[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 7, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H728-H735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2033
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS PURSUANT TO HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 11 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 33 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

[[Page H729]]

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 Louisiana (Mr. Scalise);
  The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer);
  The gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik);
  The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson);
  The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer);
  The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson);
  The gentlewoman from Oregon (Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer);
  The gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans);
  The gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries);
  The gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark);
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar);
  The gentleman from California (Mr. Lieu);
  The gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene);
  The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn);
  The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse); and
  The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).
  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 New York (Mr. Schumer);
  The Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin);
  The Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray);
  The Senator from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow);
  The Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar);
  The Senator from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin);
  The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell);
  The Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Thune);
  The Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso);
  The Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito);
  The Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst); and
  The Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines).
  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 3 minutes p.m., the Acting Sergeant at Arms, the 
Honorable William P. McFarland, 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 Congress, I have the high privilege and the 
distinct honor to present to you the President of the United States.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  The PRESIDENT. Mr. Speaker. Thank you. You can smile, it is okay.
  Mr. Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second 
Gentleman, good to see you guys up there, Members of Congress.
  By the way, Chief Justice, I may need a Court order. She gets to go 
to the game next week. I have to stay home. I have got to work 
something out here.
  Members of the Cabinet, leaders of our military, Chief Justice, 
Associate Justices and retired Justices of the Supreme Court, and to 
you, my fellow Americans, I start tonight by congratulating the 118th 
Congress and the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward 
to working with you.
  I want to congratulate the new leader of the House Democrats, the 
first African-American minority leader in history, Hakeem Jeffries. He 
won in spite of the fact that I campaigned for him.
  Congratulations to the longest serving leader in the history of the 
United States Senate, Mitch McConnell. Where are you, Mitch?
  Congratulations to Chuck Schumer on another term as Senate minority 
leader--only this time you have a slightly bigger majority, Mr. Leader. 
You are the majority leader. About that much bigger.
  Well, I tell you what. I want to give special recognition to someone 
who I think is going to be considered the greatest Speaker in the 
history of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
  Folks, the story of America is a story of progress and resilience, of 
always moving forward, of never ever giving up. It is a story that is 
unique among all nations. We are the only country that has emerged from 
every crisis we have ever entered stronger than we got into it.
  Look, folks, that is what we are doing again. Two years ago, the 
economy was reeling. I stand here tonight after we have created, with 
the help of many people in this room, 12 million new jobs, more jobs 
created in 2 years than any President has created in 4 years because of 
you all, because of the American people.
  Two years ago, COVID had shut down--our businesses were closed. Our 
schools were robbed of so much. Today, COVID no longer controls our 
lives.
  And 2 years ago, democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil 
War, and today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and 
unbroken.
  As we gather here tonight, we are writing the next chapter in the 
great American story, a story of progress and resilience. When world 
leaders ask me to define America--and they do, believe it or not--I say 
that I can define it in one word, and I mean this: possibilities. We 
don't think anything is beyond our capacity. Everything is a 
possibility.
  You know, we are often told that Democrats and Republicans can't work 
together, but over the past 2 years, we have proved the cynics and the 
naysayers wrong. Yes, we disagreed plenty. Yes, there were times when 
Democrats went alone. But time and again, Democrats and Republicans 
came together, came together to defend a stronger and safer Europe, 
came together to pass a once-in-a-generation infrastructure law, 
building bridges connecting our Nation and our people.
  We came together to pass one of the most significant laws ever, 
helping veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. It was important.
  In fact, I signed over 300 bipartisan pieces of legislation since 
becoming President, from reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, 
to the Electoral Count Reform Act, to the Respect for Marriage Act that 
protects the right to marry the person you love.
  To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last 
Congress, there is no reason we can't work together and find consensus 
on important things in this Congress, as well.
  Folks, you all are as informed as I am, but I think the people sent 
us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the 
sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict gets us nowhere.
  That has always been my vision of our country, and I know it is many 
of yours: to restore the soul of this Nation; to rebuild the backbone 
of America, America's middle class; to unite the country.
  We have been sent here to finish the job, in my view.

[[Page H730]]

  For decades, the middle class has been hollowed out, and not under 
one administration but for a long time.
  Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories 
closed down. Once thriving cities and towns that many of you represent 
became shadows of what they used to be. And along the way, something 
else was lost: pride, our sense of self-worth.
  I ran for President to fundamentally change things, to make sure our 
economy works for everyone so we can all feel that pride in what we do, 
to build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the 
top down, because when the middle class does well, the poor have a 
ladder up, and the wealthy still do very well. We all do well.
  I know a lot of you kid me for always quoting my dad, but my dad used 
to say, ``Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.'' He really 
would say this. It is about a lot more than a paycheck. It is about 
your dignity. It is about respect. It is about being able to look your 
kid in the eye and say, ``Honey, it is going to be okay,'' and mean it.
  Well, folks, let's look at the results. We are not finished yet, by 
any stretch of the imagination. The unemployment rate is at 3.4 
percent, a 50-year low, with near record unemployment for Black and 
Hispanic workers.
  We have already created, with your help, 800,000 good-paying 
manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.
  Where is it written that America can't lead the world in 
manufacturing again? I don't know where that is written.
  For too many decades, we imported products and exported jobs. Now, 
thanks to what you have all done, we are exporting American products 
and creating American jobs.
  Folks, inflation has been a global problem because the pandemic 
disrupted our supply chains, and Putin's unfair and brutal war in 
Ukraine disrupted energy supplies, as well as food supplies, blocking 
all that grain in Ukraine.
  But we are better positioned than any country on Earth right now. We 
have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down. Here at 
home, gas prices are down $1.50 from their peak. Food inflation is 
coming down--not fast enough, but coming down.
  Inflation has fallen every month for the last 6 months while take-
home pay has gone up.

  Additionally, over the last 2 years, a record 10 million Americans 
applied to start new businesses--10 million. And by the way, every time 
someone starts a small business, it is an act of hope.
  Madam Vice President, I want to thank you for leading that effort to 
ensure that small businesses have access to capital and the historic 
laws we enacted that are going to just come into being.
  Standing here last year, I shared with you a story of American genius 
and possibilities. Semiconductors, the small computer chips the size of 
a fingertip that power everything from cell phones to automobiles and 
so much more, these chips were invented in America. Let's get that 
straight. They were invented in America.
  We used to make 40 percent of the world's chips. In the last several 
decades, we lost our edge, and we are down to producing only 10 
percent. We all saw what happened during the pandemic when chip 
factories shut down overseas.
  Today's automobiles need 3,000 chips each for those automobiles. But 
American automakers couldn't make enough cars because there weren't 
enough chips. Car prices went up--people got laid off--so did 
everything from refrigerators to cell phones. We can never let that 
happen again.
  That is why we came together to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science 
Act.
  Folks, I know I have been criticized for saying this, but I am not 
changing my view. We are going to make sure the supply chain for 
America begins in America.
  The supply chain begins in America. We have already created it. We 
have already created it. 800,000 new manufacturing jobs without this 
law, before the law kicks in.
  With this new law, we are going to create hundreds of thousands of 
new jobs across the country. I mean, all across the country, throughout 
not just the coasts but through the middle of the country, as well.
  That is going to come from companies that have announced more than 
$300 billion in investments in American manufacturing in the last few 
years.
  Outside of Columbus, Ohio, Intel is building a semiconductor factory 
on a thousand acres--literally a field of dreams.
  It is going to create 10,000 jobs, that one investment; 7,000 
construction jobs, 3,000 jobs in those factories once they are 
finished. They call them factories.
  Jobs paying an average of $130,000 a year, and many do not require a 
college degree. Because we worked together, these jobs are where people 
don't have to leave home to search for opportunity. And it is just 
getting started.
  Think about the new homes, the small businesses, the big and the 
medium-size businesses; so much more that is going to be needed to 
support those 3,000 permanent jobs and the factories that are going to 
be built.
  Talk to mayors and governors, Democrats and Republicans, and they 
will tell you what this means for their communities.
  We are seeing these fields of dreams transform the heartland.
  But to maintain the strongest economy in the world, we need the best 
infrastructure in the world.
  Folks, as you all know, we used to be number one in the world in 
infrastructure. We have sunk to 13th in the world. The United States of 
America, 13th in the world in infrastructure, modern infrastructure.
  But now we are coming back because we came together and passed the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in infrastructure 
since President Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System.
  Folks, already we have funded over 20,000 projects, including major 
airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland; projects that are going to 
put thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, our bridges, 
our railroads, our tunnels, ports, airports, clean water, high-speed 
internet all across America--urban, rural, Tribal. Folks, we are just 
getting started. We are just getting started.
  I mean this sincerely. I want to thank my Republican friends who 
voted for the law and my Republican friends who voted against it as 
well, but I still get asked to fund the projects in those districts, as 
well.
  But don't worry. I promised I would be a President for all Americans. 
We will fund these projects, and I will see you at the groundbreaking.
  Look, this law will further unite all of America.
  Projects like the Brent Spence Bridge in Kentucky over the Ohio 
River. Built 60 years ago, badly needed repairs, one of the Nation's 
most congested freight routes, carrying $2 billion worth of freight 
every single day across the Ohio River.
  Folks, we have been talking about fixing it for decades, but we are 
really finally going to get it done. I went there last month with 
Democrats and Republicans from both States to deliver a commitment of 
$1.6 billion for this project.
  While I was there, I met a young woman named Saria who is here 
tonight. I don't know where Saria is. Is she up in the box? I don't 
know. Saria, how are you?
  Well, Saria, for 30 years, I learned--she told me she had been a 
proud member of the Ironworkers Local 44, known as the ``cowboys of the 
sky,'' the folks who built the Cincinnati skyline.
  Saria said she can't wait to be 10 stories above the Ohio River 
building that new bridge. God bless her. That is pride. That is what we 
are also building. We are building back pride.
  Look, we are also replacing poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 
million homes in America, 400,000 schools and childcare centers, so 
every child in America, every child in America can drink the water 
instead of having permanent damage to their brain.
  Look, we are making sure that every community, every community in 
America, has access to affordable high-speed internet.
  No parent should have to drive by a McDonald's parking lot to help do 
homework online with their kids, which many thousands were doing across 
the country.
  When we do these projects--and, again, I get criticized for this, but 
I

[[Page H731]]

make no excuses for it--we are going to buy American. We are going to 
buy American.
  Folks, it is totally consistent with international trade rules. Buy 
American has been the law of the land since 1933. But for too long, 
past administrations, Democrat and Republican, have fought to get 
around it. Not anymore.

  Tonight, I am announcing new standards to require all construction 
materials used in Federal infrastructure projects to be made in 
America. Made in America. I mean it. Lumber, glass, drywall, fiber-
optic cable.
  On my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways 
are going to be made with American products, as well.
  Folks, my economic plan is about investing in places and people that 
have been forgotten. So many of you listening to me tonight, I know you 
feel it.
  So many of you felt like you have just simply been forgotten. Amid 
the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have 
been left behind and treated like they are invisible. Maybe that is 
you, watching from home.
  Remember the jobs that went away?
  You remember them, don't you? The folks at home remember them.
  You wonder whether the path even exists anymore for your children to 
get ahead without having to move away. I get that.
  That is why we are building an economy where no one's left behind. 
Jobs are coming back. Pride is coming back because of choices we made 
in the last several years.
  This is my view of the blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and 
make a real difference in your lives at home.
  For example, too many of you lay in bed at night, like my dad did, 
staring at the ceiling, wondering what in God's name happens if your 
spouse gets cancer or your child gets deathly ill or something happens 
to you.
  Do you have the money to pay for those medical bills, or are you 
going to have to sell the house or try to get a second mortgage on it?
  I get it. I get it.
  With the Inflation Reduction Act that I signed into law, we are 
taking on powerful interests to bring healthcare costs down so you can 
sleep better at night with more security.
  You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any Nation in the 
world. Let me say it again: We pay more for prescription drugs than any 
major Nation on Earth.
  For example, 1 in 10 Americans has diabetes. Many of you in this 
Chamber do, and in the audience. But every day, millions need insulin 
to control their diabetes so they can literally stay alive.
  Insulin has been around for over 100 years. The guy who invented it 
didn't even patent it because he wanted it to be available for 
everyone.
  It costs the drug companies roughly $10 a vial to make that insulin. 
Packaging and all, you may get up to $13.
  But, Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of 
dollars, $400 to $500 a month, making record profits.
  Not anymore. Not anymore.
  So many things that we did are only now coming to fruition. We said 
we were doing this, and we passed a law to do it, but people didn't 
know because the law didn't take effect until January 1 of this year.
  We capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare, 
but people are just finding out. I am sure you are getting the same 
calls I am getting.
  Look, there are millions of other Americans who are not on Medicare, 
including 200,000 young people with type 1 diabetes who need this 
insulin to stay alive.
  Let's finish the job this time. Let's cap the cost of insulin for 
everybody at $35.
  Folks, Big Pharma is still going to do very well, I promise y'all. I 
promise you they are going to do very well.
  This law also caps, and won't even go into effect until 2025, the 
cost of out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum 
of $2,000 a year. You don't have to pay more than $2,000 a year, no 
matter how much your drug costs are. Because you know why? You all know 
it.
  Many of you, like many in my family, have cancer. You know the drugs 
can range from $10-, $11-, $14-, $15,000 for the cancer drugs. If drug 
prices rise faster than inflation, drug companies are going to have to 
pay Medicare back the difference.
  We are finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. 
Bringing down prescription drugs costs doesn't just save seniors money. 
It cuts the Federal deficit by billions of dollars, by hundreds of 
billions of dollars because these prescription drugs are drugs 
purchased by Medicare to keep their commitment to the seniors.
  Well, guess what? Instead of paying $400 or $500 bucks a month, you 
are paying $15. That is a lot of savings for the Federal Government.
  By the way, why wouldn't we want that?
  Now, some Members here are threatening--and I know it is not an 
official party position, so I am not going to exaggerate--but 
threatening to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act. As my coach--that is 
okay. That is fair.
  As my football coach used to say, lots of luck in your senior year.
  Make no mistake, if you try anything to raise the cost of 
prescription drugs, I will veto it.
  Look, I am pleased to say that more Americans have health insurance 
now than ever in history. A record 16 million people are enrolled in 
the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to the law I signed last year, millions 
are saving $800 a year on their premiums.
  By the way, that law was written, and the benefit expires in 2025. So 
my plea to some of you, at least, in this audience, let's finish the 
job and make these savings permanent. Expand coverage on Medicaid.
  Look, the Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant 
investment ever in climate change; ever; lowering utility bills, 
creating American jobs, leading the world to a clean energy future.
  I have visited the devastating aftermath of record floods, droughts, 
storms, and wildfires from Arizona, New Mexico and all the way up to 
the Canadian border. More timber has been burned that I have observed 
from helicopters than the entire State of Missouri, and we don't have 
global warming? Not a problem.
  In addition to emergency recovery from Puerto Rico to Florida to 
Idaho we are rebuilding for the long term; new electric grids that are 
able to weather major storms and prevent those forest fires; roads and 
water systems to withstand the next big flood; clean energy to cut 
pollution and create jobs in communities often left behind.
  We are going to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations 
installed across the country by tens of thousands of IBEW workers. And 
we are helping families save more than $1,000 a year with tax credits 
to purchase electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances; historic 
conservation efforts to be responsible stewards of our land.
  Let's face reality. The climate crisis doesn't care if you are in a 
red or blue State. It is an existential threat.
  We have an obligation, not to ourselves, but to our children and 
grandchildren to confront it. I am proud of how America, at last, is 
stepping up to the challenge.
  We are still going to need oil and gas for a while, but guess what--
no, we do. But there is so much more to do. We have got to finish the 
job.
  We pay for these investments in our future by finally making the 
wealthiest and biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share. Just 
begin.
  Look, I am a capitalist. I am a capitalist, so pay your fair share. I 
think a lot of you at home, a lot of you at home agree with me, and 
many people that you know, the tax system is not fair. It is not fair.

  Look, the idea that in 2020, 55 of the largest corporations in 
America, the Fortune 500, made $40 billion in profits and paid zero in 
Federal taxes? Zero? Folks, it is simply not fair.
  But now, because of the law I signed, billion-dollar companies have 
to pay a minimum of 15 percent. God love them, 15 percent. That is less 
than a nurse pays.
  Let me be crystal clear. I said at the very beginning, under my 
plans, as long as I am President, nobody earning less than $400,000 
will pay an additional penny in taxes; nobody, not one penny.
  But let's finish the job. There is more to do. We have to reward 
work, not just wealth. Pass my proposal for the billionaire minimum 
tax.

[[Page H732]]

  You know, there are a thousand billionaires in America. It is up from 
about 600 in the beginning of my term. But no billionaire should be 
paying a lower tax rate than a schoolteacher or firefighter. I mean it.
  Think about it. I mean, look, I know you aren't enthusiastic about 
that. But think about it. Think about it.
  Have you noticed Big Oil just reported its profits, record profits. 
Last year, they made $200 billion in the midst of a global energy 
crisis. I think it is outrageous. Why?
  They invested too little of that profit to increase domestic 
production. And when I talked to a couple of them, they say, we are 
afraid you are going to shut down all the oil wells and all the oil 
refineries anyway, so why should we invest in them.
  I said, we are going to need oil for at least another decade and 
beyond that. We are going to need it. Production.
  If they had, in fact, invested in the production, to keep gas prices 
down; instead, they used the record profits to buy back their own 
stock, rewarding their CEOs and shareholders. Corporations ought to do 
the right thing.
  That is why I propose we quadruple the tax on corporate stock 
buybacks and encourage long-term investments. They will still make 
considerable profit.
  Let's finish the job and close the loopholes that allow the very 
wealthy to avoid paying their taxes. Instead of cutting the number of 
audits for wealthy taxpayers, I just signed a law to reduce the deficit 
by $114 billion by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats. That is being 
fiscally responsible.
  In the last 2 years, my administration has cut the deficit by more 
than $1.7 trillion, the largest deficit reduction in American history. 
Under the previous administration, the American deficit went up 4 years 
in a row.
  Because of those record deficits, no President added more to the 
national debt in any 4 years than my predecessor. Nearly 25 percent of 
the entire national debt, a debt that took over 200 years to 
accumulate, was added by just one administration alone, the last one. 
They are the facts. Check it out. Check it out.
  How did Congress respond to that debt? They did the right thing. They 
lifted the debt ceiling three times without preconditions or crisis. 
They paid America's bills to prevent an economic disaster for the 
country.
  Tonight, I am asking the Congress to follow suit. Let's commit here 
tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States of America 
will never ever be questioned.
  Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage--I get 
it--unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should 
know what those plans are. Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair 
share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security sunset.
  I am not saying it is a majority. Let me give you--anybody who doubts 
it, contact my office. I will give you a copy of the proposal.
  That means if Congress doesn't vote--I am glad to see it. I tell you, 
I enjoy conversion. It means if Congress doesn't keep the programs the 
way they are, they will go away.
  Other Republicans say--I am not saying it is a majority of you. I 
don't even think it is a significant--but it is being proposed by 
individuals. I am politely not naming them, but it is being proposed by 
some of you.
  Look, folks, the idea is that we are not going to be moved into being 
threatened to default on the debt if we don't respond.
  Folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare are 
off the books now, right? They are not to be--all right. We got 
unanimity.
  Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors. 
Americans have to pay into them from their very first paycheck when 
they started.
  So, tonight, let's all agree, and we apparently are: Let's stand up 
for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We 
will not cut Medicare.
  Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned it. And if 
anyone tries to cut Social Security, which apparently no one is going 
to do--if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them. I will veto 
it.
  Look, I am not going to allow them to be taken away, not today, not 
tomorrow, not ever. But apparently, it is not going to be a problem.
  Next month, when I offer my fiscal plan, I ask my Republican friends 
to lay down their plan, as well. I really mean it. Let's sit down 
together and discuss our mutual plans together. Let's do that.
  I can tell you, the plan I am going to share is going to cut the 
deficit by another $2 trillion, and it won't cut a single bit of 
Medicare or Social Security. In fact, we are going to extend the 
Medicare trust fund at least two decades because that is going to be 
the next argument: How do we keep it solvent, right?
  We will not raise taxes on anyone making under 400 grand, but we will 
pay for it the way we talked about, by making sure the wealthy and big 
corporations pay their fair share.
  Look, here is the deal. They are not just taking advantage of the tax 
code. They are taking advantage of you, the American consumer.
  Here is my message to all of you out there: I have your back. We are 
already preventing Americans from receiving surprise medical bills, 
stopping $1 billion in surprise bills per month so far.
  We are protecting seniors' lifesavings by cracking down on nursing 
homes that commit fraud, endanger patient safety, or prescribe drugs 
that are not needed.
  Millions of Americans can now save thousands of dollars because they 
can finally get a hearing aid over the counter without a prescription.
  Look, capitalism without competition is not capitalism. It is 
extortion. It is exploitation.
  Last year, I cracked down, with the help of many of you, on foreign 
shipping companies that were making you pay higher prices for every 
good coming into the country. I signed a bipartisan bill that cut 
shipping costs by 90 percent, helping American farmers, businesses, and 
consumers.
  Let's finish the job. Pass the bipartisan legislation to strengthen 
antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms from giving 
their own products an unfair advantage.
  My administration is also taking on junk fees, those hidden 
surcharges too many companies use to make you pay more. For example, we 
are making airlines show you the full ticket price up front and refund 
your money if your flight is canceled or delayed.

  We have reduced exorbitant bank overdraft fees, saving consumers over 
$1 billion a year. We are cutting credit card late fees by 75 percent, 
from $30 to $8.
  Look, junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter 
to most other folks in homes like the one I grew up in, like many of 
you did. They add up to hundreds of dollars a month. They make it 
harder for you to pay your bills or afford that family trip.
  I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets 
away with it. Not anymore. We have written a bill to stop it all. It is 
called the Junk Fee Prevention Act.
  We are going to ban surprise resort fees that hotels charge on your 
bill. Those fees can cost up to $90 a night at hotels that aren't even 
resorts.
  The idea that cable, internet, and cell phone companies can charge 
you $200 or more if you decide to switch to another provider, give me a 
break.
  We can stop service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events 
and make companies disclose all the fees up front.
  And we will prohibit airlines from charging $50 roundtrip for 
families just to be able to sit together. Baggage fees are bad enough. 
Airlines can't treat your child like a piece of baggage.
  Americans are tired of being played for suckers. So pass the Junk Fee 
Prevention Act so companies stop ripping us off.
  For too long, workers have been getting stiffed. But not anymore. We 
are beginning to restore the dignity of work.
  For example--I should have known this, but I didn't until 2 years 
ago--30 million workers have to sign noncompete agreements for the jobs 
they take. So a cashier at a burger place can't walk across town and 
take the same job at another burger place and make a few bucks more. 
They just changed it because we exposed it. That was part of the deal, 
guys. Look it up.
  But not anymore. We are banning those agreements so companies have to

[[Page H733]]

compete for workers and pay them what they are worth.
  I must tell you, this is bound to get a response from my friends on 
my left with the right.
  I am so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing 
workers from organizing. Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right 
to form a union, and let's guarantee all workers have a living wage.
  Let's also make sure working parents can afford to raise a family 
with sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable childcare 
that will enable millions of more people to go and stay at work.
  Let's restore the full child tax credit which gave tens of millions 
of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half to the 
lowest level in history.
  By the way, when we do all of these things, we increase productivity, 
and we increase economic growth.
  Let's also finish the job and get more families access to affordable 
and quality housing. Let's get seniors who want to stay in their homes 
the care they need to do so. Let's give more breathing room to millions 
of family caregivers looking after their loved ones.
  Pass my plan so we get seniors and people with disabilities the home 
care services they need and support the workers who are doing God's 
work. These plans are fully paid for, and we can afford to do them.
  Restoring the dignity of work means making education an affordable 
ticket to the middle class.
  When we made 12 years of public education universal in the last 
century, we became the best educated and best prepared nation in the 
world. But the rest of the world has caught up. Jill, my wife, who 
teaches full-time, has an expression. I hope I get it right, kid. ``Any 
nation that out-educates us is going to out-compete us.''
  Any nation that out-educates us is going to out-compete us.
  Folks, we all know 12 years of education is not enough to win the 
economic competition for the 21st century.
  If we want America to have the best educated workforce, then let's 
finish the job by providing access to preschool for 3- and 4-year olds. 
Studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent 
more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a 2- or 4-year 
degree no matter the background they came from.
  Let's give public schoolteachers a raise.
  We are making progress by reducing student debt and increasing Pell 
grants for working and middle class families. Let's finish the job, 
connect students to career opportunities starting in high school, and 
let's provide access to 2 years of community college, some of the best 
career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a 4-year 
degree.
  Let's offer every American a path to a good career whether they go to 
college or not.
  And folks, in the midst of the COVID crisis when schools were closed 
and we were shutting down everything, let's also recognize how far we 
have come in the fight against the pandemic itself. While the virus is 
not gone, thanks to the resilience of the American people and the 
ingenuity of medicine, we have broken the COVID grip on us.
  COVID deaths are down by nearly 90 percent. We have saved millions of 
lives, opened our country back up, and soon we will end the public 
health emergency.
  But we will remember the toll and pain that is never going to go 
away. More than 1 million Americans have lost their lives to COVID--1 
million. Families are grieving, children are orphaned, and the empty 
chair at the dining room table is constantly reminding us that she used 
to sit there. We remember them, and we remain vigilant. We still need 
to monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments. 
So Congress needs to fund these efforts and keep America safe.
  As we emerge from this crisis stronger, we also have to double down 
on prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers 
and small businesses afloat during the pandemic.
  Before I came to office, during that campaign, the big issue was 
about inspector generals who protect taxpayer dollars were sidelined. 
They were fired. Many people said that we don't need them, and fraud 
became rampant.
  Last year, I told you the watchdogs are back. Since then, we have 
recovered billions of taxpayer dollars. Now, let's triple our antifraud 
strike forces going after these criminals, double the statute of 
limitations on these crimes, and crack down on identity fraud by 
criminal syndicates stealing billions of dollars--billions of dollars--
from the American people.
  The data shows that for every dollar we put into fighting fraud, the 
taxpayer gets back at least 10 times as much. It matters.
  COVID left other scars, like the spike in violent crime in 2020, the 
first year of the pandemic. We have an obligation to make sure all our 
people are safe. Public safety depends on public trust, as all of us 
know, but too often that trust is violated.

  Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nichols.
  I welcome them.
  They had to bury Tyre last week.
  As many of you personally know, there are no words to describe the 
heartache or grief of losing a child. But imagine--imagine--if you lost 
that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether 
your son or daughter will come home from walking down the street, 
playing in the park, or just driving a car.
  Most of us in here have never had to have the talk--the talk that 
Brown and Black parents have had to have with their children. I never 
had to have the talk with my children, Beau, Hunter, and Ashley.
  I never had to tell them: If a police officer pulls you over, turn 
your interior lights on right away, don't reach for your license, and 
keep your hands on the steering wheel.
  Imagine having to worry like that every single time your kid got in a 
car.
  Here is what Tyre's mother shared with me when I spoke to her, when I 
asked her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out: With 
faith in God, she said her son ``was a beautiful soul and something 
good will come from this.''
  Imagine how much courage and character that takes.
  It is up to us. It is up to all of us. We all want the same thing: 
neighborhoods free of violence and law enforcement who earn the 
community's trust.
  Just as every cop, when they pin on that badge in the morning, has a 
right to be able to go home at night, so does everybody else out there. 
Our children have a right to come home safely.
  Equal protection under the law is a covenant we have with each other 
in America. We know police officers put their lives on the line every 
single night and day, and we know we ask them in many cases to do too 
much, to be counselors, social workers, and psychologists responding to 
the drug overdoses, mental health crises, and so much more. In one 
sense we ask much too much of them.
  I know the vast majority of cops and their families are good, decent, 
and honorable people. But they risk their lives every time they put 
that shield on.
  But what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do 
better. We have to give law enforcement the real training they need, 
hold them to higher standards, and help them succeed in keeping us 
safe.
  We also need more first responders and professionals to address the 
growing mental health and substance abuse challenges, more resources to 
reduce violent crime and gun crime, more community intervention 
programs, and more investments in housing, education, and job training.
  All this can help prevent violence in the first place.
  When police officers or police departments violate the public trust, 
they must be held accountable.
  With the support of the families of victims, civil rights groups, and 
law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all Federal officers 
banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key 
elements of the George Floyd Act.
  Let's commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre's mom come true. 
Something good must come from this. Something good.
  All of us, all of us--folks, it is difficult, but it is simple. All 
of us in this Chamber, we need to rise to this moment. We can't turn 
away. Let's do what we know in our hearts that we

[[Page H734]]

need to do. Let's come together to finish the job on police reform.
  Do something. Do something. That was the plea of parents who lost 
their children in Uvalde. I met with every one of them. Do something 
about gun violence. Thank God, thank God we did, passing the most 
sweeping gun safety law in three decades.
  That includes things that the majority of responsible gun owners 
already support, like enhanced background checks for 18- to 21-year-
olds, red flag laws, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a 
danger to themselves and others.
  But we know our work is not done.
  Joining us tonight is Brandon Tsay, a 26-year-old hero. Brandon put 
his college dreams on hold to be at his mom's side when she was dying 
from cancer. Brandon now works at a dance studio started by his 
grandparents.
  Two weeks ago, during the Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the 
studio's door close, and he saw a man standing there pointing a 
semiautomatic pistol at him. He thought he was going to die, but then 
he thought about the people inside. In that instant, he found the 
courage to act and wrestled the semiautomatic pistol away from the 
gunman who had already killed 11 people at another dance studio. 
Eleven. He saved lives.
  It is time we do the same. Ban assault weapons now. Ban them now. 
Once and for all.
  I led the fight to do that in 1994. In the 10 years that ban was law, 
mass shootings went down. After we let it expire in a Republican 
administration, mass shootings tripled. Let's finish the job and ban 
these assault weapons.
  Let's also come together on immigration and make it a bipartisan 
issue once again. We now have a record number of personnel working to 
secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers, seizing over 23,000 
pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.
  We have launched a new border plan last month. Unlawful migration 
from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97 percent as 
a consequence of that. But America's border problems won't be fixed 
until Congress acts.
  If you won't pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass 
my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border, and 
a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, 
farmworkers, and essential workers.
  Here in the people's House, it is our duty to protect all the 
people's rights and freedoms. Congress must restore the right that was 
taken away and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman's right to 
choose.
  The Vice President and I are doing everything we can to protect 
access to reproductive healthcare and safeguard patient safety. Already 
more than a dozen States are enforcing extreme abortion bans. Make no 
mistake about it: If Congress passes a national ban, I will veto it.
  Let's also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ 
Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety 
and dignity.
  Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of 
our example. Let's remember, the world is watching.
  I spoke from this Chamber 1 year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin 
unleashed his brutal attack against Ukraine. A murderous assault, 
evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World 
War II.
  Putin's invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A 
test for the world.
  Would we stand for the most basic of principles?
  Would we stand for sovereignty?
  Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny?
  Would we stand for the defense of democracy?
  For such a defense matters to us because it keeps peace and prevents 
open season on would-be aggressors that threaten our prosperity.
  One year later, we know the answer. Yes, we would. And we did. We 
did. Together, we did what America always does at our best. We led. We 
united NATO, we built a global coalition. We stood against Putin's 
aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people.
  Tonight, we are once again joined by Ukraine's Ambassador to the 
United States. She represents not just her nation, but the courage of 
her people. The Ambassador is here. We are united in our support of 
your country. Would you stand so we can all take a look at you. Thank 
you. We are going to stand with you, as long as it takes.

  Our Nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, and more peace. 
Not just in Europe, but everywhere.
  Before I came to office, the story was about how the People's 
Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in 
the world. Not anymore. I made clear in my personal conversations, 
which have been many, with President Xi that we seek competition, not 
conflict.
  I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America 
stronger. Investing in American innovation and industries that will 
define the future that China intends to be dominating. Investing in our 
alliances and working with our allies to protect advanced technologies 
so they will not be used against us. Modernizing our military to 
safeguard stability and deter aggression.
  Today, we are in the strongest position in decades to compete with 
China or anyone else in the world. Anyone else in the world.
  I am committed to work with China where we can advance American 
interests and benefit the world. But make no mistake about it. As we 
made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act 
to protect our country. And we did.
  Look, let's be clear: Winning the competition should unite all of us. 
We face serious challenges across the world, but in the past 2 years, 
democracies have become stronger, not weaker. Autocracies have grown 
weaker, not stronger.
  Name me a world leader who changed places with Xi Jinping. Name me 
one. Name me one.
  America is rallying the world to meet those challenges, from climate, 
to global health, to food insecurity, to terrorism, to territorial 
aggression. Allies are stepping up, spending more and doing more.
  Look, the bridges we are forming between partners in the Pacific and 
those in the Atlantic, and those who bet against America are learning 
how wrong they are. It has never, ever been a good bet to bet against 
America. Never.
  When I came to office, most everyone assumed bipartisanship was 
impossible. But I never believed it. That is why a year ago, I offered 
a unity agenda for the Nation as I stood here. We have made real 
progress together. We passed a law making it easier for doctors to 
prescribe effective treatments for opioid addiction. We passed a gun 
safety law making historic investments in mental health. We launched 
ARPA-H to drive breakthroughs in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's, 
diabetes, and so much more.
  We passed the Heath Robinson PACT Act, named after the late Iraq war 
veteran whose story about exposure to toxic burn pits I shared here 
last year. I understand something about those burn pits. But there is 
so much more to do, and we can do it together.
  Joining us tonight is a father named Doug from Newton, New Hampshire. 
He wrote Jill, my wife, a letter, and me, as well, about his courageous 
daughter, Courtney--a contagious laugh, her sister's best friend. He 
shared a story all too familiar to millions of Americans and many of 
you in the audience.
  Courtney discovered pills in high school. It spiraled into addiction 
and eventually death from a fentanyl overdose. She was just 20 years 
old. Describing the last 8 years without her, Doug said: ``There is no 
worse pain.''
  Yet, their family has turned pain into purpose, working to end the 
stigma and change laws. He told us he wants to start a journey toward 
American recovery.
  Doug, we are with you.
  Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year, so let's 
launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production, sale, and 
trafficking, with more drug detection machines to inspect cargo and 
stop pills and powder at the border; working with couriers like FedEx 
to inspect more packages for drugs; strong penalties to crack down on 
fentanyl trafficking.
  Second, let's do more on mental health, especially for our children. 
When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence,

[[Page H735]]

trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at their 
schools.
  We must finally hold social media companies accountable for the 
experiment they are running on our children for profit. It is time to 
pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal 
data on our kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to 
children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these 
companies collect on all of us.
  Third, let's do more to keep our Nation's one truly sacred 
obligation: to equip those we send into harm's way and care for them 
and their families when they come home; job training and job placement 
for veterans and their spouses as they return to civilian life; helping 
veterans afford the rent because no one should be homeless in America, 
especially someone who served the country.
  Denis McDonough is here from the VA. We had our first real discussion 
when I asked him to take the job. I am glad he did. We were losing up 
to 25 veterans a day from suicide. Now we are losing 17 to the silent 
scourge of suicide. Seventeen veterans a day are committing suicide, 
more than all the people being killed in the wars.
  Folks, the VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental 
health screenings and a proven program that recruits veterans to help 
other veterans understand what they are going through and get them the 
help they need. We have to do more.
  And fourth, last year, Jill and I reignited the Cancer Moonshot that 
I was able to start when President Obama asked me to lead our 
administration on this issue.
  Our goal is to cut the cancer death rate at least by 50 percent in 
the next 25 years, turn more cancers from death sentences into 
treatable diseases, and provide more support for patients and their 
families. It is personal to so many of us, so many of us in this 
audience.
  Joining us are Maurice and Kandice, an Irishman and a daughter of 
immigrants from Panama. They met and fell in love in New York City and 
got married in the same chapel as Jill and I got married in, in New 
York City. Kindred spirits.
  He wrote us a letter about his little daughter, Ava, and I saw her 
just before I came over. She was just a year old when she was diagnosed 
with a rare kidney disease, cancer. After 26 blood transfusions, 11 
rounds of radiation, 8 rounds of chemo, 1 kidney removed, she was given 
a 5 percent survival rate. He wrote how, in the darkest moments, he 
thought: If she goes, I can't stay.
  Many of you have been through that, as well. Jill and I understand 
that, like so many of you. He read Jill's book describing our family's 
cancer journey and how we tried to steal moments of joy where we could 
with Beau.
  For them, that glimmer of joy was the half smile from their baby 
girl. It meant everything to them. They never gave up hope, and little 
Ava never gave up hope. She turns 4 next month. They just found out 
that Ava is beating the odds and is on her way to being cured of 
cancer. And she is watching from the White House tonight if she is not 
asleep already.
  For the lives we can save and the lives we have lost, let this be a 
truly American moment that rallies the country and the world together 
and proves that we can still do big things.
  Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and 
countless advocates and champions, we undertook a bipartisan effort 
through PEPFAR to transform the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It has 
been a huge success. He thought big. He thought large. He moved.

  I believe we can do the same thing with cancer. Let's end cancer as 
we know it and cure some cancers once and for all.
  Folks, there is one reason why we have been able to do all these 
things: our democracy itself. It is the most fundamental thing of all. 
With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is.
  For the last few years, our democracy has been threatened and 
attacked and put at risk. It was put to the test in this very room on 
January 6.
  And then, just a few months ago, unhinged by the big lie, an 
assailant unleashed political violence in the home of the then-Speaker 
of the House of Representatives, using the very same language the 
insurrectionists used as they stalked these Halls and chanted on 
January 6.
  Here tonight in this Chamber is the man who bears the scars of that 
brutal attack but is as tough and strong and resilient as they get, my 
friend, Paul Pelosi.
  Paul, stand up.
  But such a heinous act should have never happened. We must all speak 
out. There is no place for political violence in America. We have to 
protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. Honor 
the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. We 
have to uphold the rule of law and restore trust in our institutions of 
democracy. And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe 
harbor.
  Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It is an American issue. 
Every generation of Americans has faced a moment where they have been 
called to protect our democracy, to defend it, stand up for it, and 
this is our moment.
  My fellow Americans, we meet tonight at an inflection point, one of 
those moments that only a few generations ever face, where the 
direction we now take is going to decide the course of this Nation for 
decades to come.
  We are not bystanders of history. We are not powerless before the 
forces that confront us. It is within our power of we the people. We 
are facing the test of our time. We have to be the Nation we have 
always been at our best: optimistic, hopeful, forward-looking, a nation 
that embraces light over dark, hope over fear, unity over division, 
stability over chaos.
  We have to see each other not as enemies but as fellow Americans. We 
are a good people, the only nation in the world built on an idea--the 
only one.
  Other nations are defined by geography and ethnicity, but we are the 
only Nation based on an idea that all of us, every one of us is created 
equal in the image of God. A Nation that stands as a beacon to the 
world. A Nation in a new age of possibilities.
  So I have come here to fulfill my constitutional obligation to report 
on the state of the Union, and here is my report.
  Because the soul of this Nation is strong, because the backbone of 
this Nation is strong, because the people of this Nation are strong, 
the state of the Union is strong.
  I am not new to this place. I stand here tonight having served as 
long as about any one of you have ever served here. But I have never 
been more optimistic about our future, about the future of America. We 
just have to remember who we are.
  We are the United States of America, and there is nothing, nothing 
beyond our capacity if we do it together.
  God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you.
  (Applause, the Members rising.)
  At 10 o'clock and 41 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.

                          ____________________