Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our Union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They've done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility, and they've done so in the midst of war and depression, at moments of great strife and great struggle. It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable, that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were the times that tested the courage of our convictions and the strength of our Union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one Nation, as one people. Again, we are tested. And again, we must answer history's call. One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a Government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted, immediately and aggressively. And 1 year later, the worst of the storm has passed. But the devastation remains. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. And for those who'd already known poverty, life's become that much harder. This recession has also compounded the burdens that America's families have been dealing with for decades: the burden of working harder and longer for less, of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college. So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They're not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for President. These struggles are what I've witnessed for years, in places like Elkhart, Indiana; Galesburg, Illinois. I hear about them in the letters that I read each night. The toughest to read are those written by children asking why they have to move from their home, asking when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work. For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated, some are angry. They don't understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded, but hard work on Main Street isn't, or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems. They're tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can't afford it. Not now. So we face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope, what they deserve, is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences, to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories, different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared: a job that pays the bills, a chance to get ahead, most of all, the ability to give their children a better life. And you know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids, starting businesses and going back to school. They're coaching Little League and helping their neighbors. One woman wrote to me and said, "We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged." It's because of this spirit, this great decency and great strength, that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our Union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a Government that matches their decency, that embodies their strength. And tonight I'd like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise. It begins with our economy. Our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped cause this crisis. It was not easy to do. And if there's one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans and everybody in between, it's that we all hated the bank bailout. I hated it. I hated it; you hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal. [ ] But when I ran for President, I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular; I would do what was necessary. And if we had allowed the meltdown of the financial system, unemployment might be double what it is today. More businesses would certainly have closed. More homes would have surely been lost. So I supported the last administration's efforts to create the financial rescue program. And when we took that program over, we made it more transparent and more accountable. And as a result, the markets are now stabilized, and we've recovered most of the money we spent on the banks--most but not all. To recover the rest, I've proposed a fee on the biggest banks. Now, I know Wall Street isn't keen on this idea. But if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need. Now, as we stabilized the financial system, we also took steps to get our economy growing again, save as many jobs as possible, and help Americans who had become unemployed. That's why we extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 18 million Americans, made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who get their coverage through COBRA, and passed 25 different tax cuts. Now, let me repeat: We cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time home buyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college. [ ] I thought I'd get some applause on that one. [ ] As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas and food and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers. And we haven't raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person--not a single dime. Now, because of the steps we took, there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. Two hundred thousand work in construction and clean energy. Three hundred thousand are teachers and other education workers. Tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers, first-responders. And we're on track to add another 1 1/2 million jobs to this total by the end of the year. The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act. That's right, the Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus bill. Economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster. But you don't have to take their word for it. Talk to the small business in Phoenix that will triple its workforce because of the Recovery Act. Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created. Talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the Recovery Act, she wouldn't be laid off after all. There are stories like this all across America. And after 2 years of recession, the economy is growing again. Retirement funds have started to gain back some of their value. Businesses are beginning to invest again, and slowly some are starting to hire again. But I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from, who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response. That is why jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight. Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America's businesses. [ ] I agree, absolutely. But Government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers. We should start where most new jobs do, in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides it's time she became her own boss. Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession, and they're ready to grow. But when you talk to small-business owners in places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they're mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small-business owners across the country, even those that are making a profit. So tonight I'm proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. I'm also proposing a new small business tax credit, one that will go to over 1 million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. While we're at it, let's also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small-business investment and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment. Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our Nation has always been built to compete. There's no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products. Tomorrow I'll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help move our Nation's goods, services, and information. We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America. Now, the House has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps. As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same, and I know they will. They will. People are out of work. They're hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay. But the truth is, these steps won't make up for the 7 million jobs that we've lost over the last 2 years. The only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth and finally address the problems that America's families have confronted for years. We can't afford another so-called economic expansion like the one from the last decade, what some call the "lost decade," where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion, where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs, where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation. From the day I took office, I've been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious; such an effort would be too contentious. I've been told that our political system is too gridlocked and that we should just put things on hold for a while. For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany's not waiting. India's not waiting. These nations are--they're not standing still. These nations aren't playing for second place. They're putting more emphasis on math and science. They're rebuilding their infrastructure. They're making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America. As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may become, it's time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth. Now, one place to start is serious financial reform. Look, I am not interested in punishing banks. I'm interested in protecting our economy. A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy. We need to make sure consumers and middle class families have the information they need to make financial decisions. We can't allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy. Now, the House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes, and the lobbyists are trying to kill it. But we cannot let them win this fight. And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back until we get it right. We've got to get it right. Next, we need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history, an investment that could lead to the world's cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells, but leaves healthy ones untouched. And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy. You can see the results of last year's investments in clean energy in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels. But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. And yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America. Now, I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. And this year, I'm eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy. I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But here's the thing: Even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future, because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. Third, we need to export more of our goods, because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next 5 years, an increase that will support 2 million jobs in America. To help meet this goal, we're launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and reform export controls consistent with national security. We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. And that's why we'll continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea and Panama and Colombia. Fourth, we need to invest in the skills and education of our people. Now, this year, we've broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. And the idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform, reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to the inner city. In the 21st century, the best antipoverty program around is a world-class education. And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential. When we renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will work with Congress to expand these reforms to all 50 States. Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. That's why I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families. To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans. Instead, let's take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for 4 years of college and increase Pell grants. And let's tell another 1 million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. And by the way, it's time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs, because they too have a responsibility to help solve this problem. Now, the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class. That's why last year, I asked Vice President Biden to chair a task force on middle class families. That's why we're nearly doubling the childcare tax credit and making it easier to save for retirement by giving access to every worker a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg. That's why we're working to lift the value of a family's single largest investment, their home. The steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 on mortgage payments. This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages. And it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle class families that we still need health insurance reform. Yes, we do. Now, let's clear a few things up. I didn't choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt. And by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn't take on health care because it was good politics. [ ] I took on health care because of the stories I've heard from Americans with preexisting conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage, patients who've been denied coverage, families, even those with insurance, who are just one illness away from financial ruin. After nearly a century of trying--Democratic administrations, Republican administrations--we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans. The approach we've taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market. It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care. And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier. [ ] Thank you, honey. She gets embarrassed. [ ] Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan. It would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses. And according to the Congressional Budget Office, the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for Congress, our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades. Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people. And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, "What's in it for me?" But I also know this problem is not going away. By the time I'm finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small-business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this Chamber. So as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we've proposed. There's a reason why many doctors, nurses, and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo. But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. Let me know. Let me know. I'm eager to see it. Here's what I ask Congress, though: Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people. Let's get it done. Let's get it done. Now, even as health care reform would reduce our deficit, it's not enough to dig us out of a massive fiscal hole in which we find ourselves. It's a challenge that makes all others that much harder to solve and one that's been subject to a lot of political posturing. So let me start the discussion of Government spending by setting the record straight. At the beginning of the last decade, the year 2000, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a 1-year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. All this was before I walked in the door. [ ] Now--[ ]--just stating the facts. Now, if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit. But we took office amid a crisis. And our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt. That too is a fact. I'm absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do. But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The Federal Government should do the same. So tonight I'm proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year. Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze Government spending for 3 years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary Government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. We will continue to go through the budget, line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we can't afford and don't work. We've already identified $20 billion in savings for next year. To help working families, we'll extend our middle class tax cuts. But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, for investment fund managers, and for those making over $250,000 a year. We just can't afford it. Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we'll still face the massive deficit we had when I took office. More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That's why I've called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. This can't be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solve a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline. Now, yesterday the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission, so I'll issue an Executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. Now, I know that some in my own party will argue that we can't address the deficit or freeze Government spending when so many are still hurting. And I agree, which is why this freeze won't take effect until next year, when the economy is stronger. That's how budgeting works. [ ] But understand, if we don't take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing, and jeopardize our recovery, all of which would have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes. From some on the right, I expect we'll hear a different argument, that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts, including those for the wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is, that's what we did for 8 years. That's what helped us into this crisis. It's what helped lead to these deficits. We can't do it again. Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it's time to try something new. Let's invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let's meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let's try common sense--[ ]--a novel concept. Now, to do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust, deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap, we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists, to do our work openly, to give our people the Government they deserve. Now, that's what I came to Washington to do. That's why, for the first time in history, my administration posts on--our White House visitors online. That's why we've excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs or seats on Federal boards and commissions. But we can't stop there. It's time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client, with my administration or with Congress. It's time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for Federal office. With all due deference to separation of powers, last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections. I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I'd urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems. I'm also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform, Democrats and Republicans--Democrats and Republicans. Look, you've trimmed some of this spending, you've embraced some meaningful change, but restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some Members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight I'm calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single web site before there's a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent. Of course, none of these reforms will even happen if we don't also reform how we work with one another. Now, I'm not naive. I never thought that the mere fact of my election would usher in peace and harmony and--[ ]--some postpartisan era. I knew that both parties have fed divisions that are deeply entrenched. And on some issues, there are simply philosophical differences that will always cause us to part ways. These disagreements, about the role of government in our lives, about our national priorities and our national security, they've been taking place for over 200 years. They're the very essence of our democracy. But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is election day. We can't wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side, a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of--I'm speaking to both parties now--the confirmation of well-qualified public servants shouldn't be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual Senators. Washington may think that saying anything about the other side, no matter how false, no matter how malicious, is just part of the game. But it's precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the American people. Worse yet, it's sowing further division among our citizens, further distrust in our Government. So no, I will not give up on trying to change the tone of our politics. I know it's an election year. And after last week, it's clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But we still need to govern. To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town--a supermajority--then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it's not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let's show the American people that we can do it together. This week, I'll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. I'd like to begin monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can't wait. [ ] Now, throughout our history, no issue has united this country more than our security. Sadly, some of the unity we felt after 9/11 has dissipated. And we can argue all we want about who's to blame for this, but I'm not interested in relitigating the past. I know that all of us love this country. All of us are committed to its defense. So let's put aside the schoolyard taunts about who's tough. Let's reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values. Let's leave behind the fear and division and do what it takes to defend our Nation and forge a more hopeful future for America and for the world. That's the work we began last year. Since the day I took office, we've renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our Nation. We've made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take American lives. We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence. We've prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the Pacific to South Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. And in the last year, hundreds of Al Qaida's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed, far more than in 2008. And in Afghanistan, we're increasing our troops and training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011 and our troops can begin to come home. We will reward good governance, work to reduce corruption, and support the rights of all Afghans, men and women alike. We're joined by allies and partners who have increased their own commitments and who will come together tomorrow in London to reaffirm our common purpose. There will be difficult days ahead, but I am absolutely confident we will succeed. As we take the fight to Al Qaida, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people. As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as President. We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August. We will support the Iraqi Government as they hold elections, and we will continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: This war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home. Tonight all of our men and women in uniform, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world, they have to know that we--that they have our respect, our gratitude, our full support. And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home. That's why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades last year. That's why we're building a 21st-century VA. And that's why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families. Now, even as we prosecute two wars, we're also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people, the threat of nuclear weapons. I've embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons and seeks a world without them. To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades. And at April's Nuclear Security Summit, we will bring 44 nations together here in Washington, DC, behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in 4 years so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists. Now, these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons. That's why North Korea now faces increased isolation and stronger sanctions, sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That's why the international community is more united and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They too will face growing consequences. That is a promise. That's the leadership we are providing: engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people. We're working through the G-20 to sustain a lasting global recovery. We're working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science and education and innovation. We have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change. We're helping developing countries to feed themselves and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease, a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad. As we have for over 60 years, America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores. But we also do it because it is right. That's why, as we meet here tonight, over 10,000 Americans are working with many nations to help the people of Haiti recover and rebuild. That's why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan, why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran, why we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in Guinea. For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity--always. Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: The notion that we're all created equal; that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law, you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values, you should be treated no different than anyone else. We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Division that is once again prosecuting violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It's the right thing to do. We're going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws so that women get equal pay for an equal day's work. And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system, to secure our borders and enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our Nation. In the end, it's our ideals, our values that built America, values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe, values that drive our citizens still. Every day, Americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers. Time and again, they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country. They take pride in their labor and are generous in spirit. These aren't Republican values or Democratic values that they're living by, business values or labor values, they're American values. Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions--our corporations, our media, and, yes, our Government--still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people's doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away. No wonder there's so much cynicism out there. No wonder there's so much disappointment. I campaigned on the promise of change. Change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now I know there are many Americans who aren't sure if they still believe we can change or that I can deliver it. But remember this: I never suggested that change would be easy or that I could do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is. Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths and pointing fingers. We can do what's necessary to keep our poll numbers high and get through the next election, instead of doing what's best for the next generation. But I also know this: If people had made that decision 50 years ago or 100 years ago or 200 years ago, we wouldn't be here tonight. The only reason we are here is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard, to do what was needed even when success was uncertain, to do what it took to keep the dream of this Nation alive for their children and their grandchildren. Now, our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved. But I wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year. And what keeps me going, what keeps me fighting, is that despite all these setbacks, that spirit of determination and optimism, that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the American people, that lives on. It lives on in the struggling small-business owner who wrote to me of his company, "None of us," he said, ". . . are willing to consider, even slightly, that we might fail." It lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession, "We are strong. We are resilient. We are American." It lives on in the 8-year-old boy in Louisiana who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti. And it lives on in all the Americans who've dropped everything to go someplace they've never been and pull people they've never known from the rubble, prompting chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" when another life was saved. The spirit that has sustained this Nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people. We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don't quit. I don't quit. Let's seize this moment to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our Union once more. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our Union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility, and they have done so in the midst of war and depression, at moments of great strife and great struggle. It is tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable, that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were the times that tested the courage of our convictions and the strength of our Union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one Nation, as one people. Again, we are tested. And again, we must answer history's call. One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by a severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a Government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted, immediately and aggressively. And 1 year later, the worst of the storm has passed. But the devastation remains. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. And for those who would already known poverty, life's become that much harder. This recession has also compounded the burdens that America's families have been dealing with for decades: the burden of working harder and longer for less, of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college. So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They are not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for President. These struggles are what I have witnessed for years, in places like Elkhart, Indiana; Galesburg, Illinois. I hear about them in the letters that I read each night. The toughest to read are those written by children asking why they have to move from their home, asking when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work. For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated, some are angry. They do not understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded, but hard work on Main Street is not, or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems. They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we cannot afford it. Not now. So we face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope, what they deserve, is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences, to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories, different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared: a job that pays the bills, a chance to get ahead, most of all, the ability to give their children a better life. And you know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids, starting businesses and going back to school. They are coaching Little League and helping their neighbors. One woman wrote to me and said, "We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged." It is because of this spirit, this great decency and great strength, that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our Union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it is time the American people get a Government that matches their decency, that embodies their strength. And tonight I would like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise. It begins with our economy. Our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped because this crisis. It was not easy to do. And if there is one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans and everybody in between, it is that we all hated the bank bailout. I hated it. I hated it; you hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal. [ ] But when I ran for President, I promised I would not just do what was popular; I would do what was necessary. And if we had allowed the meltdown of the financial system, unemployment might be double what it is today. More businesses would certainly have closed. More homes would have surely been lost. So I supported the last administration's efforts to create the financial rescue program. And when we took that program over, we made it more transparent and more accountable. And as a result, the markets are now stabilized, and we have recovered most of the money we spent on the banks--most but not all. To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks. Now, I know Wall Street is not keen on this idea. But if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need. Now, as we stabilized the financial system, we also took steps to get our economy growing again, save as many jobs as possible, and help Americans who had become unemployed. That is why we extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 18 million Americans, made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who get their coverage through COBRA, and passed 25 different tax cuts. Now, let me repeat: We cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time home buyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college. [ ] I thought I would get some applause on that one. [ ] As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas and food and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers. And we have not raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person--not a single dime. Now, because of the steps we took, there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. Two hundred thousand work in construction and clean energy. Three hundred thousand are teachers and other education workers. Tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers, first-responders. And we are on track to add another 1 1/2 million jobs to this total by the end of the year. The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act. That is right, the Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus bill. Economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster. But you do not have to take their word for it. Talk to the small business in Phoenix that will triple its workforce because of the Recovery Act. Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created. Talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the Recovery Act, she would not be laid off after all. There are stories like this all across America. And after 2 years of recession, the economy is growing again. Retirement funds have started to gain back some of their value. Businesses are beginning to invest again, and slowly some are starting to hire again. But I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from, who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response. That is why jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that is why I am calling for a new jobs bill tonight. Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America's businesses. [ ] I agree, absolutely. But Government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers. We should start where most new jobs do, in small businesses, companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides it is time she became her own boss. Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession, and they are ready to grow. But when you talk to small-business owners in places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they are mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small-business owners across the country, even those that are making a profit. So tonight I am proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. I am also proposing a new small business tax credit, one that will go to over 1 million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. While we are at it, let us also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small-business investment and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment. Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the Interstate Highway System, our Nation has always been built to compete. There is no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products. Tomorrow I will visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help move our Nation's goods, services, and information. We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America. Now, the House has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps. As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same, and I know they will. They will. People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay. But the truth is, these steps will not make up for the 7 million jobs that we have lost over the last 2 years. The only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth and finally address the problems that America's families have confronted for years. We cannot afford another so-called economic expansion like the one from the last decade, what some call the "lost decade," where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion, where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs, where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation. From the day I took office, I have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious; such an effort would be too contentious. I have been told that our political system is too gridlocked and that we should just put things on hold for a while. For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany's not waiting. India's not waiting. These nations are--they are not standing still. These nations are not playing for second place. They are putting more emphasis on math and science. They are rebuilding their infrastructure. They are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America. As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may become, it is time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth. Now, one place to start is serious financial reform. Look, I am not interested in punishing banks. I am interested in protecting our economy. A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy. We need to make sure consumers and middle class families have the information they need to make financial decisions. We cannot allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy. Now, the House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes, and the lobbyists are trying to kill it. But we cannot let them win this fight. And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back until we get it right. We have got to get it right. Next, we need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history, an investment that could lead to the world's cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells, but leaves healthy ones untouched. And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy. You can see the results of last year's investments in clean energy in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels. But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. And yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America. Now, I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. And this year, I am eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy. I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But here is the thing: Even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future, because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. Third, we need to export more of our goods, because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next 5 years, an increase that will support 2 million jobs in America. To help meet this goal, we are launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and reform export controls consistent with national security. We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. And that is why we will continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea and Panama and Colombia. Fourth, we need to invest in the skills and education of our people. Now, this year, we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. And the idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform, reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to the inner city. In the 21st century, the best antipoverty program around is a world-class education. And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential. When we renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will work with Congress to expand these reforms to all 50 States. Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. That is why I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families. To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans. Instead, let us take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for 4 years of college and increase Pell grants. And let us tell another 1 million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. And by the way, it is time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs, because they too have a responsibility to help solve this problem. Now, the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class. That is why last year, I asked Vice President Biden to chair a task force on middle class families. That is why we are nearly doubling the childcare tax credit and making it easier to save for retirement by giving access to every worker a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg. That is why we are working to lift the value of a family's single largest investment, their home. The steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 on mortgage payments. This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages. And it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle class families that we still need health insurance reform. Yes, we do. Now, let us clear a few things up. I did not choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt. And by now it should be fairly obvious that I did not take on health care because it was good politics. [ ] I took on health care because of the stories I have heard from Americans with preexisting conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage, patients who have been denied coverage, families, even those with insurance, who are just one illness away from financial ruin. After nearly a century of trying--Democratic administrations, Republican administrations--we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans. The approach we have taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market. It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care. And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier. [ ] Thank you, honey. She gets embarrassed. [ ] Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan. It would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses. And according to the Congressional Budget Office, the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for Congress, our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades. Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people. And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, "What is in it for me?" But I also know this problem is not going away. By the time I am finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small-business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this Chamber. So as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we have proposed. There is a reason why many doctors, nurses, and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo. But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. Let me know. Let me know. I am eager to see it. Here is what I ask Congress, though: Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people. Let us get it done. Let us get it done. Now, even as health care reform would reduce our deficit, it is not enough to dig us out of a massive fiscal hole in which we find ourselves. It is a challenge that makes all others that much harder to solve and one that is been subject to a lot of political posturing. So let me start the discussion of Government spending by setting the record straight. At the beginning of the last decade, the year 2000, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a 1-year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. All this was before I walked in the door. [ ] Now--[ ]--just stating the facts. Now, if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit. But we took office amid a crisis. And our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt. That too is a fact. I am absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do. But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The Federal Government should do the same. So tonight I am proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year. Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze Government spending for 3 years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary Government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we do not. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will. We will continue to go through the budget, line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we cannot afford and do not work. We have already identified $20 billion in savings for next year. To help working families, we will extend our middle class tax cuts. But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, for investment fund managers, and for those making over $250,000 a year. We just cannot afford it. Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we will still face the massive deficit we had when I took office. More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That is why I have called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. This cannot be one of those Washington gimmicks that let us us pretend we solve a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline. Now, yesterday the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission, so I will issue an Executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. Now, I know that some in my own party will argue that we cannot address the deficit or freeze Government spending when so many are still hurting. And I agree, which is why this freeze will not take effect until next year, when the economy is stronger. That is how budgeting works. [ ] But understand, if we do not take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing, and jeopardize our recovery, all of which would have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes. From some on the right, I expect we will hear a different argument, that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts, including those for the wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is, that is what we did for 8 years. That is what helped us into this crisis. It is what helped lead to these deficits. We cannot do it again. Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it is time to try something new. Let us invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let us meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let us try common sense--[ ]--a novel concept. Now, to do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust, deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap, we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists, to do our work openly, to give our people the Government they deserve. Now, that is what I came to Washington to do. That is why, for the first time in history, my administration posts on--our White House visitors online. That is why we have excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs or seats on Federal boards and commissions. But we cannot stop there. It is time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client, with my administration or with Congress. It is time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for Federal office. With all due deference to separation of powers, last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections. I do not think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I would urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems. I am also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform, Democrats and Republicans--Democrats and Republicans. Look, you have trimmed some of this spending, you have embraced some meaningful change, but restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some Members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight I am calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single web site before there is a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent. Of course, none of these reforms will even happen if we do not also reform how we work with one another. Now, I am not naive. I never thought that the mere fact of my election would usher in peace and harmony and--[ ]--some postpartisan era. I knew that both parties have fed divisions that are deeply entrenched. And on some issues, there are simply philosophical differences that will always because us to part ways. These disagreements, about the role of government in our lives, about our national priorities and our national security, they have been taking place for over 200 years. They are the very essence of our democracy. But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is election day. We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side, a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of--I am speaking to both parties now--the confirmation of well-qualified public servants should not be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual Senators. Washington may think that saying anything about the other side, no matter how false, no matter how malicious, is just part of the game. But it is precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the American people. Worse yet, it is sowing further division among our citizens, further distrust in our Government. So no, I will not give up on trying to change the tone of our politics. I know it is an election year. And after last week, it is clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But we still need to govern. To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town--a supermajority--then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it is not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let us show the American people that we can do it together. This week, I will be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. I would like to begin monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you cannot wait. [ ] Now, throughout our history, no issue has united this country more than our security. Sadly, some of the unity we felt after 9/11 has dissipated. And we can argue all we want about who is to blame for this, but I am not interested in relitigating the past. I know that all of us love this country. All of us are committed to its defense. So let us put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough. Let us reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values. Let us leave behind the fear and division and do what it takes to defend our Nation and forge a more hopeful future for America and for the world. That is the work we began last year. Since the day I took office, we have renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our Nation. We have made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take American lives. We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence. We have prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the Pacific to South Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. And in the last year, hundreds of Al Qaida's fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed, far more than in 2008. And in Afghanistan, we are increasing our troops and training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011 and our troops can begin to come home. We will reward good governance, work to reduce corruption, and support the rights of all Afghans, men and women alike. We are joined by allies and partners who have increased their own commitments and who will come together tomorrow in London to reaffirm our common purpose. There will be difficult days ahead, but I am absolutely confident we will succeed. As we take the fight to Al Qaida, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people. As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as President. We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August. We will support the Iraqi Government as they hold elections, and we will continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: This war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home. Tonight all of our men and women in uniform, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world, they have to know that we--that they have our respect, our gratitude, our full support. And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home. That is why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades last year. That is why we are building a 21st-century VA. And that is why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families. Now, even as we prosecute two wars, we are also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people, the threat of nuclear weapons. I have embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons and seeks a world without them. To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades. And at April's Nuclear Security Summit, we will bring 44 nations together here in Washington, DC, behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in 4 years so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists. Now, these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons. That is why North Korea now faces increased isolation and stronger sanctions, sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That is why the international community is more united and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They too will face growing consequences. That is a promise. That is the leadership we are providing: engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people. We are working through the G-20 to sustain a lasting global recovery. We are working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science and education and innovation. We have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change. We are helping developing countries to feed themselves and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease, a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad. As we have for over 60 years, America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores. But we also do it because it is right. That is why, as we meet here tonight, over 10,000 Americans are working with many nations to help the people of Haiti recover and rebuild. That is why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan, why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran, why we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in Guinea. For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity--always. Abroad, America's greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: The notion that we are all created equal; that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law, you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values, you should be treated no different than anyone else. We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Division that is once again prosecuting violations and employment discrimination. We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It is the right thing to do. We are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws so that women get equal pay for an equal day's work. And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system, to secure our borders and enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our Nation. In the end, it is our ideals, our values that built America, values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe, values that drive our citizens still. Every day, Americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers. Time and again, they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country. They take pride in their labor and are generous in spirit. These are not Republican values or Democratic values that they are living by, business values or labor values, they are American values. Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions--our corporations, our media, and, yes, our Government--still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people's doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away. No wonder there is so much cynicism out there. No wonder there is so much disappointment. I campaigned on the promise of change. Change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now I know there are many Americans who are not sure if they still believe we can change or that I can deliver it. But remember this: I never suggested that change would be easy or that I could do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That is just how it is. Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths and pointing fingers. We can do what is necessary to keep our poll numbers high and get through the next election, instead of doing what is best for the next generation. But I also know this: If people had made that decision 50 years ago or 100 years ago or 200 years ago, we would not be here tonight. The only reason we are here is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard, to do what was needed even when success was uncertain, to do what it took to keep the dream of this Nation alive for their children and their grandchildren. Now, our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved. But I wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year. And what keeps me going, what keeps me fighting, is that despite all these setbacks, that spirit of determination and optimism, that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the American people, that lives on. It lives on in the struggling small-business owner who wrote to me of his company, "None of us," he said, ". . . are willing to consider, even slightly, that we might fail." It lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession, "We are strong. We are resilient. We are American." It lives on in the 8-year-old boy in Louisiana who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti. And it lives on in all the Americans who have dropped everything to go someplace they have never been and pull people they have never known from the rubble, prompting chants of "YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.!" when another life was saved. The spirit that has sustained this Nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people. We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We do not quit. I do not quit. Let us seize this moment to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our Union once more. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
madam speaker vice president biden members of congress distinguished guests and fellow americans our constitution declares that from time to time the president shall give to congress information about the state of our union for 220 years our leaders have fulfilled this duty they have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility and they have done so in the midst of war and depression at moments of great strife and great struggle it is tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable that america was always destined to succeed but when the union was turned back at bull run and the allies first landed at omaha beach victory was very much in doubt when the market crashed on black tuesday and marchers were beaten on bloody sunday the future was anything but certain these were the times that tested the courage of our convictions and the strength of our union and despite all our divisions and disagreements our hesitations and our fears america prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation as one people again we are tested and again we must answer history call one year ago i took office amid two wars an economy rocked by a severe recession a financial system on the verge of collapse and a government deeply in debt experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act we might face a second depression so we acted immediately and aggressively and 1 year later the worst of the storm has passed but the devastation remains one in 10 americans still can not find work many businesses have shuttered home values have declined small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard and for those who would already known poverty life become that much harder this recession has also compounded the burdens that america families have been dealing with for decades the burden of working harder and longer for less of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college so i know the anxieties that are out there right now they are not new these struggles are the reason i ran for president these struggles are what i have witnessed for years in places like elkhart indiana galesburg illinois i hear about them in the letters that i read each night the toughest to read are those written by children asking why they have to move from their home asking when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work for these americans and so many others change has not come fast enough some are frustrated some are angry they do not understand why it seems like bad behavior on wall street is rewarded but hard work on main street is not or why washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems they are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness they know we can not afford it not now so we face big and difficult challenges and what the american people hope what they deserve is for all of us democrats and republicans to work through our differences to overcome the numbing weight of our politics for while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds different stories different beliefs the anxieties they face are the same the aspirations they hold are shared a job that pays the bills a chance to get ahead most of all the ability to give their children a better life and you know what else they share they share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity after one of the most difficult years in our history they remain busy building cars and teaching kids starting businesses and going back to school they are coaching little league and helping their neighbors one woman wrote to me and said we are strained but hopeful struggling but encouraged it is because of this spirit this great decency and great strength that i have never been more hopeful about america future than i am tonight despite our hardships our union is strong we do not give up we do not quit we do not allow fear or division to break our spirit in this new decade it is time the american people get a government that matches their decency that embodies their strength and tonight i would like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise it begins with our economy our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped because this crisis it was not easy to do and if there is one thing that has unified democrats and republicans and everybody in between it is that we all hated the bank bailout i hated it i hated it you hated it it was about as popular as a root canal but when i ran for president i promised i would not just do what was popular i would do what was necessary and if we had allowed the meltdown of the financial system unemployment might be double what it is today more businesses would certainly have closed more homes would have surely been lost so i supported the last administration efforts to create the financial rescue program and when we took that program over we made it more transparent and more accountable and as a result the markets are now stabilized and we have recovered most of the money we spent on the banks most but not all to recover the rest i have proposed a fee on the biggest banks now i know wall street is not keen on this idea but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need now as we stabilized the financial system we also took steps to get our economy growing again save as many jobs as possible and help americans who had become unemployed that is why we extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 18 million americans made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who get their coverage through cobra and passed 25 different tax cuts now let me repeat we cut taxes we cut taxes for 95 percent of working families we cut taxes for small businesses we cut taxes for home buyers we cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children we cut taxes for 8 million americans paying for college i thought i would get some applause on that one as a result millions of americans had more to spend on gas and food and other necessities all of which helped businesses keep more workers and we have not raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person not a single dime now because of the steps we took there are about 2 million americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed two hundred thousand work in construction and clean energy three hundred thousand are teachers and other education workers tens of thousands are cops firefighters correctional officers and we are on track to add another 1 million jobs to this total by the end of the year the plan that has made all of this possible from the tax cuts to the jobs is the recovery act that is right the recovery act also known as the stimulus bill economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster but you do not have to take their word for it talk to the small business in phoenix that will triple its workforce because of the recovery act talk to the window manufacturer in philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the recovery act until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the recovery act she would not be laid off after all there are stories like this all across america and after 2 years of recession the economy is growing again retirement funds have started to gain back some of their value businesses are beginning to invest again and slowly some are starting to hire again but i realize that for every success story there are other stories of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response that is why jobs must be our focus in 2010 and that is why i am calling for a new jobs bill tonight now the true engine of job creation in this country will always be america businesses i agree absolutely but government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers we should start where most new jobs do in small businesses companies that begin when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream or a worker decides it is time she became her own boss through sheer grit and determination these companies have weathered the recession and they are ready to grow but when you talk to owners in places like allentown pennsylvania or elyria ohio you find out that even though banks on wall street are lending again they are mostly lending to bigger companies financing remains difficult for owners across the country even those that are making a profit so tonight i am proposing that we take 30 billion of the money wall street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat i am also proposing a new small business tax credit one that will go to over 1 million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages while we are at it let us also eliminate all capital gains taxes on investment and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment next we can put americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow from the first railroads to the interstate highway system our nation has always been built to compete there is no reason europe or china should have the fastest trains or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products tomorrow i will visit tampa florida where workers will soon break ground on a new railroad funded by the recovery act there are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help move our nation goods services and information we should put more americans to work building clean energy facilities and give rebates to americans who make their homes more energy efficient which supports clean energy jobs and to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the united states of america now the house has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps as the first order of business this year i urge the senate to do the same and i know they will they will people are out of work they are hurting they need our help and i want a jobs bill on my desk without delay but the truth is these steps will not make up for the 7 million jobs that we have lost over the last 2 years the only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for economic growth and finally address the problems that america families have confronted for years we can not afford another economic expansion like the one from the last decade what some call the lost decade where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion where the income of the average american household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation from the day i took office i have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious such an effort would be too contentious i have been told that our political system is too gridlocked and that we should just put things on hold for a while for those who make these claims i have one simple question how long should we wait how long should america put its future on hold you see washington has been telling us to wait for decades even as the problems have grown worse meanwhile china not waiting to revamp its economy germany not waiting india not waiting these nations are they are not standing still these nations are not playing for second place they are putting more emphasis on math and science they are rebuilding their infrastructure they are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs well i do not accept second place for the united states of america as hard as it may be as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may become it is time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth now one place to start is serious financial reform look i am not interested in punishing banks i am interested in protecting our economy a strong healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs it channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes but that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy we need to make sure consumers and middle class families have the information they need to make financial decisions we can not allow financial institutions including those that take your deposits to take risks that threaten the whole economy now the house has already passed financial reform with many of these changes and the lobbyists are trying to kill it but we can not let them win this fight and if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform i will send it back until we get it right we have got to get it right next we need to encourage american innovation last year we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history an investment that could lead to the world cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched and no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy you can see the results of last year investments in clean energy in the north carolina company that will create jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries or in the california business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels but to create more of these clean energy jobs we need more production more efficiency more incentives and that means building a new generation of safe clean nuclear power plants in this country it means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development it means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies and yes it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in america now i am grateful to the house for passing such a bill last year and this year i am eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the senate i know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy i know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change but here is the thing even if you doubt the evidence providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy and america must be that nation third we need to export more of our goods because the more products we make and sell to other countries the more jobs we support right here in america so tonight we set a new goal we will double our exports over the next 5 years an increase that will support 2 million jobs in america to help meet this goal we are launching a national export initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports and reform export controls consistent with national security we have to seek new markets aggressively just as our competitors are if america sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores but realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules and that is why we will continue to shape a doha trade agreement that opens global markets and why we will strengthen our trade relations in asia and with key partners like south korea and panama and colombia fourth we need to invest in the skills and education of our people now this year we have broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools and the idea here is simple instead of rewarding failure we only reward success instead of funding the status quo we only invest in reform reform that raises student achievement inspires students to excel in math and science and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young americans from rural communities to the inner city in the 21st century the best antipoverty program around is a education and in this country the success of our children can not depend more on where they live than on their potential when we renew the elementary and secondary education act we will work with congress to expand these reforms to all 50 states still in this economy a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job that is why i urge the senate to follow the house and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families to make college more affordable this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans instead let us take that money and give families a tax credit for 4 years of college and increase pell grants and let us tell another 1 million students that when they graduate they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service because in the united states of america no one should go broke because they chose to go to college and by the way it is time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs because they too have a responsibility to help solve this problem now the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class that is why last year i asked vice president biden to chair a task force on middle class families that is why we are nearly doubling the childcare tax credit and making it easier to save for retirement by giving access to every worker a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg that is why we are working to lift the value of a family single largest investment their home the steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of americans to take out new loans and save an average of on mortgage payments this year we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages and it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle class families that we still need health insurance reform yes we do now let us clear a few things up i did not choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt and by now it should be fairly obvious that i did not take on health care because it was good politics i took on health care because of the stories i have heard from americans with preexisting conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage patients who have been denied coverage families even those with insurance who are just one illness away from financial ruin after nearly a century of trying democratic administrations republican administrations we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many americans the approach we have taken would protect every american from the worst practices of the insurance industry it would give small businesses and uninsured americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market it would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care and by the way i want to acknowledge our first lady michelle obama who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier thank you honey she gets embarrassed our approach would preserve the right of americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan it would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses and according to the congressional budget office the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for congress our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as 1 trillion over the next two decades still this is a complex issue and the longer it was debated the more skeptical people became i take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the american people and i know that with all the lobbying and the process left most americans wondering what is in it for me but i also know this problem is not going away by the time i am finished speaking tonight more americans will have lost their health insurance millions will lose it this year our deficit will grow premiums will go up patients will be denied the care they need owners will continue to drop coverage altogether i will not walk away from these americans and neither should the people in this chamber so as temperatures cool i want everyone to take another look at the plan we have proposed there is a reason why many doctors nurses and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo but if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums bring down the deficit cover the uninsured strengthen medicare for seniors and stop insurance company abuses let me know let me know let me know i am eager to see it here is what i ask congress though do not walk away from reform not now not when we are so close let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the american people let us get it done let us get it done now even as health care reform would reduce our deficit it is not enough to dig us out of a massive fiscal hole in which we find ourselves it is a challenge that makes all others that much harder to solve and one that is been subject to a lot of political posturing so let me start the discussion of government spending by setting the record straight at the beginning of the last decade the year 2000 america had a budget surplus of over 200 billion by the time i took office we had a deficit of over 1 trillion and projected deficits of 8 trillion over the next decade most of this was the result of not paying for two wars two tax cuts and an expensive prescription drug program on top of that the effects of the recession put a 3 trillion hole in our budget all this was before i walked in the door now just stating the facts now if we had taken office in ordinary times i would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit but we took office amid a crisis and our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another 1 trillion to our national debt that too is a fact i am absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do but families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions the federal government should do the same so tonight i am proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year starting in 2011 we are prepared to freeze government spending for 3 years spending related to our national security medicare medicaid and social security will not be affected but all other discretionary government programs will like any family we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we do not and if i have to enforce this discipline by veto i will we will continue to go through the budget line by line page by page to eliminate programs that we can not afford and do not work we have already identified 20 billion in savings for next year to help working families we will extend our middle class tax cuts but at a time of record deficits we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies for investment fund managers and for those making over a year we just can not afford it now even after paying for what we spent on my watch we will still face the massive deficit we had when i took office more importantly the cost of medicare medicaid and social security will continue to skyrocket that is why i have called for a bipartisan fiscal commission modeled on a proposal by republican judd gregg and democrat kent conrad this can not be one of those washington gimmicks that let us us pretend we solve a problem the commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline now yesterday the senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission so i will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward because i refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of americans and when the vote comes tomorrow the senate should restore the law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s now i know that some in my own party will argue that we can not address the deficit or freeze government spending when so many are still hurting and i agree which is why this freeze will not take effect until next year when the economy is stronger that is how budgeting works but understand if we do not take meaningful steps to rein in our debt it could damage our markets increase the cost of borrowing and jeopardize our recovery all of which would have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes from some on the right i expect we will hear a different argument that if we just make fewer investments in our people extend tax cuts including those for the wealthier americans eliminate more regulations maintain the status quo on health care our deficits will go away the problem is that is what we did for 8 years that is what helped us into this crisis it is what helped lead to these deficits we can not do it again rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated washington for decades it is time to try something new let us invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt let us meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here let us try common sense a novel concept now to do that we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now we face a deficit of trust deep and corrosive doubts about how washington works that have been growing for years to close that credibility gap we have to take action on both ends of pennsylvania avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists to do our work openly to give our people the government they deserve now that is what i came to washington to do that is why for the first time in history my administration posts on our white house visitors online that is why we have excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions but we can not stop there it is time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or with congress it is time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office with all due deference to separation of powers last week the supreme court reversed a century of law that i believe will open the floodgates for special interests including foreign corporations to spend without limit in our elections i do not think american elections should be bankrolled by america most powerful interests or worse by foreign entities they should be decided by the american people and i would urge democrats and republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems i am also calling on congress to continue down the path of earmark reform democrats and republicans democrats and republicans look you have trimmed some of this spending you have embraced some meaningful change but restoring the public trust demands more for example some members of congress post some earmark requests online tonight i am calling on congress to publish all earmark requests on a single web site before there is a vote so that the american people can see how their money is being spent of course none of these reforms will even happen if we do not also reform how we work with one another now i am not naive i never thought that the mere fact of my election would usher in peace and harmony and some postpartisan era i knew that both parties have fed divisions that are deeply entrenched and on some issues there are simply philosophical differences that will always because us to part ways these disagreements about the role of government in our lives about our national priorities and our national security they have been taking place for over 200 years they are the very essence of our democracy but what frustrates the american people is a washington where every day is election day we can not wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side a belief that if you lose i win neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can the confirmation of i am speaking to both parties now the confirmation of public servants should not be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators washington may think that saying anything about the other side no matter how false no matter how malicious is just part of the game but it is precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the american people worse yet it is sowing further division among our citizens further distrust in our government so no i will not give up on trying to change the tone of our politics i know it is an election year and after last week it is clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual but we still need to govern to democrats i would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades and the people expect us to solve problems not run for the hills and if the republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the senate are required to do any business at all in this town a supermajority then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well just saying no to everything may be good politics but it is not leadership we were sent here to serve our citizens not our ambitions so let us show the american people that we can do it together this week i will be addressing a meeting of the house republicans i would like to begin monthly meetings with both democratic and republican leadership i know you can not wait now throughout our history no issue has united this country more than our security sadly some of the unity we felt after has dissipated and we can argue all we want about who is to blame for this but i am not interested in relitigating the past i know that all of us love this country all of us are committed to its defense so let us put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough let us reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values let us leave behind the fear and division and do what it takes to defend our nation and forge a more hopeful future for america and for the world that is the work we began last year since the day i took office we have renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our nation we have made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take american lives we are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed christmas attack with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence we have prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the pacific to south asia to the arabian peninsula and in the last year hundreds of al qaida fighters and affiliates including many senior leaders have been captured or killed far more than in 2008 and in afghanistan we are increasing our troops and training afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in july of 2011 and our troops can begin to come home we will reward good governance work to reduce corruption and support the rights of all afghans men and women alike we are joined by allies and partners who have increased their own commitments and who will come together tomorrow in london to reaffirm our common purpose there will be difficult days ahead but i am absolutely confident we will succeed as we take the fight to al qaida we are responsibly leaving iraq to its people as a candidate i promised that i would end this war and that is what i am doing as president we will have all of our combat troops out of iraq by the end of this august we will support the iraqi government as they hold elections and we will continue to partner with the iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity but make no mistake this war is ending and all of our troops are coming home tonight all of our men and women in uniform in iraq in afghanistan and around the world they have to know that we that they have our respect our gratitude our full support and just as they must have the resources they need in war we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home that is why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades last year that is why we are building a and that is why michelle has joined with jill biden to forge a national commitment to support military families now even as we prosecute two wars we are also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the american people the threat of nuclear weapons i have embraced the vision of john kennedy and ronald reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons and seeks a world without them to reduce our stockpiles and launchers while ensuring our deterrent the united states and russia are completing negotiations on the farthest reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades and at april nuclear security summit we will bring 44 nations together here in washington dc behind a clear goal securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in 4 years so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists now these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons that is why north korea now faces increased isolation and stronger sanctions sanctions that are being vigorously enforced that is why the international community is more united and the islamic republic of iran is more isolated and as iran leaders continue to ignore their obligations there should be no doubt they too will face growing consequences that is a promise that is the leadership we are providing engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people we are working through the to sustain a lasting global recovery we are working with muslim communities around the world to promote science and education and innovation we have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change we are helping developing countries to feed themselves and continuing the fight against and we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad as we have for over 60 years america takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores but we also do it because it is right that is why as we meet here tonight over americans are working with many nations to help the people of haiti recover and rebuild that is why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in afghanistan why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of iran why we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in guinea for america must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity always abroad america greatest source of strength has always been our ideals the same is true at home we find unity in our incredible diversity drawing on the promise enshrined in our constitution the notion that we are all created equal that no matter who you are or what you look like if you abide by the law you should be protected by it if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else we must continually renew this promise my administration has a division that is once again prosecuting violations and employment discrimination we finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate this year i will work with congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are it is the right thing to do we are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws so that women get equal pay for an equal day work and we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system to secure our borders and enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation in the end it is our ideals our values that built america values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe values that drive our citizens still every day americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers time and again they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country they take pride in their labor and are generous in spirit these are not republican values or democratic values that they are living by business values or labor values they are american values unfortunately too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions our corporations our media and yes our government still reflect these same values each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper but each time a ceo rewards himself for failure or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain people doubts grow each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up we lose faith the more that tv pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments big issues into sound bites our citizens turn away no wonder there is so much cynicism out there no wonder there is so much disappointment i campaigned on the promise of change change we can believe in the slogan went and right now i know there are many americans who are not sure if they still believe we can change or that i can deliver it but remember this i never suggested that change would be easy or that i could do it alone democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated and when you try to do big things and make big changes it stirs passions and controversy that is just how it is those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths and pointing fingers we can do what is necessary to keep our poll numbers high and get through the next election instead of doing what is best for the next generation but i also know this if people had made that decision 50 years ago or 100 years ago or 200 years ago we would not be here tonight the only reason we are here is because generations of americans were unafraid to do what was hard to do what was needed even when success was uncertain to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and their grandchildren now our administration has had some political setbacks this year and some of them were deserved but i wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year and what keeps me going what keeps me fighting is that despite all these setbacks that spirit of determination and optimism that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the american people that lives on it lives on in the struggling owner who wrote to me of his company none of us he said are willing to consider even slightly that we might fail it lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession we are strong we are resilient we are american it lives on in the boy in louisiana who just sent me his allowance and asked if i would give it to the people of haiti and it lives on in all the americans who have dropped everything to go someplace they have never been and pull people they have never known from the rubble prompting chants of when another life was saved the spirit that has sustained this nation for more than two centuries lives on in you its people we have finished a difficult year we have come through a difficult decade but a new year has come a new decade stretches before us we do not quit i do not quit let us seize this moment to start anew to carry the dream forward and to strengthen our union once more thank you god bless you and god bless the united states of america
madam speaker vice president biden members congress distinguished guests fellow americans constitution declares time time president shall give congress information state union 220 years leaders fulfilled duty done periods prosperity tranquility done midst war depression moments great strife great struggle tempting look back moments assume progress inevitable america always destined succeed union turned back bull run allies first landed omaha beach victory much doubt market crashed black tuesday marchers beaten bloody sunday future anything certain times tested courage convictions strength union despite divisions disagreements hesitations fears america prevailed chose move forward one nation one people tested must answer history call one year ago took office amid two wars economy rocked severe recession financial system verge collapse government deeply debt experts across political spectrum warned act might face second depression acted immediately aggressively 1 year later worst storm passed devastation remains one 10 americans still find work many businesses shuttered home values declined small towns rural communities hit especially hard would already known poverty life become much harder recession also compounded burdens america families dealing decades burden working harder longer less unable save enough retire help kids college know anxieties right new struggles reason ran president struggles witnessed years places like elkhart indiana galesburg illinois hear letters read night toughest read written children asking move home asking mom dad able go back work americans many others change come fast enough frustrated angry understand seems like bad behavior wall street rewarded hard work main street washington unable unwilling solve problems tired partisanship shouting pettiness know afford face big difficult challenges american people hope deserve us democrats republicans work differences overcome numbing weight politics people sent us different backgrounds different stories different beliefs anxieties face aspirations hold shared job pays bills chance get ahead ability give children better life know else share share stubborn resilience face adversity one difficult years history remain busy building cars teaching kids starting businesses going back school coaching little league helping neighbors one woman wrote said strained hopeful struggling encouraged spirit great decency great strength never hopeful america future tonight despite hardships union strong give quit allow fear division break spirit new decade time american people get government matches decency embodies strength tonight would like talk together deliver promise begins economy urgent task upon taking office shore banks helped crisis easy one thing unified democrats republicans everybody hated bank bailout hated hated hated popular root canal ran president promised would popular would necessary allowed meltdown financial system unemployment might double today businesses would certainly closed homes would surely lost supported last administration efforts create financial rescue program took program made transparent accountable result markets stabilized recovered money spent banks recover rest proposed fee biggest banks know wall street keen idea firms afford hand big bonuses afford modest fee pay back taxpayers rescued time need stabilized financial system also took steps get economy growing save many jobs possible help americans become unemployed extended increased unemployment benefits 18 million americans made health insurance 65 percent cheaper families get coverage cobra passed 25 different tax cuts let repeat cut taxes cut taxes 95 percent working families cut taxes small businesses cut taxes home buyers cut taxes parents trying care children cut taxes 8 million americans paying college thought would get applause one result millions americans spend gas food necessities helped businesses keep workers raised income taxes single dime single person single dime steps took 2 million americans working right would otherwise unemployed two hundred thousand work construction clean energy three hundred thousand teachers education workers tens thousands cops firefighters correctional officers track add another 1 million jobs total end year plan made possible tax cuts jobs recovery act right recovery act also known stimulus bill economists left right say bill helped save jobs avert disaster take word talk small business phoenix triple workforce recovery act talk window manufacturer philadelphia said used skeptical recovery act add two work shifts business created talk single teacher raising two kids told principal last week school recovery act would laid stories like across america 2 years recession economy growing retirement funds started gain back value businesses beginning invest slowly starting hire realize every success story stories men women wake anguish knowing next paycheck come send resumes week week hear nothing response jobs must focus 2010 calling new jobs bill tonight true engine job creation country always america businesses agree absolutely government create conditions necessary businesses expand hire workers start new jobs small businesses companies begin entrepreneur takes chance dream worker decides time became boss sheer grit determination companies weathered recession ready grow talk owners places like allentown pennsylvania elyria ohio find even though banks wall street lending mostly lending bigger companies financing remains difficult owners across country even making profit tonight proposing take 30 billion money wall street banks repaid use help community banks give small businesses credit need stay afloat also proposing new small business tax credit one go 1 million small businesses hire new workers raise wages let us also eliminate capital gains taxes investment provide tax incentive large businesses small businesses invest new plants equipment next put americans work today building infrastructure tomorrow first railroads interstate highway system nation always built compete reason europe china fastest trains new factories manufacture clean energy products tomorrow visit tampa florida workers soon break ground new railroad funded recovery act projects like across country create jobs help move nation goods services information put americans work building clean energy facilities give rebates americans make homes energy efficient supports clean energy jobs encourage businesses stay within borders time finally slash tax breaks companies ship jobs overseas give tax breaks companies create jobs right united states america house passed jobs bill includes steps first order business year urge senate know people work hurting need help want jobs bill desk without delay truth steps make 7 million jobs lost last 2 years way move full employment lay new foundation economic growth finally address problems america families confronted years afford another economic expansion like one last decade call lost decade jobs grew slowly prior expansion income average american household declined cost health care tuition reached record highs prosperity built housing bubble financial speculation day took office told addressing larger challenges ambitious effort would contentious told political system gridlocked put things hold make claims one simple question long wait long america put future hold see washington telling us wait decades even problems grown worse meanwhile china waiting revamp economy germany waiting india waiting nations standing still nations playing second place putting emphasis math science rebuilding infrastructure making serious investments clean energy want jobs well accept second place united states america hard may uncomfortable contentious debates may become time get serious fixing problems hampering growth one place start serious financial reform look interested punishing banks interested protecting economy strong healthy financial market makes possible businesses access credit create new jobs channels savings families investments raise incomes happen guard recklessness nearly brought entire economy need make sure consumers middle class families information need make financial decisions allow financial institutions including take deposits take risks threaten whole economy house already passed financial reform many changes lobbyists trying kill let win fight bill ends desk meet test real reform send back get right got get right next need encourage american innovation last year made largest investment basic research funding history investment could lead world cheapest solar cells treatment kills cancer cells leaves healthy ones untouched area ripe innovation energy see results last year investments clean energy north carolina company create jobs nationwide helping make advanced batteries california business put thousand people work making solar panels create clean energy jobs need production efficiency incentives means building new generation safe clean nuclear power plants country means making tough decisions opening new offshore areas oil gas development means continued investment advanced biofuels clean coal technologies yes means passing comprehensive energy climate bill incentives finally make clean energy profitable kind energy america grateful house passing bill last year year eager help advance bipartisan effort senate know questions whether afford changes tough economy know disagree overwhelming scientific evidence climate change thing even doubt evidence providing incentives energy efficiency clean energy right thing future nation leads clean energy economy nation leads global economy america must nation third need export goods products make sell countries jobs support right america tonight set new goal double exports next 5 years increase support 2 million jobs america help meet goal launching national export initiative help farmers small businesses increase exports reform export controls consistent national security seek new markets aggressively competitors america sits sidelines nations sign trade deals lose chance create jobs shores realizing benefits also means enforcing agreements trading partners play rules continue shape doha trade agreement opens global markets strengthen trade relations asia key partners like south korea panama colombia fourth need invest skills education people year broken stalemate left right launching national competition improve schools idea simple instead rewarding failure reward success instead funding status quo invest reform reform raises student achievement inspires students excel math science turns around failing schools steal future many young americans rural communities inner city 21st century best antipoverty program around education country success children depend live potential renew elementary secondary education act work congress expand reforms 50 states still economy high school diploma longer guarantees good job urge senate follow house pass bill revitalize community colleges career pathway children many working families make college affordable bill finally end unwarranted taxpayer subsidies go banks student loans instead let us take money give families tax credit 4 years college increase pell grants let us tell another 1 million students graduate required pay 10 percent income student loans debt forgiven 20 years forgiven 10 years choose career public service united states america one go broke chose go college way time colleges universities get serious cutting costs responsibility help solve problem price college tuition one burdens facing middle class last year asked vice president biden chair task force middle class families nearly doubling childcare tax credit making easier save retirement giving access every worker retirement account expanding tax credit start nest egg working lift value family single largest investment home steps took last year shore housing market allowed millions americans take new loans save average mortgage payments year step refinancing homeowners move affordable mortgages precisely relieve burden middle class families still need health insurance reform yes let us clear things choose tackle issue get legislative victory belt fairly obvious take health care good politics took health care stories heard americans preexisting conditions whose lives depend getting coverage patients denied coverage families even insurance one illness away financial ruin nearly century trying democratic administrations republican administrations closer ever bringing security lives many americans approach taken would protect every american worst practices insurance industry would give small businesses uninsured americans chance choose affordable health care plan competitive market would require every insurance plan cover preventive care way want acknowledge first lady michelle obama year creating national movement tackle epidemic childhood obesity make kids healthier thank honey gets embarrassed approach would preserve right americans insurance keep doctor plan would reduce costs premiums millions families businesses according congressional budget office independent organization parties cited official scorekeeper congress approach would bring deficit much 1 trillion next two decades still complex issue longer debated skeptical people became take share blame explaining clearly american people know lobbying process left americans wondering also know problem going away time finished speaking tonight americans lost health insurance millions lose year deficit grow premiums go patients denied care need owners continue drop coverage altogether walk away americans neither people chamber temperatures cool want everyone take another look plan proposed reason many doctors nurses health care experts know system best consider approach vast improvement status quo anyone either party better approach bring premiums bring deficit cover uninsured strengthen medicare seniors stop insurance company abuses let know let know let know eager see ask congress though walk away reform close let us find way come together finish job american people let us get done let us get done even health care reform would reduce deficit enough dig us massive fiscal hole find challenge makes others much harder solve one subject lot political posturing let start discussion government spending setting record straight beginning last decade year 2000 america budget surplus 200 billion time took office deficit 1 trillion projected deficits 8 trillion next decade result paying two wars two tax cuts expensive prescription drug program top effects recession put 3 trillion hole budget walked door stating facts taken office ordinary times would liked nothing start bringing deficit took office amid crisis efforts prevent second depression added another 1 trillion national debt fact absolutely convinced right thing families across country tightening belts making tough decisions federal government tonight proposing specific steps pay trillion dollars took rescue economy last year starting 2011 prepared freeze government spending 3 years spending related national security medicare medicaid social security affected discretionary government programs like family work within budget invest need sacrifice enforce discipline veto continue go budget line line page page eliminate programs afford work already identified 20 billion savings next year help working families extend middle class tax cuts time record deficits continue tax cuts oil companies investment fund managers making year afford even paying spent watch still face massive deficit took office importantly cost medicare medicaid social security continue skyrocket called bipartisan fiscal commission modeled proposal republican judd gregg democrat kent conrad one washington gimmicks let us us pretend solve problem commission provide specific set solutions certain deadline yesterday senate blocked bill would created commission issue executive order allow us go forward refuse pass problem another generation americans vote comes tomorrow senate restore law big reason record surpluses 1990s know party argue address deficit freeze government spending many still hurting agree freeze take effect next year economy stronger budgeting works understand take meaningful steps rein debt could damage markets increase cost borrowing jeopardize recovery would even worse effect job growth family incomes right expect hear different argument make fewer investments people extend tax cuts including wealthier americans eliminate regulations maintain status quo health care deficits go away problem 8 years helped us crisis helped lead deficits rather fight tired battles dominated washington decades time try something new let us invest people without leaving mountain debt let us meet responsibility citizens sent us let us try common sense novel concept recognize face deficit dollars right face deficit trust deep corrosive doubts washington works growing years close credibility gap take action ends pennsylvania avenue end outsized influence lobbyists work openly give people government deserve came washington first time history administration posts white house visitors online excluded lobbyists policymaking jobs seats federal boards commissions stop time require lobbyists disclose contact make behalf client administration congress time put strict limits contributions lobbyists give candidates federal office due deference separation powers last week supreme court reversed century law believe open floodgates special interests including foreign corporations spend without limit elections think american elections bankrolled america powerful interests worse foreign entities decided american people would urge democrats republicans pass bill helps correct problems also calling congress continue path earmark reform democrats republicans democrats republicans look trimmed spending embraced meaningful change restoring public trust demands example members congress post earmark requests online tonight calling congress publish earmark requests single web site vote american people see money spent course none reforms even happen also reform work one another naive never thought mere fact election would usher peace harmony postpartisan era knew parties fed divisions deeply entrenched issues simply philosophical differences always us part ways disagreements role government lives national priorities national security taking place 200 years essence democracy frustrates american people washington every day election day wage perpetual campaign goal see get embarrassing headlines side belief lose win neither party delay obstruct every single bill confirmation speaking parties confirmation public servants held hostage pet projects grudges individual senators washington may think saying anything side matter false matter malicious part game precisely politics stopped either party helping american people worse yet sowing division among citizens distrust government give trying change tone politics know election year last week clear campaign fever come even earlier usual still need govern democrats would remind still largest majority decades people expect us solve problems run hills republican leadership going insist 60 votes senate required business town supermajority responsibility govern well saying everything may good politics leadership sent serve citizens ambitions let us show american people together week addressing meeting house republicans would like begin monthly meetings democratic republican leadership know wait throughout history issue united country security sadly unity felt dissipated argue want blame interested relitigating past know us love country us committed defense let us put aside schoolyard taunts tough let us reject false choice protecting people upholding values let us leave behind fear division takes defend nation forge hopeful future america world work began last year since day took office renewed focus terrorists threaten nation made substantial investments homeland security disrupted plots threatened take american lives filling unacceptable gaps revealed failed christmas attack better airline security swifter action intelligence prohibited torture strengthened partnerships pacific south asia arabian peninsula last year hundreds al qaida fighters affiliates including many senior leaders captured killed far 2008 afghanistan increasing troops training afghan security forces begin take lead july 2011 troops begin come home reward good governance work reduce corruption support rights afghans men women alike joined allies partners increased commitments come together tomorrow london reaffirm common purpose difficult days ahead absolutely confident succeed take fight al qaida responsibly leaving iraq people candidate promised would end war president combat troops iraq end august support iraqi government hold elections continue partner iraqi people promote regional peace prosperity make mistake war ending troops coming home tonight men women uniform iraq afghanistan around world know respect gratitude full support must resources need war responsibility support come home made largest increase investments veterans decades last year building michelle joined jill biden forge national commitment support military families even prosecute two wars also confronting perhaps greatest danger american people threat nuclear weapons embraced vision john kennedy ronald reagan strategy reverses spread weapons seeks world without reduce stockpiles launchers ensuring deterrent united states russia completing negotiations farthest reaching arms control treaty nearly two decades april nuclear security summit bring 44 nations together washington dc behind clear goal securing vulnerable nuclear materials around world 4 years never fall hands terrorists diplomatic efforts also strengthened hand dealing nations insist violating international agreements pursuit nuclear weapons north korea faces increased isolation stronger sanctions sanctions vigorously enforced international community united islamic republic iran isolated iran leaders continue ignore obligations doubt face growing consequences promise leadership providing engagement advances common security prosperity people working sustain lasting global recovery working muslim communities around world promote science education innovation gone bystander leader fight climate change helping developing countries feed continuing fight launching new initiative give us capacity respond faster effectively bioterrorism infectious disease plan counter threats home strengthen public health abroad 60 years america takes actions destiny connected beyond shores also right meet tonight americans working many nations help people haiti recover rebuild stand girl yearns go school afghanistan support human rights women marching streets iran advocate young man denied job corruption guinea america must always stand side freedom human dignity always abroad america greatest source strength always ideals true home find unity incredible diversity drawing promise enshrined constitution notion created equal matter look like abide law protected adhere common values treated different anyone else must continually renew promise administration division prosecuting violations employment discrimination finally strengthened laws protect crimes driven hate year work congress military finally repeal law denies gay americans right serve country love right thing going crack violations equal pay laws women get equal pay equal day work continue work fixing broken immigration system secure borders enforce laws ensure everyone plays rules contribute economy enrich nation end ideals values built america values allowed us forge nation made immigrants every corner globe values drive citizens still every day americans meet responsibilities families employers time lend hand neighbors give back country take pride labor generous spirit republican values democratic values living business values labor values american values unfortunately many citizens lost faith biggest institutions corporations media yes government still reflect values institutions full honorable men women important work helps country prosper time ceo rewards failure banker puts rest us risk selfish gain people doubts grow time lobbyists game system politicians tear instead lifting country lose faith tv pundits reduce serious debates silly arguments big issues sound bites citizens turn away wonder much cynicism wonder much disappointment campaigned promise change change believe slogan went right know many americans sure still believe change deliver remember never suggested change would easy could alone democracy nation 300 million people noisy messy complicated try big things make big changes stirs passions controversy us public office respond reality playing safe avoid telling hard truths pointing fingers necessary keep poll numbers high get next election instead best next generation also know people made decision 50 years ago 100 years ago 200 years ago would tonight reason generations americans unafraid hard needed even success uncertain took keep dream nation alive children grandchildren administration political setbacks year deserved wake every day knowing nothing compared setbacks families across country faced year keeps going keeps fighting despite setbacks spirit determination optimism fundamental decency always core american people lives lives struggling owner wrote company none us said willing consider even slightly might fail lives woman said even though neighbors felt pain recession strong resilient american lives boy louisiana sent allowance asked would give people haiti lives americans dropped everything go someplace never pull people never known rubble prompting chants another life saved spirit sustained nation two centuries lives people finished difficult year come difficult decade new year come new decade stretches us quit quit let us seize moment start anew carry dream forward strengthen union thank god bless god bless united states america
madam speaker vice president biden member congress distinguish guest fellow american constitution declare time time president shall give congress information state union 220 year leader fulfil duty do period prosperity tranquility do midst war depression moment great strife great struggle tempt look back moment assume progress inevitable america always destine succeed union turn back bull run ally first land omaha beach victory much doubt market crash black tuesday marcher beat bloody sunday future anything certain time test courage conviction strength union despite division disagreement hesitation fear america prevail chose move forward one nation one people test must answer history call one year ago take office amid two war economy rock severe recession financial system verge collapse government deeply debt expert across political spectrum warn act might face second depression act immediately aggressively 1 year later bad storm pass devastation remain one 10 american still find work many business shutter home value decline small town rural community hit especially hard would already know poverty life become much hard recession also compound burden america family deal decade burden work hard long less unable save enough retire help kid college know anxiety right new struggle reason run president struggle witness year place like elkhart indiana galesburg illinois hear letter read night tough read write child ask move home ask mom dad able go back work american many others change come fast enough frustrated angry understand seem like bad behavior wall street reward hard work main street washington unable unwilling solve problem tire partisanship shout pettiness know afford face big difficult challenge american people hope deserve u democrat republicans work difference overcome numb weight politics people send u different background different story different belief anxiety face aspiration hold share job pay bill chance get ahead ability give child well life know else share share stubborn resilience face adversity one difficult year history remain busy building car teach kid start business go back school coaching little league help neighbor one woman write say strain hopeful struggle encouraged spirit great decency great strength never hopeful america future tonight despite hardship union strong give quit allow fear division break spirit new decade time american people get government match decency embodies strength tonight would like talk together deliver promise begin economy urgent task upon take office shore bank help crisis easy one thing unify democrat republican everybody hated bank bailout hat hat hated popular root canal ran president promise would popular would necessary allow meltdown financial system unemployment might double today business would certainly close home would surely lose support last administration effort create financial rescue program take program make transparent accountable result market stabilize recovered money spend bank recover rest propose fee big bank know wall street keen idea firm afford hand big bonus afford modest fee pay back taxpayer rescue time need stabilize financial system also take step get economy grow save many job possible help americans become unemployed extend increase unemployment benefit 18 million american make health insurance 65 percent cheap family get coverage cobra pass 25 different tax cut let repeat cut tax cut tax 95 percent work family cut tax small business cut tax home buyer cut tax parent try care child cut tax 8 million american pay college think would get applause one result million american spend gas food necessity help business keep worker raised income tax single dime single person single dime step take 2 million american work right would otherwise unemployed two hundred thousand work construction clean energy three hundred thousand teacher education worker ten thousand cop firefighter correctional officer track add another 1 million job total end year plan make possible tax cut job recovery act right recovery act also know stimulus bill economist leave right say bill help save job avert disaster take word talk small business phoenix triple workforce recovery act talk window manufacturer philadelphia say use skeptical recovery act add two work shift business create talk single teacher raise two kid tell principal last week school recovery act would lay story like across america 2 year recession economy grow retirement fund start gain back value business begin invest slowly start hire realize every success story story men woman wake anguish know next paycheck come send resume week week hear nothing response job must focus 2010 call new job bill tonight true engine job creation country always america business agree absolutely government create condition necessary business expand hire worker start new job small business company begin entrepreneur take chance dream worker decide time become boss sheer grit determination company weather recession ready grow talk owner place like allentown pennsylvania elyria ohio find even though bank wall street lending mostly lend big company finance remains difficult owner across country even make profit tonight propose take 30 billion money wall street bank repay use help community bank give small business credit need stay afloat also propose new small business tax credit one go 1 million small business hire new worker raise wage let u also eliminate capital gain tax investment provide tax incentive large business small business invest new plant equipment next put american work today building infrastructure tomorrow first railroad interstate highway system nation always build compete reason europe china fast train new factory manufacture clean energy product tomorrow visit tampa florida worker soon break ground new railroad fund recovery act project like across country create job help move nation good service information put american work build clean energy facility give rebate american make home energy efficient support clean energy job encourage business stay within border time finally slash tax break company ship job overseas give tax break company create job right united state america house pass job bill include step first order business year urge senate know people work hurt need help want job bill desk without delay truth step make 7 million job lose last 2 year way move full employment lay new foundation economic growth finally address problem america family confront year afford another economic expansion like one last decade call lose decade job grow slowly prior expansion income average american household decline cost health care tuition reach record high prosperity build housing bubble financial speculation day take office tell address large challenge ambitious effort would contentious tell political system gridlocked put thing hold make claim one simple question long wait long america put future hold see washington tell u wait decade even problem grow bad meanwhile china wait revamp economy germany wait india wait nation stand still nation play second place put emphasis math science rebuild infrastructure make serious investment clean energy want job well accept second place united state america hard may uncomfortable contentious debate may become time get serious fix problem hamper growth one place start serious financial reform look interested punish bank interested protect economy strong healthy financial market make possible business access credit create new job channel saving family investment raise income happen guard recklessness nearly bring entire economy need make sure consumer middle class family information need make financial decision allow financial institution include take deposit take risk threaten whole economy house already pass financial reform many change lobbyist try kill let win fight bill end desk meet test real reform send back get right got get right next need encourage american innovation last year make large investment basic research fund history investment could lead world cheap solar cell treatment kill cancer cell leave healthy one untouched area ripe innovation energy see result last year investment clean energy north carolina company create job nationwide help make advanced battery california business put thousand people work make solar panel create clean energy job need production efficiency incentive mean build new generation safe clean nuclear power plant country mean make tough decision open new offshore area oil gas development mean continued investment advance biofuels clean coal technology yes mean pass comprehensive energy climate bill incentives finally make clean energy profitable kind energy america grateful house pass bill last year year eager help advance bipartisan effort senate know question whether afford change tough economy know disagree overwhelm scientific evidence climate change thing even doubt evidence provide incentive energy efficiency clean energy right thing future nation lead clean energy economy nation lead global economy america must nation third need export good product make sell country job support right america tonight set new goal double export next 5 year increase support 2 million job america help meet goal launch national export initiative help farmer small business increase export reform export control consistent national security seek new market aggressively competitor america sits sideline nation sign trade deal lose chance create job shore realize benefit also mean enforce agreement trade partner play rule continue shape doha trade agreement open global market strengthen trade relation asia key partner like south korea panama colombia fourth need invest skill education people year break stalemate leave right launch national competition improve school idea simple instead rewarding failure reward success instead fund status quo invest reform reform raise student achievement inspire student excel math science turn around fail school steal future many young american rural community inner city 21st century best antipoverty program around education country success child depend live potential renew elementary secondary education act work congress expand reform 50 state still economy high school diploma long guarantee good job urge senate follow house pas bill revitalize community college career pathway child many work family make college affordable bill finally end unwarranted taxpayer subsidy go bank student loan instead let u take money give family tax credit 4 year college increase pell grant let u tell another 1 million student graduate require pay 10 percent income student loan debt forgive 20 year forgiven 10 year choose career public service unite state america one go break chose go college way time college university get serious cutting cost responsibility help solve problem price college tuition one burden face middle class last year ask vice president biden chair task force middle class family nearly double childcare tax credit make easy save retirement give access every worker retirement account expand tax credit start nest egg work lift value family single large investment home step take last year shore housing market allow million american take new loan save average mortgage payment year step refinance homeowner move affordable mortgage precisely relieve burden middle class family still need health insurance reform yes let u clear thing choose tackle issue get legislative victory belt fairly obvious take health care good politics take health care story hear american preexist condition whose life depend get coverage patient deny coverage family even insurance one illness away financial ruin nearly century try democratic administration republican administration closer ever bring security live many american approach take would protect every american worst practice insurance industry would give small business uninsured american chance choose affordable health care plan competitive market would require every insurance plan cover preventive care way want acknowledge first lady michelle obama year create national movement tackle epidemic childhood obesity make kid healthy thank honey get embarrassed approach would preserve right american insurance keep doctor plan would reduce cost premiums million family business accord congressional budget office independent organization party cite official scorekeeper congress approach would bring deficit much 1 trillion next two decade still complex issue longer debated skeptical people become take share blame explain clearly american people know lobby process leave american wonder also know problem go away time finished speaking tonight americans lose health insurance million lose year deficit grow premium go patient deny care need owner continue drop coverage altogether walk away americans neither people chamber temperature cool want everyone take another look plan propose reason many doctor nurse health care expert know system best consider approach vast improvement status quo anyone either party well approach bring premium bring deficit cover uninsured strengthen medicare senior stop insurance company abuse let know let know let know eager see ask congress though walk away reform close let u find way come together finish job american people let u get do let u get do even health care reform would reduce deficit enough dig u massive fiscal hole find challenge make others much hard solve one subject lot political posturing let start discussion government spend setting record straight begin last decade year 2000 america budget surplus 200 billion time take office deficit 1 trillion project deficit 8 trillion next decade result pay two war two tax cut expensive prescription drug program top effect recession put 3 trillion hole budget walk door state fact take office ordinary time would like nothing start bring deficit take office amid crisis effort prevent second depression add another 1 trillion national debt fact absolutely convince right thing family across country tighten belt make tough decision federal government tonight propose specific step pay trillion dollar take rescue economy last year start 2011 prepared freeze government spending 3 year spend related national security medicare medicaid social security affect discretionary government program like family work within budget invest need sacrifice enforce discipline veto continue go budget line line page page eliminate program afford work already identify 20 billion saving next year help work family extend middle class tax cut time record deficit continue tax cut oil company investment fund manager make year afford even pay spent watch still face massive deficit take office importantly cost medicare medicaid social security continue skyrocket call bipartisan fiscal commission model proposal republican judd gregg democrat kent conrad one washington gimmicks let u u pretend solve problem commission provide specific set solution certain deadline yesterday senate block bill would create commission issue executive order allow u go forward refuse pas problem another generation americans vote come tomorrow senate restore law big reason record surpluses 1990s know party argue address deficit freeze government spending many still hurt agree freeze take effect next year economy strong budget work understand take meaningful step rein debt could damage market increase cost borrow jeopardize recovery would even worse effect job growth family income right expect hear different argument make few investment people extend tax cut include wealthy american eliminate regulation maintain status quo health care deficit go away problem 8 year help u crisis help lead deficit rather fight tired battle dominate washington decade time try something new let u invest people without leave mountain debt let u meet responsibility citizen send u let u try common sense novel concept recognize face deficit dollar right face deficit trust deep corrosive doubt washington work grow year close credibility gap take action end pennsylvania avenue end outsized influence lobbyist work openly give people government deserve come washington first time history administration post white house visitor online exclude lobbyist policymaking job seat federal board commission stop time require lobbyist disclose contact make behalf client administration congress time put strict limit contribution lobbyist give candidate federal office due deference separation power last week supreme court reverse century law believe open floodgate special interest include foreign corporation spend without limit election think american election bankroll america powerful interest worse foreign entity decide american people would urge democrat republican pass bill help correct problem also call congress continue path earmark reform democrat republicans democrat republicans look trimmed spending embrace meaningful change restore public trust demand example member congress post earmark request online tonight call congress publish earmark request single web site vote american people see money spend course none reform even happen also reform work one another naive never think mere fact election would usher peace harmony postpartisan era knew party feed division deeply entrench issue simply philosophical difference always u part way disagreement role government live national priority national security take place 200 year essence democracy frustrates american people washington every day election day wage perpetual campaign goal see get embarrassing headline side belief lose win neither party delay obstruct every single bill confirmation speak party confirmation public servant hold hostage pet project grudge individual senator washington may think say anything side matter false matter malicious part game precisely politics stop either party help american people worse yet sow division among citizen distrust government give try change tone politics know election year last week clear campaign fever come even earlier usual still need govern democrat would remind still large majority decade people expect u solve problem run hill republican leadership go insist 60 vote senate require business town supermajority responsibility govern well say everything may good politics leadership send serve citizen ambition let u show american people together week address meeting house republican would like begin monthly meeting democratic republican leadership know wait throughout history issue united country security sadly unity felt dissipated argue want blame interested relitigating past know u love country u commit defense let u put aside schoolyard taunt tough let u reject false choice protect people uphold value let u leave behind fear division take defend nation forge hopeful future america world work begin last year since day take office renew focus terrorist threaten nation make substantial investment homeland security disrupt plot threaten take american life fill unacceptable gap reveal fail christmas attack well airline security swifter action intelligence prohibit torture strengthen partnership pacific south asia arabian peninsula last year hundred al qaida fighter affiliate include many senior leader capture kill far 2008 afghanistan increase troop train afghan security force begin take lead july 2011 troop begin come home reward good governance work reduce corruption support right afghan men woman alike join ally partner increase commitment come together tomorrow london reaffirm common purpose difficult day ahead absolutely confident succeed take fight al qaida responsibly leave iraq people candidate promise would end war president combat troop iraq end august support iraqi government hold election continue partner iraqi people promote regional peace prosperity make mistake war end troop come home tonight men woman uniform iraq afghanistan around world know respect gratitude full support must resource need war responsibility support come home make large increase investment veterans decade last year building michelle join jill biden forge national commitment support military family even prosecute two war also confront perhaps great danger american people threat nuclear weapon embrace vision john kennedy ronald reagan strategy revers spread weapon seek world without reduce stockpile launcher ensure deterrent united state russia complete negotiation farthest reach arm control treaty nearly two decade april nuclear security summit bring 44 nation together washington dc behind clear goal secure vulnerable nuclear material around world 4 year never fall hand terrorist diplomatic effort also strengthen hand deal nation insist violate international agreement pursuit nuclear weapon north korea face increase isolation stronger sanction sanction vigorously enforce international community united islamic republic iran isolate iran leader continue ignore obligation doubt face grow consequence promise leadership provide engagement advance common security prosperity people work sustain last global recovery work muslim community around world promote science education innovation go bystander leader fight climate change help develop country fee continue fight launch new initiative give u capacity respond faster effectively bioterrorism infectious disease plan counter threat home strengthen public health abroad 60 year america take action destiny connect beyond shore also right meet tonight american work many nation help people haiti recover rebuild stand girl yearns go school afghanistan support human right woman march street iran advocate young man deny job corruption guinea america must always stand side freedom human dignity always abroad america great source strength always ideals true home find unity incredible diversity draw promise enshrine constitution notion create equal matter look like abide law protect adhere common value treat different anyone else must continually renew promise administration division prosecute violation employment discrimination finally strengthen law protect crime driven hate year work congress military finally repeal law denies gay american right serve country love right thing go crack violation equal pay law woman get equal pay equal day work continue work fix break immigration system secure border enforce law ensure everyone play rule contribute economy enrich nation end ideal value build america value allow u forge nation make immigrant every corner globe value drive citizen still every day americans meet responsibility family employer time lend hand neighbor give back country take pride labor generous spirit republican value democratic value live business value labor value american value unfortunately many citizen lose faith big institution corporation medium yes government still reflect value institution full honorable men woman important work help country prosper time ceo reward failure banker put rest u risk selfish gain people doubt grow time lobbyist game system politician tear instead lifting country lose faith tv pundit reduce serious debate silly argument big issue sound bite citizen turn away wonder much cynicism wonder much disappointment campaign promise change change believe slogan go right know many american sure still believe change deliver remember never suggest change would easy could alone democracy nation 300 million people noisy messy complicate try big thing make big change stir passion controversy u public office respond reality play safe avoid tell hard truth point finger necessary keep poll number high get next election instead best next generation also know people make decision 50 year ago 100 year ago 200 year ago would tonight reason generation american unafraid hard need even success uncertain take keep dream nation alive child grandchildren administration political setback year deserve wake every day know nothing compare setback family across country face year keep go keep fight despite setback spirit determination optimism fundamental decency always core american people live life struggle owner write company none u say willing consider even slightly might fail life woman say even though neighbor felt pain recession strong resilient american life boy louisiana sent allowance ask would give people haiti life american drop everything go someplace never pull people never know rubble prompting chant another life save spirit sustain nation two century live people finish difficult year come difficult decade new year come new decade stretch u quit quit let u seize moment start anew carry dream forward strengthen union thank god bless god bless united state america