[House Document 115-1]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




115th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 115-1
 
        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

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    March 1, 2017.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
 Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to 
                               be printed
                               
                                   ______

                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 

69-011                         WASHINGTON : 2017                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
To the Congress of the United States:
    Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the 
First Lady of the United States, and Citizens of America:
    Tonight, as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of 
Black History Month, we are reminded of our Nation's path 
toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent 
threats targeting Jewish Community Centers and vandalism of 
Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas 
City, remind us that while we may be a Nation divided on 
policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning 
hate and evil in all its forms.
    Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty 
and justice--in an unbroken chain all the way down to the 
present.
    That torch is now in our hands. And we will use it to light 
up the world. I am here tonight to deliver a message of unity 
and strength, and it is a message deeply delivered from my 
heart.
    A new chapter of American Greatness is now beginning.
    A new national pride is sweeping across our Nation.
    And a new surge of optimism is placing impossible dreams 
firmly within our grasp.
    What we are witnessing today is the Renewal of the American 
Spirit.
    Our allies will find that America is once again ready to 
lead.
    All the nations of the world--friend or foe--will find that 
America is strong, America is proud, and America is free.
    In 9 years, the United States will celebrate the 250th 
anniversary of our founding--250 years since the day we 
declared our Independence.
    It will be one of the great milestones in the history of 
the world.
    But what will America look like as we reach our 250th year? 
What kind of country will we leave for our children?
    I will not allow the mistakes of recent decades past to 
define the course of our future.
    For too long, we've watched our middle class shrink as 
we've exported our jobs and wealth to foreign countries.
    We've financed and built one global project after another, 
but ignored the fates of our children in the inner cities of 
Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit--and so many other places 
throughout our land.
    We've defended the borders of other nations, while leaving 
our own borders wide open, for anyone to cross--and for drugs 
to pour in at a now unprecedented rate.
    And we've spent trillions of dollars overseas, while our 
infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled.
    Then, in 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feet. The 
rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all 
colors and creeds--families who just wanted a fair shot for 
their children, and a fair hearing for their concerns.
    But then the quiet voices became a loud chorus--as 
thousands of citizens now spoke out together, from cities small 
and large, all across our country.
    Finally, the chorus became an earthquake--and the people 
turned out by the tens of millions, and they were all united by 
one very simple, but crucial demand, that America must put its 
own citizens first . . . because only then, can we truly MAKE 
AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
    Dying industries will come roaring back to life. Heroic 
veterans will get the care they so desperately need.
    Our military will be given the resources its brave warriors 
so richly deserve.
    Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, 
bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our 
beautiful land.
    Our terrible drug epidemic will slow down and ultimately, 
stop.
    And our neglected inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, 
safety, and opportunity.
    Above all else, we will keep our promises to the American 
people.
    It's been a little over a month since my inauguration, and 
I want to take this moment to update the Nation on the progress 
I've made in keeping those promises.
    Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, 
Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others, 
have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the 
United States and will create tens of thousands of new American 
jobs.
    The stock market has gained almost three trillion dollars 
in value since the election on November 8th, a record. We've 
saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing 
down the price of the fantastic new F-35 jet fighter, and will 
be saving billions more dollars on contracts all across our 
Government. We have placed a hiring freeze on non-military and 
non-essential Federal workers.
    We have begun to drain the swamp of government corruption 
by imposing a 5 year ban on lobbying by executive branch 
officials--and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a 
foreign government.
    We have undertaken a historic effort to eliminate job-
crushing regulations, creating a deregulation task force inside 
of every Government agency; imposing a new rule which mandates 
that for every 1 new regulation, 2 old regulations must be 
eliminated; and stopping a regulation that threatens the future 
and livelihoods of our great coal miners.
    We have cleared the way for the construction of the 
Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines--thereby creating tens of 
thousands of jobs--and I've issued a new directive that new 
American pipelines be made with American steel.
    We have withdrawn the United States from the job-killing 
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
    With the help of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we have 
formed a Council with our neighbors in Canada to help ensure 
that women entrepreneurs have access to the networks, markets 
and capital they need to start a business and live out their 
financial dreams.
    To protect our citizens, I have directed the Department of 
Justice to form a Task Force on Reducing Violent Crime.
    I have further ordered the Departments of Homeland Security 
and Justice, along with the Department of State and the 
Director of National Intelligence, to coordinate an aggressive 
strategy to dismantle the criminal cartels that have spread 
across our Nation.
    We will stop the drugs from pouring into our country and 
poisoning our youth--and we will expand treatment for those who 
have become so badly addicted.
    At the same time, my Administration has answered the pleas 
of the American people for immigration enforcement and border 
security. By finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will 
raise wages, help the unemployed, save billions of dollars, and 
make our communities safer for everyone. We want all Americans 
to succeed--but that can't happen in an environment of lawless 
chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our 
borders.
    For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a 
great wall along our southern border.
    As we speak, we are removing gang members, drug dealers and 
criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our 
citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak tonight and as I 
have promised.
    To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our 
laws, I would ask you this question: what would you say to the 
American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved 
one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its 
borders?
    Our obligation is to serve, protect, and defend the 
citizens of the United States. We are also taking strong 
measures to protect our Nation from Radical Islamic Terrorism.
    According to data provided by the Department of Justice, 
the vast majority of individuals convicted for terrorism-
related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our 
country. We have seen the attacks at home--from Boston to San 
Bernardino to the Pentagon and yes, even the World Trade 
Center.
    We have seen the attacks in France, in Belgium, in Germany 
and all over the world.
    It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow 
uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot 
occur. Those given the high honor of admission to the United 
States should support this country and love its people and its 
values.
    We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside 
America--we cannot allow our Nation to become a sanctuary for 
extremists.
    That is why my Administration has been working on improved 
vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep 
our Nation safe--and to keep out those who would do us harm.
    As promised, I directed the Department of Defense to 
develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS--a network of 
lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, 
and men, women, and children of all faiths and beliefs. We will 
work with our allies, including our friends and allies in the 
Muslim world, to extinguish this vile enemy from our planet.
    I have also imposed new sanctions on entities and 
individuals who support Iran's ballistic missile program, and 
reaffirmed our unbreakable alliance with the State of Israel.
    Finally, I have kept my promise to appoint a Justice to the 
United States Supreme Court--from my list of 20 judges--who 
will defend our Constitution. I am honored to have Maureen 
Scalia with us in the gallery tonight. Her late, great husband, 
Antonin Scalia, will forever be a symbol of American justice. 
To fill his seat, we have chosen Judge Neil Gorsuch, a man of 
incredible skill, and deep devotion to the law. He was 
confirmed unanimously to the Court of Appeals, and I am asking 
the Senate to swiftly approve his nomination.
    Tonight, as I outline the next steps we must take as a 
country, we must honestly acknowledge the circumstances we 
inherited.
    Ninety-four million Americans are out of the labor force.
    Over 43 million people are now living in poverty, and over 
43 million Americans are on food stamps.
    More than 1 in 5 people in their prime working years are 
not working.
    We have the worst financial recovery in 65 years.
    In the last 8 years, the past Administration has put on 
more new debt than nearly all other Presidents combined.
    We've lost more than one-fourth of our manufacturing jobs 
since NAFTA was approved, and we've lost 60,000 factories since 
China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
    Our trade deficit in goods with the world last year was 
nearly $800 billion.
    And overseas, we have inherited a series of tragic foreign 
policy disasters.
    Solving these, and so many other pressing problems, will 
require us to work past the differences of party. It will 
require us to tap into the American spirit that has overcome 
every challenge throughout our long and storied history.
    But to accomplish our goals at home and abroad, we must 
restart the engine of the American economy--making it easier 
for companies to do business in the United States, and much 
harder for companies to leave.
    Right now, American companies are taxed at one of the 
highest rates anywhere in the world.
    My economic team is developing historic tax reform that 
will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete 
and thrive anywhere and with anyone. At the same time, we will 
provide massive tax relief for the middle class.
    We must create a level playing field for American companies 
and workers.
    Currently, when we ship products out of America, many other 
countries make us pay very high tariffs and taxes--but when 
foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge 
them almost nothing.
    I just met with officials and workers from a great American 
company, Harley-Davidson. In fact, they proudly displayed five 
of their magnificent motorcycles, made in the USA, on the front 
lawn of the White House.
    At our meeting, I asked them, how are you doing, how is 
business? They said that it's good. I asked them further how 
they are doing with other countries, mainly international 
sales. They told me--without even complaining because they have 
been mistreated for so long that they have become used to it--
that it is very hard to do business with other countries 
because they tax our goods at such a high rate. They said that 
in one case another country taxed their motorcycles at 100 
percent.
    They weren't even asking for change. But I am.
    I believe strongly in free trade but it also has to be FAIR 
TRADE.
    The first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, warned 
that the ``abandonment of the protective policy by the American 
Government [will] produce want and ruin among our people.''
    Lincoln was right--and it is time we heeded his words. I am 
not going to let America and its great companies and workers, 
be taken advantage of anymore.
    I am going to bring back millions of jobs. Protecting our 
workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration. 
The current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest 
workers, and puts great pressure on taxpayers.
    Nations around the world, like Canada, Australia and many 
others--have a merit-based immigration system. It is a basic 
principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be 
able to support themselves financially. Yet, in America, we do 
not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that 
our poorest citizens rely upon. According to the National 
Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs 
America's taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.
    Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled 
immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, will 
have many benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise 
workers' wages, and help struggling families--including 
immigrant families--enter the middle class.
    Another Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 
initiated the last truly great national infrastructure 
program--the building of the interstate highway system. The 
time has come for a new program of national rebuilding.
    America has spent approximately six trillion dollars in the 
Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is 
crumbling. With this six trillion dollars we could have rebuilt 
our country--twice. And maybe even three times if we had people 
who had the ability to negotiate.
    To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking the 
Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion 
investment in the infrastructure of the United States--financed 
through both public and private capital--creating millions of 
new jobs.
    This effort will be guided by two core principles: Buy 
American, and Hire American.
    Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and 
replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase 
access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better 
Healthcare.
    Mandating every American to buy government-approved health 
insurance was never the right solution for America. The way to 
make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the 
cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do.
    Obamacare premiums nationwide have increased by double and 
triple digits. As an example, Arizona went up 116 percent last 
year alone. Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky just said Obamacare 
is failing in his State--it is unsustainable and collapsing.
    One third of counties have only one insurer on the 
exchanges--leaving many Americans with no choice at all.
    Remember when you were told that you could keep your 
doctor, and keep your plan?
    We now know that all of those promises have been broken.
    Obamacare is collapsing--and we must act decisively to 
protect all Americans. Action is not a choice--it is a 
necessity.
    So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in the 
Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding 
Obamacare disaster.
    Here are the principles that should guide the Congress as 
we move to create a better healthcare system for all Americans:
    First, we should ensure that Americans with pre-existing 
conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a stable 
transition for Americans currently enrolled in the healthcare 
exchanges.
    Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their own 
coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health 
Savings Accounts--but it must be the plan they want, not the 
plan forced on them by the Government.
    Thirdly, we should give our great State Governors the 
resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure 
no one is left out.
    Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that protect 
patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the 
price of insurance--and work to bring down the artificially 
high price of drugs and bring them down immediately.
    Finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to 
purchase health insurance across State lines--creating a truly 
competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down 
and provide far better care.
    Everything that is broken in our country can be fixed. 
Every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find 
healing, and hope.
    Our citizens deserve this, and so much more--so why not 
join forces to finally get it done? On this and so many other 
things, Democrats and Republicans should get together and unite 
for the good of our country, and for the good of the American 
people.
    My administration wants to work with members in both 
parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help 
ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in women's 
health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to 
rebuild our military and our infrastructure.
    True love for our people requires us to find common ground, 
to advance the common good, and to cooperate on behalf of every 
American child who deserves a brighter future.
    An incredible young woman is with us this evening who 
should serve as an inspiration to us all.
    Today is Rare Disease day, and joining us in the gallery is 
a Rare Disease Survivor, Megan Crowley. Megan was diagnosed 
with Pompe Disease, a rare and serious illness, when she was 15 
months old. She was not expected to live past 5.
    On receiving this news, Megan's dad, John, fought with 
everything he had to save the life of his precious child. He 
founded a company to look for a cure, and helped develop the 
drug that saved Megan's life. Today she is 20 years old--and a 
sophomore at Notre Dame.
    Megan's story is about the unbounded power of a father's 
love for a daughter.
    But our slow and burdensome approval process at the Food 
and Drug Administration keeps too many advances, like the one 
that saved Megan's life, from reaching those in need.
    If we slash the restraints, not just at the FDA but across 
our Government, then we will be blessed with far more miracles 
like Megan.
    In fact, our children will grow up in a Nation of miracles.
    But to achieve this future, we must enrich the mind--and 
the souls--of every American child.
    Education is the civil rights issue of our time.
    I am calling upon Members of both parties to pass an 
education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged 
youth, including millions of African-American and Latino 
children. These families should be free to choose the public, 
private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is 
right for them.
    Joining us tonight in the gallery is a remarkable woman, 
Denisha Merriweather. As a young girl, Denisha struggled in 
school and failed third grade twice. But then she was able to 
enroll in a private center for learning, with the help of a tax 
credit scholarship program. Today, she is the first in her 
family to graduate, not just from high school, but from 
college. Later this year she will get her masters degree in 
social work.
    We want all children to be able to break the cycle of 
poverty just like Denisha.
    But to break the cycle of poverty, we must also break the 
cycle of violence.
    The murder rate in 2015 experienced its largest single-year 
increase in nearly half a century.
    In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year 
alone--and the murder rate so far this year has been even 
higher.
    This is not acceptable in our society.
    Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe 
community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a 
high-paying job.
    But to create this future, we must work with--not against--
the men and women of law enforcement.
    We must build bridges of cooperation and trust--not drive 
the wedge of disunity and division.
    Police and sheriffs are members of our community. They are 
friends and neighbors, they are mothers and fathers, sons and 
daughters--and they leave behind loved ones every day who worry 
whether or not they'll come home safe and sound.
    We must support the incredible men and women of law 
enforcement.
    And we must support the victims of crime.
    I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to 
create an office to serve American Victims. The office is 
called VOICE--Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement. We are 
providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media, 
and silenced by special interests.
    Joining us in the audience tonight are four very brave 
Americans whose government failed them.
    Their names are Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, 
and Jessica Davis.
    Jamiel's 17-year-old son was viciously murdered by an 
illegal immigrant gang member, who had just been released from 
prison. Jamiel Shaw Jr. was an incredible young man, with 
unlimited potential who was getting ready to go to college 
where he would have excelled as a great quarterback. But he 
never got the chance. His father, who is in the audience 
tonight, has become a good friend of mine.
    Also with us are Susan Oliver and Jessica Davis. Their 
husbands--Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver and Detective Michael 
Davis--were slain in the line of duty in California. They were 
pillars of their community. These brave men were viciously 
gunned down by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record and 
two prior deportations.
    Sitting with Susan is her daughter, Jenna. Jenna: I want 
you to know that your father was a hero, and that tonight you 
have the love of an entire country supporting you and praying 
for you.
    To Jamiel, Jenna, Susan and Jessica: I want you to know--we 
will never stop fighting for justice. Your loved ones will 
never be forgotten, we will always honor their memory.
    Finally, to keep America Safe we must provide the men and 
women of the United States military with the tools they need to 
prevent war and--if they must--to fight and to win.
    I am sending the Congress a budget that rebuilds the 
military, eliminates the Defense sequester, and calls for one 
of the largest increases in national defense spending in 
American history.
    My budget will also increase funding for our veterans.
    Our veterans have delivered for this Nation--and now we 
must deliver for them.
    The challenges we face as a Nation are great. But our 
people are even greater.
    And none are greater or braver than those who fight for 
America in uniform.
    We are blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the 
widow of a U.S. Navy Special Operator, Senior Chief William 
``Ryan'' Owens. Ryan died as he lived: a warrior, and a hero--
battling against terrorism and securing our Nation.
    I just spoke to General Mattis, who reconfirmed that, and I 
quote, ``Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that 
generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to 
many more victories in the future against our enemies.'' Ryan's 
legacy is etched into eternity. For as the Bible teaches us, 
there is no greater act of love than to lay down one's life for 
one's friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for his 
country, and for our freedom--we will never forget him.
    To those allies who wonder what kind of friend America will 
be, look no further than the heroes who wear our uniform.
    Our foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and 
meaningful engagement with the world. It is American leadership 
based on vital security interests that we share with our allies 
across the globe.
    We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the 
bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War 
that defeated communism.
    But our partners must meet their financial obligations.
    And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, 
they are beginning to do just that.
    We expect our partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle 
East, or the Pacific--to take a direct and meaningful role in 
both strategic and military operations, and pay their fair 
share of the cost.
    We will respect historic institutions, but we will also 
respect the sovereign rights of nations.
    Free nations are the best vehicle for expressing the will 
of the people--and America respects the right of all nations to 
chart their own path. My job is not to represent the world. My 
job is to represent the United States of America. But we know 
that America is better off, when there is less conflict--not 
more.
    We must learn from the mistakes of the past--we have seen 
the war and destruction that have raged across our world.
    The only long-term solution for these humanitarian 
disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons 
can safely return home and begin the long process of 
rebuilding.
    America is willing to find new friends, and to forge new 
partnerships, where shared interests align. We want harmony and 
stability, not war and conflict.
    We want peace, wherever peace can be found. America is 
friends today with former enemies. Some of our closest allies, 
decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars. 
This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for 
a better world.
    Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that 
is more peaceful, more just and more free.
    On our 100th anniversary, in 1876, citizens from across our 
Nation came to Philadelphia to celebrate America's centennial. 
At that celebration, the country's builders and artists and 
inventors showed off their creations.
    Alexander Graham Bell displayed his telephone for the first 
time.
    Remington unveiled the first typewriter. An early attempt 
was made at electric light.
    Thomas Edison showed an automatic telegraph and an electric 
pen.
    Imagine the wonders our country could know in America's 
250th year.
    Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free 
the dreams of our people.
    Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too 
much to hope.
    American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a 
dream.
    Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to 
expect.
    And streets where mothers are safe from fear--schools where 
children learn in peace--and jobs where Americans prosper and 
grow--are not too much to ask.
    When we have all of this, we will have made America greater 
than ever before. For all Americans.
    This is our vision. This is our mission.
    But we can only get there together.
    We are one people, with one destiny.
    We all bleed the same blood.
    We all salute the same flag.
    And we are all made by the same God. And when we fulfill 
this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious 
freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter 
of American Greatness began.
    The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial 
fights is behind us.
    We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our 
hearts.
    The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.
    And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to 
action.
    From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, 
not burdened by our fears--
    inspired by the future, not bound by the failures of the 
past--
    and guided by our vision, not blinded by our doubts.
    I am asking all citizens to embrace this Renewal of the 
American Spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join me 
in dreaming big, and bold and daring things for our country.
    And I am asking everyone watching tonight to seize this 
moment and--
    Believe in yourselves.
    Believe in your future.
    And believe, once more, in America.
    Thank you, God bless you, and God Bless these United 
States.

                                                      Donald Trump.
    The White House, February 28, 2017.

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