The text of President Barack Obama's speech to Congress, Jan.24th
2012. at 9 p.m.
Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and
your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.
An America
Built to Last
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished
guests, and fellow Americans:
Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of
our last troops to serve in Iraq.
Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than
a million of our fellow citizens fought – and several thousand gave their
lives.
We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States
safer and more respected around the world. For the first time in nine years,
there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in two
decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al Qaeda’s
top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and
some troops in Afghanistan
have begun to come home.
These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness, and
teamwork of America’s
Armed Forces. At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down,
they exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They
don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They
work together.
Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example. Think
about the America
within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that
attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A
future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and
prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to
last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.
We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end
of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat,
they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. My
grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the
GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a
workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.
The two of them shared the optimism of a Nation that had triumphed over
a depression and fascism. They understood they were part of something larger;
that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a
chance to share – the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could
do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and
put a little away for retirement.
The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No
challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for
a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing
number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone
gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the
same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican
values, but American values. We have to reclaim them.
Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession, jobs and
manufacturing began leaving our shores. Technology made businesses more
efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete. Folks at the top saw their incomes
rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs
that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling
up.
In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We learned that mortgages had
been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge
bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other
way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.
It was wrong. It was irresponsible. And it plunged our economy into a
crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left
innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag. In the six months before I
took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million
before our policies were in full effect.
Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months,
businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created
the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating
jobs for the first time since the late 1990s. Together, we’ve agreed to cut the
deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall
Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again.
The state of our Union is getting
stronger. And we’ve come too far to turn back now. As long as I’m President, I
will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend
to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the
very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.
No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad
debt, and phony financial profits. Tonight, I want to speak about how we move
forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an
economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American
workers, and a renewal of American values.
This blueprint begins with American manufacturing.
On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of
collapse. Some even said we should let it die. With a million jobs at stake, I
refused to let that happen. In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility.
We got workers and automakers to settle their differences. We got the industry
to retool and restructure. Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s
number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any
major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And
together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.
We bet on American workers. We bet on American ingenuity. And tonight,
the American auto industry is back.
What’s happening in Detroit
can happen in other industries. It can happen in Cleveland
and Pittsburgh and Raleigh. We can’t bring back every job that’s
left our shores. But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in
places like China.
Meanwhile, America
is more productive. A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now
makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home. Today, for the first time
in fifteen years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.
So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing
back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is
simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and
your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.
We should start with our tax code. Right now, companies get tax breaks
for moving jobs and profits overseas. Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay
in America
get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world. It makes no sense, and
everyone knows it.
So let’s change it. First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource
jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it. That money should be used
to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring
jobs home.
Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair
share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. From now on, every
multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax. And every penny
should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and
hire here.
Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax
cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you
get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that
was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new
plant, equipment, or training for new workers.
My message is simple. It’s time to stop rewarding businesses that ship
jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in
America. Send me these tax reforms, and I’ll sign them right away.
We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products
all over the world. Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports
over five years. With the bipartisan trade agreements I signed into law, we are
on track to meet that goal – ahead of schedule. Soon, there will be millions of
new customers for American goods in Panama,
Colombia, and South Korea.
Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul
imported from Detroit, and Toledo,
and Chicago.
I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American
products. And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules.
We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as
the last administration – and it’s made a difference. Over a thousand Americans
are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires. But we need to
do more. It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and
software be pirated. It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on
ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.
Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that
will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. There
will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing
our borders. And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an
advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing finance or new
markets like Russia.
Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is
level, I promise you – America
will always win.
I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States
but can’t find workers with the right skills. Growing industries in science and
technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job.
Think about that – openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking
for work.
That’s inexcusable. And we know how to fix it.
Jackie Bray is a single mom from North
Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic.
Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte,
and formed a partnership with Central
Piedmont Community
College. The company helped the college design
courses in laser and robotics training. It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired
her to help operate their plant.
I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as
Jackie did. Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans
with skills that will lead directly to a job. My Administration has already
lined up more companies that want to help. Model partnerships between
businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte,
Orlando, and Louisville are up and running. Now you need
to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community
career centers – places that teach people skills that local businesses are
looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.
And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so
that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one
place to go for all the information and help they need. It’s time to turn our
unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.
These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today. But to
prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to
start earlier.
For less than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each
year, we’ve convinced nearly every State in the country to raise their
standards for teaching and learning – the first time that’s happened in a
generation.
But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.
At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight
budgets have forced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good
teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A
great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond
his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who
changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with
modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies – just
to make a difference.
Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status
quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers
on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To
teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace
teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.
We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their
education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call
on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they
graduate or turn eighteen.
When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of
college. At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card
debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from
doubling in July. Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves
middle-class families thousands of dollars. And give more young people the
chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study
jobs in the next five years.
Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid. We can’t just
keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money. States also need
to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their
budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep
costs down. Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done
just that. Some schools re-design courses to help students finish more quickly.
Some use better technology. The point is, it’s possible. So let me put colleges
and universities on notice: If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the
funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can’t be a luxury
– it’s an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.
Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking
students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet
American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American
through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation.
Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but
as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and
create new jobs somewhere else.
That doesn’t make sense.
I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal
immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than
ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took
office.
The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on
comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps
Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop
expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new
businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance
to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.
You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent
and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn
equal pay for equal work. It means we should support everyone who’s willing to
work; and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next
Steve Jobs.
After all, innovation is what America has always been about. Most
new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda
that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring
entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. Expand tax relief to small
businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs. Both parties agree on
these ideas. So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.
Innovation also demands basic research. Today, the discoveries taking
place in our federally-financed labs and universities could lead to new
treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched. New
lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet. Don’t gut
these investments in our budget. Don’t let other countries win the race for the
future. Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the
computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American
industries.
Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made
energy. Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil
and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my Administration to open more
than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now,
American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years. That’s
right – eight years. Not only that – last year, we relied less on foreign oil
than in any of the past sixteen years.
But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.
This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every
available source of American energy – a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and
full of new jobs.
We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly
one hundred years, and my Administration will take every possible action to
safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000
jobs by the end of the decade. And I’m requiring all companies that drill for
gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. America will
develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at
risk.
The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and
factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose
between our environment and our economy. And by the way, it was public research
dollars, over the course of thirty years, that helped develop the technologies
to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock – reminding us that
Government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off
the ground.
What’s true for natural gas is true for clean energy. In three years,
our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be
the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal
investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled. And thousands of
Americans have jobs because of it.
When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said
he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance. But he found work
at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan. Before the recession, the factory
only made luxury yachts. Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in
the industry of the future.”
Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public
investments don’t always come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out; some
companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy. I
will not walk away from workers like Bryan.
I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make
the same commitment here. We have subsidized oil companies for a century.
That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry
that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry
that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create
these jobs.
We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives. The differences
in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight
climate change. But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a
clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation. So far, you haven’t
acted. Well tonight, I will. I’m directing my Administration to allow the
development of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes.
And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world’s largest
consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in
history – with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a
million homes a year.
Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy. So
here’s another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their
factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their
energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will
have less pollution, more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers
who need them. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.
Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader
agenda to repair America’s
infrastructure. So much of America
needs to be rebuilt. We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges. A power grid that
wastes too much energy. An incomplete high-speed broadband network that
prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products
all over the world.
During the Great Depression, America
built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge.
After World War II, we connected our States with a system of highways.
Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that
benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that
still use them today.
In the next few weeks, I will sign an Executive Order clearing away the
red tape that slows down too many construction projects. But you need to fund
these projects. Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it
to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at
home.
There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the
construction industry was one of the hardest-hit when the housing bubble burst.
Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones hurt. So were millions of
innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline. And while Government
can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit
and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.
That’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every
responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage,
by refinancing at historically low interest rates. No more red tape. No more
runaround from the banks. A small fee on the largest financial institutions
will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit, and will give banks that were
rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust.
Let’s never forget: Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the
rules every day deserve a Government and a financial system that do the same.
It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts,
and no copouts. An America
built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.
We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who
couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them. That’s why
we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior. Rules to prevent
financial fraud, or toxic dumping, or faulty medical devices, don’t destroy the
free market. They make the free market work better.
There is no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary,
or too costly. In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three
years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his. I’ve ordered
every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We’ve already
announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and
citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years. We got rid of one rule
from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a
year proving that they could contain a spill – because milk was somehow
classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over
spilled milk.
I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal
agency looking over his shoulder. But I will not back down from making sure an
oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago.
I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making
sure that our food is safe and our water is clean. I will not go back to the
days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy,
deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.
And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play
by its own set of rules. The new rules we passed restore what should be any
financial system’s core purpose: Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best
ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, start
a business, or send a kid to college.
So if you’re a big bank or financial institution, you are no longer
allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits. You’re required to
write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you
fail – because the rest of us aren’t bailing you out ever again. And if you’re
a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of
signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and
deceptive practices are over. Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog
in Richard Cordray with one job: To look out for them.
We will also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained
investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s
investments. Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s
no real penalty for being a repeat offender. That’s bad for consumers, and it’s
bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do
the right thing. So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count.
And tonight, I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit
of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our
investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that
led to the housing crisis. This new unit will hold accountable those who broke
the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of
recklessness that hurt so many Americans.
A return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility
will help us protect our people and our economy. But it should also guide us as
we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.
Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160
million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile. People cannot
afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year. There are plenty of ways to
get this done. So let’s agree right here, right now: No side issues. No drama.
Pass the payroll tax cut without delay.
When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2
trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more, and that means making
choices. Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was
supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.
Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all
millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households.
Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.
Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do
we want to keep our investments in everything else – like education and medical
research; a strong military and care for our veterans? Because if we’re serious
about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.
The American people know what the right choice is. So do I. As I told
the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the
long term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so
long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors.
But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me,
and an awful lot of Members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes. Tax
reform should follow the Buffett rule: If you make more than $1 million a year,
you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes. And my Republican friend Tom
Coburn is right: Washington
should stop subsidizing millionaires. In fact, if you’re earning a million
dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions. On the
other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American
families, your taxes shouldn’t go up. You’re the ones struggling with rising
costs and stagnant wages. You’re the ones who need relief.
Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. But asking a
billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans
would call that common sense.
We don’t begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When
Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not
because they envy the rich. It’s because they understand that when I get tax
breaks I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the
deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference – like a senior on a
fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to
make ends meet. That’s not right. Americans know it’s not right. They know that
this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a
responsibility to each other, and to their country’s future, and they know our
way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared
responsibility. That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit. That’s an America built
to last.
I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about
taxes and debt; energy and health care. But no matter what party they belong
to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right now: Nothing will
get done this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because
Washington is broken.
Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical?
The greatest blow to confidence in our economy last year didn’t come
from events beyond our control. It came from a debate in Washington
over whether the United
States would pay its bills or not. Who
benefited from that fiasco?
I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and
Wall Street. But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at
least as bad – and it seems to get worse every year.
Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in
politics. So together, let’s take some steps to fix that. Send me a bill that
bans insider trading by Members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow. Let’s
limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact. Let’s
make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby
Congress, and vice versa – an idea that has bipartisan support, at least
outside of Washington.
Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business
these days. A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything – even
routine business – passed through the Senate. Neither party has been blameless
in these tactics. Now both parties should put an end to it. For starters, I ask
the Senate to pass a rule that all judicial and public service nominations
receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.
The executive branch also needs to change. Too often, it’s inefficient,
outdated and remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the
authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our Government is
leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.
Finally, none of these reforms can happen unless we also lower the
temperature in this town. We need to end the notion that the two parties must
be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about
clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common sense
ideas.
I’m a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed:
That Government should do for people only what they cannot do better by
themselves, and no more. That’s why my education reform offers more
competition, and more control for schools and States. That’s why we’re getting
rid of regulations that don’t work. That’s why our health care law relies on a
reformed private market, not a Government program.
On the other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most
about Government spending have supported federally-financed roads, and clean
energy projects, and federal offices for the folks back home.
The point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective Government.
And while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences
this year, we can make real progress. With or without this Congress, I will
keep taking actions that help the economy grow. But I can do a whole lot more
with your help. Because when we act together, there is nothing the United States of America
can’t achieve.
That is the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last
few years.
Ending the Iraq
war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies. From Pakistan to Yemen,
the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t
escape the reach of the United
States of America.
From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan.
Ten thousand of our troops have come home. Twenty-three thousand more will
leave by the end of this summer. This transition to Afghan lead will continue,
and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan,
so that it is never again a source of attacks against America.
As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the
Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli. A year ago, Qadhafi was one of the
world’s longest-serving dictators – a murderer with American blood on his
hands. Today, he is gone. And in Syria, I have no doubt that the
Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change can’t be reversed,
and that human dignity can’t be denied.
How this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain. But we
have a huge stake in the outcome. And while it is ultimately up to the people
of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have
served our own country so well. We will stand against violence and
intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –
men and women; Christians, Muslims, and Jews. We will support policies that
lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no
match for liberty.
And we will safeguard America’s
own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our
interests. Look at Iran.
Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to
deal with Iran’s
nuclear program now stands as one. The regime is more isolated than ever
before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they
shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent. Let there be no
doubt: America is determined
to prevent Iran
from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to
achieve that goal. But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible,
and far better, and if Iran
changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of
nations.
The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. Our
oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are
stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas are deeper. Our iron-clad
commitment to Israel’s
security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries
in history. We’ve made it clear that America
is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope. From the
coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we’ve led
against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt to our enemies; to the
enduring power of our moral example, America is back.
Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in
decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking
about. That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world, all of whom
are eager to work with us. That’s not how people feel from Tokyo
to Berlin; from Cape Town
to Rio; where opinions of America
are higher than they’ve been in years. Yes, the world is changing; no, we can’t
control every event. But America
remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs – and as long as I’m
President, I intend to keep it that way.
That’s why, working with our military leaders, I have proposed a new
defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world,
while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget. To stay one step
ahead of our adversaries, I have already sent this Congress legislation that
will secure our country from the growing danger of cyber-threats.
Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform
who defend it. As they come home, we must serve them as well as they served us.
That includes giving them the care and benefits they have earned – which is why
we’ve increased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President. And it means
enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our Nation.
With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we are providing new tax
credits to companies that hire vets. Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with
American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families.
And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Job Corps that will help our communities
hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who
defend her.
Which brings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent
here to serve can learn from the service of our troops. When you put on that
uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian or Latino;
conservative or liberal; rich or poor; gay or straight. When you’re marching
into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails.
When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving
one Nation, leaving no one behind.
One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with
them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may
be Democrats. Some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it
didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates – a
man who was George Bush’s defense secretary; and Hillary Clinton, a woman who
ran against me for president.
All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about
politics. No one thought about themselves. One of the young men involved in the
raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only
succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job –
the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator
who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women
and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than
that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each
other – because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger,
unless you know that there’s someone behind you, watching your back.
So it is with America.
Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched
together like those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes. No one built this
country on their own. This Nation is great because we built it together. This
Nation is great because we worked as a team. This Nation is great because we
get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of
trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we’re
joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our
journey moves forward, our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will
always be strong.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.
2012 State of the Union Address
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/2012-state-union-address
President Obama Hangs Out With America
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/30/president-obama-hangs-out-america?utm_source=013112&utm_medium=topper&utm_campaign=daily
President Barack Obama participates in an interview with
YouTube and Google+ to discuss his State of the Union Address, in the Roosevelt
Room of the White House, Jan. 30, 2012. The interview is held through a Google+
Hangout, making it the first completely virtual interview from the White House.
(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)