[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 73 (Wednesday, April 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2287-S2292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

                                 ______
                                 

 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT DELIVERED TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON 
                          APRIL 28, 2021--PM 8



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page S2287, April 28, 2021, in the middle of the second 
column, the following appears: REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE UNION 
DELIVERED TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON APRIL 28, 2021--PM 8
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: ADDRESS BY THE 
PRESIDENT DELIVERED TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON APRIL 28, 
2021--PM 8


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States which was which was ordered to 
lie on the table:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Madam Speaker. Madam Vice President. No President has ever said those 
words from this podium, and it's about time. The First Lady. The Second 
Gentleman. Mr. Chief Justice. Members of the United States Congress and 
the Cabinet. My fellow Americans.
  While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very 
different--a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in.
  Throughout our history, Presidents have come to this chamber to speak 
to the Congress, to the Nation, and to the world.
  To declare war. To celebrate peace. To announce new plans and 
possibilities.
  Tonight, I come to talk about crisis--and opportunity. About 
rebuilding our Nation--and revitalizing our democracy. And winning the 
future. For America.
  As I stand here tonight--just one day shy of the 100th day of my 
Administration. 100 days since I took the oath of office--lifted my 
hand off our family Bible--and inherited a nation in crisis. The worst 
pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great 
Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.
  Now--after just 100 days I can report to the Nation: AMERICA IS ON 
THE MOVE AGAIN.
  Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into 
strength. Life can knock us down. But in America--we never stay down. 
In America--we always get up.
  And today--that's what we're doing: America is rising anew.
  Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness.
  After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff.
  We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the 
world again.
  We have shown each other--and the world: There is no quit in America.
  100 days ago, America's house was on fire. We had to act.
  And thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Speaker Pelosi and 
Majority Leader Schumer--
  And with the overwhelming support of the American people--Democrats, 
Independents, and Republicans--we did act.
  Together--we passed the American Rescue Plan. One of the most 
consequential rescue packages in American history.
  We're already seeing the results.
  After I promised 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days--we 
will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in 100 days. We're 
marshalling every Federal resource. We've gotten the vaccine to nearly 
40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers.
  We're setting up community vaccination sites and are deploying mobile 
units into hard-to-reach areas.
  Today, 90% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a vaccination 
site.
  Everyone--over the age of 16--everyone--is now eligible and can get 
vaccinated right away.
  So, get vaccinated now.
  When I was sworn in, less than 1% of seniors were fully vaccinated 
against COVID-19.
  100 days later, nearly 70% of seniors are fully protected.
  Senior deaths from COVID-19 are down 80% since January. Down 80%. 
And, more than half of all adults in America have gotten at least one 
shot.
  At a mass vaccination center in Glendale, Arizona, I asked a nurse 
what it's like. She looked and said every shot feels like a dose of 
hope.
  A dose of hope for the educator in Florida who has a child who 
suffers from an auto-immune disease. She

[[Page S2288]]

wrote to me that she was worried about bringing the virus home. When 
she got vaccinated, she sat in her car and just cried. Cried out of 
joy, Cried out of relief.
  Parents are seeing smiles on their kids' faces--as they go back to 
school--because teachers and school bus drivers, cafeteria workers have 
been vaccinated.
  Grandparents--hugging their children and grandchildren instead of 
pressing their hands against a window to say goodbye. It means 
everything to both of them.
  There's still more work to do--to beat this virus. We can't let our 
guard down now.
  But tonight--I can say because of you--the American people--our 
progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in 
history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has 
ever seen.
  What else have we done these first 100 days?
  We kept our commitment and we are sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85% 
of all American households.
  We've already sent more than 160 million checks out the door.
  It's making a difference.
  For many people, it's making all the difference in the world.
  A single mom in Texas wrote to me. She said when she couldn't work--
this relief check put food on the table and saved her and her son from 
eviction.
  A grandmother in Virginia told me she immediately took her 
granddaughter to the eye doctor--something she put off for months 
because she didn't have the money.
  One of the defining images of this crisis--has been cars lined up for 
miles--waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk.
  Did you ever think you'd see that in America?
  That's why the American Rescue Plan is delivering food and nutrition 
assistance to millions of Americans facing hunger--and hunger is down 
sharply already.
  We're also providing: Rental assistance to keep people from being 
evicted from their homes.
  Providing loans to keep small businesses open and their employees on 
the job.
  During these 100 days an additional 800,000 Americans enrolled in the 
Affordable Care Act because I established a special sign up period to 
do that.
  We're making one of the largest one-time investments EVER in 
improving health care for veterans.
  Critical investments to address the opioid crisis.
  And, maybe most importantly--thanks to the American Rescue Plan--we 
are on track to cut child poverty in America in half this year.
  In the process the economy created more than 1.3 million new jobs in 
100 days.
  More new jobs in the first 100 days--than any President on record.
  The International Monetary Fund is now estimating our economy will 
grow at a rate of more than 6% this year.
  That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in 
nearly four decades.
  America is moving. Moving forward. And we can't stop now.
  We're in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st 
Century.
  We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back 
better.
  Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have 
transformed America.
  The transcontinental railroad and interstate highways united two 
oceans and brought us into a totally new age of progress.
  Universal public school and college aid opened wide the doors of 
opportunity.
  Scientific breakthroughs took us to the Moon and now to Mars, 
discovered vaccines, and gave us the Internet and so much more.
  These are the investments we make together, as one country, and that 
only government can make.
  Time and again--they propel us into the future.
  That's why I proposed the American Jobs Plan--a once-in-a-generation 
investment in America itself. The largest jobs plan since World War II.
  It creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. Jobs 
modernizing roads, bridges and highways. Jobs building ports and 
airports, rail corridors and transit lines.
  It's clean water.
  Today--up to 10 million homes--and more than 400,000 schools and 
child care centers--have pipes with lead in them, including for 
drinking water.
  A clear and present danger to our children's health.
  The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the Nation's 
lead pipes and service lines--so every American--so every child--can 
turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water.
  It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, 
including 35% of rural Americans who still don't have it.
  This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21st Century 
economy. And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort.
  It creates jobs by building a modern power grid. Our grids are 
vulnerable to storms, hacks, and catastrophic failures--with tragic 
results as we saw in Texas and elsewhere during winter storms.
  The American Jobs Plan will create jobs to lay thousands of miles of 
transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid.
  The American Jobs Plan will help millions of people get back to their 
jobs and their careers.
  2 million women have dropped out of the workforce during this 
pandemic--too often because they couldn't get the care they need for 
their family, their children.
  800,000 families are on a Medicaid waiting list right now to get 
homecare for their aging parent or loved one with a disability.
  This plan will help these families and create jobs for our caregivers 
with better wages and better benefits.
  For too long, we have failed to use the most important word when it 
comes to meeting the climate crisis. Jobs. Jobs. For me, when I think 
about climate change, I think jobs.
  The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to 
work building more energy efficient buildings and homes.
  Electrical workers--installing 500,000 charging stations along our 
highways.
  Farmers planting cover crops, so they can reduce carbon dioxide in 
the air and get paid for doing it.
  There's no reason the blades for wind turbines--can't be built in 
Pittsburgh instead of Beijing. No reason why American workers can't 
lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries.
  The American Jobs Plan will create millions of good paying jobs--jobs 
Americans can raise their families on.
  And all the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by 
one principle: ``Buy American.''
  American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products 
made in America that create American jobs. The way it should be.
  Now, I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are 
for you. You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that's 
rapidly changing.
  Let me speak directly to you.
  Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions 
of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. 
These are good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced.
  Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs 
Plan do not require a college degree. 75% do not require an associate's 
degree.
  The American Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America. 
And, it recognizes something I've always said. Wall Street didn't build 
this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the 
middle class.
  And that's why I'm calling on Congress to pass the Protecting the 
Right to Organize Act--the PRO Act--and send it to my desk to support 
the right to unionize.
  By the way, let's also pass the $15 minimum wage. No one should work 
40 hours a week and still live below the poverty line.
  And we need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women. Let's 
get the Paycheck Fairness Act to my desk for equal pay. It's long past 
time.
  Finally, the American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in non-
defense research and development on record.
  We will see more technological change in the next 10 years than we 
saw in the last 50 years.

[[Page S2289]]

  And we're falling behind in that competition.
  Decades ago, we used to invest 2% of our GDP on research and 
development.
  Today, we spend less than 1%. China and other countries are closing 
in fast.
  We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the 
future--advanced batteries, biotechnology, computer chips, and clean 
energy. The Defense Department has an agency called DARPA--the Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency--that's there to develop 
breakthroughs to enhance our national security--which led to the 
internet and GPS and so much more.
  The National Institutes of Health, the NIH, should create a similar 
Advanced Research Projects Agency--for Health.
  To develop breakthroughs to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like 
Alzheimer's, diabetes, and cancer.
  This is personal to so many of us. I can think of no more worthy 
investment. And I know of nothing that is more bipartisan.
  Let's end cancer as we know it. It's within our power.
  Investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we're talking 
about have often had bipartisan support.
  Vice President Harris and I meet regularly in the Oval Office with 
Democrats and Republicans to discuss the American Jobs Plan.
  And I applaud a group of Republican Senators who just put forward 
their proposal.
  So, let's get to work. We welcome ideas. But, the rest of the world 
isn't waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option.
  We can't be so busy competing with each other that we forget the 
competition is with the rest of the world to win the 21st Century.
  To win that competition for the future, we also need to make a once-
in-a-generation investment in our families--in our children.
  That's why I'm introducing the American Families Plan tonight, which 
addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families 
today.
  First, access to a good education.
  When this Nation made 12 years of public education universal in the 
last century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in 
the world.
  But the world is catching up. They are not waiting.
  12 years is no longer enough today to compete in the 21st Century.
  That's why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional 
years of public education for every person in America--starting as 
early as we can.
  We add two years of universal high-quality pre-school for every 3- 
and 4-year-old in America.
  The research shows that when a young child goes to school--not day 
care--they are far more likely to graduate from high school and go on 
to college.
  And then we add two years of free community college.
  And we will increase Pell Grants and investment in Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, and Minority-Serving 
Institutions.
  Jill is a community college professor who teaches today as First 
Lady. She has long said any country that out-educates us is going to 
outcompete us--and she'll be leading this effort.
  Second, the American Families plan will provide access to quality, 
affordable child care. We guarantee that low-to middle-income families 
will pay no more than 7% of their income for high-quality care for 
children up to the age of 5. The most hard-pressed working families 
won't have to spend a dime.
  Third, the American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks 
of paid family and medical leave. No one should have to choose between 
a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one--a 
parent, spouse, or child.
  And fourth, the American Families Plan puts money directly into the 
pockets of millions of families. In March we expanded a tax credit for 
every child in a family. Up to a $3,000 Child Tax Credit for children 
over 6 --and $3,600 for children under 6. With two parents, two kids, 
that's up to $7,200 in your pocket to help take care of your family. 
This will help more than 65 million children and help cut child poverty 
in half this year. Together, let's extend the Child Tax Credit at least 
through the end of 2025.
  The American Rescue Plan lowered health care premiums for 9 million 
Americans who buy their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Let's 
make that provision permanent so their premiums don't go back up.
  In addition to my Families Plan, I will work with Congress to 
address--this year--other critical priorities for America's families.
  The Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of 
Americans--protecting people with pre-existing conditions, protecting 
women's health. And the pandemic has demonstrated how badly it is 
needed. Let's lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable 
Care Act.
  And let's lower prescription drug costs. We all know how outrageously 
expensive they are. In fact, we pay the highest prescription drug 
prices in the world right here in America--nearly three times as much 
as other countries. We can change that.
  Let's do what we've always talked about. Let's give Medicare the 
power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower 
prices for prescription drugs. That won't just help people on 
Medicare--it will lower prescription drug costs for everyone. The money 
we save can go to strengthen the Affordable Care Act--expand Medicare 
coverage and benefits without costing taxpayers one additional penny. 
We've talked about it long enough--Democrats and Republicans. Let's get 
it done this year.

  This is all about a simple premise: Health care should be a right, 
not a privilege in America.
  So how do we pay for my Jobs and Family Plans? I've made clear that 
we can do it without increasing deficits. Let's start with what I will 
not do. I will not impose any tax increases on people making less than 
$400,000 a year.
  It's time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to 
pay their fair share. Just pay their fair share.
  A recent study shows that 55 of the nation's biggest corporations 
paid zero in Federal income tax last year. No Federal taxes on more 
than $40 billion in profits. A lot of companies evade taxes through tax 
havens from Switzerland to Bermuda to the Cayman Islands. And they 
benefit from tax loopholes and deductions that allow for offshoring 
jobs and shifting profits overseas. That's not right. We're going to 
reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair--share and help pay for 
the public investments their businesses will benefit from.
  And, we're going to reward work, not wealth. We take the top tax 
bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans--those making $400,000 or 
more--back up to 39.6%. That's where it was when George W. Bush became 
President.
  We're going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make 
more than $1 million a year pay a lower rate on their capital gains 
than working Americans pay on their work. This will only affect three 
tenths of 1% of all Americans.
  And the IRS will crack down on millionaires and billionaires who 
cheat on their taxes. That's estimated to be billions of dollars.
  Look, I'm not out to punish anyone. But I will NOT add to the tax 
burden of the middle class of this country. They're already paying 
enough. What I've proposed is fair. It's fiscally responsible. It 
raises the revenue to pay for the plans I've proposed that will create 
millions of jobs and grow the economy.
  When you hear someone say that they don't want to raise taxes on the 
wealthiest 1% and on corporate America ask them: whose taxes are you 
going to raise instead, and whose are you going to cut?
  Look at the big tax cut in 2017. It was supposed to pay for itself 
and generate vast economic growth. Instead it added $2 trillion to the 
deficit. It was a huge windfall for corporate America and those at the 
very top.
  Instead of using the tax savings to raise wages and invest in 
research and development, it poured billions of dollars into the 
pockets of CEOs. In fact, the pay gap between CEOs and their workers is 
now among the largest in history.
  According to one study, CEOs make 320 times what their average 
workers make. The pandemic has only made things worse. 20 million 
Americans lost their jobs in the pandemic--working and middle-class 
Americans.
  At the same time, the roughly 650 billionaires in America saw their 
net

[[Page S2290]]

worth increase by more than $1 trillion.
  Let me say that again.
  Just 650 people increased their wealth by more than $1 trillion 
during this pandemic.
  They are now worth more than $4 trillion.
  My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has never worked.
  It's time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle-out.
  A broad consensus of economists--left, right, center--agree that what 
I'm proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic 
economic growth. These are among the highest value investments we can 
make as a nation.
  I've often said that our greatest strength is the power of our 
example--not just the example of our power.
  And in my conversations with world leaders--many I've known for a 
long time--the comment I hear most often is: we see that America is 
back--but for how long?
  My fellow Americans, we have to show not just that we are back, but 
that we are here to stay.
  And that we aren't going it alone--we're going to be leading with our 
allies.
  No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time alone--from 
terrorism to nuclear proliferation to mass migration, cybersecurity, 
climate change and as we're experiencing now, pandemics.
  There's no wall high enough to keep any virus away.
  As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs--and we are meeting 
them--we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries--just 
as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War II.
  The climate crisis is not our fight alone, either. It's a global 
fight.
  The United States accounts for less than 15% of carbon emissi ons.
  The rest of the world accounts for 85%.
  That's why I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement 
on my first day in office.
  And I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in 
America, with all of the major economies of the world from----China and 
Russia to India and the European Union in my first 100 days.
  I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an 
inflection point in history.
  And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet--and we can 
create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise 
the standard of living for everyone in the world.
  The investments I've proposed tonight also advance a foreign policy 
that benefits the middle class.
  That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the 
global economy, including China.
  In my discussion with President Xi, I told him that we welcome the 
competition and that we are not looking for conflict.
  But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests 
across the board.
  America will stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut 
American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned 
enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual 
property.
  I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military 
presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe not to 
start conflict--but to prevent conflict.
  And, I told him what I've said to many world leaders--that America 
won't back away from our commitment to human rights and fundamental 
freedoms.
  No responsible American President can remain silent when basic human 
rights are violated.
  A President has to represent the essence of our country.
  America is an idea--unique in the world. We are all created equal. 
It's who we are. We cannot walk away from that principle.
  With regard to Russia, I made very clear to President Putin that 
while we don't seek escalation, their actions have consequences.
  I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia's 
interference in our elections and cyber-attacks on our government and 
businesses--and they did both of those things and I did respond.
  But we can also cooperate when it's in our mutual interests.
  As we did when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms--and 
as we're working to do on the climate crisis.
  On Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs that present a serious 
threat to America's security and world security--we will be working 
closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these 
countries through diplomacy and stern deterrence.
  And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan.
  We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.
  And I'm the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to 
have had a child serving in a warzone.
  Today we have service members serving in the same war as their 
parents once did.
  We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11. 
War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi-generational 
undertaking of nation-building. We went to Afghanistan to get the 
terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. We delivered justice to Osama Bin 
Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
  After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it's time to bring 
our troops home.
  Even as we do, we will maintain an over-the-horizon capability to 
suppress future threats to the homeland.
  But make no mistake--the terrorist threat has evolved beyond 
Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to 
the United States, wherever they come from.
  Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in 
Africa and the Middle East and beyond.
  And, we won't ignore what our own intelligence agencies have 
determined--the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is 
from white supremacist terrorism.
  And my fellow Americans, we must come together to heal the soul of 
this Nation.
  It was nearly a year ago before her father's funeral, when I spoke 
with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd's young daughter. As I knelt down to 
talk to her so we could talk eye-to-eye, she said to me, ``Daddy 
changed the world.''
  After the conviction of George Floyd's murderer, we can see how right 
she was--if we have the courage to act.
  We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America.
  Now is our opportunity to make real progress.
  Most men and women in uniform wear their badge and serve their 
communities honorably.
  I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well.
  My fellow Americans, we have to come together. To rebuild trust 
between law enforcement and the people they serve. To root out systemic 
racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in 
George Floyd's name that passed the House already.
  I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in 
productive discussions with Democrats. We need to work together to find 
a consensus. Let's get it done next month, by the first anniversary of 
George Floyd's death. The country supports this reform. Congress should 
act.
  We have a giant opportunity to bend to the arc of the moral universe 
toward justice. Real justice.
  And with the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root 
out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways. A 
chance to deliver real equity. Good jobs and good schools. Affordable 
housing. Clean air and clean water.
  Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations. 
Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans--Black, white, 
Latino, Asian American, Native American.
  I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94-1 to pass the COVID-19 
Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from 
the vicious hate crimes we've seen this past year--and for too long.
  I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk 
as soon as possible.
  I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect 
the rights of LGBTQ Americans.

[[Page S2291]]

  To all the transgender Americans watching at home--especially the 
young people who are so brave--I want you to know that your President 
has your back.
  And another thing. Let's reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, 
which has been law in this country for 27 years since I first wrote it.
  It will close the so-called ``boyfriend'' loophole to keep guns out 
of the hands of abusers. It's estimated that more than 50 women are 
shot and killed by an intimate partner--every month in America. Pass it 
and save lives.
  And I need not tell anyone this, but gun violence is an epidemic in 
America.
  Our flag at the White House was still flying at half-staff for the 8 
victims of the mass shooting in Georgia, when 10 more lives were taken 
in a mass shooting in Colorado.
  In the week between those mass shootings, more than 250 other 
Americans were shot dead. 250 shot dead.
  I know how hard it is to make progress on this issue.
  In the 1990s, we passed universal background checks and a ban on 
assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold 100 rounds that 
can be fired in seconds.
  We beat the NRA. Mass shootings and gun violence declined.
  But in the early 2000s, that law expired and we've seen the daily 
bloodshed since.
  More than two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, surrounded by some of the 
bravest people I know--the survivors and families who lost loved ones 
to gun violence--I laid out several steps the Department of Justice is 
taking to end this epidemic.
  One of them is banning so-called ``ghost guns.'' They are homemade 
guns built from a kit that includes the directions on how to finish the 
firearm. The parts have no serial numbers, so when they show up at a 
crime scene, they can't be traced.

  The buyers of ghost gun kits aren't required to pass a background 
check. Anyone from a criminal to a terrorist could buy this kit and, in 
as little as 30 minutes, put together a lethal weapon.
  But not anymore.
  I will do everything in my power to protect the American people from 
this epidemic of gun violence.
  But it's time for Congress to act as well.
  We need more Senate Republicans to join with the overwhelming 
majority of their Democratic colleagues, and close loopholes and 
require background checks to purchase a gun.
  And we need a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines 
again.
  Don't tell me it can't be done. We've done it before . . . and it 
worked.
  Talk to most responsible gun owners, most hunters--they'll tell you 
there's no possible justification for having 100 rounds--100 bullets--
in a weapon.
  They will tell you that there are too many people today who are able 
to buy a gun, but who shouldn't be able to.
  These kinds of reasonable reforms have the overwhelming support of 
the American people--including many gun owners.
  The country supports reform, and the Congress should act.
  This shouldn't be a Red vs. Blue issue. It's an American issue.
  And here's what else we can do.
  Immigration has always been essential to America. Let's end our 
exhausting war over immigration. For more than 30 years, politicians 
have talked about immigration reform and done nothing about it. It's 
time to fix it.
  On day one of my Presidency, I kept my commitment and I sent a 
comprehensive immigration bill to Congress.
  If you believe we need a secure border--pass it.
  If you believe in a pathway to citizenship--pass it.
  If you actually want to solve the problem--I have sent you a bill, 
now pass it.
  We also have to get at the root of the problem of why people are 
fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. 
The violence. The corruption. The gangs. The political instability. 
Hunger. Hurricanes. Earthquakes.
  When I was Vice President, I focused on providing the help needed to 
address these root causes of migration. It helped keep people in their 
own countries instead of being forced to leave. Our plan worked. But 
the last administration shut it down.
  I'm restoring the program and asked Vice President Harris to lead our 
diplomatic efforts. I have absolute confidence she will get the job 
done.
  Now, if Congress won't pass my plan--let's at least pass what we 
agree on.
  Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure 
protection for the Dreamers--the young people who have only known 
America as their home.
  And, permanent protections for immigrants on temporary protected 
status who come from countries beset by man-made and natural made 
violence and disaster.
  As well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers who put food on 
our tables.
  Immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic--as they 
have throughout our history. The country supports immigration reform. 
Congress should act.
  And if we are to truly restore the soul of America--we need to 
protect the sacred right to vote.
  More people voted in the last Presidential election than ever before 
in our history--in the middle of one of the worst pandemics ever. That 
should be celebrated.
  Instead it's being attacked. Congress should pass H.R. 1 and the John 
Lewis Voting Rights Act and send them to my desk right away. The 
country supports it. Congress should act.
  As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting 
this Capitol--desecrating our democracy--remain vivid in our minds.
  Lives were put at risk. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was 
summoned.
  The insurrection was an existential crisis--a test of whether our 
democracy could survive.
  It did.
  But the struggle is far from over. The question of whether our 
democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent.
  As old as our Republic. Still vital today. Can our democracy deliver 
on its promise that all of us--created equal in the image of God--have 
a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility?
  Can our democracy deliver on the most pressing needs of our people?
  Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have 
pulled us apart?
  America's adversaries--the autocrats of the world--are betting it 
can't.
  They believe we are too full of anger and division and rage.
  They look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as 
proof that the sun is setting on American democracy.
  They are wrong.
  And we have to prove them wrong.
  We have to prove democracy still works. That our government still 
works--and can deliver for the people.
  In our first 100 days together, we have acted to restore the people's 
faith in our democracy to deliver.
  We're vaccinating the Nation. We're creating hundreds of thousands of 
jobs. We're delivering real results people can see and feel in their 
own lives. Opening the doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing fairness and 
justice. That's the essence of America. That's democracy in action.
  Our Constitution opens with the words, ``We the People''.
  It's time we remembered that We the People are the government. You 
and I. Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we 
have no control over. It's us. It's ``We the People.''
  In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt 
reminded us--in America: we do our part.
  That's all I'm asking. That we all do our part.
  And if we do, then we will meet the central challenge of the age by 
proving that democracy is durable and strong.
  The autocrats will not win the future. America will. The future will 
belong to America.
  I stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour in the life 
of our democracy and our Nation.
  And I can say with absolute confidence: I have never been more 
confident or more optimistic about America.
  We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy--of 
pandemic and pain--and ``We the People'' did not flinch.

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  At the very moment our adversaries were certain we would pull apart 
and fail.
  We came together. United. With light and hope, we summoned new 
strength and new resolve. To position us to win the competition for the 
21st Century. On our way forward to a Union more perfect. More 
prosperous. More just--As one people. One Nation. One America.
  It's never been a good bet to bet against America. And it still 
isn't. We are the United States of America.
  There is nothing--nothing--beyond our capacity--nothing we can't do--
if we do it together.
  May God bless you all.
  May God protect our troops.
                                                 Joseph R. Biden, Jr.  
The White House, April 28, 2021

                          ____________________