WEBVTT 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, 00:00:06.091 --> 00:00:08.569 the President of the United States. (Applause.) 00:00:08.569 --> 00:00:28.375 Thank you. (Continued applause.) 00:00:28.375 --> 00:00:31.971 Thank you so much. Thank you. 00:00:31.971 --> 00:00:40.308 Thank you very much. 00:00:40.308 --> 00:00:50.487 Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, fellow Americans: 00:00:50.487 --> 00:00:58.048 Fifty-one years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this chamber that “the Constitution makes 00:00:58.048 --> 00:01:11.059 us not rivals for power but partners for progress.” (Applause.) 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.” 00:01:23.014 --> 00:01:27.755 Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, 00:01:27.755 --> 00:01:30.828 there is much progress to report. 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.) 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:06.482 After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs. 00:02:07.651 --> 00:02:10.784 We buy more American cars than we have in five years, 00:02:11.276 --> 00:02:20.054 and less foreign oil than we have in 20. (Applause.) 00:02:20.054 --> 00:02:25.135 Our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, 00:02:25.135 --> 00:02:35.783 and consumers, patients, and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. (Applause.) 00:02:35.783 --> 00:02:41.027 So, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, 00:02:42.474 --> 00:03:01.531 and we can say with renewed confidence that the State of our Union is stronger. (Applause.) 00:03:01.531 --> 00:03:06.992 But we gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans 00:03:07.345 --> 00:03:11.038 whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. 00:03:12.054 --> 00:03:17.216 Our economy is adding jobs -- but too many people still can’t find full-time employment. 00:03:18.247 --> 00:03:21.772 Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all-time highs 00:03:22.712 --> 00:03:26.807 -- but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged. 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 00:03:35.504 --> 00:03:46.239 -- a rising, thriving middle class. (Applause.) 00:03:46.239 --> 00:03:51.099 It is -- (Applause) 00:03:51.099 --> 00:03:56.423 It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country -- 00:03:57.577 --> 00:04:02.147 the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, 00:04:03.009 --> 00:04:06.767 no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, or who you love. 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, 00:04:13.974 --> 00:04:20.710 and not just the few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, 00:04:21.018 --> 00:04:33.158 and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. (Applause.) 00:04:33.158 --> 00:04:38.128 The American people don’t expect government to solve every problem. 00:04:39.098 --> 00:04:42.926 They don’t expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. 00:04:44.034 --> 00:05:09.284 But they do expect us to put the nation’s interests before party. (Applause.) 00:05:09.284 --> 00:05:13.315 They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. 00:05:14.545 --> 00:05:18.803 For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together, 00:05:18.803 --> 00:05:24.789 and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all. 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:31.204 Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget -- 00:05:32.127 --> 00:05:36.130 decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. 00:05:37.730 --> 00:05:42.062 Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit 00:05:42.062 --> 00:05:47.986 by more than $2.5 trillion -- mostly through spending cuts, 00:05:47.986 --> 00:05:52.212 but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. 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 00:05:59.734 --> 00:06:02.867 that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. 00:06:04.452 --> 00:06:08.754 Now we need to finish the job. And the question is, how? 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:15.775 In 2011, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn’t agree 00:06:15.775 --> 00:06:17.808 on a plan to reach our deficit goal, 00:06:18.408 --> 00:06:23.983 about a trillion dollars’ worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. 00:06:25.260 --> 00:06:31.957 These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness. 00:06:32.972 --> 00:06:37.735 They’d devastate priorities like education, and energy, and medical research. 00:06:39.012 --> 00:06:44.473 They would certainly slow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. 00:06:46.027 --> 00:06:50.163 That’s why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, and economists 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. 00:06:59.483 --> 00:07:05.897 Now, some in Congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts 00:07:06.804 --> 00:07:10.588 by making even bigger cuts to things like education and job training, 00:07:11.388 --> 00:07:14.245 Medicare and Social Security benefits. 00:07:15.676 --> 00:07:34.536 That idea is even worse. (Applause.) 00:07:34.536 --> 00:07:37.762 Yes, the biggest driver of our long-term debt 00:07:37.762 --> 00:07:41.141 is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. 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 00:07:48.925 --> 00:07:54.102 -- otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children, 00:07:54.764 --> 00:07:58.648 and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations. 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 00:08:06.225 --> 00:08:15.700 while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and the most powerful. (Applause.) 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 00:08:20.341 --> 00:08:22.336 onto families that are already struggling, 00:08:22.797 --> 00:08:27.582 or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers and more cops and more firefighters. 00:08:28.736 --> 00:08:33.529 Most Americans -- Democrats, Republicans, and independents -- 00:08:33.529 --> 00:08:37.096 understand that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity. 00:08:37.942 --> 00:08:43.240 They know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction, 00:08:43.825 --> 00:08:49.033 with spending cuts and revenue, and with everybody doing their fair share. 00:08:50.079 --> 00:08:52.426 And that’s the approach I offer tonight. 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 00:08:58.947 --> 00:09:00.961 by the beginning of the next decade 00:09:00.961 --> 00:09:08.451 as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission. (Applause.) 00:09:08.451 --> 00:09:16.004 Already, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs. (Applause.) 00:09:16.004 --> 00:09:19.686 And the reforms I’m proposing go even further. 00:09:20.486 --> 00:09:23.648 We’ll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies 00:09:24.017 --> 00:09:27.509 and ask more from the wealthiest seniors. (Applause.) 00:09:27.509 --> 00:09:31.956 We’ll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, 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; 00:09:37.462 --> 00:09:49.173 they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive. (Applause.) 00:09:49.173 --> 00:09:52.917 And I am open to additional reforms from both parties, 00:09:53.717 --> 00:09:57.304 so long as they don’t violate the guarantee of a secure retirement. 00:09:58.196 --> 00:10:01.251 Our government shouldn’t make promises we cannot keep -- 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:21.365 but we must keepthe promises we’ve already made. (Applause.) 00:10:21.365 --> 00:10:24.429 To hit the rest of our deficit reduction target, 00:10:25.106 --> 00:10:28.705 we should do what leaders in both parties have already suggested, 00:10:29.074 --> 00:10:34.365 and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions 00:10:34.365 --> 00:10:36.069 for the well-off and the well-connected. 00:10:37.099 --> 00:10:41.898 After all, why would we choose to make deeper cuts to education and Medicare, 00:10:42.744 --> 00:10:45.279 just to protect special interest tax breaks? 00:10:45.955 --> 00:10:47.443 How is that fair? 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 00:10:55.922 --> 00:10:58.048 but not closing some loopholes? 00:10:58.509 --> 00:11:04.528 How does that promote growth? (Applause.) 00:11:04.528 --> 00:11:10.738 Now is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform 00:11:10.738 --> 00:11:19.142 that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit. (Applause.) 00:11:19.142 --> 00:11:28.423 We can get this done. (Applause.) 00:11:28.423 --> 00:11:32.123 The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time 00:11:32.123 --> 00:11:36.806 filling out complicated forms, and more time expanding and hiring -- 00:11:37.498 --> 00:11:41.380 a tax code that ensures billionaires with high-powered accountants can’t work the system 00:11:41.380 --> 00:11:44.255 and pay a lower rate than their hardworking secretaries; 00:11:44.808 --> 00:11:48.037 a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas, 00:11:48.775 --> 00:11:51.323 and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers 00:11:51.323 --> 00:11:54.611 that are creating jobs right here in the United States of America. 00:11:54.611 --> 00:12:08.006 That’s what tax reform can deliver. That’s what we can do together. (Applause.) 00:12:08.006 --> 00:12:13.725 I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy. 00:12:15.309 --> 00:12:18.135 The politics will be hard for both sides. 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:22.203 None of us will get 100 percent of what we want. 00:12:23.265 --> 00:12:28.594 But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, 00:12:28.594 --> 00:12:32.232 visit hardship on millions of hardworking Americans. 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 00:12:39.638 --> 00:12:42.864 with smart savings and wise investments in our future. 00:12:42.864 --> 00:12:48.692 And let’s do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors. (Applause.) 00:12:48.738 --> 00:12:53.018 The greatest nation on Earth (Applause.) 00:12:53.018 --> 00:12:55.915 The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business 00:12:55.915 --> 00:13:00.197 by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. (Applause.) 00:13:00.197 --> 00:13:08.438 We can't do it. (Applause.) 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, 00:13:14.862 --> 00:13:16.688 and pay our bills on time, 00:13:16.688 --> 00:13:32.205 and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. (Applause.) 00:13:32.205 --> 00:13:37.439 The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis 00:13:37.439 --> 00:13:42.637 to see their elected officials cause another. (Applause.) 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. 00:13:51.968 --> 00:14:03.041 But let’s be clear, deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. (Applause.) 00:14:03.041 --> 00:14:06.327 A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs -- 00:14:06.327 --> 00:14:16.969 that must be the North Star that guides our efforts (Applause.) 00:14:16.969 --> 00:14:21.320 Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:24.285 How do we attract more jobs to our shores? 00:14:24.823 --> 00:14:28.898 How do we equip our people with the skills they need to get those jobs? 00:14:29.729 --> 00:14:33.711 And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.134 A year and a half ago, I put forward an American Jobs Act 00:14:38.134 --> 00:14:41.712 that independent economists said would create more than 1 million new jobs. 00:14:41.712 --> 00:14:45.761 And I thank the last Congress for passing some of that agenda. 00:14:46.145 --> 00:14:49.800 I urge this Congress to pass the rest. (Applause.) 00:14:49.800 --> 00:14:55.271 But tonight, I’ll lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for 00:14:55.871 --> 00:15:02.474 and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago. 00:15:03.198 --> 00:15:09.918 Let me repeat -- nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime. 00:15:09.918 --> 00:15:13.790 It is not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government 00:15:13.790 --> 00:15:20.228 that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth. (Applause.) 00:15:20.228 --> 00:15:31.822 That's what we should be looking for. (Applause.) 00:15:31.822 --> 00:15:36.693 Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. 00:15:37.323 --> 00:15:40.275 After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, 00:15:40.275 --> 00:15:44.298 our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. 00:15:44.928 --> 00:15:50.879 Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:16:00.058 And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again. (Applause.) 00:16:00.089 --> 00:16:04.387 There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. 00:16:05.217 --> 00:16:10.414 Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in Youngstown, Ohio. 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 00:16:16.971 --> 00:16:20.313 that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. 00:16:20.913 --> 00:16:24.096 There’s no reason this can’t happen in other towns. 00:16:24.542 --> 00:16:29.029 So tonight, I’m announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, 00:16:29.029 --> 00:16:32.512 where businesses will partner with the Department of Defense and Energy 00:16:32.512 --> 00:16:37.588 to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs. 00:16:38.327 --> 00:16:42.672 And I ask this Congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs 00:16:42.689 --> 00:16:47.953 and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America. 00:16:47.953 --> 00:17:02.925 We can get that done. (Applause.) 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. 00:17:10.270 --> 00:17:18.234 Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy -- every dollar. 00:17:19.234 --> 00:17:24.443 Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. 00:17:25.396 --> 00:17:28.751 They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; 00:17:29.382 --> 00:17:33.379 devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful. 00:17:34.348 --> 00:17:39.036 Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. 00:17:39.036 --> 00:17:42.763 Now is the time to reach a level of research and development 00:17:42.763 --> 00:17:45.148 not seen since the height of the Space Race. 00:17:45.148 --> 00:17:57.412 We need to make those investments. (Applause.) 00:17:57.412 --> 00:18:02.069 Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy. 00:18:03.529 --> 00:18:09.819 After years of talking about it, we’re finally poised to control our own energy future. 00:18:10.896 --> 00:18:14.003 We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years (Applause.) 00:18:15.234 --> 00:18:19.476 We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, 00:18:19.476 --> 00:18:23.656 and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar -- 00:18:23.656 --> 00:18:26.753 with tens of thousands of good American jobs to show for it. 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. 00:18:35.589 --> 00:18:39.477 And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution 00:18:39.477 --> 00:18:42.482 that threatens our planet have actually fallen. 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.) 00:19:05.696 --> 00:19:09.742 Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. 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. 00:19:19.453 --> 00:19:28.700 Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods -- all are now more frequent and more intense. 00:19:29.731 --> 00:19:35.482 We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, 00:19:35.482 --> 00:19:40.257 and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. 00:19:41.641 --> 00:19:45.637 Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science -- 00:19:45.637 --> 00:19:55.853 and act before it’s too late. (Applause.) 00:19:55.853 --> 00:19:59.023 Now, the good news is we can make meaningful progress on this issue 00:19:59.023 --> 00:20:01.381 while driving strong economic growth. 00:20:02.350 --> 00:20:07.277 I urge this Congress to get together, pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, 00:20:07.277 --> 00:20:10.944 like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. 00:20:12.312 --> 00:20:18.317 But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. 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, 00:20:27.164 --> 00:20:32.216 to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, 00:20:32.216 --> 00:20:36.088 and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy. 00:20:37.810 --> 00:20:40.860 Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market 00:20:40.860 --> 00:20:42.684 and the jobs that came with it. 00:20:42.684 --> 00:20:44.585 And we’ve begun to change that. 00:20:45.446 --> 00:20:50.251 Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. 00:20:50.251 --> 00:20:51.789 So let’s generate even more. 00:20:52.912 --> 00:20:57.397 Solar energy gets cheaper by the year -- let’s drive down costs even further. 00:20:58.182 --> 00:21:02.483 As long as countries like China keep going all in on clean energy, so must we. 00:21:03.729 --> 00:21:07.971 Now, in the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power 00:21:07.971 --> 00:21:11.538 and greater energy independence. We need to encourage that. 00:21:11.538 --> 00:21:14.456 And that’s why my administration will keep cutting red tape 00:21:14.456 --> 00:21:18.907 and speeding up new oil and gas permits. (Applause.) 00:21:18.907 --> 00:21:21.250 That’s got to be part of an all-of-the-above plan. 00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:25.314 But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology 00:21:25.314 --> 00:21:31.062 that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and our water. 00:21:32.722 --> 00:21:36.655 In fact, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, 00:21:37.362 --> 00:21:39.353 the public, own together. 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 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. 00:21:51.287 --> 00:21:56.783 If a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, 00:21:57.413 --> 00:21:58.389 then so can we. 00:21:58.758 --> 00:22:01.719 Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses 00:22:01.719 --> 00:22:06.601 from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long. 00:22:08.185 --> 00:22:10.250 I’m also issuing a new goal for America: 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.) 00:22:23.098 --> 00:22:24.671 We'll work with the states to do it. 00:22:24.671 --> 00:22:28.081 Those states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills 00:22:28.081 --> 00:22:33.282 by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make that happen. 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. 00:22:42.296 --> 00:22:44.845 Ask any CEO where they’d rather locate and hire -- 00:22:45.352 --> 00:22:50.449 a country with deteriorating roads and bridges, or one with high-speed rail and Internet; 00:22:51.095 --> 00:22:54.014 high-tech schools, self-healing power grids. 00:22:55.199 --> 00:23:00.057 The CEO of Siemens America -- a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina -- 00:23:00.057 --> 00:23:04.407 said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they’ll bring even more jobs. 00:23:04.760 --> 00:23:07.358 And that’s the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world. 00:23:08.127 --> 00:23:10.792 And I know you want these job-creating projects in your district. 00:23:10.792 --> 00:23:15.314 I’ve seen all those ribbon-cuttings. (Laughter.) 00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:25.067 So tonight, I propose a “Fix-It-First” program 00:23:25.067 --> 00:23:28.859 to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, 00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:48.201 like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. (Applause.) 00:23:48.231 --> 00:23:50.738 And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, 00:23:51.184 --> 00:23:56.096 I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital 00:23:56.096 --> 00:23:58.755 to upgrade what our businesses need most: 00:23:59.601 --> 00:24:04.178 modern ports to move our goods, modern pipelines to withstand a storm, 00:24:04.947 --> 00:24:08.643 modern schools worthy of our children. (Applause.) 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, 00:24:13.831 --> 00:24:16.069 and let’s start right away. We can get this done. 00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:21.731 And part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector. 00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:27.671 The good news is our housing market is finally healing from the collapse of 2007. 00:24:28.932 --> 00:24:32.763 Home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years. 00:24:32.763 --> 00:24:38.430 Home purchases are up nearly 50 percent, and construction is expanding again. 00:24:39.876 --> 00:24:43.294 But even with mortgage rates near a 50-year low, 00:24:43.985 --> 00:24:48.774 too many families with solid credit who want to buy a home are being rejected. 00:24:49.789 --> 00:24:56.251 Too many families who never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no. 00:24:57.389 --> 00:25:00.884 That’s holding our entire economy back. We need to fix it. 00:25:01.791 --> 00:25:04.022 Right now, there’s a bill in this Congress 00:25:04.022 --> 00:25:07.359 that would give every responsible homeowner in America 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:12.716 the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today’s rates. 00:25:14.131 --> 00:25:18.904 Democrats and Republicans have supported it before, so what are we waiting for? 00:25:19.719 --> 00:25:28.554 Take a vote, and send me that bill. (Applause.) 00:25:28.554 --> 00:25:36.302 Why would we be against that? (Applause.) 00:25:36.302 --> 00:25:40.248 Why would that be a partisan issue, helping folks refinance? 00:25:41.448 --> 00:25:46.868 Right now, overlapping regulations keep responsible young families from buying their first home. 00:25:47.652 --> 00:25:51.664 What’s holding us back? Let’s streamline the process, and help our economy grow. 00:25:54.029 --> 00:25:59.519 These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, housing -- 00:26:00.395 --> 00:26:05.538 all these things will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs. 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 00:26:12.424 --> 00:26:19.981 to fill those jobs. (Applause.) 00:26:19.981 --> 00:26:23.251 And that has to start at the earliest possible age. 00:26:25.144 --> 00:26:30.645 You know, study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, 00:26:31.214 --> 00:26:33.392 the better he or she does down the road. 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. 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. 00:26:46.462 --> 00:26:49.552 And for poor kids who need help the most, 00:26:50.043 --> 00:26:54.561 this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. 00:26:56.006 --> 00:27:01.450 So tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool 00:27:01.450 --> 00:27:07.886 available to every single child in America. (Applause.) 00:27:07.886 --> 00:27:23.716 That's something we should be able to do. (Applause.) 00:27:23.716 --> 00:27:27.556 Every dollar we invest in high-quality early childhood education 00:27:27.556 --> 00:27:30.245 can save more than seven dollars later on -- 00:27:30.245 --> 00:27:37.418 by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. 00:27:38.741 --> 00:27:44.938 In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:50.915 studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, 00:27:51.499 --> 00:27:57.040 graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. 00:27:58.163 --> 00:27:59.855 We know this works. 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. 00:28:05.517 --> 00:28:19.745 Let’s give our kids that chance. (Applause.) 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. 00:28:26.645 --> 00:28:30.420 Right now, countries like Germany focus on graduating their high school students 00:28:30.420 --> 00:28:34.746 with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges. 00:28:35.284 --> 00:28:38.708 So those German kids, they're ready for a job when they graduate high school. 00:28:39.477 --> 00:28:41.561 They've been trained for the jobs that are there. 00:28:42.946 --> 00:28:45.343 Now at schools like P-Tech in Brooklyn, 00:28:45.712 --> 00:28:50.768 a collaboration between New York Public Schools and City University of New York and IBM, 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. 00:28:58.318 --> 00:29:02.565 We need to give every American student opportunities like this. (Applause.) 00:29:02.565 --> 00:29:08.898 And four years ago -- four years ago, we started Race to the Top -- 00:29:09.344 --> 00:29:15.378 a competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, 00:29:15.378 --> 00:29:18.688 all for about 1 percent of what we spend on education each year. 00:29:19.796 --> 00:29:24.358 Tonight, I’m announcing a new challenge to redesign America’s high schools 00:29:24.358 --> 00:29:28.705 so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy. 00:29:28.705 --> 00:29:32.682 And we’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, 00:29:33.312 --> 00:29:39.061 and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math -- 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 00:29:44.057 --> 00:29:45.645 and will be there in the future. 00:29:47.552 --> 00:29:52.480 Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. 00:29:53.372 --> 00:29:56.801 It’s a simple fact the more education you’ve got, 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. 00:30:02.114 --> 00:30:07.027 But today, skyrocketing costs price too many young people out of a higher education, 00:30:07.488 --> 00:30:10.206 or saddle them with unsustainable debt. 00:30:11.852 --> 00:30:17.049 Through tax credits, grants and better loans, we’ve made college more affordable 00:30:17.049 --> 00:30:20.161 for millions of students and families over the last few years. 00:30:20.837 --> 00:30:27.237 But taxpayers can’t keep on subsidizing higher and higher and higher costs for higher education. 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.) 00:30:39.957 --> 00:30:43.779 So tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education Act 00:30:43.779 --> 00:30:47.562 so that affordability and value are included in determining 00:30:47.562 --> 00:30:52.597 which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. (Applause.) 00:30:52.597 --> 00:30:58.650 And -- and tomorrow, my administration will release a new “College Scorecard” 00:30:58.650 --> 00:31:03.255 that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria -- 00:31:03.255 --> 00:31:07.059 where you can get the most bang for your educational buck. 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 00:31:14.435 --> 00:31:16.549 that today’s jobs require. 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 -- 00:31:22.671 --> 00:31:26.041 everybody who’s willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead. 00:31:27.548 --> 00:31:34.330 Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. (Applause.) 00:31:35.022 --> 00:31:42.499 And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, faith communities -- 00:31:42.499 --> 00:31:47.885 they all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform. 00:31:47.885 --> 00:31:54.606 Now is the time to do it. Now is the time to get it done. (Applause.) 00:31:54.606 --> 00:32:09.002 Now is the time to get it done. (Applause.) 00:32:09.002 --> 00:32:12.021 Real reform means strong border security, 00:32:12.021 --> 00:32:15.307 and we can build on the progress my administration has already made -- 00:32:15.723 --> 00:32:19.596 putting more boots on the Southern border than at any time in our history 00:32:19.949 --> 00:32:24.644 and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years. 00:32:26.028 --> 00:32:31.062 Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship -- 00:32:31.062 --> 00:32:36.122 a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty 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.) 00:32:46.738 --> 00:32:52.559 And real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods 00:32:52.559 --> 00:32:55.999 and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers 00:32:55.999 --> 00:33:11.185 that will help create jobs and grow our economy (Applause.) 00:33:11.185 --> 00:33:15.343 In other words, we know what needs to be done. 00:33:16.111 --> 00:33:21.867 And as we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, 00:33:21.867 --> 00:33:24.945 and I applaud their efforts. So let’s get this done. 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. 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.) 00:33:45.793 --> 00:33:47.288 But we can’t stop there. 00:33:48.672 --> 00:33:53.233 We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters 00:33:53.233 --> 00:33:56.732 can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, 00:33:57.194 --> 00:33:59.928 and free from the fear of domestic violence. 00:34:00.712 --> 00:34:03.216 Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act 00:34:03.216 --> 00:34:06.364 that Joe Biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago. 00:34:06.364 --> 00:34:12.852 And I now urge the House to do the same. (Applause.) 00:34:12.852 --> 00:34:22.761 Good job, Joe. (Applause.) 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, 00:34:29.412 --> 00:34:45.025 and finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year. (Applause.) 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. 00:34:52.099 --> 00:34:58.664 But today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. 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 00:35:06.832 --> 00:35:09.621 still lives below the poverty line. 00:35:10.791 --> 00:35:16.185 That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, 00:35:16.185 --> 00:35:18.886 19 states have chosen to bump theirs even higher. 00:35:20.332 --> 00:35:24.089 Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, 00:35:24.089 --> 00:35:28.315 no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, 00:35:28.315 --> 00:35:35.651 and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. (Applause.) 00:35:35.651 --> 00:35:44.241 We should be able to get that done. (Applause.) 00:35:44.241 --> 00:35:48.384 This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:54.520 It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; 00:35:55.166 --> 00:35:57.632 scraping by or finally getting ahead. 00:35:58.924 --> 00:36:02.800 For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. 00:36:04.600 --> 00:36:07.875 And a whole lot of folks out there would probably need less help from government. 00:36:08.982 --> 00:36:12.878 In fact, working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year 00:36:12.878 --> 00:36:16.462 for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher. 00:36:16.462 --> 00:36:20.997 So here’s an idea that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year -- 00:36:21.859 --> 00:36:24.089 let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, 00:36:24.089 --> 00:36:38.410 so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on. (Applause.) 00:36:38.410 --> 00:36:42.068 Tonight, let’s also recognize that there are communities in this country 00:36:42.068 --> 00:36:46.081 where no matter how hard you work, it is virtually impossible to get ahead. 00:36:46.819 --> 00:36:50.319 Factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up. 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. 00:36:59.934 --> 00:37:04.654 America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. 00:37:05.561 --> 00:37:09.100 And that’s why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class 00:37:09.952 --> 00:37:10.805 for all who are willing to climb them. 00:37:12.066 --> 00:37:14.788 Let’s offer incentives to companies that hire Americans 00:37:14.788 --> 00:37:16.872 who’ve got what it takes to fill that job opening, 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. 00:37:21.246 --> 00:37:25.222 Let’s put people back to work rebuilding vacant homes in run-down neighborhoods. 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 00:37:31.923 --> 00:37:34.088 to get these communities back on their feet. 00:37:34.088 --> 00:37:40.762 We’ll work with local leaders to target resources at public safety, and education, and housing. 00:37:41.592 --> 00:37:44.291 We’ll give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest. 00:37:45.075 --> 00:37:47.468 And we’ll work to strengthen families 00:37:47.468 --> 00:37:51.790 by removing the financial deterrents to marriage for low-income couples, 00:37:51.790 --> 00:37:53.620 and do more to encourage fatherhood -- 00:37:54.435 --> 00:37:57.130 because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to conceive a child; 00:37:57.130 --> 00:37:59.132 it’s having the courage to raise one. 00:37:59.793 --> 00:38:16.828 And we want to encourage that. We want to help that. (Applause.) 00:38:16.828 --> 00:38:23.084 Stronger families. Stronger communities. A stronger America. 00:38:24.591 --> 00:38:31.766 It is this kind of prosperity -- broad, shared, built on a thriving middle class -- 00:38:32.350 --> 00:38:35.351 that has always been the source of our progress at home. 00:38:36.689 --> 00:38:40.262 It’s also the foundation of our power and influence throughout the world. 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. 00:38:49.631 --> 00:38:55.940 Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan 00:38:55.940 --> 00:39:17.187 and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda. (Applause.) 00:39:17.187 --> 00:39:22.078 Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. 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. 00:39:29.999 --> 00:39:33.103 Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, 00:39:33.103 --> 00:39:37.501 another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. 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.) 00:40:00.588 --> 00:40:06.824 Beyond 2014, America’s commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, 00:40:07.608 --> 00:40:09.724 but the nature of our commitment will change. 00:40:11.016 --> 00:40:15.735 We're negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions -- 00:40:15.751 --> 00:40:20.382 training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, 00:40:20.382 --> 00:40:26.559 and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates. 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.) 00:40:40.948 --> 00:40:44.604 It's true, different al Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged -- 00:40:44.604 --> 00:40:47.084 from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. 00:40:48.437 --> 00:40:51.199 The threat these groups pose is evolving. 00:40:52.399 --> 00:40:53.651 But to meet this threat, 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. 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, 00:41:06.385 --> 00:41:09.970 and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. 00:41:10.785 --> 00:41:17.463 And where necessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action 00:41:17.463 --> 00:41:25.202 against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans. (Applause.) 00:41:25.218 --> 00:41:34.412 Now, as we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. 00:41:35.996 --> 00:41:42.080 That's why my administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework 00:41:42.390 --> 00:41:44.110 to guide our counterterrorism efforts. 00:41:45.787 --> 00:41:49.725 Throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts. 00:41:50.755 --> 00:41:53.337 And I recognize that in our democracy, 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. 00:41:57.712 --> 00:42:01.319 So in the months ahead, I will continue to engage Congress to ensure 00:42:01.319 --> 00:42:06.680 not only that our targeting, detention and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent 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 00:42:12.759 --> 00:42:16.737 to the American people and to the world. (Applause.) 00:42:16.737 --> 00:42:22.804 Of course, our challenges don’t end with al Qaeda. 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. 00:42:30.548 --> 00:42:34.902 The regime in North Korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity 00:42:34.902 --> 00:42:37.293 by meeting their international obligations. 00:42:38.293 --> 00:42:41.927 Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them, 00:42:42.419 --> 00:42:45.761 as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense 00:42:46.176 --> 00:42:49.651 and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. 00:42:50.666 --> 00:42:55.572 Likewise, the leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, 00:42:55.572 --> 00:43:00.639 because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, 00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:20.304 and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. (Applause.) 00:43:20.304 --> 00:43:26.462 At the same time, we’ll engage Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals, 00:43:26.462 --> 00:43:30.321 and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials 00:43:30.321 --> 00:43:34.831 that could fall into the wrong hands -- because our ability to influence others 00:43:35.247 --> 00:43:38.969 depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. 00:43:41.260 --> 00:43:46.585 America must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber-attacks. (Applause.) 00:43:46.585 --> 00:43:53.259 Now, we know hackers steal people’s identities and infiltrate private emails. 00:43:54.397 --> 00:43:58.332 We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. 00:43:59.424 --> 00:44:03.337 Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, 00:44:03.937 --> 00:44:08.276 our financial institutions, our air traffic control systems. 00:44:09.276 --> 00:44:13.542 We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing 00:44:13.542 --> 00:44:17.109 in the face of real threats to our security and our economy. 00:44:17.878 --> 00:44:20.924 And that’s why, earlier today, I signed a new executive order 00:44:20.924 --> 00:44:25.073 that will strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, 00:44:25.073 --> 00:44:35.442 and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our privacy. (Applause.) 00:44:35.442 --> 00:44:42.535 But now -- now Congress must act as well, by passing legislation to give our government 00:44:42.535 --> 00:44:46.910 a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks. 00:44:47.356 --> 00:44:58.297 This is something we should be able to get done on a bipartisan basis. (Applause.) 00:44:58.297 --> 00:45:00.337 Now, even as we protect our people, 00:45:00.752 --> 00:45:04.917 we should remember that today’s world presents not just dangers, not just threats, 00:45:05.794 --> 00:45:07.124 it presents opportunities. 00:45:07.971 --> 00:45:11.377 To boost American exports, support American jobs 00:45:12.101 --> 00:45:15.181 and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia, 00:45:15.657 --> 00:45:18.954 we intend to complete negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership. 00:45:19.678 --> 00:45:21.898 And tonight, I’m announcing that we will launch talks 00:45:21.898 --> 00:45:26.719 on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union -- 00:45:27.135 --> 00:45:30.549 because trade that is fair and free across the Atlantic 00:45:30.549 --> 00:45:40.601 supports millions of good-paying American jobs. (Applause.) 00:45:40.601 --> 00:45:46.961 We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all -- 00:45:48.484 --> 00:45:55.395 not only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, 00:45:55.395 --> 00:45:56.964 but also because it’s the right thing to do. 00:45:58.702 --> 00:46:01.898 You know, in many places, people live on little more than a dollar a day. 00:46:03.621 --> 00:46:08.165 So the United States will join with our allies to eradicate such extreme poverty 00:46:08.165 --> 00:46:12.166 in the next two decades by connecting more people to the global economy; 00:46:12.181 --> 00:46:17.767 by empowering women; by giving our young and brightest minds new opportunities to serve, 00:46:18.428 --> 00:46:21.924 and helping communities to feed, empower, and educate themselves; 00:46:22.724 --> 00:46:26.002 by saving the world’schildren from preventable deaths; 00:46:26.541 --> 00:46:39.764 and by realizing the promise of an AIDS-free generation, which is within our reach. (Applause.) 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. 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 00:46:57.925 --> 00:47:02.318 welcomed an American President into the home where she had been imprisoned for years; 00:47:03.594 --> 00:47:07.167 when thousands of Burmese lined the streets, waving American flags, 00:47:07.167 --> 00:47:09.157 including a man who said: 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.” 00:47:17.640 --> 00:47:21.629 In defense of freedom, we’ll remain the anchor of strong alliances 00:47:21.629 --> 00:47:25.232 from the Americas to Africa; from Europe to Asia. 00:47:26.586 --> 00:47:31.458 In the Middle East,we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, 00:47:31.458 --> 00:47:41.899 and support stable transitions to democracy. (Applause.) 00:47:41.899 --> 00:47:43.631 We know the process will be messy, 00:47:46.200 --> 00:47:50.454 and we cannot presume to dictate the course of change in countries like Egypt, 00:47:50.454 --> 00:47:56.447 but we can -- and will -- insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. 00:47:57.493 --> 00:48:01.128 We’ll keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, 00:48:01.128 --> 00:48:05.578 and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. 00:48:06.393 --> 00:48:27.933 And we will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace. (Applause.) 00:48:28.625 --> 00:48:31.991 These are the messages I'll deliver when I travel to the Middle East next month. 00:48:34.175 --> 00:48:38.238 And all this work depends on the courage and sacrifice 00:48:38.792 --> 00:48:42.499 of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk –- 00:48:43.730 --> 00:48:50.985 our diplomats, our intelligence officers, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. 00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:55.490 As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will do whatever we must 00:48:55.490 --> 00:48:57.917 to protect those who serve their country abroad, 00:48:57.917 --> 00:49:16.384 and we will maintain the best military the world has ever known. (Applause.) 00:49:16.384 --> 00:49:21.297 We'll invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime spending. 00:49:22.158 --> 00:49:25.592 We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, 00:49:25.592 --> 00:49:39.632 and equal benefits for their families -- gay and straight. (Applause.) 00:49:39.632 --> 00:49:44.951 We will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms, 00:49:44.967 --> 00:49:48.806 because women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. 00:49:49.990 --> 00:49:54.075 We will keep faith with our veterans, investing in world-class care, 00:49:54.075 --> 00:50:11.545 including mental healthcare, for our wounded warriors -- (applause) 00:50:11.545 --> 00:50:16.599 supporting our military families; giving our veterans the benefits and education 00:50:16.599 --> 00:50:19.082 and job opportunities that they have earned. 00:50:19.082 --> 00:50:23.765 And I want to thank my wife, Michelle, and Dr. Jill Biden for their continued dedication 00:50:23.765 --> 00:50:26.373 to serving our military families as well as they have served us. 00:50:27.665 --> 00:50:43.345 Thank you, honey. Thank you, Jill. (Applause.) 00:50:44.237 --> 00:50:49.119 Defending our freedom, though, is not just the job of our military alone. 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. 00:50:57.480 --> 00:51:01.541 That includes one of the most fundamental right of a democracy: 00:51:02.588 --> 00:51:14.413 the right to vote. (Applause.) 00:51:14.413 --> 00:51:23.713 When any American, no matter where they live or what their party, 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 00:51:31.814 --> 00:51:39.269 just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals. (Applause.) 00:51:39.269 --> 00:51:47.134 So tonight, I’m announcing a nonpartisan commission 00:51:47.134 --> 00:51:50.223 to improve the voting experience in America. 00:51:50.223 --> 00:51:52.300 And it definitely needs improvement. 00:51:53.992 --> 00:51:56.592 I’m asking two long-time experts in the field -- 00:51:56.592 --> 00:52:01.136 who, by the way, recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign 00:52:01.136 --> 00:52:04.189 and for Governor Romney’s campaign -- to lead it. 00:52:04.189 --> 00:52:07.002 We can fix this, and we will. 00:52:07.002 --> 00:52:23.399 The American people demand it, and so does our democracy. (Applause.) 00:52:24.968 --> 00:52:29.481 Of course, what I’ve said tonight matters little 00:52:30.865 --> 00:52:36.638 if we don’t come together to protect our most precious resource: our children. 00:52:38.792 --> 00:52:41.851 It has been two months since Newtown. 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. 00:52:49.956 --> 00:52:51.415 But this time is different. 00:52:53.907 --> 00:52:56.915 Overwhelming majorities of Americans 00:52:56.961 --> 00:52:59.721 -- Americans who believe in the Second Amendment -- 00:52:59.721 --> 00:53:03.609 have come together around common-sense reform, like background checks 00:53:03.610 --> 00:53:07.328 that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. (Applause.) 00:53:08.220 --> 00:53:17.064 Senators - senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws 00:53:17.064 --> 00:53:20.671 to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. 00:53:21.748 --> 00:53:25.259 Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war 00:53:25.259 --> 00:53:28.411 and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, 00:53:28.426 --> 00:53:33.538 because these police chiefs, they’re tired of seeing their guys and gals being outgunned. 00:53:36.291 --> 00:53:55.559 Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. (Applause.) 00:53:55.559 --> 00:53:58.708 Now, if you want to vote no, that’s your choice. 00:54:00.523 --> 00:54:02.454 But these proposals deserve a vote. 00:54:04.176 --> 00:54:06.092 Because in the two months since Newtown, 00:54:06.738 --> 00:54:11.971 more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, anniversaries 00:54:11.971 --> 00:54:19.461 have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun -- more than a thousand. 00:54:20.953 --> 00:54:26.182 One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. 00:54:27.920 --> 00:54:30.051 She was 15 years old. 00:54:30.912 --> 00:54:36.658 She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. 00:54:38.089 --> 00:54:42.198 She was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend. 00:54:44.120 --> 00:54:48.802 Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, 00:54:49.710 --> 00:54:52.241 performing for her country at my inauguration. 00:54:53.703 --> 00:54:58.911 And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, 00:54:59.849 --> 00:55:01.528 just a mile away from my house. 00:55:04.143 --> 00:55:08.175 Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, 00:55:08.175 --> 00:55:13.875 along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. 00:55:15.736 --> 00:55:30.759 They deserve a vote. They deserve a vote. (Applause.) 00:55:30.759 --> 00:55:40.720 They deserve a vote. (Applause.) 00:55:40.720 --> 00:55:45.631 Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. (Applause.) 00:55:45.631 --> 00:55:50.297 The families of Newtown deserve a vote. (Applause.) 00:55:50.297 --> 00:55:54.591 The families of Aurora deserve a vote. (Applause.) 00:55:54.591 --> 00:55:58.360 The families of Oak Creek and Tucson and Blacksburg, 00:55:58.361 --> 00:56:02.270 and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence –- 00:56:02.270 --> 00:56:12.250 they deserve a simple vote. (Applause.) 00:56:12.250 --> 00:56:15.254 They deserve - they deserve a simple vote. 00:56:18.561 --> 00:56:23.797 Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. 00:56:25.412 --> 00:56:31.510 In fact, no laws, no initiatives, no administrativeacts will perfectly solve 00:56:31.510 --> 00:56:33.721 all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. 00:56:35.430 --> 00:56:37.677 But we were never sent here to be perfect. 00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:45.801 We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, 00:56:46.293 --> 00:56:52.647 expand opportunity, uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, 00:56:52.647 --> 00:56:56.017 but absolutely necessary work of self-government. 00:56:59.615 --> 00:57:02.800 We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans 00:57:02.800 --> 00:57:07.189 the same way they look out for one another, every single day, 00:57:07.958 --> 00:57:11.160 usually without fanfare, all across this country. 00:57:13.067 --> 00:57:14.576 We should follow their example. 00:57:16.314 --> 00:57:20.812 We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez. 00:57:22.288 --> 00:57:24.998 When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, 00:57:26.060 --> 00:57:29.417 she wasn’t thinking about how her own home was faring. 00:57:30.555 --> 00:57:34.300 Her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care 00:57:34.300 --> 00:57:37.855 and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. 00:57:40.162 --> 00:57:45.518 We should follow the example of a North Miami woman named Desiline Victor. 00:57:47.164 --> 00:57:49.047 When Desiline arrived at her polling place, 00:57:49.047 --> 00:57:52.000 she was told the wait to vote might be six hours. 00:57:52.800 --> 00:57:57.768 And as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, 00:57:57.768 --> 00:58:00.985 but whether folks like her would get to have their say. 00:58:02.123 --> 00:58:06.246 And hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in line to support her -- 00:58:07.292 --> 00:58:09.366 because Desiline is 102 years old. 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.) 00:58:48.858 --> 00:58:52.095 We should follow the example of a police officer named Brian Murphy. 00:58:53.941 --> 00:58:58.187 When a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin 00:59:00.033 --> 00:59:03.690 Brian was the first to arrive, and he did not consider his own safety. 00:59:05.013 --> 00:59:10.101 He fought back until help arrived and ordered his fellow officers to protect 00:59:10.101 --> 00:59:13.536 the safety of the Americans worshipping inside, 00:59:14.136 --> 00:59:17.534 even as he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. 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.” 00:59:26.715 --> 00:59:28.362 That’s just the way we’re made. 00:59:30.654 --> 00:59:34.525 We may do different jobs and wear different uniforms, 00:59:35.079 --> 00:59:38.567 and hold different views than the person beside us. 00:59:39.967 --> 00:59:46.682 But as Americans, we all share the same proud title -- we are citizens. 00:59:48.375 --> 00:59:52.507 It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. 00:59:54.338 --> 00:59:59.842 It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. 01:00:00.857 --> 01:00:04.825 It captures the enduring idea that this country only works 01:00:04.840 --> 01:00:09.515 when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, 01:00:10.638 --> 01:00:13.266 that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; 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, 01:00:20.479 --> 01:00:23.125 as citizens of these United States, 01:00:23.786 --> 01:00:27.456 to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story. 01:00:28.244 --> 01:00:29.813 Thank you. God bless you. 01:00:29.859 --> 01:00:38.724 And God bless these United States of America. (Applause.)