[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 778-782]
[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 20, 2015--PM 1

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

To the Congress of the United States:
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow 
Americans:
  We are 15 years into this new century. Fifteen years that dawned with 
terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation 
fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread 
across our Nation and the world. It has been, and still is, a hard time 
for many.
  But tonight, we turn the page.
  Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is 
growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our 
unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. 
More of our kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people 
are insured than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign 
oil as we've been in almost 30 years.
  Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in 
Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops 
served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain. And we 
salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 
Generation who has served to keep us safe. We are humbled and grateful 
for your service.
  America, for all that we've endured; for all the grit and hard work 
required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:
  The shadow of crisis has passed, and the state of the Union is 
strong.
  At this moment--with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling 
industry, and booming energy production--we have risen from recession 
freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It's now 
up to us to choose who we want to be over the next 15 years, and for 
decades to come.
  Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly 
well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising 
incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?
  Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly 
conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing? Or will 
we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats 
and protect our planet?
  Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against 
one another--or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has 
always propelled America forward?
  In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas 
that are practical, not partisan. And in the months ahead, I'll 
crisscross the country making a case for those ideas.
  So tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals, and 
focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us.
  It begins with our economy.
  Seven years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds. 
She waited tables. He worked construction. Their first child, Jack, was 
on the way.
  They were young and in love in America, and it doesn't get much 
better than that.
  ``If only we had known,'' Rebekah wrote to me last spring, ``what was 
about to happen to the housing and construction market.''
  As the crisis worsened, Ben's business dried up, so he took what jobs 
he could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of 
time. Rebekah took out student loans, enrolled in community college, 
and retrained for a new career. They sacrificed for each other. And 
slowly, it paid off. They bought their first home. They had a second 
son, Henry. Rebekah got a better job, and then a raise. Ben is back in 
construction--and home for dinner every night.
  ``It is amazing,'' Rebekah wrote, ``what you can bounce back from 
when you have to . . . we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made 
it through some very, very hard times.''
  We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, 
very hard times.
  America, Rebekah and Ben's story is our story. They represent the 
millions who have worked hard, and scrimped, and sacrificed, and 
retooled. You are the reason I ran for this office. You're the people I 
was thinking of 6 years ago today, in the darkest months of the crisis, 
when I stood on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild 
our economy on a new foundation. And it's been your effort and 
resilience that has made it possible for our country to emerge 
stronger.
  We believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and draw new 
jobs to our shores. And over the past 5 years, our businesses have 
created more than 11 million new jobs.
  We believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect 
our planet. And today, America is number one in oil and gas. America is 
number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as much 
solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thanks to lower gas prices 
and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save 
$750 at the pump.
  We believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world. 
And today, our younger students have earned the highest math and 
reading scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an 
all-time high. And more Americans finish college than ever before.
  We believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis, 
shield families from ruin, and encourage fair competition. Today, we 
have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts, and a new consumer 
watchdog to protect us from predatory lending and abusive credit card 
practices. And in the past year alone, about ten million uninsured 
Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.
  At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too 
ambitious; that we would crush jobs and explode deficits. Instead, 
we've seen the fastest economic growth in over a decade, our deficits 
cut by two-thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care 
inflation at its lowest rate in 50 years.
  So the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. Expanding 
opportunity works. And these policies will continue to work, as long as 
politics don't get in the way. We can't slow down businesses or put our 
economy at risk with Government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns. We can't 
put the security of families at risk by taking away their health 
insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting 
past battles on immigration when we've got a system to fix. And if a 
bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, it will 
earn my veto.
  Today, thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and 
more lives. Wages are finally starting to rise again. We know that more 
small business owners plan to raise their employees' pay than at any 
time since 2007. But here's the thing--those of us here tonight, we 
need to set our sights higher than just making sure Government doesn't 
halt the progress we're making. We need to do more than just do no 
harm. Tonight, together, let's do more to restore the link between hard 
work and growing opportunity for every American.
  Because families like Rebekah's still need our help. She and Ben are 
working as hard as ever, but have to forego vacations and a new car so 
they can pay off student loans and save for retirement. Basic childcare 
for Jack and Henry costs more than their mortgage, and almost as much 
as a year at the University of Minnesota. Like millions of hardworking 
Americans, Rebekah isn't asking for a handout, but she is asking that 
we look for more ways to help families get ahead.
  In fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, 
this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and 
to make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We set up worker protections, 
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the 
harshest adversity. We

[[Page 779]]

gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the 
internet--tools they needed to go as far as their effort will take 
them.
  That's what middle-class economics is--the idea that this country 
does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair 
share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We don't just want 
everyone to share in America's success--we want everyone to contribute 
to our success.
  So what does middle-class economics require in our time?
  First--middle-class economics means helping working families feel 
more secure in a world of constant change. That means helping folks 
afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement--and my 
budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working 
families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each 
year.
  Here's one example. During World War II, when men like my grandfather 
went off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was 
a national security priority--so this country provided universal 
childcare. In today's economy, when having both parents in the 
workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need 
affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever. It's not a nice-to-
have--it's a must-have. It's time we stop treating childcare as a side 
issue, or a women's issue, and treat it like the national economic 
priority that it is for all of us. And that's why my plan will make 
quality childcare more available, and more affordable, for every 
middle-class and low-income family with young children in America--by 
creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per 
year.
  Here's another example. Today, we're the only advanced country on 
Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to 
our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave. 
Forty-three million. Think about that. And that forces too many parents 
to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at 
home. So I'll be taking new action to help States adopt paid leave laws 
of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot 
last November, let's put it to a vote right here in Washington. Send me 
a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven 
days of paid sick leave. It's the right thing to do.
  Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. 
That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a 
woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really. It's 
2015. It's time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime 
they've earned. And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to 
raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work 
full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. 
If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America 
a raise.
  These ideas won't make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. 
That's not the job of Government. To give working families a fair shot, 
we'll still need more employers to see beyond next quarter's earnings 
and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company's 
long-term interest. We still need laws that strengthen rather than 
weaken unions, and give American workers a voice. But things like child 
care and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums 
and a higher minimum wage--these ideas will make a meaningful 
difference in the lives of millions of families. That is a fact. And 
that's what all of us--Republicans and Democrats alike--were sent here 
to do.
  Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, 
we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills.
  America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, 
sent a generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in 
the world. But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like 
never before, we need to do more.
  By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require 
some higher education. Two in three. And yet, we still live in a 
country where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the 
education they need. It's not fair to them, and it's not smart for our 
future.
  That's why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the 
cost of community college--to zero.
  Forty percent of our college students choose community college. Some 
are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better 
job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back 
into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to 
graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. Understand, 
you've got to earn it--you've got to keep your grades up and graduate 
on time. Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a 
city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community 
college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America, so 
that 2 years of college becomes as free and universal in America as 
high school is today. And I want to work with this Congress, to make 
sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their 
monthly payments, so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams.
  Thanks to Vice President Biden's great work to update our job 
training system, we're connecting community colleges with local 
employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and 
nursing, and robotics. Tonight, I'm also asking more businesses to 
follow the lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more 
educational benefits and paid apprenticeships--opportunities that give 
workers the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don't have a 
higher education.
  And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every 
opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend. Already, 
we've made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to 
the highest quality care. We're slashing the backlog that had too many 
veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need, and we're making 
it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into 
civilian jobs. Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by 
Michelle and Jill Biden, has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and 
military spouses get new jobs. So to every CEO in America, let me 
repeat: If you want somebody who's going to get the job done, hire a 
veteran.
  Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to 
keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill.
  Since 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, 
Japan, and all advanced economies combined. Our manufacturers have 
added almost 800,000 new jobs. Some of our bedrock sectors, like our 
auto industry, are booming. But there are also millions of Americans 
who work in jobs that didn't even exist 10 or 20 years ago--jobs at 
companies like Google, and eBay, and Tesla.
  So no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs 
of the future. But we do know we want them here in America. That's why 
the third part of middle-class economics is about building the most 
competitive economy anywhere, the place where businesses want to locate 
and hire.
  Twenty-first century businesses need 21st century infrastructure--
modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet. 
Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let's set our 
sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let's pass a bipartisan 
infrastructure plan that could create more than thirty times as many 
jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.
  Twenty-first century businesses, including small businesses, need to 
sell more American products overseas. Today, our businesses export more 
than ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages. But as 
we speak, China wants to write the rules for the world's fastest-
growing region. That would put our workers and businesses at a 
disadvantage. Why would we let that happen? We should write those 
rules. We should level the playing field. That's why I'm asking both

[[Page 780]]

parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect American 
workers, with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren't 
just free, but fair.
  Look, I'm the first one to admit that past trade deals haven't always 
lived up to the hype, and that's why we've gone after countries that 
break the rules at our expense. But 95 percent of the world's customers 
live outside our borders, and we can't close ourselves off from those 
opportunities. More than half of manufacturing executives have said 
they're actively looking at bringing jobs back from China. Let's give 
them one more reason to get it done.
  Twenty-first century businesses will rely on American science, 
technology, research and development. I want the country that 
eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of 
medicine--one that delivers the right treatment at the right time, in 
some patients with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a 
disease once thought unstoppable. Tonight, I'm launching a new 
Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases 
like cancer and diabetes--and to give all of us access to the 
personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families 
healthier.
  I intend to protect a free and open internet, extend its reach to 
every classroom, and every community, and help folks build the fastest 
networks, so that the next generation of digital innovators and 
entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world.
  I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that 
unleash new jobs--converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating 
revolutionary prosthetics, so that a veteran who gave his arms for his 
country can play catch with his kid; pushing out into the Solar System 
not just to visit, but to stay. Last month, we launched a new 
spacecraft as part of a re-energized space program that will send 
American astronauts to Mars. In two months, to prepare us for those 
missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space. Good luck, 
Captain--and make sure to Instagram it.
  Now, the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and 
basic research, I know there's bipartisan support in this chamber. 
Members of both parties have told me so. Where we too often run onto 
the rocks is how to pay for these investments. As Americans, we don't 
mind paying our fair share of taxes, as long as everybody else does, 
too. But for far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with 
loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full 
freight. They've riddled it with giveaways the superrich don't need, 
denying a break to middle class families who do.
  This year, we have an opportunity to change that. Let's close 
loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and 
reward those that invest in America. Let's use those savings to rebuild 
our infrastructure and make it more attractive for companies to bring 
jobs home. Let's simplify the system and let a small business owner 
file based on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of 
accountants she can afford. And let's close the loopholes that lead to 
inequality by allowing the top 1 percent to avoid paying taxes on their 
accumulated wealth. We can use that money to help more families pay for 
childcare and send their kids to college. We need a tax code that truly 
helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and 
we can achieve that together.
  Helping hardworking families make ends meet. Giving them the tools 
they need for good-paying jobs in this new economy. Maintaining the 
conditions for growth and competitiveness. This is where America needs 
to go. I believe it's where the American people want to go. It will 
make our economy stronger a year from now, 15 years from now, and deep 
into the century ahead.
  Of course, if there's one thing this new century has taught us, it's 
that we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our 
shores.
  My first duty as Commander in Chief is to defend the United States of 
America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the 
world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines 
instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is 
to send in our military--then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary 
conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more 
prosperous world. That's what our enemies want us to do.
  I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when 
we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our 
power with coalition building; when we don't let our fears blind us to 
the opportunities that this new century presents. That's exactly what 
we're doing right now--and around the globe, it is making a difference.
  First, we stand united with people around the world who've been 
targeted by terrorists--from a school in Pakistan to the streets of 
Paris. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their 
networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we've done 
relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a 
direct threat to us and our allies.
  At the same time, we've learned some costly lessons over the last 13 
years.
  Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we've 
trained their security forces, who've now taken the lead, and we've 
honored our troops' sacrifice by supporting that country's first 
democratic transition. Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, 
we're partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny 
safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. In Iraq and Syria, 
American leadership--including our military power--is stopping ISIL's 
advance. Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the 
Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, 
to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group. We're also 
supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this 
effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt 
ideology of violent extremism. This effort will take time. It will 
require focus. But we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this 
Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by 
passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.
  Second, we are demonstrating the power of American strength and 
diplomacy. We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't 
bully the small--by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine's 
democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies. Last year, as we were doing 
the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some 
suggested that Mr. Putin's aggression was a masterful display of 
strategy and strength. Well, today, it is America that stands strong 
and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy 
in tatters.
  That's how America leads--not with bluster, but with persistent, 
steady resolve.
  In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration 
date. When what you're doing doesn't work for 50 years, it's time to 
try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a 
legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for 
restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and extends the 
hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should 
begin the work of ending the embargo. As His Holiness, Pope Francis, 
has said, diplomacy is the work of ``small steps.'' These small steps 
have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba. And after years in 
prison, we're overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs. 
Welcome home, Alan.
  Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first 
time in a decade, we've halted the progress of its nuclear program and 
reduced its stockpile of nuclear material. Between now and this spring, 
we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a 
nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies--including Israel; 
while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict. There are no 
guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on 
the table to prevent a nuclear Iran. But

[[Page 781]]

new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all 
but guarantee that diplomacy fails--alienating America from its allies; 
and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again. It doesn't 
make sense. That is why I will veto any new sanctions bill that 
threatens to undo this progress. The American people expect us to only 
go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.
  Third, we're looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the 
past to shape the coming century.
  No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our 
networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American 
families, especially our kids. We are making sure our Government 
integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done 
to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass 
the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-
attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children's information. 
If we don't act, we'll leave our Nation and our economy vulnerable. If 
we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed 
untold opportunities for people around the globe.
  In West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses 
and healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola--saving countless lives 
and stopping the spread of disease. I couldn't be prouder of them, and 
I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts. But 
the job is not yet done--and the world needs to use this lesson to 
build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future 
pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.
  In the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure 
that other nations play by the rules--in how they trade, how they 
resolve maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common 
international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief. And 
no challenge--no challenge--poses a greater threat to future 
generations than climate change. 2014 was the planet's warmest year on 
record. Now, one year doesn't make a trend, but this does--14 of the 15 
warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this 
century.
  I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they're not 
scientists; that we don't have enough information to act. Well, I'm not 
a scientist, either. But you know what--I know a lot of really good 
scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best 
scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are 
changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we'll continue 
to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and 
floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, 
conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate 
change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act 
like it.
  That's why, over the past 6 years, we've done more than ever before 
to combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we 
use it. That's why we've set aside more public lands and waters than 
any administration in history. And that's why I will not let this 
Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock 
on our efforts. I am determined to make sure American leadership drives 
international action. In Beijing, we made an historic announcement--the 
United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution, 
and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions. 
And because the world's two largest economies came together, other 
nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the 
world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we've 
got.
  There's one last pillar to our leadership--and that's the example of 
our values.
  As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we're threatened, 
which is why I've prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use 
of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It's why we 
speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in 
certain parts of the world. It's why we continue to reject offensive 
stereotypes of Muslims--the vast majority of whom share our commitment 
to peace. That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for political 
prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious 
minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or transgender. We do these things not only because they're 
right, but because they make us safer.
  As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice--so it makes 
no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a 
prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit. Since 
I've been President, we've worked responsibly to cut the population of 
GTMO in half. Now it's time to finish the job. And I will not relent in 
my determination to shut it down. It's not who we are.
  As Americans, we cherish our civil liberties--and we need to uphold 
that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries and 
industry in our fight against terrorist networks. So while some have 
moved on from the debates over our surveillance programs, I haven't. As 
promised, our intelligence agencies have worked hard, with the 
recommendations of privacy advocates, to increase transparency and 
build more safeguards against potential abuse. And next month, we'll 
issue a report on how we're keeping our promise to keep our country 
safe while strengthening privacy.
  Looking to the future instead of the past. Making sure we match our 
power with diplomacy, and use force wisely. Building coalitions to meet 
new challenges and opportunities. Leading--always--with the example of 
our values. That's what makes us exceptional. That's what keeps us 
strong. And that's why we must keep striving to hold ourselves to the 
highest of standards--our own.
  You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I 
said there wasn't a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black 
America or a white America--but a United States of America. I said this 
because I had seen it in my own life, in a nation that gave someone 
like me a chance; because I grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot of races 
and customs; because I made Illinois my home--a state of small towns, 
rich farmland, and one of the world's great cities; a microcosm of the 
country where Democrats and Republicans and Independents, good people 
of every ethnicity and every faith, share certain bedrock values.
  Over the past 6 years, the pundits have pointed out more than once 
that my presidency hasn't delivered on this vision. How ironic, they 
say, that our politics seems more divided than ever. It's held up as 
proof not just of my own flaws--of which there are many--but also as 
proof that the vision itself is misguided, and naive, and that there 
are too many people in this town who actually benefit from partisanship 
and gridlock for us to ever do anything about it.
  I know how tempting such cynicism may be. But I still think the 
cynics are wrong.
  I still believe that we are one people. I still believe that 
together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long. I 
believe this because over and over in my 6 years in office, I have seen 
America at its best. I've seen the hopeful faces of young graduates 
from New York to California; and our newest officers at West Point, 
Annapolis, Colorado Springs, and New London. I've mourned with grieving 
families in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and West 
Virginia. I've watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf 
Coast to the Great Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-
Atlantic seaboard. I've seen something like gay marriage go from a 
wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our 
country, a civil right now legal in States that seven in ten Americans 
call home.
  So I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the 
American people who, every day, live the idea that we are our brother's 
keeper, and our sister's keeper. And I know they expect those of us who 
serve here to set a better example.

[[Page 782]]

  So the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all of us, 
can better reflect America's hopes. I've served in Congress with many 
of you. I know many of you well. There are a lot of good people here, 
on both sides of the aisle. And many of you have told me that this 
isn't what you signed up for--arguing past each other on cable shows, 
the constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the 
base will react to every decision.
  Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns. Imagine if we 
did something different.
  Understand--a better politics isn't one where Democrats abandon their 
agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.
  A better politics is one where we appeal to each other's basic 
decency instead of our basest fears.
  A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each 
other; where we talk issues, and values, and principles, and facts, 
rather than ``gotcha'' moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake 
controversies that have nothing to do with people's daily lives.
  A better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark 
money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting 
young people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility, and asking 
them to join in the great mission of building America.
  If we're going to have arguments, let's have arguments--but let's 
make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.
  We still may not agree on a woman's right to choose, but surely we 
can agree it's a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are 
nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the 
health care she needs.
  Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see 
something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no 
one benefits when a hardworking mom is taken from her child, and that 
it's possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of 
laws and a nation of immigrants.
  We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the 
right to vote is sacred; that it's being denied to too many; and that, 
on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery 
and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, 
Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single 
American.
  We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. 
But surely we can understand a father who fears his son can't walk home 
without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won't 
rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door 
at the end of his shift. Surely we can agree it's a good thing that for 
the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate 
have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats 
and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform 
America's criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us 
all.
  That's a better politics. That's how we start rebuilding trust. 
That's how we move this country forward. That's what the American 
people want. That's what they deserve.
  I have no more campaigns to run. My only agenda for the next 2 years 
is the same as the one I've had since the day I swore an oath on the 
steps of this Capitol--to do what I believe is best for America. If you 
share the broad vision I outlined tonight, join me in the work at hand. 
If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you'll at least work with me 
where you do agree. And I commit to every Republican here tonight that 
I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to 
make this country stronger.
  Because I want this chamber, this city, to reflect the truth--that 
for all our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a people with the 
strength and generosity of spirit to bridge divides, to unite in common 
effort, and help our neighbors, whether down the street or on the other 
side of the world.
  I want our actions to tell every child, in every neighborhood: your 
life matters, and we are as committed to improving your life chances as 
we are for our own kids.
  I want future generations to know that we are a people who see our 
differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity 
and worth of every citizen--man and woman, young and old, black and 
white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and Native American, gay and 
straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability.
  I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we 
still know to be true: that we are still more than a collection of red 
States and blue States; that we are the United States of America.
  I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah 
can sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up 
these past 6 years:
  ``It is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to . . . 
we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, 
very hard times.''
  My fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit family. We, too, 
have made it through some hard times. Fifteen years into this new 
century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun 
again the work of remaking America. We've laid a new foundation. A 
brighter future is ours to write. Let's begin this new chapter--
together--and let's start the work right now.
  Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, January 20, 2015.

                          ____________________