[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 698-703]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE UNION DELIVERED TO A JOINT SESSION OF 
                   CONGRESS ON JANUARY 25, 2011--PM 2

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was which was ordered to lie on the table:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished 
guests, and fellow Americans:
  Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 
112th Congress, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And as we 
mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this 
Chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague--and our friend--
Gabby Giffords.
  It's no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences 
over the last 2 years. The debates have been contentious; we have 
fought fiercely for our beliefs. And that's a good thing. That's what a 
robust democracy demands. That's what helps set us apart as a Nation.
  But there's a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid all 
the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, Tucson reminded 
us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a 
part of something greater--something more consequential than party or 
political preference.
  We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country 
where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still 
bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common 
creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different 
than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to 
be fulfilled.
  That, too, is what sets us apart as a Nation.
  Now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of 
cooperation. What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this 
moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, 
but whether we can work together tomorrow.
  I believe we can. I believe we must. That's what the people who sent 
us here expect of us. With their votes, they've determined that 
governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws 
will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will 
move forward together, or not at all--for the challenges we face are 
bigger than party, and bigger than politics.
  At stake right now is not who wins the next election--after all, we 
just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take 
root in this country, or somewhere else. It's whether the hard work and 
industry of our people is rewarded. It's whether we sustain the 
leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but a light 
to the world.
  We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most 
of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. 
Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again.
  But we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. We 
measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can 
find and the quality of life those jobs offer. By the prospects of a 
small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a

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thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we 
pass on to our children.
  That's the project the American people want us to work on. Together.
  We did that in December. Thanks to the tax cuts we passed, Americans' 
paychecks are a little bigger today. Every business can write off the 
full cost of the new investments they make this year. These steps, 
taken by Democrats and Republicans, will grow the economy and add to 
the more than one million private sector jobs created last year.
  But we have more work to do. The steps we've taken over the last 2 
years may have broken the back of this recession--but to win the 
future, we'll need to take on challenges that have been decades in the 
making.
  Many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when 
finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business 
downtown. You didn't always need a degree, and your competition was 
pretty much limited to your neighbors. If you worked hard, chances are 
you'd have a job for life, with a decent paycheck, good benefits, and 
the occasional promotion. Maybe you'd even have the pride of seeing 
your kids work at the same company.
  That world has changed. And for many, the change has been painful. 
I've seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories, and 
the vacant storefronts of once busy Main Streets. I've heard it in the 
frustrations of Americans who've seen their paychecks dwindle or their 
jobs disappear--proud men and women who feel like the rules have been 
changed in the middle of the game.
  They're right. The rules have changed. In a single generation, 
revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work, and 
do business. Steel mills that once needed 1,000 workers can now do the 
same work with 100. Today, just about any company can set up shop, hire 
workers, and sell their products wherever there's an internet 
connection.
  Meanwhile, nations like China and India realized that with some 
changes of their own, they could compete in this new world. And so they 
started educating their children earlier and longer, with greater 
emphasis on math and science. They're investing in research and new 
technologies. Just recently, China became home to the world's largest 
private solar research facility, and the world's fastest computer.
  So yes, the world has changed. The competition for jobs is real. But 
this shouldn't discourage us. It should challenge us. Remember--for all 
the hits we've taken these last few years, for all the naysayers 
predicting our decline, America still has the largest, most prosperous 
economy in the world. No workers are more productive than ours. No 
country has more successful companies, or grants more patents to 
inventors and entrepreneurs. We are home to the world's best colleges 
and universities, where more students come to study than any other 
place on Earth.
  What's more, we are the first Nation to be founded for the sake of an 
idea--the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own 
destiny. That is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked 
everything to come here. It's why our students don't just memorize 
equations, but answer questions like ``What do you think of that idea? 
What would you change about the world? What do you want to be when you 
grow up?''
  The future is ours to win. But to get there, we can't just stand 
still. As Robert Kennedy told us, ``The future is not a gift. It is an 
achievement.'' Sustaining the American Dream has never been about 
standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice, and 
struggle, and meet the demands of a new age.
  Now it's our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and 
industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-
build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on 
Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit, 
and reform our Government. That's how our people will prosper. That's 
how we'll win the future. And tonight, I'd like to talk about how we 
get there.
  The first step in winning the future is encouraging American 
innovation.
  None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will 
be, or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn't 
know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic 
revolution. What we can do--what America does better than anyone--is 
spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We are the Nation 
that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the Nation of 
Edison and the Wright brothers; of Google and Facebook. In America, 
innovation doesn't just change our lives. It's how we make a living.
  Our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. But because 
it's not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, 
throughout history our Government has provided cutting-edge scientists 
and inventors with the support that they need. That's what planted the 
seeds for the Internet. That's what helped make possible things like 
computer chips and GPS.
  Just think of all the good jobs--from manufacturing to retail--that 
have come from those breakthroughs.
  Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the 
launch of a satellite called Sputnik, we had no idea how we'd beat them 
to the moon. The science wasn't there yet. NASA didn't even exist. But 
after investing in better research and education, we didn't just 
surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new 
industries and millions of new jobs.
  This is our generation's Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that 
we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen 
since the height of the Space Race. In a few weeks, I will be sending a 
budget to the Congress that helps us meet that goal. We'll invest in 
biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean 
energy technology--an investment that will strengthen our security, 
protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
  Already, we are seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert and 
Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing company. After 
September 11th, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the 
Pentagon. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit 
them hard. Today, with the help of a Government loan, that empty space 
is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all 
across the country. In Robert's words, ``We reinvented ourselves.''
  That's what Americans have done for over 200 years: reinvented 
ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the Allen Brothers, 
we've begun to reinvent our energy policy. We're not just handing out 
money. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists 
and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their 
fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund 
the Apollo Projects of our time.
  At the California Institute of Technology, they're developing a way 
to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory, they're using supercomputers to get a lot more 
power out of our nuclear facilities. With more research and incentives, 
we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first 
country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
  We need to get behind this innovation. And to help pay for it, I'm 
asking the Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we 
currently give to oil companies. I don't know if you've noticed, but 
they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing 
yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow.
  Now, clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy 
jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they're 
selling. So tonight, I challenmge you to join me in setting a new goal: 
by 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean 
energy sources. Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, 
clean coal, and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all--
and I

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urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it happen.
  Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to 
America's success. But if we want to win the future--if we want 
innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas--then we also 
have to win the race to educate our kids.
  Think about it. Over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs 
will require education that goes beyond a high school degree. And yet, 
as many as a quarter of our students aren't even finishing high school. 
The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other 
nations. America has fallen to 9th in the proportion of young people 
with a college degree. And so the question is whether all of us--as 
citizens, and as parents--are willing to do what's necessary to give 
every child a chance to succeed.
  That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes 
and communities. It's family that first instills the love of learning 
in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and 
homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it's not just the 
winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner 
of the science fair; that success is not a function of fame or PR, but 
of hard work and discipline.
  Our schools share this responsibility. When a child walks into a 
classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high 
performance. But too many schools don't meet this test. That's why 
instead of just pouring money into a system that's not working, we 
launched a competition called Race to the Top. To all 50 States, we 
said, ``If you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher 
quality and student achievement, we'll show you the money.''
  Race to the Top is the most meaningful reform of our public schools 
in a generation. For less than one percent of what we spend on 
education each year, it has led over 40 States to raise their standards 
for teaching and learning. These standards were developed not by 
Washington, but by Republican and Democratic governors throughout the 
country. And Race to the Top should be the approach we follow this year 
as we replace No Child Left Behind with a law that is more flexible and 
focused on what's best for our kids.
  You see, we know what's possible for our children when reform isn't 
just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals; 
school boards and communities.
  Take a school like Bruce Randolph in Denver. Three years ago, it was 
rated one of the worst schools in Colorado; located on turf between two 
rival gangs. But last May, 97 percent of the seniors received their 
diploma. Most will be the first in their family to go to college. And 
after the first year of the school's transformation, the principal who 
made it possible wiped away tears when a student said ``Thank you, Mrs. 
Waters, for showing . . . that we are smart and we can make it.''
  Let's also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a 
child's success comes from the man or woman at the front of the 
classroom. In South Korea, teachers are known as ``nation builders.'' 
Here in America, it's time we treated the people who educate our 
children with the same level of respect. We want to reward good 
teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. And over the next 10 
years, with so many Baby Boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want 
to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, 
engineering, and math.
  In fact, to every young person listening tonight who's contemplating 
their career choice: If you want to make a difference in the life of 
our Nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child--
become a teacher. Your country needs you.
  Of course, the education race doesn't end with a high school diploma. 
To compete, higher education must be within reach of every American. 
That's why we've ended the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that went to 
banks, and used the savings to make college affordable for millions of 
students. And this year, I ask the Congress to go further, and make 
permanent our tuition tax credit--worth $10,000 for 4 years of college.
  Because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in 
today's fast-changing economy, we are also revitalizing America's 
community colleges. Last month, I saw the promise of these schools at 
Forsyth Tech in North Carolina. Many of the students there used to work 
in the surrounding factories that have since left town. One mother of 
two, a woman named Kathy Proctor, had worked in the furniture industry 
since she was 18 years old. And she told me she's earning her degree in 
biotechnology now, at 55 years old, not just because the furniture jobs 
are gone, but because she wants to inspire her children to pursue their 
dreams too. As Kathy said, ``I hope it tells them to never give up.''
  If we take these steps--if we raise expectations for every child, and 
give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day 
they're born until the last job they take--we will reach the goal I set 
2 years ago: by the end of the decade, America will once again have the 
highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
  One last point about education. Today, there are hundreds of 
thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American 
citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had 
nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as 
Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day 
with the threat of deportation. Others come here from abroad to study 
in our colleges and universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced 
degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. It makes no 
sense.
  Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the 
issue of illegal immigration. I am prepared to work with Republicans 
and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws, and address the 
millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows. I 
know that debate will be difficult and take time. But tonight, let's 
agree to make that effort. And let's stop expelling talented, 
responsible young people who can staff our research labs, start new 
businesses, and further enrich this Nation.
  The third step in winning the future is rebuilding America. To 
attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most 
reliable ways to move people, goods, and information--from high-speed 
rail to high-speed Internet.
  Our infrastructure used to be the best--but our lead has slipped. 
South Korean homes now have greater internet access than we do. 
Countries in Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways 
than we do. China is building faster trains and newer airports. 
Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our Nation's infrastructure, 
they gave us a ``D.''
  We have to do better. America is the Nation that built the 
transcontinental railroad, brought electricity to rural communities, 
and constructed the interstate highway system. The jobs created by 
these projects didn't just come from laying down tracks or pavement. 
They came from businesses that opened near a town's new train station 
or the new off-ramp.
  Over the last 2 years, we have begun rebuilding for the 21st century, 
a project that has meant thousands of good jobs for the hard-hit 
construction industry. Tonight, I'm proposing that we redouble these 
efforts.
  We will put more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and 
bridges. We will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private 
investment, and pick projects based on what's best for the economy, not 
politicians.
  Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access 
to high-speed rail, which could allow you to go places in half the time 
it takes to travel by car. For some trips, it will be faster than 
flying--without the pat-down. As we speak, routes in California and the 
Midwest are already underway.
  Within the next 5 years, we will make it possible for business to 
deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98 
percent of all Americans. This isn't just about a faster internet and 
fewer dropped calls. It's about connecting every part of America to the 
digital age. It's about a rural

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community in Iowa or Alabama where farmers and small business owners 
will be able to sell their products all over the world. It's about a 
firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a 
handheld device; a student who can take classes with a digital 
textbook; or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her 
doctor.
  All these investments--in innovation, education, and infrastructure--
will make America a better place to do business and create jobs. But to 
help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that 
stand in the way of their success.
  Over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to 
benefit particular companies and industries. Those with accountants or 
lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. But all 
the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the 
world. It makes no sense, and it has to change.
  So tonight, I'm asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the 
system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the 
savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 
years--without adding to our deficit.
  To help businesses sell more products abroad, we set a goal of 
doubling our exports by 2014--because the more we export, the more jobs 
we create at home. Already, our exports are up. Recently, we signed 
agreements with India and China that will support more than 250,000 
jobs in the United States. And last month, we finalized a trade 
agreement with South Korea that will support at least 70,000 American 
jobs. This agreement has unprecedented support from business and labor; 
Democrats and Republicans, and I ask this Congress to pass it as soon 
as possible.
  Before I took office, I made it clear that we would enforce our trade 
agreements, and that I would only sign deals that keep faith with 
American workers, and promote American jobs. That's what we did with 
Korea, and that's what I intend to do as we pursue agreements with 
Panama and Colombia, and continue our Asia Pacific and global trade 
talks.
  To reduce barriers to growth and investment, I've ordered a review of 
Government regulations. When we find rules that put an unnecessary 
burden on businesses, we will fix them. But I will not hesitate to 
create or enforce commonsense safeguards to protect the American 
people. That's what we've done in this country for more than a century. 
It's why our food is safe to eat, our water is safe to drink, and our 
air is safe to breathe. It's why we have speed limits and child labor 
laws. It's why last year, we put in place consumer protections against 
hidden fees and penalties by credit card companies, and new rules to 
prevent another financial crisis. And it's why we passed reform that 
finally prevents the health insurance industry from exploiting 
patients.
  Now, I've heard rumors that a few of you have some concerns about the 
new health care law. So let me be the first to say that anything can be 
improved. If you have ideas about how to improve this law by making 
care better or more affordable, I am eager to work with you. We can 
start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed 
an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses.
  What I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance 
companies could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existing 
condition. I'm not willing to tell James Howard, a brain cancer patient 
from Texas, that his treatment might not be covered. I'm not willing to 
tell Jim Houser, a small business owner from Oregon, that he has to go 
back to paying $5,000 more to cover his employees. As we speak, this 
law is making prescription drugs cheaper for seniors and giving 
uninsured students a chance to stay on their parents' coverage. So 
instead of re-fighting the battles of the last 2 years, let's fix what 
needs fixing and move forward.
  Now, the final step--a critical step--in winning the future is to 
make sure we aren't buried under a mountain of debt.
  We are living with a legacy of deficit spending that began almost a 
decade ago. And in the wake of the financial crisis, some of that was 
necessary to keep credit flowing, save jobs, and put money in people's 
pockets.
  But now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confront 
the fact that our Government spends more than it takes in. That is not 
sustainable. Every day, families sacrifice to live within their means. 
They deserve a Government that does the same.
  So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual 
domestic spending for the next 5 years. This would reduce the deficit 
by more than $400 billion over the next decade, and will bring 
discretionary spending to the lowest share of our economy since Dwight 
Eisenhower was President.
  This freeze will require painful cuts. Already, we have frozen the 
salaries of hardworking Federal employees for the next 2 years. I've 
proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action 
programs. The Secretary of Defense has also agreed to cut tens of 
billions of dollars in spending that he and his generals believe our 
military can do without.
  I recognize that some in this Chamber have already proposed deeper 
cuts, and I'm willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to 
do without. But let's make sure that we're not doing it on the backs of 
our most vulnerable citizens. And let's make sure what we're cutting is 
really excess weight. Cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in 
innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by 
removing its engine. It may feel like you're flying high at first, but 
it won't take long before you'll feel the impact.
  Now, most of the cuts and savings I've proposed only address annual 
domestic spending, which represents a little more than 12 percent of 
our budget. To make further progress, we have to stop pretending that 
cutting this kind of spending alone will be enough. It won't.
  The bipartisan Fiscal Commission I created last year made this 
crystal clear. I don't agree with all their proposals, but they made 
important progress. And their conclusion is that the only way to tackle 
our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it--in 
domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending 
through tax breaks and loopholes.
  This means further reducing health care costs, including programs 
like Medicare and Medicaid, which are the single biggest contributor to 
our long- term deficit. Health insurance reform will slow these rising 
costs, which is part of why nonpartisan economists have said that 
repealing the health care law would add a quarter of a trillion dollars 
to our deficit. Still, I'm willing to look at other ideas to bring down 
costs, including one that Republicans suggested last year: medical 
malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits.
  To put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution 
to strengthen Social Security for future generations. And we must do it 
without putting at risk current retirees, the most vulnerable, or 
people with disabilities; without slashing benefits for future 
generations; and without subjecting Americans' guaranteed retirement 
income to the whims of the stock market.
  And if we truly care about our deficit, we simply cannot afford a 
permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of 
Americans. Before we take money away from our schools, or scholarships 
away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their tax 
break.
  It's not a matter of punishing their success. It's about promoting 
America's success.
  In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to 
simplify the individual tax code. This will be a tough job, but members 
of both parties have expressed interest in doing this, and I am 
prepared to join them.
  So now is the time to act. Now is the time for both sides and both 
Houses of Congress--Democrats and Republicans--to forge a principled 
compromise that gets the job done. If we

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make the hard choices now to rein in our deficits, we can make the 
investments we need to win the future.
  Let me take this one step further. We shouldn't just give our people 
a Government that's more affordable. We should give them a Government 
that's more competent and efficient. We cannot win the future with a 
Government of the past.
  We live and do business in the information age, but the last major 
reorganization of the Government happened in the age of black and white 
TV. There are 12 different agencies that deal with exports. There are 
at least five different entities that deal with housing policy. Then 
there's my favorite example: the Interior Department is in charge of 
salmon while they're in fresh water, but the Commerce Department 
handles them in when they're in saltwater. And I hear it gets even more 
complicated once they're smoked.
  Now, we have made great strides over the last 2 years in using 
technology and getting rid of waste. Veterans can now download their 
electronic medical records with a click of the mouse. We're selling 
acres of Federal office space that hasn't been used in years, and we 
will cut through redtape to get rid of more. But we need to think 
bigger. In the coming months, my administration will develop a proposal 
to merge, consolidate, and reorganize the Federal Government in a way 
that best serves the goal of a more competitive America. I will submit 
that proposal to the Congress for a vote--and we will push to get it 
passed.
  In the coming year, we will also work to rebuild people's faith in 
the institution of Government. Because you deserve to know exactly how 
and where your tax dollars are being spent, you will be able to go to a 
Web site and get that information for the very first time in history. 
Because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting 
with lobbyists, I ask the Congress to do what the White House has 
already done: put that information online. And because the American 
people deserve to know that special interests aren't larding up 
legislation with pet projects, both parties in Congress should know 
this: if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.
  A 21st century Government that's open and competent. A Government 
that lives within its means. An economy that's driven by new skills and 
ideas. Our success in this new and changing world will require reform, 
responsibility, and innovation. It will also require us to approach 
that world with a new level of engagement in our foreign affairs.
  Just as jobs and businesses can now race across borders, so can new 
threats and new challenges. No single wall separates East and West; no 
one rival superpower is aligned against us.
  And so we must defeat determined enemies wherever they are, and build 
coalitions that cut across lines of region and race and religion. 
America's moral example must always shine for all who yearn for 
freedom, justice, and dignity. And because we have begun this work, 
tonight we can say that American leadership has been renewed and 
America's standing has been restored.
  Look to Iraq, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and women have 
left with their heads held high; where American combat patrols have 
ended; violence has come down; and a new government has been formed. 
This year, our civilians will forge a lasting partnership with the 
Iraqi people, while we finish the job of bringing our troops out of 
Iraq. America's commitment has been kept; the Iraq War is coming to an 
end.
  Of course, as we speak, al Qaeda and their affiliates continue to 
plan attacks against us. Thanks to our intelligence and law enforcement 
professionals, we are disrupting plots and securing our cities and 
skies. And as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our 
borders, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with 
respect for the rule of law, and with the conviction that American 
Muslims are a part of our American family.
  We have also taken the fight to al Qaeda and their allies abroad. In 
Afghanistan, our troops have taken Taliban strongholds and trained 
Afghan Security Forces. Our purpose is clear--by preventing the Taliban 
from reestablishing a stranglehold over the Afghan people, we will deny 
al Qaeda the safe-haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11.
  Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under 
the control of the insurgency. There will be tough fighting ahead, and 
the Afghan government will need to deliver better governance. But we 
are strengthening the capacity of the Afghan people and building an 
enduring partnership with them. This year, we will work with nearly 50 
countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead. And this July, we 
will begin to bring our troops home.
  In Pakistan, al Qaeda's leadership is under more pressure than at any 
point since 2001. Their leaders and operatives are being removed from 
the battlefield. Their safe-havens are shrinking. And we have sent a 
message from the Afghan border to the Arabian Peninsula to all parts of 
the globe: we will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat 
you.
  American leadership can also be seen in the effort to secure the 
worst weapons of war. Because Republicans and Democrats approved the 
New START Treaty, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be 
deployed. Because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being 
locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of 
terrorists.
  Because of a diplomatic effort to insist that Iran meet its 
obligations, the Iranian government now faces tougher and tighter 
sanctions than ever before. And on the Korean peninsula, we stand with 
our ally South Korea, and insist that North Korea keeps its commitment 
to abandon nuclear weapons.
  This is just a part of how we are shaping a world that favors peace 
and prosperity. With our European allies, we revitalized NATO, and 
increased our cooperation on everything from counter-terrorism to 
missile defense. We have reset our relationship with Russia, 
strengthened Asian alliances, and built new partnerships with nations 
like India. This March, I will travel to Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador 
to forge new alliances for progress in the Americas. Around the globe, 
we are standing with those who take responsibility--helping farmers 
grow more food; supporting doctors who care for the sick; and combating 
the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity.
  Recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just be 
our power--it must be the purpose behind it. In South Sudan--with our 
assistance--the people were finally able to vote for independence after 
years of war. Thousands lined up before dawn. People danced in the 
streets. One man who lost four of his brothers at war summed up the 
scene around him: ``This was a battlefield for most of my life. Now we 
want to be free.''
  We saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the 
people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, 
let us be clear: the United States of America stands with the people of 
Tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people.
  We must never forget that the things we've struggled for, and fought 
for, live in the hearts of people everywhere. And we must always 
remember that the Americans who have borne the greatest burden in this 
struggle are the men and women who serve our country.
  Tonight, let us speak with one voice in reaffirming that our Nation 
is united in support of our troops and their families. Let us serve 
them as well as they have served us--by giving them the equipment they 
need; by providing them with the care and benefits they have earned; 
and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own 
Nation.
  Our troops come from every corner of this country--they are black, 
white, Latino, Asian, and Native American. They are Christian and 
Hindu, Jewish and Muslim. And, yes, we know that some of them are gay. 
Starting this year, no American will be forbidden from serving the 
country they love because of who they love. And with that

[[Page 703]]

change, I call on all of our college campuses to open their doors to 
our military recruiters and the ROTC. It is time to leave behind the 
divisive battles of the past. It is time to move forward as one Nation.
  We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. Reforming our 
schools; changing the way we use energy; reducing our deficit--none of 
this is easy. All of it will take time. And it will be harder because 
we will argue about everything. The cost. The details. The letter of 
every law.
  Of course, some countries don't have this problem. If the central 
government wants a railroad, they get a railroad--no matter how many 
homes are bulldozed. If they don't want a bad story in the newspaper, 
it doesn't get written.
  And yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy 
can sometimes be, I know there isn't a person here who would trade 
places with any other Nation on Earth.
  We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights 
enshrined in our Constitution. We may have different opinions, but we 
believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can 
make it if you try. We may have different backgrounds, but we believe 
in the same dream that says this is a country where anything's 
possible. No matter who you are. No matter where you come from.
  That dream is why I can stand here before you tonight. That dream is 
why a working class kid from Scranton can stand behind me. That dream 
is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father's 
Cincinnati bar can preside as Speaker of the House in the greatest 
Nation on Earth.
  That dream--that American Dream--is what drove the Allen Brothers to 
reinvent their roofing company for a new era. It's what drove those 
students at Forsyth Tech to learn a new skill and work towards the 
future. And that dream is the story of a small business owner named 
Brandon Fisher.
  Brandon started a company in Berlin, Pennsylvania, that specializes 
in a new kind of drilling technology. One day last summer, he saw the 
news that halfway across the world, 33 men were trapped in a Chilean 
mine, and no one knew how to save them.
  But Brandon thought his company could help. And so he designed a 
rescue that would come to be known as Plan B. His employees worked 
around the clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. And 
Brandon left for Chile.
  Along with others, he began drilling a 2,000 foot hole into the 
ground, working 3 or 4 days at a time with no sleep. Thirty-seven days 
later, Plan B succeeded, and the miners were rescued. But because he 
didn't want all of the attention, Brandon wasn't there when the miners 
emerged. He had already gone home, back to work on this next project.
  Later, one of his employees said of the rescue, ``We proved that 
Center Rock is a little company, but we do big things.''
  We do big things.
  From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of 
ordinary people who dare to dream. That's how we win the future.
  We are a Nation that says, ``I might not have a lot of money, but I 
have this great idea for a new company. I might not come from a family 
of college graduates, but I will be the first to get my degree. I might 
not know those people in trouble, but I think I can help them, and I 
need to try.
  ``I'm not sure how we'll reach that better place beyond the horizon, 
but I know we'll get there. I know we will.''
  We do big things.
  The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And 
tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people 
that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of 
our Union is strong.
  Thank you, God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of 
America.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, January 25, 2011.

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