[House Document 112-76]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 112-76
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION
OF CONGRESS
January 25, 2012.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to
be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
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're revising
over 500 more, just a fraction of reforms that 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
cyberthreats.
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 kill 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.
Barack Obama.
The White House, January 24, 2012.