[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H1386-H1390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2035
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS PURSUANT TO HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 23 TO 
                  RECEIVE A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

  The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the 
Speaker at 8 o'clock and 35 minutes p.m.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms, Ms. Kathleen Joyce, announced 
the Vice President and Members of the U.S. Senate, who entered the Hall 
of the House of Representatives, the Vice President taking the chair at 
the right of the Speaker, and the Members of the Senate the seats 
reserved for them.
  The SPEAKER. The joint session will come to order.
  The Chair appoints as members of the committee on the part of the 
House to escort the President of the United States into the Chamber:
  The gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy);
  The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise);
  The gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers);
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers);
  The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer);
  The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins);
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith);
  The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi);
  The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer);
  The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn);
  The gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley);
  The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez);
  The gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan); and
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).
  The VICE PRESIDENT. The President of the Senate, at the direction of 
that body, appoints the following Senators as members of the committee 
on the part of the Senate to escort the President of the United States 
into the House Chamber:
  The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell);
  The Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn);
  The Senator from Utah (Mr. Hatch);
  The Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Thune);
  The Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso);
  The Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt);
  The Senator from Colorado (Mr. Gardner);
  The Senator from New York (Mr. Schumer);
  The Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin);
  The Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray);
  The Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy);
  The Senator from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow);
  The Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar); and
  The Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin).
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms announced the Dean of the 
Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Hersey Kyota, the Ambassador of the 
Republic of Palau.
  The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps entered the Hall of the House of 
Representatives and took the seat reserved for him.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms announced the Chief Justice of 
the United States and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court.
  The Chief Justice of the United States and the Associate Justices of 
the Supreme Court entered the Hall of the House of Representatives and 
took the seats reserved for them in front of the Speaker's rostrum.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms announced the Cabinet of the 
President of the United States.
  The members of the Cabinet of the President of the United States 
entered the Hall of the House of Representatives and took the seats 
reserved for them in front of the Speaker's rostrum.
  At 9 o'clock and 4 minutes p.m., the Sergeant at Arms, the Honorable 
Paul D. Irving, announced the President of the United States.
  The President of the United States, escorted by the committee of 
Senators and Representatives, entered the Hall of the House of 
Representatives and stood at the Clerk's desk.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  The SPEAKER. Members of the Congress, I have the high privilege and 
the distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United 
States.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  The PRESIDENT. 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 towards civil 
rights and the work that still remains to be done.
  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 of its 
very ugly 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.

[[Page H1387]]

  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 have watched our middle class shrink as we have 
exported our jobs and wealth to foreign countries. We have 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 have 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 have 
spent trillions and 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 very, very 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 has been a little over a month since my inauguration, and I want 
to take this moment to update the Nation on the progress I have 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 and billions of dollars in the United States 
and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs.
  The stock market has gained almost $3 trillion in value since the 
election on November 8--a record. We have saved taxpayers hundreds of 
millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the fantastic, and it 
is a fantastic new F-35 jet fighter. And we will be saving billions 
more on contracts all across our government.
  We have placed a hiring freeze on nonmilitary and nonessential 
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 massively reduce job-crushing 
regulations, creating a deregulation task force inside of every 
government agency. And we are imposing a new rule which mandates that 
for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated. 
We are going to stop the regulations that threaten the future and 
livelihood 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 have 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 
all 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 and 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 at our borders. For that reason, we will soon begin the 
construction of a great, great wall along our southern border. As we 
speak tonight, we are removing gang members, drug dealers, and 
criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our very innocent 
citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak, and as I promised 
throughout the campaign.
  To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I 
would ask you this one question: What would you say to the American 
family that loses their jobs, their income, or their 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 of terrorism and 
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 those 
out who will 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 and women and children of 
all faiths and all 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 greatly honored to have Maureen Scalia with us in 
the gallery tonight. Thank you, Maureen. 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 one in five 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

[[Page H1388]]

than nearly all of the other Presidents combined.
  We have lost more than one-fourth of our manufacturing jobs since 
NAFTA was approved, and we have 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, much harder for companies to leave our 
country.
  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. It will be a big, big cut.
  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 nothing or 
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. They wanted me to ride one, and I said: No, thank you.
  At our meeting, I asked them: How are you doing, how is business?
  They said that it is good.
  I asked them further: How are you doing with other countries, mainly 
international sales?
  They told me--without even complaining because they have been so 
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. It has been a long time since we had 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 advice and his words.
  I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers be 
taken advantage of any longer. They have taken advantage of our country 
no longer.
  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 American taxpayers many billions of dollars a 
year. Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled 
immigration and, instead, adopting a merit-based system, we will have 
so many more benefits. It will save countless dollars, raise workers' 
wages, and help struggling families, including immigrant families, 
enter the middle class. They will do it quickly, and they will be very, 
very happy indeed.
  I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as 
long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for 
Americans, to strengthen our Nation's security, and to restore respect 
for our laws. If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens, 
then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve 
an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.
  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 $6 trillion in the 
Middle East, all the while our infrastructure at home is crumbling. 
With this $6 trillion, 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 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, deprive better health care. Mandating 
every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never 
the right solution for our country. The way to make health insurance 
available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and 
that is what we are going to 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, the State of Kentucky, and it is unsustainable and collapsing. 
One-third of the counties have only one insurer, and they are losing 
them fast. They are losing them so fast. They are leaving, and many 
Americans have no choice at all. There is no choice left.
  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 totally 
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 Congress to work with us to save Americans 
from this imploding ObamaCare disaster.
  Here are the principles that should guide Congress as we move to 
create a better healthcare system for all Americans:
  First, we should ensure that Americans with preexisting conditions 
have access to coverage and that we have a stable transition for 
Americans currently enrolled in the healthcare exchanges.
  Second, 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 our 
government.
  Third, we should give our State Governors the resources and 
flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.
  Fourth, 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.
  And finally, the time has come to give Americans the freedom to 
purchase health insurance across State lines, which will create a truly 
competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and 
provide far better care. So important.
  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 
and finally get the job done, and get it done right? 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 of both parties to make 
child care accessible and affordable, to help ensure new parents have 
paid family leave, to invest in women's health,

[[Page H1389]]

to promote clean air and clean 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 much 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 just 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 soul 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--a great learning center--with the help of a tax credit 
and a 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 master's 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--really it is what it is--division. It is pure, 
unadulterated division. We have to unify.
  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 about whether or not 
they will 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 
college quarterback, but he never got the chance. His father, who is in 
the audience tonight, has become a very good friend of mine.
  Jamiel, thank you.
  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 who should have never been 
in our country.
  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 that we will 
never stop fighting for justice. Your loved ones will never ever 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 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 spoke to our great General Mattis just now, 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.
  And Ryan is looking down right now, you know that, and he is very 
happy, because I think he just broke a record.
  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, and we will never forget 
Ryan.
  To those allies who wonder what kind of a 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 all across the globe.
  We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two 
World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War, and 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. In fact, I can tell you the money is pouring in. Very 
nice.
  We expect our partners, whether in NATO, the Middle East, or in the 
Pacific, to take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and 
military operations, and pay their fair share of the cost. Have to do 
that.
  We will respect historic institutions, but we will respect the 
sovereign rights of all nations, and they have to respect our rights as 
a nation, also. 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 the destruction that have ravaged 
and raged throughout the world, all across the world.
  The only long-term solution for these humanitarian disasters, in many 
cases, is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely 
return home

[[Page H1390]]

and begin the long, 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 terrible, 
terrible 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 wonderful 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 the 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 great American flag, and we all are made by the 
same God. 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 those dreams into action.
  From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, not 
burdened by our fears; inspired by the future, not bound by 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.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  At 10 o'clock and 15 minutes p.m., the President of the United 
States, accompanied by the committee of escort, retired from the Hall 
of the House of Representatives.
  The Assistant to the Sergeant at Arms escorted the invited guests 
from the Chamber in the following order:
  The members of the President's Cabinet; the Chief Justice of the 
United States and the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court; the Dean 
of the Diplomatic Corps.
  The SPEAKER. The Chair declares the joint session of the two Houses 
now dissolved.
  Accordingly, at 10 o'clock and 16 minutes p.m., the joint session of 
the two Houses was dissolved.
  The Members of the Senate retired to their Chamber.

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