:58,650 --> 00:31:03,255 that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria -- 313 00:31:03,255 --> 00:31:07,059 where you can get the most bang for your educational buck. 314 00:31:08,889 --> 00:31:14,435 Now, to grow our middle class, our citizens have to have access to the education and training 315 00:31:14,435 --> 00:31:16,549 that today’s jobs require. 316 00:31:17,211 --> 00:31:22,671 But we also have to make sure that America remains a place where everyone who’s willing to work -- 317 00:31:22,671 --> 00:31:26,041 everybody who’s willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead. 318 00:31:27,548 --> 00:31:34,330 Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. (Applause.) 319 00:31:35,022 --> 00:31:42,499 And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, faith communities -- 320 00:31:42,499 --> 00:31:47,885 they all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform. 321 00:31:47,885 --> 00:31:54,606 Now is the time to do it. Now is the time to get it done. (Applause.) 322 00:31:54,606 --> 00:32:09,002 Now is the time to get it done. (Applause.) 323 00:32:09,002 --> 00:32:12,021 Real reform means strong border security, 324 00:32:12,021 --> 00:32:15,307 and we can build on the progress my administration has already made -- 325 00:32:15,723 --> 00:32:19,596 putting more boots on the Southern border than at any time in our history 326 00:32:19,949 --> 00:32:24,644 and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years. 327 00:32:26,028 --> 00:32:31,062 Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship -- 328 00:32:31,062 --> 00:32:36,122 a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty 329 00:32:36,122 --> 00:32:46,738 learning English, and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally. (Applause.) 330 00:32:46,738 --> 00:32:52,559 And real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods 331 00:32:52,559 --> 00:32:55,999 and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers 332 00:32:55,999 --> 00:33:11,185 that will help create jobs and grow our economy (Applause.) 333 00:33:11,185 --> 00:33:15,343 In other words, we know what needs to be done. 334 00:33:16,111 --> 00:33:21,867 And as we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, 335 00:33:21,867 --> 00:33:24,945 and I applaud their efforts. So let’s get this done. 336 00:33:25,376 --> 00:33:30,901 Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away. 337 00:33:30,901 --> 00:33:45,793 And America will be better for it. Let's get it done. Let's get it done. (Applause.) 338 00:33:45,793 --> 00:33:47,288 But we can’t stop there. 339 00:33:48,672 --> 00:33:53,233 We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters 340 00:33:53,233 --> 00:33:56,732 can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, 341 00:33:57,194 --> 00:33:59,928 and free from the fear of domestic violence. 342 00:34:00,712 --> 00:34:03,216 Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act 343 00:34:03,216 --> 00:34:06,364 that Joe Biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago. 344 00:34:06,364 --> 00:34:12,852 And I now urge the House to do the same. (Applause.) 345 00:34:12,852 --> 00:34:22,761 Good job, Joe. (Applause.) 346 00:34:22,761 --> 00:34:29,412 And I ask this Congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts, 347 00:34:29,412 --> 00:34:45,025 and finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year. (Applause.) 348 00:34:45,025 --> 00:34:50,684 We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day’s work with honest wages. 349 00:34:52,099 --> 00:34:58,664 But today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. 350 00:35:00,571 --> 00:35:06,832 Even with the tax relief we put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage 351 00:35:06,832 --> 00:35:09,621 still lives below the poverty line. 352 00:35:10,791 --> 00:35:16,185 That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, 353 00:35:16,185 --> 00:35:18,886 19 states have chosen to bump theirs even higher. 354 00:35:20,332 --> 00:35:24,089 Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, 355 00:35:24,089 --> 00:35:28,315 no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, 356 00:35:28,315 --> 00:35:35,651 and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. (Applause.) 357 00:35:35,651 --> 00:35:44,241 We should be able to get that done. (Applause.) 358 00:35:44,241 --> 00:35:48,384 This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. 359 00:35:49,599 --> 00:35:54,520 It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; 360 00:35:55,166 --> 00:35:57,632 scraping by or finally getting ahead. 361 00:35:58,924 --> 00:36:02,800 For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. 362 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,875 And a whole lot of folks out there would probably need less help from government. 363 00:36:08,982 --> 00:36:12,878 In fact, working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year 364 00:36:12,878 --> 00:36:16,462 for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher. 365 00:36:16,462 --> 00:36:20,997 So here’s an idea that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year -- 366 00:36:21,859 --> 00:36:24,089 let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, 367 00:36:24,089 --> 00:36:38,410 so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on. (Applause.) 368 00:36:38,410 --> 00:36:42,068 Tonight, let’s also recognize that there are communities in this country 369 00:36:42,068 --> 00:36:46,081 where no matter how hard you work, it is virtually impossible to get ahead. 370 00:36:46,819 --> 00:36:50,319 Factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up. 371 00:36:51,211 --> 00:36:58,565 Inescapable pockets of poverty, urban and rural, where young adults are still fighting for their first job. 372 00:36:59,934 --> 00:37:04,654 America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. 373 00:37:05,561 --> 00:37:09,100 And that’s why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class 374 00:37:09,952 --> 00:37:10,805 for all who are willing to climb them. 375 00:37:12,066 --> 00:37:14,788 Let’s offer incentives to companies that hire Americans 376 00:37:14,788 --> 00:37:16,872 who’ve got what it takes to fill that job opening, 377 00:37:16,872 --> 00:37:20,416 but have been out of work so long that no one will give them a chance anymore. 378 00:37:21,246 --> 00:37:25,222 Let’s put people back to work rebuilding vacant homes in run-down neighborhoods. 379 00:37:26,345 --> 00:37:31,892 And this year, my administration will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest-hit towns in America 380 00:37:31,923 --> 00:37:34,088 to get these communities back on their feet. 381 00:37:34,088 --> 00:37:40,762 We’ll work with local leaders to target resources at public safety, and education, and housing. 382 00:37:41,592 --> 00:37:44,291 We’ll give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest. 383 00:37:45,075 --> 00:37:47,468 And we’ll work to strengthen families 384 00:37:47,468 --> 00:37:51,790 by removing the financial deterrents to marriage for low-income couples, 385 00:37:51,790 --> 00:37:53,620 and do more to encourage fatherhood -- 386 00:37:54,435 --> 00:37:57,130 because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to conceive a child; 387 00:37:57,130 --> 00:37:59,132 it’s having the courage to raise one. 388 00:37:59,793 --> 00:38:16,828 And we want to encourage that. We want to help that. (Applause.) 389 00:38:16,828 --> 00:38:23,084 Stronger families. Stronger communities. A stronger America. 390 00:38:24,591 --> 00:38:31,766 It is this kind of prosperity -- broad, shared, built on a thriving middle class -- 391 00:38:32,350 --> 00:38:35,351 that has always been the source of our progress at home. 392 00:38:36,689 --> 00:38:40,262 It’s also the foundation of our power and influence throughout the world. 393 00:38:41,908 --> 00:38:48,785 Tonight, we stand united in saluting the troop and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. 394 00:38:49,631 --> 00:38:55,940 Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan 395 00:38:55,940 --> 00:39:17,187 and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda. (Applause.) 396 00:39:17,187 --> 00:39:22,078 Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. 397 00:39:22,970 --> 00:39:29,046 This spring, our forces will move into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. 398 00:39:29,999 --> 00:39:33,103 Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, 399 00:39:33,103 --> 00:39:37,501 another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. 400 00:39:37,501 --> 00:40:00,588 This drawdown will continue and by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over. (Applause.) 401 00:40:00,588 --> 00:40:06,824 Beyond 2014, America’s commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, 402 00:40:07,608 --> 00:40:09,724 but the nature of our commitment will change. 403 00:40:11,016 --> 00:40:15,735 We're negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions -- 404 00:40:15,751 --> 00:40:20,382 training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, 405 00:40:20,382 --> 00:40:26,559 and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates. 406 00:40:28,728 --> 00:40:40,948 Today, the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self. (Applause.) 407 00:40:40,948 --> 00:40:44,604 It's true, different al Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged -- 408 00:40:44,604 --> 00:40:47,084 from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. 409 00:40:48,437 --> 00:40:51,199 The threat these groups pose is evolving. 410 00:40:52,399 --> 00:40:53,651 But to meet this threat, 411 00:40:53,651 --> 00:40:59,487 we don’t need to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad or occupy other nations. 412 00:41:00,071 --> 00:41:05,785 Instead, we'll need to help countries like Yemen, and Libya, and Somalia provide for their own security, 413 00:41:06,385 --> 00:41:09,970 and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. 414 00:41:10,785 --> 00:41:17,463 And where necessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action 415 00:41:17,463 --> 00:41:25,202 against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans. (Applause.) 416 00:41:25,218 --> 00:41:34,412 Now, as we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. 417 00:41:35,996 --> 00:41:42,080 That's why my administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework 418 00:41:42,390 --> 00:41:44,110 to guide our counterterrorism efforts. 419 00:41:45,787 --> 00:41:49,725 Throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts. 420 00:41:50,755 --> 00:41:53,337 And I recognize that in our democracy, 421 00:41:53,337 --> 00:41:56,805 no one should just take my word for it that we’re doing things the right way. 422 00:41:57,712 --> 00:42:01,319 So in the months ahead, I will continue to engage Congress to ensure 423 00:42:01,319 --> 00:42:06,680 not only that our targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent 424 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:12,759 with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent 425 00:42:12,759 --> 00:42:16,737 to the American people and to the world. (Applause.) 426 00:42:16,737 --> 00:42:22,804 Of course, our challenges don’t end with al Qaeda. 427 00:42:24,004 --> 00:42:29,119 America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons. 428 00:42:30,548 --> 00:42:34,902 The regime in North Korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity 429 00:42:34,902 --> 00:42:37,293 by meeting their international obligations. 430 00:42:38,293 --> 00:42:41,927 Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them, 431 00:42:42,419 --> 00:42:45,761 as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense 432 00:42:46,176 --> 00:42:49,651 and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. 433 00:42:50,666 --> 00:42:55,572 Likewise, the leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, 434 00:42:55,572 --> 00:43:00,639 because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, 435 00:43:00,639 --> 00:43:20,304 and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. (Applause.) 436 00:43:20,304 --> 00:43:26,462 At the same time, we’ll engage Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals, 437 00:43:26,462 --> 00:43:30,321 and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials 438 00:43:30,321 --> 00:43:34,831 that could fall into the wrong hands -- because our ability to influence others 439 00:43:35,247 --> 00:43:38,969 depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. 440 00:43:41,260 --> 00:43:46,585 America must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber-attacks. (Applause.) 441 00:43:46,585 --> 00:43:53,259 Now, we know hackers steal people’s identities and infiltrate private emails. 442 00:43:54,397 --> 00:43:58,332 We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. 443 00:43:59,424 --> 00:44:03,337 Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, 444 00:44:03,937 --> 00:44:08,276 our financial institutions, our air traffic control systems. 445 00:44:09,276 --> 00:44:13,542 We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing 446 00:44:13,542 --> 00:44:17,109 in the face of real threats to our security and our economy. 447 00:44:17,878 --> 00:44:20,924 And that’s why, earlier today, I signed a new executive order 448 00:44:20,924 --> 00:44:25,073 that will strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, 449 00:44:25,073 --> 00:44:35,442 and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our privacy. (Applause.) 450 00:44:35,442 --> 00:44:42,535 But now -- now Congress must act as well, by passing legislation to give our government 451 00:44:42,535 --> 00:44:46,910 a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks. 452 00:44:47,356 --> 00:44:58,297 This is something we should be able to get done on a bipartisan basis. (Applause.) 453 00:44:58,297 --> 00:45:00,337 Now, even as we protect our people, 454 00:45:00,752 --> 00:45:04,917 we should remember that today’s world presents not just dangers, not just threats, 455 00:45:05,794 --> 00:45:07,124 it presents opportunities. 456 00:45:07,971 --> 00:45:11,377 To boost American exports, support American jobs 457 00:45:12,101 --> 00:45:15,181 and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia, 458 00:45:15,657 --> 00:45:18,954 we intend to complete negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership. 459 00:45:19,678 --> 00:45:21,898 And tonight, I’m announcing that we will launch talks 460 00:45:21,898 --> 00:45:26,719 on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union -- 461 00:45:27,135 --> 00:45:30,549 because trade that is fair and free across the Atlantic 462 00:45:30,549 --> 00:45:40,601 supports millions of good-paying American jobs. (Applause.) 463 00:45:40,601 --> 00:45:46,961 We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all -- 464 00:45:48,484 --> 00:45:55,395 not only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, 465 00:45:55,395 --> 00:45:56,964 but also because it’s the right thing to do. 466 00:45:58,702 --> 00:46:01,898 You know, in many places, people live on little more than a dollar a day. 467 00:46:03,621 --> 00:46:08,165 So the United States will join with our allies to eradicate such extreme poverty 468 00:46:08,165 --> 00:46:12,166 in the next two decades by connecting more people to the global economy; 469 00:46:12,181 --> 00:46:17,767 by empowering women; by giving our young and brightest minds new opportunities to serve, 470 00:46:18,428 --> 00:46:21,924 and helping communities to feed, empower, and educate themselves; 471 00:46:22,724 --> 00:46:26,002 by saving the world’schildren from preventable deaths; 472 00:46:26,541 --> 00:46:39,764 and by realizing the promise of an AIDS-free generation, which is within our reach. (Applause.) 473 00:46:39,764 --> 00:46:51,101 You see, America must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historic change. 474 00:46:52,639 --> 00:46:57,925 I saw the power of hope last year in Rangoon, in Burma, when Aung San Suu Kyi 475 00:46:57,925 --> 00:47:02,318 welcomed an American President into the home where she had been imprisoned for years; 476 00:47:03,594 --> 00:47:07,167 when thousands of Burmese lined the streets, waving American flags, 477 00:47:07,167 --> 00:47:09,157 including a man who said: 478 00:47:09,157 --> 00:47:15,240 “There is justice and law in the United States. I want our country to be like that.” 479 00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:21,629 In defense of freedom, we’ll remain the anchor of strong alliances 480 00:47:21,629 --> 00:47:25,232 from the Americas to Africa; from Europe to Asia. 481 00:47:26,586 --> 00:47:31,458 In the Middle East,we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, 482 00:47:31,458 --> 00:47:41,899 and support stable transitions to democracy. (Applause.) 483 00:47:41,899 --> 00:47:43,631 We know the process will be messy, 484 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:50,454 and we cannot presume to dictate the course of change in countries like Egypt, 485 00:47:50,454 --> 00:47:56,447 but we can -- and will -- insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. 486 00:47:57,493 --> 00:48:01,128 We’ll keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, 487 00:48:01,128 --> 00:48:05,578 and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. 488 00:48:06,393 --> 00:48:27,933 And we will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace. (Applause.) 489 00:48:28,625 --> 00:48:31,991 These are the messages I'll deliver when I travel to the Middle East next month. 490 00:48:34,175 --> 00:48:38,238 And all this work depends on the courage and sacrifice 491 00:48:38,792 --> 00:48:42,499 of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk –- 492 00:48:43,730 --> 00:48:50,985 our diplomats, our intelligence officers, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. 493 00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:55,490 As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will do whatever we must 494 00:48:55,490 --> 00:48:57,917 to protect those who serve their country abroad, 495 00:48:57,917 --> 00:49:16,384 and we will maintain the best military the world has ever known. (Applause.) 496 00:49:16,384 --> 00:49:21,297 We'll invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime spending. 497 00:49:22,158 --> 00:49:25,592 We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, 498 00:49:25,592 --> 00:49:39,632 and equal benefits for their families -- gay and straight. (Applause.) 499 00:49:39,632 --> 00:49:44,951 We will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms, 500 00:49:44,967 --> 00:49:48,806 because women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. 501 00:49:49,990 --> 00:49:54,075 We will keep faith with our veterans, investing in world-class care, 502 00:49:54,075 --> 00:50:11,545 including mental healthcare, for our wounded warriors -- (applause) 503 00:50:11,545 --> 00:50:16,599 supporting our military families; giving our veterans the benefits and education 504 00:50:16,599 --> 00:50:19,082 and job opportunities that they have earned. 505 00:50:19,082 --> 00:50:23,765 And I want to thank my wife, Michelle, and Dr. Jill Biden for their continued dedication 506 00:50:23,765 --> 00:50:26,373 to serving our military families as well as they have served us. 507 00:50:27,665 --> 00:50:43,345 Thank you, honey. Thank you, Jill. (Applause.) 508 00:50:44,237 --> 00:50:49,119 Defending our freedom, though, is not just the job of our military alone. 509 00:50:50,626 --> 00:50:55,526 We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home. 510 00:50:57,480 --> 00:51:01,541 That includes one of the most fundamental right of a democracy: 511 00:51:02,588 --> 00:51:14,413 the right to vote. (Applause.) 512 00:51:14,413 --> 00:51:23,713 When any American, no matter where they live or what their party, 513 00:51:24,436 --> 00:51:31,814 are denied that right because they can’t afford to wait for five or six or seven hours 514 00:51:31,814 --> 00:51:39,269 just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals. (Applause.) 515 00:51:39,269 --> 00:51:47,134 So tonight, I’m announcing a nonpartisan commission 516 00:51:47,134 --> 00:51:50,223 to improve the voting experience in America. 517 00:51:50,223 --> 00:51:52,300 And it definitely needs improvement. 518 00:51:53,992 --> 00:51:56,592 I’m asking two long-time experts in the field -- 519 00:51:56,592 --> 00:52:01,136 who, by the way, recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign 520 00:52:01,136 --> 00:52:04,189 and for Governor Romney’s campaign -- to lead it. 521 00:52:04,189 --> 00:52:07,002 We can fix this, and we will. 522 00:52:07,002 --> 00:52:23,399 The American people demand it, and so does our democracy. (Applause.) 523 00:52:24,968 --> 00:52:29,481 Of course, what I’ve said tonight matters little 524 00:52:30,865 --> 00:52:36,638 if we don’t come together to protect our most precious resource: our children. 525 00:52:38,792 --> 00:52:41,851 It has been two months since Newtown. 526 00:52:43,528 --> 00:52:48,003 I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. 527 00:52:49,956 --> 00:52:51,415 But this time is different. 528 00:52:53,907 --> 00:52:56,915 Overwhelming majorities of Americans 529 00:52:56,961 --> 00:52:59,721 -- Americans who believe in the Second Amendment -- 530 00:52:59,721 --> 00:53:03,609 have come together around common-sense reform, like background checks 531 00:53:03,610 --> 00:53:07,328 that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. (Applause.) 532 00:53:08,220 --> 00:53:17,064 Senators - senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws 533 00:53:17,064 --> 00:53:20,671 to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. 534 00:53:21,748 --> 00:53:25,259 Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war 535 00:53:25,259 --> 00:53:28,411 and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, 536 00:53:28,426 --> 00:53:33,538 because these police chiefs, they’re tired of seeing their guys and gals being outgunned. 537 00:53:36,291 --> 00:53:55,559 Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. (Applause.) 538 00:53:55,559 --> 00:53:58,708 Now, if you want to vote no, that’s your choice. 539 00:54:00,523 --> 00:54:02,454 But these proposals deserve a vote. 540 00:54:04,176 --> 00:54:06,092 Because in the two months since Newtown, 541 00:54:06,738 --> 00:54:11,971 more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, anniversaries 542 00:54:11,971 --> 00:54:19,461 have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun -- more than a thousand. 543 00:54:20,953 --> 00:54:26,182 One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. 544 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,051 She was 15 years old. 545 00:54:30,912 --> 00:54:36,658 She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. 546 00:54:38,089 --> 00:54:42,198 She was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend. 547 00:54:44,120 --> 00:54:48,802 Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, 548 00:54:49,710 --> 00:54:52,241 performing for her country at my inauguration. 549 00:54:53,703 --> 00:54:58,911 And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, 550 00:54:59,849 --> 00:55:01,528 just a mile away from my house. 551 00:55:04,143 --> 00:55:08,175 Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, 552 00:55:08,175 --> 00:55:13,875 along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. 553 00:55:15,736 --> 00:55:30,759 They deserve a vote. They deserve a vote. (Applause.) 554 00:55:30,759 --> 00:55:40,720 They deserve a vote. (Applause.) 555 00:55:40,720 --> 00:55:45,631 Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. (Applause.) 556 00:55:45,631 --> 00:55:50,297 The families of Newtown deserve a vote. (Applause.) 557 00:55:50,297 --> 00:55:54,591 The families of Aurora deserve a vote. (Applause.) 558 00:55:54,591 --> 00:55:58,360 The families of Oak Creek and Tucson and Blacksburg, 559 00:55:58,361 --> 00:56:02,270 and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence –- 560 00:56:02,270 --> 00:56:12,250 they deserve a simple vote. (Applause.) 561 00:56:12,250 --> 00:56:15,254 They deserve - they deserve a simple vote. 562 00:56:18,561 --> 00:56:23,797 Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. 563 00:56:25,412 --> 00:56:31,510 In fact, no laws, no initiatives, no administrativeacts will perfectly solve 564 00:56:31,510 --> 00:56:33,721 all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. 565 00:56:35,430 --> 00:56:37,677 But we were never sent here to be perfect. 566 00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:45,801 We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, 567 00:56:46,293 --> 00:56:52,647 expand opportunity, uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, 568 00:56:52,647 --> 00:56:56,017 but absolutely necessary work of self-government. 569 00:56:59,615 --> 00:57:02,800 We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans 570 00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:07,189 the same way they look out for one another, every single day, 571 00:57:07,958 --> 00:57:11,160 usually without fanfare, all across this country. 572 00:57:13,067 --> 00:57:14,576 We should follow their example. 573 00:57:16,314 --> 00:57:20,812 We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez. 574 00:57:22,288 --> 00:57:24,998 When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, 575 00:57:26,060 --> 00:57:29,417 she wasn’t thinking about how her own home was faring. 576 00:57:30,555 --> 00:57:34,300 Her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care 577 00:57:34,300 --> 00:57:37,855 and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. 578 00:57:40,162 --> 00:57:45,518 We should follow the example of a North Miami woman named Desiline Victor. 579 00:57:47,164 --> 00:57:49,047 When Desiline arrived at her polling place, 580 00:57:49,047 --> 00:57:52,000 she was told the wait to vote might be six hours. 581 00:57:52,800 --> 00:57:57,768 And as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, 582 00:57:57,768 --> 00:58:00,985 but whether folks like her would get to have their say. 583 00:58:02,123 --> 00:58:06,246 And hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in line to support her -- 584 00:58:07,292 --> 00:58:09,366 because Desiline is 102 years old. 585 00:58:10,228 --> 00:58:48,858 And they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read, “I voted.” (Applause.) 586 00:58:48,858 --> 00:58:52,095 We should follow the example of a police officer named Brian Murphy. 587 00:58:53,941 --> 00:58:58,187 When a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin 588 00:59:00,033 --> 00:59:03,690 Brian was the first to arrive, and he did not consider his own safety. 589 00:59:05,013 --> 00:59:10,101 He fought back until help arrived and ordered his fellow officers to protect 590 00:59:10,101 --> 00:59:13,536 the safety of the Americans worshipping inside, 591 00:59:14,136 --> 00:59:17,534 even as he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. 592 00:59:19,226 --> 00:59:24,239 And when asked how he did that, Brian said, “That’s just the way we’re made.” 593 00:59:26,715 --> 00:59:28,362 That’s just the way we’re made. 594 00:59:30,654 --> 00:59:34,525 We may do different jobs and wear different uniforms, 595 00:59:35,079 --> 00:59:38,567 and hold different views than the person beside us. 596 00:59:39,967 --> 00:59:46,682 But as Americans, we all share the same proud title -- we are citizens. 597 00:59:48,375 --> 00:59:52,507 It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. 598 00:59:54,338 --> 00:59:59,842 It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. 599 01:00:00,857 --> 01:00:04,825 It captures the enduring idea that this country only works 600 01:00:04,840 --> 01:00:09,515 when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, 601 01:00:10,638 --> 01:00:13,266 that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; 602 01:00:14,081 --> 01:00:19,818 and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, 603 01:00:20,479 --> 01:00:23,125 as citizens of these United States, 604 01:00:23,786 --> 01:00:27,456 to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story. 605 01:00:28,244 --> 01:00:29,813 Thank you. God bless you. 606 01:00:29,859 --> 01:00:38,724 And God bless these United States of America. (Applause.)