Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the 95th Congress, ladies and gentlemen: Two years ago today we had the first caucus in Iowa, and one year ago tomorrow, I walked from here to the White House to take up the duties of President of the United States. I didn't know it then when I walked, but I've been trying to save energy ever since. [Laughter] I return tonight to fulfill one of those duties of the Constitution: to give to the Congress—and to the Nation—information on the state of the Union. Militarily, politically, economically, and in spirit, the state of our Union is sound. We are a great country, a strong country, a vital and a dynamic country—and so we will remain. We are a confident people and a hardworking people, a decent and a compassionate people—and so we will remain. I want to speak to you tonight about where we are and where we must go, about what we have done and what we must do. And I want to pledge to you my best efforts and ask you to pledge yours. Each generation of Americans has to face circumstances not of its own choosing, but by which its character is measured and its spirit is tested. There are times of emergency, when a nation and its leaders must bring their energies to bear on a single urgent task. That was the duty Abraham Lincoln faced when our land was torn apart by conflict in the War Between the States. That was the duty faced by Franklin Roosevelt when he led America out of an economic depression and again when he led America to victory in war. There are other times when there is no single overwhelming crisis, yet profound national interests are at stake. At such times the risk of inaction can be equally great. It becomes the task of leaders to call forth the vast and restless energies of our people to build for the future. That is what Harry Truman did in the years after the Second World War, when we helped Europe and Japan rebuild themselves and secured an international order that has protected freedom from aggression. We live in such times now, and we face such duties. We've come through a long period of turmoil and doubt, but we've once again found our moral course, and with a new spirit, we are striving to express our best instincts to the rest of the world. There is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of common purpose. This sense of unity cannot be expressed in programs or in legislation or in dollars. It's an achievement that belongs to every individual American. This unity ties together, and it towers over all our efforts here in Washington, and it serves as an inspiring beacon for all of us who are elected to serve. This new atmosphere demands a new spirit, a partnership between those of us who lead and those who elect. The foundations of this partnership are truth, the courage to face hard decisions, concern for one another and the common good over special interests, and a basic faith and trust in the wisdom and strength and judgment of the American people. For the first time in a generation, we are not haunted by a major international crisis or by domestic turmoil, and we now have a rare and a priceless opportunity to address persistent problems and burdens which come to us as a nation-quietly and steadily getting worse over the years. As President, I've had to ask you, the Members of Congress, and you, the American people, to come to grips with some of the most difficult and hard questions facing our society. We must make a maximum effort, because if we do not aim for the best, we are very likely to achieve little. I see no benefit to the country if we delay, because the problems will only get worse. We need patience and good will, but we really need to realize that there is a limit to the role and the function of government. Government cannot solve our problems, it can't set our goals, it cannot define our vision. Government cannot eliminate poverty or provide a bountiful economy or reduce inflation or save our cities or cure illiteracy or provide energy. And government cannot mandate goodness. Only a true partnership between government and the people can ever hope to reach these goals. Those of us who govern can sometimes inspire, and we can identify needs and marshal resources, but we simply cannot be the managers of everything and everybody. We here in Washington must move away from crisis management, and we must establish clear goals for the future-immediate and the distant future—which will let us work together and not in conflict. Never again should we neglect a growing crisis like the shortage of energy, where further delay will only lead to more harsh and painful solutions. Every day we spend more than $120 million for foreign oil. This slows our economic growth, it lowers the value of the dollar overseas, and it aggravates unemployment and inflation here at home. Now we know what we must do—increase production. We must cut down on waste. And we must use more of those fuels which are plentiful and more permanent. We must be fair to people, and we must not disrupt our Nation's economy and our budget. Now, that sounds simple. But I recognize the difficulties involved. I know that it is not easy for the Congress to act. But the fact remains that on the energy legislation, we have failed the American people. Almost 5 years after the oil embargo dramatized the problem for us all, we still do not have a national energy program. Not much longer can we tolerate this stalemate. It undermines our national interest both at home and abroad. We must succeed, and I believe we will. Our main task at home this year, with energy a central element, is the Nation's economy. We must continue the recovery and further cut unemployment and inflation. Last year was a good one for the United States. We reached all of our major economic goals for 1977. Four million new jobs were created—an all time record and the number of unemployed dropped by more than a million. Unemployment right now is the lowest it has been since 1974, and not since World War II has such a high percentage of American people been employed. The rate of inflation went down. There was a good growth in business profits and investments, the source of more jobs for our workers, and a higher standard of living for all our people. After taxes and inflation, there was a healthy increase in workers' wages. And this year, our country will have the first $2 trillion economy in the history of the world. Now, we are proud of this progress the first year, but we must do even better in the future. We still have serious problems on which all of us must work together. Our trade deficit is too large. Inflation is still too high, and too many Americans still do not have a job. Now, I didn't have any simple answers for all these problems. But we have developed an economic policy that is working, because it's simple, balanced, and fair. It's based on four principles: First, the economy must keep on expanding to produce new jobs and better income, which our people need. The fruits of growth must be widely shared. More jobs must be made available to those who have been bypassed until now. And the tax system must be made fairer and simpler. Secondly, private business and not the Government must lead the expansion in the future. Third, we must lower the rate of inflation and keep it down. Inflation slows down economic growth, and it's the most cruel to the poor and also to the elderly and others who live on fixed incomes. And fourth, we must contribute to the strength of the world economy. I will announce detailed proposals for improving our tax system later this week. We can make our tax laws fairer, we can make them simpler and easier to understand, and at the same time, we can-and we will—reduce the tax burden on American citizens by $25 billion. The tax reforms and the tax reductions go together. Only with the long overdue reforms will the full tax cut be advisable. Almost $17 billion in income tax cuts will go to individuals. Ninety-six percent of all American taxpayers will see their taxes go down. For a typical family of four, this means an annual saving of more than $250 a year, or a tax reduction of about 20 percent. A further $2 billion cut in excise taxes will give more relief and also contribute directly to lowering the rate of inflation. And we will also provide strong additional incentives for business investment and growth through substantial cuts in the corporate tax rates and improvement in the investment tax credit. Now, these tax proposals will increase opportunity everywhere in the Nation. But additional jobs for the disadvantaged deserve special attention. We've already passed laws to assure equal access to the voting booth and to restaurants and to schools, to housing, and laws to permit access to jobs. But job opportunity-the chance to earn a decent living—is also a basic human right, which we cannot and will not ignore. A major priority for our Nation is the final elimination of the barriers that restrict the opportunities available to women and also to black people and Hispanics and other minorities. We've come a long way toward that goal. But there is still much to do. What we inherited from the past must not be permitted to shackle us in the future. I'll be asking you for a substantial increase in funds for public jobs for our young people, and I also am recommending that the Congress continue the public service employment programs at more than twice the level of a year ago. When welfare reform is completed, we will have more than a million additional jobs so that those on welfare who are able to work can work. However, again, we know that in our free society, private business is still the best source of new jobs. Therefore, I will propose a new program to encourage businesses to hire young and disadvantaged Americans. These young people only need skills and a chance in order to take their place in our economic system. Let's give them the chance they need. A major step in the right direction would be the early passage of a greatly improved Humphrey-Hawkins bill. My budget for 1979 addresses these national needs, but it is lean and tight. I have cut waste wherever possible. I am proposing an increase of less than 2 percent after adjusting for inflation-the smallest increase in the Federal budget in 4 years. Lately, Federal spending has taken a steadily increasing portion of what Americans produce. Our new budget reverses that trend, and later I hope to bring the Government's toll down even further. And with your help, we'll do that. In time of high employment and a strong economy, deficit spending should not be a feature of our budget. As the economy continues to gain strength and as our unemployment rates continue to fall, revenues will grow. With careful planning, efficient management, and proper restraint on spending, we can move rapidly toward a balanced budget—and we will. Next year the budget deficit will be only slightly less than this year. But one-third of the deficit is due to the necessary tax cuts that I've proposed. This year the right choice is to reduce the burden on taxpayers and provide more jobs for our people. The third element in our program is a renewed attack on inflation. We've learned the hard way that high unemployment will not prevent or cure inflation. Government can help us by stimulating private investment and by maintaining a responsible economic policy. Through a new top-level review process, we will do a better job of reducing Government regulation that drives up costs and drives up prices. But again, Government alone cannot bring down the rate of inflation. When a level of high inflation is expected to continue, then companies raise prices to protect their profit margins against prospective increases in wages and other costs, while workers demand higher wages as protection against expected price increases. It's like an escalation in the arms race, and understandably, no one wants to disarm alone. Now, no one firm or a group of workers can halt this process. It's an effort that we must all make together. I'm therefore asking government, business, labor, and other groups to join in a voluntary program to moderate inflation by holding wage and price increases in each sector of the economy during 1978 below the average increases of the last 2 years. I do not believe in wage and price controls. A sincere commitment to voluntary constraint provides a way—perhaps the only way—to fight inflation without Government interference. As I came into the Capitol tonight, I saw the farmers, my fellow farmers, standing out in the snow. I'm familiar with their problem, and I know from Congress action that you are too. When I was running Carters Warehouse, we had spread on our own farms 5-10-15 fertilizer for about $40 a ton. The last time I was home, the price was about $100 a ton. The cost of nitrogen has gone up 150 percent, and the price of products that farmers sell has either stayed the same or gone down a little. Now, this past year in 1977, you, the Congress, and I together passed a new agricultural act. It went into effect October 1. It'll have its first impact on the 1978 crops. It will help a great deal. It'll add $6 1/2 billion or more to help the farmers with their price supports and target prices. Last year we had the highest level of exports of farm products in the history of our country—$24 billion. We expect to have more this year. We'll be working together. But I think it's incumbent on us to monitor very carefully the farm situation and continue to work harmoniously with the farmers of our country. What's best for the farmers, the farm families, in the long run is also best for the consumers of our country. Economic success at home is also the key to success in our international economic policy. An effective energy program, strong investment and productivity, and controlled inflation will provide [improve] our trade balance and balance it, and it will help to protect the integrity of the dollar overseas. By working closely with our friends abroad, we can promote the economic health of the whole world, with fair and balanced agreements lowering the barriers to trade. Despite the inevitable pressures that build up when the world economy suffers from high unemployment, we must firmly resist the demands for self-defeating protectionism. But free trade must also be fair trade. And I am determined to protect American industry and American workers against foreign trade practices which are unfair or illegal. In a separate written message to Congress, I've outlined other domestic initiatives, such as welfare reform, consumer protection, basic education skills, urban policy, reform of our labor laws, and national health care later on this year. I will not repeat these tonight. But there are several other points that I would like to make directly to you. During these past years, Americans have seen our Government grow far from us. For some citizens, the Government has almost become like a foreign country, so strange and distant that we've often had to deal with it through trained ambassadors who have sometimes become too powerful and too influential—lawyers, accountants, and lobbyists. This cannot go on. 
We must have what Abraham Lincoln wanted—a government for the people. We've made progress toward that kind of government. You've given me the authority I requested to reorganize the Federal bureaucracy. And I am using that authority. We've already begun a series of reorganization plans which will be completed over a period of 3 years. We have also proposed abolishing almost 500 Federal advisory and other commissions and boards. But I know that the American people are still sick and tired of Federal paperwork and redtape. Bit by bit we are chopping down the thicket of unnecessary Federal regulations by which Government too often interferes in our personal lives and our personal business. We've cut the public's Federal paperwork load by more than 12 percent in less than a year. And we are not through cutting. We've made a good start on turning the gobbledygook of Federal regulations into plain English that people can understand. But we know that we still have a long way to go. We've brought together parts of 11 Government agencies to create a new Department of Energy. And now it's time to take another major step by creating a separate Department of Education. But even the best organized Government will only be as effective as the people who carry out its policies. For this reason, I consider civil service reform to be absolutely vital. Worked out with the civil servants themselves, this reorganization plan will restore the merit principle to a system which has grown into a bureaucratic maze. It will provide greater management flexibility and better rewards for better performance without compromising job security. Then and only then can we have a government that is efficient, open, and truly worthy of our people's understanding and respect. I have promised that we will have such a government, and I intend to keep that promise. In our foreign policy, the separation of people from government has been in the past a source of weakness and error. In a democratic system like ours, foreign policy decisions must be able to stand the test of public examination and public debate. If we make a mistake in this administration, it will be on the side of frankness and openness with the American people. In our modern world, when the deaths of literally millions of people can result from a few terrifying seconds of destruction, the path of national strength and security is identical to the path of peace. Tonight, I am happy to report that because we are strong, our Nation is at peace with the world. We are a confident nation. We've restored a moral basis for our foreign policy. .The very heart of our identity as a nation is our firm commitment to human rights. We stand for human rights because we believe that government has as a purpose to promote the well-being of its citizens. This is true in our domestic policy; it's also true in our foreign policy. The world must know that in support of human rights, the United States will stand firm. We expect no quick or easy results, but there has been significant movement toward greater freedom and humanity in several parts of the world. Thousands of political prisoners have been freed. The leaders of the world-even our ideological adversaries—now see that their attitude toward fundamental human rights affects their standing in the international community, and it affects their relations with the United States. To serve the interests of every American, our foreign policy has three major goals. The first and prime concern is and will remain the security of our country. Security is based on our national will, and security is based on the strength of our Armed Forces. We have the will, and militarily we are very strong. Security also comes through the strength of our alliances. We have reconfirmed our commitment to the defense of Europe, and this year we will demonstrate that commitment by further modernizing and strengthening our military capabilities there. Security can also be enhanced by agreements with potential adversaries which reduce the threat of nuclear disaster while maintaining our own relative strategic capability. In areas of peaceful competition with the Soviet Union, we will continue to more than hold our own. At the same time, we are negotiating with quiet confidence, without haste, with careful determination, to ease the tensions between us and to ensure greater stability and security. The strategic arms limitation talks have been long and difficult. We want a mutual limit on both the quality and the quantity of the giant nuclear arsenals of both nations, and then we want actual reductions in strategic arms as a major step toward the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth. If these talks result in an agreement this year—and I trust they will—I pledge to you that the agreement will maintain and enhance the stability of the world's strategic balance and the security of the United States. For 30 years, concerted but unsuccessful efforts have been made to ban the testing of atomic explosives—both military weapons and peaceful nuclear devices. We are hard at work with Great Britain and the Soviet Union on an agreement which will stop testing and will protect our national security and provide for adequate verification of compliance. We are now making, I believe, good progress toward this comprehensive ban on nuclear explosions. We are also working vigorously to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons among the nations of the world which do not now have them and to reduce the deadly global traffic in conventional arms sales. Our stand for peace is suspect if we are also the principal arms merchant of the world. so, we've decided to cut down our arms transfers abroad on a year-by-year basis and to work with other major arms exporters to encourage their similar constraint. Every American has a stake in our second major goal—a world at peace. In a nuclear age, each of us is threatened when peace is not secured everywhere. We are trying to promote harmony in those parts of the world where major differences exist among other nations and threaten international peace. In the Middle East, we are contributing our good offices to maintain the momentum of the current negotiations and to keep open the lines of communication among the Middle Eastern leaders. The whole world has a great stake in the success of these efforts. This is a precious opportunity for a historic settlement of a longstanding conflict—an opportunity which may never come again in our lifetime. Our role has been difficult and sometimes thankless and controversial. But it has been constructive and it has been necessary, and it will continue. Our third major foreign policy goal is one that touches the life of every American citizen every day—world economic growth and stability. This requires strong economic performance by the industrialized democracies like ourselves and progress in resolving the global energy crisis. Last fall, with the help of others, we succeeded in our vigorous efforts to maintain the stability of the price of oil. But as many foreign leaders have emphasized to me personally and, I am sure, to you, the greatest future contribution that America can make to the world economy would be an effective energy conservation program here at home. We will not hesitate to take the actions needed to protect the integrity of the American dollar. We are trying to develop a more just international system. And in this spirit, we are supporting the struggle for human development in Africa, in Asia, and in Latin America. Finally, the world is watching to see how we act on one of our most important and controversial items of business—approval of the Panama Canal treaties. The treaties now before the Senate are the result of the work of four administrations-two Democratic, two Republican. They guarantee that the canal will be open always for unrestricted use by the ships of the world. Our ships have the right to go to the head of the line for priority of passage in times of emergency or need. We retain the permanent right to defend the canal with our own military forces, if necessary, to guarantee its openness and its neutrality. The treaties are to the clear advantage of ourselves, the Panamanians, and the other users of the canal. Ratifying the Panama Canal treaties will demonstrate our good faith to the world, discourage the spread of hostile ideologies in this hemisphere, and directly contribute to the economic well-being and the security of the United States. I have to say that that's very welcome applause. [Laughter] There were two moments on my recent journey which, for me, confirmed the final aims of our foreign policy and what it always must be. One was in a little village in India, where I met a people as passionately attached to their rights and liberties as we are, but whose children have a far smaller chance for good health or food or education or human fulfillment than a child born in this country. The other moment was in Warsaw, capital of a nation twice devastated by war in this century. There, people have rebuilt the city which war's destruction took from them. But what was new only emphasized clearly what was lost. What I saw in those two places crystalized for me the purposes of our own Nation's policy: to ensure economic justice, to advance human rights, to resolve conflicts without violence, and to proclaim in our great democracy our constant faith in the liberty and dignity of human beings everywhere. We Americans have a great deal of work to do together. In the end, how well we do that work will depend on the spirit in which we approach it. We must seek fresh answers, unhindered by the stale prescriptions of the past. It has been said that our best years are behind us. But I say again that America's best is still ahead. We have emerged from bitter experiences chastened but proud, confident once again, ready to face challenges once again, and united once again. We come together tonight at a solemn time. Last week the Senate lost a good and honest man—Lee Metcalf of Montana. And today, the flag of the United States flew at half-mast from this Capitol and from American installations and ships all over the world, in mourning for Senator Hubert Humphrey. Because he exemplified so well the joy and the zest of living, his death reminds us not so much of our own mortality, but of the possibilities offered to us by life. He always looked to the future with a special American kind of confidence, of hope and enthusiasm. And the best way that we can honor him is by following his example. Our task—to use the words of Senator Humphrey—is "reconciliation, rebuilding, and rebirth." Reconciliation of private needs and interests into a higher purpose. Rebuilding the old dreams of justice and liberty, and country and community. Rebirth of our faith in the common good. Each of us here tonight—and all who are listening in your homes—must rededicate ourselves to serving the common good. We are a community, a beloved community, all of us. Our individual fates are linked, our futures intertwined. And if we act in that knowledge and in that spirit, together, as the Bible says, we can move mountains. 
Thank you very much.
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the 95th Congress, ladies and gentlemen: Two years ago today we had the first caucus in Iowa, and one year ago tomorrow, I walked from here to the White House to take up the duties of President of the United States. I did not know it then when I walked, but I have been trying to save energy ever since. [Laughter] I return tonight to fulfill one of those duties of the Constitution: to give to the Congress—and to the Nation—information on the state of the Union. Militarily, politically, economically, and in spirit, the state of our Union is sound. We are a great country, a strong country, a vital and a dynamic country—and so we will remain. We are a confident people and a hardworking people, a decent and a compassionate people—and so we will remain. I want to speak to you tonight about where we are and where we must go, about what we have done and what we must do. And I want to pledge to you my best efforts and ask you to pledge yours. Each generation of Americans has to face circumstances not of its own choosing, but by which its character is measured and its spirit is tested. There are times of emergency, when a nation and its leaders must bring their energies to bear on a single urgent task. That was the duty Abraham Lincoln faced when our land was torn apart by conflict in the War Between the States. That was the duty faced by Franklin Roosevelt when he led America out of an economic depression and again when he led America to victory in war. There are other times when there is no single overwhelming crisis, yet profound national interests are at stake. At such times the risk of inaction can be equally great. It becomes the task of leaders to call forth the vast and restless energies of our people to build for the future. That is what Harry Truman did in the years after the Second World War, when we helped Europe and Japan rebuild themselves and secured an international order that has protected freedom from aggression. We live in such times now, and we face such duties. We have come through a long period of turmoil and doubt, but we have once again found our moral course, and with a new spirit, we are striving to express our best instincts to the rest of the world. There is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of common purpose. This sense of unity cannot be expressed in programs or in legislation or in dollars. It is an achievement that belongs to every individual American. This unity ties together, and it towers over all our efforts here in Washington, and it serves as an inspiring beacon for all of us who are elected to serve. This new atmosphere demands a new spirit, a partnership between those of us who lead and those who elect. The foundations of this partnership are truth, the courage to face hard decisions, concern for one another and the common good over special interests, and a basic faith and trust in the wisdom and strength and judgment of the American people. For the first time in a generation, we are not haunted by a major international crisis or by domestic turmoil, and we now have a rare and a priceless opportunity to address persistent problems and burdens which come to us as a nation-quietly and steadily getting worse over the years. As President, I have had to ask you, the Members of Congress, and you, the American people, to come to grips with some of the most difficult and hard questions facing our society. We must make a maximum effort, because if we do not aim for the best, we are very likely to achieve little. I see no benefit to the country if we delay, because the problems will only get worse. We need patience and good will, but we really need to realize that there is a limit to the role and the function of government. Government cannot solve our problems, it cannot set our goals, it cannot define our vision. Government cannot eliminate poverty or provide a bountiful economy or reduce inflation or save our cities or cure illiteracy or provide energy. And government cannot mandate goodness. Only a true partnership between government and the people can ever hope to reach these goals. Those of us who govern can sometimes inspire, and we can identify needs and marshal resources, but we simply cannot be the managers of everything and everybody. We here in Washington must move away from crisis management, and we must establish clear goals for the future-immediate and the distant future—which will let us work together and not in conflict. Never again should we neglect a growing crisis like the shortage of energy, where further delay will only lead to more harsh and painful solutions. Every day we spend more than $120 million for foreign oil. This slows our economic growth, it lowers the value of the dollar overseas, and it aggravates unemployment and inflation here at home. Now we know what we must do—increase production. We must cut down on waste. And we must use more of those fuels which are plentiful and more permanent. We must be fair to people, and we must not disrupt our Nation's economy and our budget. Now, that sounds simple. But I recognize the difficulties involved. I know that it is not easy for the Congress to act. But the fact remains that on the energy legislation, we have failed the American people. Almost 5 years after the oil embargo dramatized the problem for us all, we still do not have a national energy program. Not much longer can we tolerate this stalemate. It undermines our national interest both at home and abroad. We must succeed, and I believe we will. Our main task at home this year, with energy a central element, is the Nation's economy. We must continue the recovery and further cut unemployment and inflation. Last year was a good one for the United States. We reached all of our major economic goals for 1977. Four million new jobs were created—an all time record and the number of unemployed dropped by more than a million. Unemployment right now is the lowest it has been since 1974, and not since World War II has such a high percentage of American people been employed. The rate of inflation went down. There was a good growth in business profits and investments, the source of more jobs for our workers, and a higher standard of living for all our people. After taxes and inflation, there was a healthy increase in workers' wages. And this year, our country will have the first $2 trillion economy in the history of the world. Now, we are proud of this progress the first year, but we must do even better in the future. We still have serious problems on which all of us must work together. Our trade deficit is too large. Inflation is still too high, and too many Americans still do not have a job. Now, I did not have any simple answers for all these problems. But we have developed an economic policy that is working, because it is simple, balanced, and fair. It is based on four principles: First, the economy must keep on expanding to produce new jobs and better income, which our people need. The fruits of growth must be widely shared. More jobs must be made available to those who have been bypassed until now. And the tax system must be made fairer and simpler. Secondly, private business and not the Government must lead the expansion in the future. Third, we must lower the rate of inflation and keep it down. Inflation slows down economic growth, and it is the most cruel to the poor and also to the elderly and others who live on fixed incomes. And fourth, we must contribute to the strength of the world economy. I will announce detailed proposals for improving our tax system later this week. We can make our tax laws fairer, we can make them simpler and easier to understand, and at the same time, we can-and we will—reduce the tax burden on American citizens by $25 billion. The tax reforms and the tax reductions go together. Only with the long overdue reforms will the full tax cut be advisable. Almost $17 billion in income tax cuts will go to individuals. Ninety-six percent of all American taxpayers will see their taxes go down. For a typical family of four, this means an annual saving of more than $250 a year, or a tax reduction of about 20 percent. A further $2 billion cut in excise taxes will give more relief and also contribute directly to lowering the rate of inflation. And we will also provide strong additional incentives for business investment and growth through substantial cuts in the corporate tax rates and improvement in the investment tax credit. Now, these tax proposals will increase opportunity everywhere in the Nation. But additional jobs for the disadvantaged deserve special attention. We have already passed laws to assure equal access to the voting booth and to restaurants and to schools, to housing, and laws to permit access to jobs. But job opportunity-the chance to earn a decent living—is also a basic human right, which we cannot and will not ignore. A major priority for our Nation is the final elimination of the barriers that restrict the opportunities available to women and also to black people and Hispanics and other minorities. We have come a long way toward that goal. But there is still much to do. What we inherited from the past must not be permitted to shackle us in the future. I will be asking you for a substantial increase in funds for public jobs for our young people, and I also am recommending that the Congress continue the public service employment programs at more than twice the level of a year ago. When welfare reform is completed, we will have more than a million additional jobs so that those on welfare who are able to work can work. However, again, we know that in our free society, private business is still the best source of new jobs. Therefore, I will propose a new program to encourage businesses to hire young and disadvantaged Americans. These young people only need skills and a chance in order to take their place in our economic system. Let us give them the chance they need. A major step in the right direction would be the early passage of a greatly improved Humphrey-Hawkins bill. My budget for 1979 addresses these national needs, but it is lean and tight. I have cut waste wherever possible. I am proposing an increase of less than 2 percent after adjusting for inflation-the smallest increase in the Federal budget in 4 years. Lately, Federal spending has taken a steadily increasing portion of what Americans produce. Our new budget reverses that trend, and later I hope to bring the Government's toll down even further. And with your help, we will do that. In time of high employment and a strong economy, deficit spending should not be a feature of our budget. As the economy continues to gain strength and as our unemployment rates continue to fall, revenues will grow. With careful planning, efficient management, and proper restraint on spending, we can move rapidly toward a balanced budget—and we will. Next year the budget deficit will be only slightly less than this year. But one-third of the deficit is due to the necessary tax cuts that I have proposed. This year the right choice is to reduce the burden on taxpayers and provide more jobs for our people. The third element in our program is a renewed attack on inflation. We have learned the hard way that high unemployment will not prevent or cure inflation. Government can help us by stimulating private investment and by maintaining a responsible economic policy. Through a new top-level review process, we will do a better job of reducing Government regulation that drives up costs and drives up prices. But again, Government alone cannot bring down the rate of inflation. When a level of high inflation is expected to continue, then companies raise prices to protect their profit margins against prospective increases in wages and other costs, while workers demand higher wages as protection against expected price increases. It is like an escalation in the arms race, and understandably, no one wants to disarm alone. Now, no one firm or a group of workers can halt this process. It is an effort that we must all make together. I am therefore asking government, business, labor, and other groups to join in a voluntary program to moderate inflation by holding wage and price increases in each sector of the economy during 1978 below the average increases of the last 2 years. I do not believe in wage and price controls. A sincere commitment to voluntary constraint provides a way—perhaps the only way—to fight inflation without Government interference. As I came into the Capitol tonight, I saw the farmers, my fellow farmers, standing out in the snow. I am familiar with their problem, and I know from Congress action that you are too. When I was running Carters Warehouse, we had spread on our own farms 5-10-15 fertilizer for about $40 a ton. The last time I was home, the price was about $100 a ton. The cost of nitrogen has gone up 150 percent, and the price of products that farmers sell has either stayed the same or gone down a little. Now, this past year in 1977, you, the Congress, and I together passed a new agricultural act. It went into effect October 1. It will have its first impact on the 1978 crops. It will help a great deal. It will add $6 1/2 billion or more to help the farmers with their price supports and target prices. Last year we had the highest level of exports of farm products in the history of our country—$24 billion. We expect to have more this year. We will be working together. But I think it is incumbent on us to monitor very carefully the farm situation and continue to work harmoniously with the farmers of our country. What is best for the farmers, the farm families, in the long run is also best for the consumers of our country. Economic success at home is also the key to success in our international economic policy. An effective energy program, strong investment and productivity, and controlled inflation will provide [improve] our trade balance and balance it, and it will help to protect the integrity of the dollar overseas. By working closely with our friends abroad, we can promote the economic health of the whole world, with fair and balanced agreements lowering the barriers to trade. Despite the inevitable pressures that build up when the world economy suffers from high unemployment, we must firmly resist the demands for self-defeating protectionism. But free trade must also be fair trade. And I am determined to protect American industry and American workers against foreign trade practices which are unfair or illegal. In a separate written message to Congress, I have outlined other domestic initiatives, such as welfare reform, consumer protection, basic education skills, urban policy, reform of our labor laws, and national health care later on this year. I will not repeat these tonight. But there are several other points that I would like to make directly to you. During these past years, Americans have seen our Government grow far from us. For some citizens, the Government has almost become like a foreign country, so strange and distant that we have often had to deal with it through trained ambassadors who have sometimes become too powerful and too influential—lawyers, accountants, and lobbyists. This cannot go on. We must have what Abraham Lincoln wanted—a government for the people. We have made progress toward that kind of government. You have given me the authority I requested to reorganize the Federal bureaucracy. And I am using that authority. We have already begun a series of reorganization plans which will be completed over a period of 3 years. We have also proposed abolishing almost 500 Federal advisory and other commissions and boards. But I know that the American people are still sick and tired of Federal paperwork and redtape. Bit by bit we are chopping down the thicket of unnecessary Federal regulations by which Government too often interferes in our personal lives and our personal business. We have cut the public's Federal paperwork load by more than 12 percent in less than a year. And we are not through cutting. We have made a good start on turning the gobbledygook of Federal regulations into plain English that people can understand. But we know that we still have a long way to go. We have brought together parts of 11 Government agencies to create a new Department of Energy. And now it is time to take another major step by creating a separate Department of Education. But even the best organized Government will only be as effective as the people who carry out its policies. For this reason, I consider civil service reform to be absolutely vital. Worked out with the civil servants themselves, this reorganization plan will restore the merit principle to a system which has grown into a bureaucratic maze. It will provide greater management flexibility and better rewards for better performance without compromising job security. Then and only then can we have a government that is efficient, open, and truly worthy of our people's understanding and respect. I have promised that we will have such a government, and I intend to keep that promise. In our foreign policy, the separation of people from government has been in the past a source of weakness and error. In a democratic system like ours, foreign policy decisions must be able to stand the test of public examination and public debate. If we make a mistake in this administration, it will be on the side of frankness and openness with the American people. In our modern world, when the deaths of literally millions of people can result from a few terrifying seconds of destruction, the path of national strength and security is identical to the path of peace. Tonight, I am happy to report that because we are strong, our Nation is at peace with the world. We are a confident nation. We have restored a moral basis for our foreign policy. .The very heart of our identity as a nation is our firm commitment to human rights. We stand for human rights because we believe that government has as a purpose to promote the well-being of its citizens. This is true in our domestic policy; it is also true in our foreign policy. The world must know that in support of human rights, the United States will stand firm. We expect no quick or easy results, but there has been significant movement toward greater freedom and humanity in several parts of the world. Thousands of political prisoners have been freed. The leaders of the world-even our ideological adversaries—now see that their attitude toward fundamental human rights affects their standing in the international community, and it affects their relations with the United States. To serve the interests of every American, our foreign policy has three major goals. The first and prime concern is and will remain the security of our country. Security is based on our national will, and security is based on the strength of our Armed Forces. We have the will, and militarily we are very strong. Security also comes through the strength of our alliances. We have reconfirmed our commitment to the defense of Europe, and this year we will demonstrate that commitment by further modernizing and strengthening our military capabilities there. Security can also be enhanced by agreements with potential adversaries which reduce the threat of nuclear disaster while maintaining our own relative strategic capability. In areas of peaceful competition with the Soviet Union, we will continue to more than hold our own. At the same time, we are negotiating with quiet confidence, without haste, with careful determination, to ease the tensions between us and to ensure greater stability and security. The strategic arms limitation talks have been long and difficult. We want a mutual limit on both the quality and the quantity of the giant nuclear arsenals of both nations, and then we want actual reductions in strategic arms as a major step toward the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the Earth. If these talks result in an agreement this year—and I trust they will—I pledge to you that the agreement will maintain and enhance the stability of the world's strategic balance and the security of the United States. For 30 years, concerted but unsuccessful efforts have been made to ban the testing of atomic explosives—both military weapons and peaceful nuclear devices. We are hard at work with Great Britain and the Soviet Union on an agreement which will stop testing and will protect our national security and provide for adequate verification of compliance. We are now making, I believe, good progress toward this comprehensive ban on nuclear explosions. We are also working vigorously to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons among the nations of the world which do not now have them and to reduce the deadly global traffic in conventional arms sales. Our stand for peace is suspect if we are also the principal arms merchant of the world. so, we have decided to cut down our arms transfers abroad on a year-by-year basis and to work with other major arms exporters to encourage their similar constraint. Every American has a stake in our second major goal—a world at peace. In a nuclear age, each of us is threatened when peace is not secured everywhere. We are trying to promote harmony in those parts of the world where major differences exist among other nations and threaten international peace. In the Middle East, we are contributing our good offices to maintain the momentum of the current negotiations and to keep open the lines of communication among the Middle Eastern leaders. The whole world has a great stake in the success of these efforts. This is a precious opportunity for a historic settlement of a longstanding conflict—an opportunity which may never come again in our lifetime. Our role has been difficult and sometimes thankless and controversial. But it has been constructive and it has been necessary, and it will continue. Our third major foreign policy goal is one that touches the life of every American citizen every day—world economic growth and stability. This requires strong economic performance by the industrialized democracies like ourselves and progress in resolving the global energy crisis. Last fall, with the help of others, we succeeded in our vigorous efforts to maintain the stability of the price of oil. But as many foreign leaders have emphasized to me personally and, I am sure, to you, the greatest future contribution that America can make to the world economy would be an effective energy conservation program here at home. We will not hesitate to take the actions needed to protect the integrity of the American dollar. We are trying to develop a more just international system. And in this spirit, we are supporting the struggle for human development in Africa, in Asia, and in Latin America. Finally, the world is watching to see how we act on one of our most important and controversial items of business—approval of the Panama Canal treaties. The treaties now before the Senate are the result of the work of four administrations-two Democratic, two Republican. They guarantee that the canal will be open always for unrestricted use by the ships of the world. Our ships have the right to go to the head of the line for priority of passage in times of emergency or need. We retain the permanent right to defend the canal with our own military forces, if necessary, to guarantee its openness and its neutrality. The treaties are to the clear advantage of ourselves, the Panamanians, and the other users of the canal. Ratifying the Panama Canal treaties will demonstrate our good faith to the world, discourage the spread of hostile ideologies in this hemisphere, and directly contribute to the economic well-being and the security of the United States. I have to say that that is very welcome applause. [Laughter] There were two moments on my recent journey which, for me, confirmed the final aims of our foreign policy and what it always must be. One was in a little village in India, where I met a people as passionately attached to their rights and liberties as we are, but whose children have a far smaller chance for good health or food or education or human fulfillment than a child born in this country. The other moment was in Warsaw, capital of a nation twice devastated by war in this century. There, people have rebuilt the city which war's destruction took from them. But what was new only emphasized clearly what was lost. What I saw in those two places crystalized for me the purposes of our own Nation's policy: to ensure economic justice, to advance human rights, to resolve conflicts without violence, and to proclaim in our great democracy our constant faith in the liberty and dignity of human beings everywhere. We Americans have a great deal of work to do together. In the end, how well we do that work will depend on the spirit in which we approach it. We must seek fresh answers, unhindered by the stale prescriptions of the past. It has been said that our best years are behind us. But I say again that America's best is still ahead. We have emerged from bitter experiences chastened but proud, confident once again, ready to face challenges once again, and united once again. We come together tonight at a solemn time. Last week the Senate lost a good and honest man—Lee Metcalf of Montana. And today, the flag of the United States flew at half-mast from this Capitol and from American installations and ships all over the world, in mourning for Senator Hubert Humphrey. Because he exemplified so well the joy and the zest of living, his death reminds us not so much of our own mortality, but of the possibilities offered to us by life. He always looked to the future with a special American kind of confidence, of hope and enthusiasm. And the best way that we can honor him is by following his example. Our task—to use the words of Senator Humphrey—is "reconciliation, rebuilding, and rebirth." Reconciliation of private needs and interests into a higher purpose. Rebuilding the old dreams of justice and liberty, and country and community. Rebirth of our faith in the common good. Each of us here tonight—and all who are listening in your homes—must rededicate ourselves to serving the common good. We are a community, a beloved community, all of us. Our individual fates are linked, our futures intertwined. And if we act in that knowledge and in that spirit, together, as the Bible says, we can move mountains. Thank you very much.
president speaker members of the 95th congress ladies and gentlemen two years ago today we had the first caucus in iowa and one year ago tomorrow i walked from here to the white house to take up the duties of president of the united states i did not know it then when i walked but i have been trying to save energy ever since laughter i return tonight to fulfill one of those duties of the constitution to give to the to the on the state of the union militarily politically economically and in spirit the state of our union is sound we are a great country a strong country a vital and a dynamic so we will remain we are a confident people and a hardworking people a decent and a compassionate so we will remain i want to speak to you tonight about where we are and where we must go about what we have done and what we must do and i want to pledge to you my best efforts and ask you to pledge yours each generation of americans has to face circumstances not of its own choosing but by which its character is measured and its spirit is tested there are times of emergency when a nation and its leaders must bring their energies to bear on a single urgent task that was the duty abraham lincoln faced when our land was torn apart by conflict in the war between the states that was the duty faced by franklin roosevelt when he led america out of an economic depression and again when he led america to victory in war there are other times when there is no single overwhelming crisis yet profound national interests are at stake at such times the risk of inaction can be equally great it becomes the task of leaders to call forth the vast and restless energies of our people to build for the future that is what harry truman did in the years after the second world war when we helped europe and japan rebuild themselves and secured an international order that has protected freedom from aggression we live in such times now and we face such duties we have come through a long period of turmoil and doubt but we have once again found our moral course and with a new spirit we are striving to express our best instincts to the rest of the world there is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of common purpose this sense of unity can not be expressed in programs or in legislation or in dollars it is an achievement that belongs to every individual american this unity ties together and it towers over all our efforts here in washington and it serves as an inspiring beacon for all of us who are elected to serve this new atmosphere demands a new spirit a partnership between those of us who lead and those who elect the foundations of this partnership are truth the courage to face hard decisions concern for one another and the common good over special interests and a basic faith and trust in the wisdom and strength and judgment of the american people for the first time in a generation we are not haunted by a major international crisis or by domestic turmoil and we now have a rare and a priceless opportunity to address persistent problems and burdens which come to us as a and steadily getting worse over the years as president i have had to ask you the members of congress and you the american people to come to grips with some of the most difficult and hard questions facing our society we must make a maximum effort because if we do not aim for the best we are very likely to achieve little i see no benefit to the country if we delay because the problems will only get worse we need patience and good will but we really need to realize that there is a limit to the role and the function of government government can not solve our problems it can not set our goals it can not define our vision government can not eliminate poverty or provide a bountiful economy or reduce inflation or save our cities or cure illiteracy or provide energy and government can not mandate goodness only a true partnership between government and the people can ever hope to reach these goals those of us who govern can sometimes inspire and we can identify needs and marshal resources but we simply can not be the managers of everything and everybody we here in washington must move away from crisis management and we must establish clear goals for the and the distant will let us work together and not in conflict never again should we neglect a growing crisis like the shortage of energy where further delay will only lead to more harsh and painful solutions every day we spend more than 120 million for foreign oil this slows our economic growth it lowers the value of the dollar overseas and it aggravates unemployment and inflation here at home now we know what we must production we must cut down on waste and we must use more of those fuels which are plentiful and more permanent we must be fair to people and we must not disrupt our nation economy and our budget now that sounds simple but i recognize the difficulties involved i know that it is not easy for the congress to act but the fact remains that on the energy legislation we have failed the american people almost 5 years after the oil embargo dramatized the problem for us all we still do not have a national energy program not much longer can we tolerate this stalemate it undermines our national interest both at home and abroad we must succeed and i believe we will our main task at home this year with energy a central element is the nation economy we must continue the recovery and further cut unemployment and inflation last year was a good one for the united states we reached all of our major economic goals for 1977 four million new jobs were all time record and the number of unemployed dropped by more than a million unemployment right now is the lowest it has been since 1974 and not since world war ii has such a high percentage of american people been employed the rate of inflation went down there was a good growth in business profits and investments the source of more jobs for our workers and a higher standard of living for all our people after taxes and inflation there was a healthy increase in workers wages and this year our country will have the first 2 trillion economy in the history of the world now we are proud of this progress the first year but we must do even better in the future we still have serious problems on which all of us must work together our trade deficit is too large inflation is still too high and too many americans still do not have a job now i did not have any simple answers for all these problems but we have developed an economic policy that is working because it is simple balanced and fair it is based on four principles first the economy must keep on expanding to produce new jobs and better income which our people need the fruits of growth must be widely shared more jobs must be made available to those who have been bypassed until now and the tax system must be made fairer and simpler secondly private business and not the government must lead the expansion in the future third we must lower the rate of inflation and keep it down inflation slows down economic growth and it is the most cruel to the poor and also to the elderly and others who live on fixed incomes and fourth we must contribute to the strength of the world economy i will announce detailed proposals for improving our tax system later this week we can make our tax laws fairer we can make them simpler and easier to understand and at the same time we we the tax burden on american citizens by 25 billion the tax reforms and the tax reductions go together only with the long overdue reforms will the full tax cut be advisable almost 17 billion in income tax cuts will go to individuals percent of all american taxpayers will see their taxes go down for a typical family of four this means an annual saving of more than 250 a year or a tax reduction of about 20 percent a further 2 billion cut in excise taxes will give more relief and also contribute directly to lowering the rate of inflation and we will also provide strong additional incentives for business investment and growth through substantial cuts in the corporate tax rates and improvement in the investment tax credit now these tax proposals will increase opportunity everywhere in the nation but additional jobs for the disadvantaged deserve special attention we have already passed laws to assure equal access to the voting booth and to restaurants and to schools to housing and laws to permit access to jobs but job chance to earn a decent also a basic human right which we can not and will not ignore a major priority for our nation is the final elimination of the barriers that restrict the opportunities available to women and also to black people and hispanics and other minorities we have come a long way toward that goal but there is still much to do what we inherited from the past must not be permitted to shackle us in the future i will be asking you for a substantial increase in funds for public jobs for our young people and i also am recommending that the congress continue the public service employment programs at more than twice the level of a year ago when welfare reform is completed we will have more than a million additional jobs so that those on welfare who are able to work can work however again we know that in our free society private business is still the best source of new jobs therefore i will propose a new program to encourage businesses to hire young and disadvantaged americans these young people only need skills and a chance in order to take their place in our economic system let us give them the chance they need a major step in the right direction would be the early passage of a greatly improved bill my budget for 1979 addresses these national needs but it is lean and tight i have cut waste wherever possible i am proposing an increase of less than 2 percent after adjusting for smallest increase in the federal budget in 4 years lately federal spending has taken a steadily increasing portion of what americans produce our new budget reverses that trend and later i hope to bring the government toll down even further and with your help we will do that in time of high employment and a strong economy deficit spending should not be a feature of our budget as the economy continues to gain strength and as our unemployment rates continue to fall revenues will grow with careful planning efficient management and proper restraint on spending we can move rapidly toward a balanced we will next year the budget deficit will be only slightly less than this year but of the deficit is due to the necessary tax cuts that i have proposed this year the right choice is to reduce the burden on taxpayers and provide more jobs for our people the third element in our program is a renewed attack on inflation we have learned the hard way that high unemployment will not prevent or cure inflation government can help us by stimulating private investment and by maintaining a responsible economic policy through a new review process we will do a better job of reducing government regulation that drives up costs and drives up prices but again government alone can not bring down the rate of inflation when a level of high inflation is expected to continue then companies raise prices to protect their profit margins against prospective increases in wages and other costs while workers demand higher wages as protection against expected price increases it is like an escalation in the arms race and understandably no one wants to disarm alone now no one firm or a group of workers can halt this process it is an effort that we must all make together i am therefore asking government business labor and other groups to join in a voluntary program to moderate inflation by holding wage and price increases in each sector of the economy during 1978 below the average increases of the last 2 years i do not believe in wage and price controls a sincere commitment to voluntary constraint provides a the only fight inflation without government interference as i came into the capitol tonight i saw the farmers my fellow farmers standing out in the snow i am familiar with their problem and i know from congress action that you are too when i was running carters warehouse we had spread on our own farms fertilizer for about 40 a ton the last time i was home the price was about 100 a ton the cost of nitrogen has gone up 150 percent and the price of products that farmers sell has either stayed the same or gone down a little now this past year in 1977 you the congress and i together passed a new agricultural act it went into effect october 1 it will have its first impact on the 1978 crops it will help a great deal it will add 6 billion or more to help the farmers with their price supports and target prices last year we had the highest level of exports of farm products in the history of our 24 billion we expect to have more this year we will be working together but i think it is incumbent on us to monitor very carefully the farm situation and continue to work harmoniously with the farmers of our country what is best for the farmers the farm families in the long run is also best for the consumers of our country economic success at home is also the key to success in our international economic policy an effective energy program strong investment and productivity and controlled inflation will provide improve our trade balance and balance it and it will help to protect the integrity of the dollar overseas by working closely with our friends abroad we can promote the economic health of the whole world with fair and balanced agreements lowering the barriers to trade despite the inevitable pressures that build up when the world economy suffers from high unemployment we must firmly resist the demands for protectionism but free trade must also be fair trade and i am determined to protect american industry and american workers against foreign trade practices which are unfair or illegal in a separate written message to congress i have outlined other domestic initiatives such as welfare reform consumer protection basic education skills urban policy reform of our labor laws and national health care later on this year i will not repeat these tonight but there are several other points that i would like to make directly to you during these past years americans have seen our government grow far from us for some citizens the government has almost become like a foreign country so strange and distant that we have often had to deal with it through trained ambassadors who have sometimes become too powerful and too accountants and lobbyists this can not go on we must have what abraham lincoln government for the people we have made progress toward that kind of government you have given me the authority i requested to reorganize the federal bureaucracy and i am using that authority we have already begun a series of reorganization plans which will be completed over a period of 3 years we have also proposed abolishing almost 500 federal advisory and other commissions and boards but i know that the american people are still sick and tired of federal paperwork and redtape bit by bit we are chopping down the thicket of unnecessary federal regulations by which government too often interferes in our personal lives and our personal business we have cut the public federal paperwork load by more than 12 percent in less than a year and we are not through cutting we have made a good start on turning the gobbledygook of federal regulations into plain english that people can understand but we know that we still have a long way to go we have brought together parts of 11 government agencies to create a new department of energy and now it is time to take another major step by creating a separate department of education but even the best organized government will only be as effective as the people who carry out its policies for this reason i consider civil service reform to be absolutely vital worked out with the civil servants themselves this reorganization plan will restore the merit principle to a system which has grown into a bureaucratic maze it will provide greater management flexibility and better rewards for better performance without compromising job security then and only then can we have a government that is efficient open and truly worthy of our people understanding and respect i have promised that we will have such a government and i intend to keep that promise in our foreign policy the separation of people from government has been in the past a source of weakness and error in a democratic system like ours foreign policy decisions must be able to stand the test of public examination and public debate if we make a mistake in this administration it will be on the side of frankness and openness with the american people in our modern world when the deaths of literally millions of people can result from a few terrifying seconds of destruction the path of national strength and security is identical to the path of peace tonight i am happy to report that because we are strong our nation is at peace with the world we are a confident nation we have restored a moral basis for our foreign policy very heart of our identity as a nation is our firm commitment to human rights we stand for human rights because we believe that government has as a purpose to promote the of its citizens this is true in our domestic policy it is also true in our foreign policy the world must know that in support of human rights the united states will stand firm we expect no quick or easy results but there has been significant movement toward greater freedom and humanity in several parts of the world thousands of political prisoners have been freed the leaders of the our ideological see that their attitude toward fundamental human rights affects their standing in the international community and it affects their relations with the united states to serve the interests of every american our foreign policy has three major goals the first and prime concern is and will remain the security of our country security is based on our national will and security is based on the strength of our armed forces we have the will and militarily we are very strong security also comes through the strength of our alliances we have reconfirmed our commitment to the defense of europe and this year we will demonstrate that commitment by further modernizing and strengthening our military capabilities there security can also be enhanced by agreements with potential adversaries which reduce the threat of nuclear disaster while maintaining our own relative strategic capability in areas of peaceful competition with the soviet union we will continue to more than hold our own at the same time we are negotiating with quiet confidence without haste with careful determination to ease the tensions between us and to ensure greater stability and security the strategic arms limitation talks have been long and difficult we want a mutual limit on both the quality and the quantity of the giant nuclear arsenals of both nations and then we want actual reductions in strategic arms as a major step toward the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons from the face of the earth if these talks result in an agreement this i trust they pledge to you that the agreement will maintain and enhance the stability of the world strategic balance and the security of the united states for 30 years concerted but unsuccessful efforts have been made to ban the testing of atomic military weapons and peaceful nuclear devices we are hard at work with great britain and the soviet union on an agreement which will stop testing and will protect our national security and provide for adequate verification of compliance we are now making i believe good progress toward this comprehensive ban on nuclear explosions we are also working vigorously to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons among the nations of the world which do not now have them and to reduce the deadly global traffic in conventional arms sales our stand for peace is suspect if we are also the principal arms merchant of the world so we have decided to cut down our arms transfers abroad on a basis and to work with other major arms exporters to encourage their similar constraint every american has a stake in our second major world at peace in a nuclear age each of us is threatened when peace is not secured everywhere we are trying to promote harmony in those parts of the world where major differences exist among other nations and threaten international peace in the middle east we are contributing our good offices to maintain the momentum of the current negotiations and to keep open the lines of communication among the middle eastern leaders the whole world has a great stake in the success of these efforts this is a precious opportunity for a historic settlement of a longstanding opportunity which may never come again in our lifetime our role has been difficult and sometimes thankless and controversial but it has been constructive and it has been necessary and it will continue our third major foreign policy goal is one that touches the life of every american citizen every economic growth and stability this requires strong economic performance by the industrialized democracies like ourselves and progress in resolving the global energy crisis last fall with the help of others we succeeded in our vigorous efforts to maintain the stability of the price of oil but as many foreign leaders have emphasized to me personally and i am sure to you the greatest future contribution that america can make to the world economy would be an effective energy conservation program here at home we will not hesitate to take the actions needed to protect the integrity of the american dollar we are trying to develop a more just international system and in this spirit we are supporting the struggle for human development in africa in asia and in latin america finally the world is watching to see how we act on one of our most important and controversial items of of the panama canal treaties the treaties now before the senate are the result of the work of four democratic two republican they guarantee that the canal will be open always for unrestricted use by the ships of the world our ships have the right to go to the head of the line for priority of passage in times of emergency or need we retain the permanent right to defend the canal with our own military forces if necessary to guarantee its openness and its neutrality the treaties are to the clear advantage of ourselves the panamanians and the other users of the canal ratifying the panama canal treaties will demonstrate our good faith to the world discourage the spread of hostile ideologies in this hemisphere and directly contribute to the economic and the security of the united states i have to say that that is very welcome applause laughter there were two moments on my recent journey which for me confirmed the final aims of our foreign policy and what it always must be one was in a little village in india where i met a people as passionately attached to their rights and liberties as we are but whose children have a far smaller chance for good health or food or education or human fulfillment than a child born in this country the other moment was in warsaw capital of a nation twice devastated by war in this century there people have rebuilt the city which war destruction took from them but what was new only emphasized clearly what was lost what i saw in those two places crystalized for me the purposes of our own nation policy to ensure economic justice to advance human rights to resolve conflicts without violence and to proclaim in our great democracy our constant faith in the liberty and dignity of human beings everywhere we americans have a great deal of work to do together in the end how well we do that work will depend on the spirit in which we approach it we must seek fresh answers unhindered by the stale prescriptions of the past it has been said that our best years are behind us but i say again that america best is still ahead we have emerged from bitter experiences chastened but proud confident once again ready to face challenges once again and united once again we come together tonight at a solemn time last week the senate lost a good and honest metcalf of montana and today the flag of the united states flew at from this capitol and from american installations and ships all over the world in mourning for senator hubert humphrey because he exemplified so well the joy and the zest of living his death reminds us not so much of our own mortality but of the possibilities offered to us by life he always looked to the future with a special american kind of confidence of hope and enthusiasm and the best way that we can honor him is by following his example our use the words of senator reconciliation rebuilding and rebirth reconciliation of private needs and interests into a higher purpose rebuilding the old dreams of justice and liberty and country and community rebirth of our faith in the common good each of us here all who are listening in your rededicate ourselves to serving the common good we are a community a beloved community all of us our individual fates are linked our futures intertwined and if we act in that knowledge and in that spirit together as the bible says we can move mountains thank you very much
president speaker members 95th congress ladies gentlemen two years ago today first caucus iowa one year ago tomorrow walked white house take duties president united states know walked trying save energy ever since laughter return tonight fulfill one duties constitution give state union militarily politically economically spirit state union sound great country strong country vital dynamic remain confident people hardworking people decent compassionate remain want speak tonight must go done must want pledge best efforts ask pledge generation americans face circumstances choosing character measured spirit tested times emergency nation leaders must bring energies bear single urgent task duty abraham lincoln faced land torn apart conflict war states duty faced franklin roosevelt led america economic depression led america victory war times single overwhelming crisis yet profound national interests stake times risk inaction equally great becomes task leaders call forth vast restless energies people build future harry truman years second world war helped europe japan rebuild secured international order protected freedom aggression live times face duties come long period turmoil doubt found moral course new spirit striving express best instincts rest world across land growing sense peace sense common purpose sense unity expressed programs legislation dollars achievement belongs every individual american unity ties together towers efforts washington serves inspiring beacon us elected serve new atmosphere demands new spirit partnership us lead elect foundations partnership truth courage face hard decisions concern one another common good special interests basic faith trust wisdom strength judgment american people first time generation haunted major international crisis domestic turmoil rare priceless opportunity address persistent problems burdens come us steadily getting worse years president ask members congress american people come grips difficult hard questions facing society must make maximum effort aim best likely achieve little see benefit country delay problems get worse need patience good really need realize limit role function government government solve problems set goals define vision government eliminate poverty provide bountiful economy reduce inflation save cities cure illiteracy provide energy government mandate goodness true partnership government people ever hope reach goals us govern sometimes inspire identify needs marshal resources simply managers everything everybody washington must move away crisis management must establish clear goals distant let us work together conflict never neglect growing crisis like shortage energy delay lead harsh painful solutions every day spend 120 million foreign oil slows economic growth lowers value dollar overseas aggravates unemployment inflation home know must production must cut waste must use fuels plentiful permanent must fair people must disrupt nation economy budget sounds simple recognize difficulties involved know easy congress act fact remains energy legislation failed american people almost 5 years oil embargo dramatized problem us still national energy program much longer tolerate stalemate undermines national interest home abroad must succeed believe main task home year energy central element nation economy must continue recovery cut unemployment inflation last year good one united states reached major economic goals 1977 four million new jobs time record number unemployed dropped million unemployment right lowest since 1974 since world war ii high percentage american people employed rate inflation went good growth business profits investments source jobs workers higher standard living people taxes inflation healthy increase workers wages year country first 2 trillion economy history world proud progress first year must even better future still serious problems us must work together trade deficit large inflation still high many americans still job simple answers problems developed economic policy working simple balanced fair based four principles first economy must keep expanding produce new jobs better income people need fruits growth must widely shared jobs must made available bypassed tax system must made fairer simpler secondly private business government must lead expansion future third must lower rate inflation keep inflation slows economic growth cruel poor also elderly others live fixed incomes fourth must contribute strength world economy announce detailed proposals improving tax system later week make tax laws fairer make simpler easier understand time tax burden american citizens 25 billion tax reforms tax reductions go together long overdue reforms full tax cut advisable almost 17 billion income tax cuts go individuals percent american taxpayers see taxes go typical family four means annual saving 250 year tax reduction 20 percent 2 billion cut excise taxes give relief also contribute directly lowering rate inflation also provide strong additional incentives business investment growth substantial cuts corporate tax rates improvement investment tax credit tax proposals increase opportunity everywhere nation additional jobs disadvantaged deserve special attention already passed laws assure equal access voting booth restaurants schools housing laws permit access jobs job chance earn decent also basic human right ignore major priority nation final elimination barriers restrict opportunities available women also black people hispanics minorities come long way toward goal still much inherited past must permitted shackle us future asking substantial increase funds public jobs young people also recommending congress continue public service employment programs twice level year ago welfare reform completed million additional jobs welfare able work work however know free society private business still best source new jobs therefore propose new program encourage businesses hire young disadvantaged americans young people need skills chance order take place economic system let us give chance need major step right direction would early passage greatly improved bill budget 1979 addresses national needs lean tight cut waste wherever possible proposing increase less 2 percent adjusting smallest increase federal budget 4 years lately federal spending taken steadily increasing portion americans produce new budget reverses trend later hope bring government toll even help time high employment strong economy deficit spending feature budget economy continues gain strength unemployment rates continue fall revenues grow careful planning efficient management proper restraint spending move rapidly toward balanced next year budget deficit slightly less year deficit due necessary tax cuts proposed year right choice reduce burden taxpayers provide jobs people third element program renewed attack inflation learned hard way high unemployment prevent cure inflation government help us stimulating private investment maintaining responsible economic policy new review process better job reducing government regulation drives costs drives prices government alone bring rate inflation level high inflation expected continue companies raise prices protect profit margins prospective increases wages costs workers demand higher wages protection expected price increases like escalation arms race understandably one wants disarm alone one firm group workers halt process effort must make together therefore asking government business labor groups join voluntary program moderate inflation holding wage price increases sector economy 1978 average increases last 2 years believe wage price controls sincere commitment voluntary constraint provides fight inflation without government interference came capitol tonight saw farmers fellow farmers standing snow familiar problem know congress action running carters warehouse spread farms fertilizer 40 ton last time home price 100 ton cost nitrogen gone 150 percent price products farmers sell either stayed gone little past year 1977 congress together passed new agricultural act went effect october 1 first impact 1978 crops help great deal add 6 billion help farmers price supports target prices last year highest level exports farm products history 24 billion expect year working together think incumbent us monitor carefully farm situation continue work harmoniously farmers country best farmers farm families long run also best consumers country economic success home also key success international economic policy effective energy program strong investment productivity controlled inflation provide improve trade balance balance help protect integrity dollar overseas working closely friends abroad promote economic health whole world fair balanced agreements lowering barriers trade despite inevitable pressures build world economy suffers high unemployment must firmly resist demands protectionism free trade must also fair trade determined protect american industry american workers foreign trade practices unfair illegal separate written message congress outlined domestic initiatives welfare reform consumer protection basic education skills urban policy reform labor laws national health care later year repeat tonight several points would like make directly past years americans seen government grow far us citizens government almost become like foreign country strange distant often deal trained ambassadors sometimes become powerful accountants lobbyists go must abraham lincoln government people made progress toward kind government given authority requested reorganize federal bureaucracy using authority already begun series reorganization plans completed period 3 years also proposed abolishing almost 500 federal advisory commissions boards know american people still sick tired federal paperwork redtape bit bit chopping thicket unnecessary federal regulations government often interferes personal lives personal business cut public federal paperwork load 12 percent less year cutting made good start turning gobbledygook federal regulations plain english people understand know still long way go brought together parts 11 government agencies create new department energy time take another major step creating separate department education even best organized government effective people carry policies reason consider civil service reform absolutely vital worked civil servants reorganization plan restore merit principle system grown bureaucratic maze provide greater management flexibility better rewards better performance without compromising job security government efficient open truly worthy people understanding respect promised government intend keep promise foreign policy separation people government past source weakness error democratic system like foreign policy decisions must able stand test public examination public debate make mistake administration side frankness openness american people modern world deaths literally millions people result terrifying seconds destruction path national strength security identical path peace tonight happy report strong nation peace world confident nation restored moral basis foreign policy heart identity nation firm commitment human rights stand human rights believe government purpose promote citizens true domestic policy also true foreign policy world must know support human rights united states stand firm expect quick easy results significant movement toward greater freedom humanity several parts world thousands political prisoners freed leaders ideological see attitude toward fundamental human rights affects standing international community affects relations united states serve interests every american foreign policy three major goals first prime concern remain security country security based national security based strength armed forces militarily strong security also comes strength alliances reconfirmed commitment defense europe year demonstrate commitment modernizing strengthening military capabilities security also enhanced agreements potential adversaries reduce threat nuclear disaster maintaining relative strategic capability areas peaceful competition soviet union continue hold time negotiating quiet confidence without haste careful determination ease tensions us ensure greater stability security strategic arms limitation talks long difficult want mutual limit quality quantity giant nuclear arsenals nations want actual reductions strategic arms major step toward ultimate elimination nuclear weapons face earth talks result agreement trust pledge agreement maintain enhance stability world strategic balance security united states 30 years concerted unsuccessful efforts made ban testing atomic military weapons peaceful nuclear devices hard work great britain soviet union agreement stop testing protect national security provide adequate verification compliance making believe good progress toward comprehensive ban nuclear explosions also working vigorously halt proliferation nuclear weapons among nations world reduce deadly global traffic conventional arms sales stand peace suspect also principal arms merchant world decided cut arms transfers abroad basis work major arms exporters encourage similar constraint every american stake second major world peace nuclear age us threatened peace secured everywhere trying promote harmony parts world major differences exist among nations threaten international peace middle east contributing good offices maintain momentum current negotiations keep open lines communication among middle eastern leaders whole world great stake success efforts precious opportunity historic settlement longstanding opportunity may never come lifetime role difficult sometimes thankless controversial constructive necessary continue third major foreign policy goal one touches life every american citizen every economic growth stability requires strong economic performance industrialized democracies like progress resolving global energy crisis last fall help others succeeded vigorous efforts maintain stability price oil many foreign leaders emphasized personally sure greatest future contribution america make world economy would effective energy conservation program home hesitate take actions needed protect integrity american dollar trying develop international system spirit supporting struggle human development africa asia latin america finally world watching see act one important controversial items panama canal treaties treaties senate result work four democratic two republican guarantee canal open always unrestricted use ships world ships right go head line priority passage times emergency need retain permanent right defend canal military forces necessary guarantee openness neutrality treaties clear advantage panamanians users canal ratifying panama canal treaties demonstrate good faith world discourage spread hostile ideologies hemisphere directly contribute economic security united states say welcome applause laughter two moments recent journey confirmed final aims foreign policy always must one little village india met people passionately attached rights liberties whose children far smaller chance good health food education human fulfillment child born country moment warsaw capital nation twice devastated war century people rebuilt city war destruction took new emphasized clearly lost saw two places crystalized purposes nation policy ensure economic justice advance human rights resolve conflicts without violence proclaim great democracy constant faith liberty dignity human beings everywhere americans great deal work together end well work depend spirit approach must seek fresh answers unhindered stale prescriptions past said best years behind us say america best still ahead emerged bitter experiences chastened proud confident ready face challenges united come together tonight solemn time last week senate lost good honest metcalf montana today flag united states flew capitol american installations ships world mourning senator hubert humphrey exemplified well joy zest living death reminds us much mortality possibilities offered us life always looked future special american kind confidence hope enthusiasm best way honor following example use words senator reconciliation rebuilding rebirth reconciliation private needs interests higher purpose rebuilding old dreams justice liberty country community rebirth faith common good us listening rededicate serving common good community beloved community us individual fates linked futures intertwined act knowledge spirit together bible says move mountains thank much
president speaker member 95th congress lady gentleman two year ago today first caucus iowa one year ago tomorrow walk white house take duty president united state know walk try save energy ever since laughter return tonight fulfill one duty constitution give state union militarily politically economically spirit state union sound great country strong country vital dynamic remain confident people hardworking people decent compassionate remain want speak tonight must go do must want pledge best effort ask pledge generation americans face circumstance choose character measure spirit test time emergency nation leader must bring energy bear single urgent task duty abraham lincoln face land torn apart conflict war state duty face franklin roosevelt lead america economic depression lead america victory war time single overwhelming crisis yet profound national interest stake time risk inaction equally great becomes task leader call forth vast restless energy people build future harry truman year second world war help europe japan rebuild secure international order protect freedom aggression live time face duty come long period turmoil doubt find moral course new spirit strive express best instinct rest world across land grow sense peace sense common purpose sense unity express program legislation dollar achievement belongs every individual american unity tie together tower effort washington serve inspire beacon u elect serve new atmosphere demand new spirit partnership u lead elect foundation partnership truth courage face hard decision concern one another common good special interest basic faith trust wisdom strength judgment american people first time generation haunt major international crisis domestic turmoil rare priceless opportunity address persistent problem burden come u steadily get bad year president ask member congress american people come grip difficult hard question face society must make maximum effort aim best likely achieve little see benefit country delay problem get bad need patience good really need realize limit role function government government solve problem set goal define vision government eliminate poverty provide bountiful economy reduce inflation save city cure illiteracy provide energy government mandate goodness true partnership government people ever hope reach goal u govern sometimes inspire identify need marshal resource simply manager everything everybody washington must move away crisis management must establish clear goal distant let u work together conflict never neglect grow crisis like shortage energy delay lead harsh painful solution every day spend 120 million foreign oil slows economic growth lower value dollar overseas aggravate unemployment inflation home know must production must cut waste must use fuel plentiful permanent must fair people must disrupt nation economy budget sound simple recognize difficulty involve know easy congress act fact remain energy legislation fail american people almost 5 year oil embargo dramatize problem u still national energy program much longer tolerate stalemate undermines national interest home abroad must succeed believe main task home year energy central element nation economy must continue recovery cut unemployment inflation last year good one united state reach major economic goal 1977 four million new job time record number unemployed drop million unemployment right low since 1974 since world war ii high percentage american people employ rate inflation go good growth business profit investment source job worker higher standard live people tax inflation healthy increase worker wage year country first 2 trillion economy history world proud progress first year must even well future still serious problem u must work together trade deficit large inflation still high many american still job simple answer problem develop economic policy work simple balance fair base four principle first economy must keep expand produce new job well income people need fruit growth must widely share job must make available bypass tax system must make fairer simpler secondly private business government must lead expansion future third must lower rate inflation keep inflation slow economic growth cruel poor also elderly others live fix income fourth must contribute strength world economy announce detailed proposal improve tax system later week make tax law fairer make simpler easy understand time tax burden american citizen 25 billion tax reform tax reduction go together long overdue reform full tax cut advisable almost 17 billion income tax cut go individual percent american taxpayer see tax go typical family four mean annual save 250 year tax reduction 20 percent 2 billion cut excise tax give relief also contribute directly lower rate inflation also provide strong additional incentive business investment growth substantial cut corporate tax rate improvement investment tax credit tax proposal increase opportunity everywhere nation additional job disadvantage deserve special attention already pass law assure equal access voting booth restaurant school housing law permit access job job chance earn decent also basic human right ignore major priority nation final elimination barrier restrict opportunity available woman also black people hispanic minority come long way toward goal still much inherit past must permit shackle u future ask substantial increase fund public job young people also recommend congress continue public service employment program twice level year ago welfare reform complete million additional job welfare able work work however know free society private business still best source new job therefore propose new program encourage business hire young disadvantage american young people need skill chance order take place economic system let u give chance need major step right direction would early passage greatly improved bill budget 1979 address national need lean tight cut waste wherever possible proposing increase less 2 percent adjust small increase federal budget 4 year lately federal spending take steadily increase portion american produce new budget revers trend later hope bring government toll even help time high employment strong economy deficit spending feature budget economy continue gain strength unemployment rate continue fall revenue grow careful plan efficient management proper restraint spending move rapidly toward balance next year budget deficit slightly less year deficit due necessary tax cut propose year right choice reduce burden taxpayer provide job people third element program renew attack inflation learn hard way high unemployment prevent cure inflation government help u stimulate private investment maintain responsible economic policy new review process well job reduce government regulation drive cost drive price government alone bring rate inflation level high inflation expect continue company raise price protect profit margin prospective increase wage cost worker demand high wage protection expect price increase like escalation arm race understandably one want disarm alone one firm group worker halt process effort must make together therefore ask government business labor group join voluntary program moderate inflation hold wage price increase sector economy 1978 average increase last 2 year believe wage price control sincere commitment voluntary constraint provide fight inflation without government interference come capitol tonight saw farmer fellow farmer stand snow familiar problem know congress action run carter warehouse spread farm fertilizer 40 ton last time home price 100 ton cost nitrogen go 150 percent price product farmer sell either stay go little past year 1977 congress together pass new agricultural act go effect october 1 first impact 1978 crop help great deal add 6 billion help farmer price support target price last year high level export farm product history 24 billion expect year work together think incumbent u monitor carefully farm situation continue work harmoniously farmer country best farmer farm family long run also best consumer country economic success home also key success international economic policy effective energy program strong investment productivity control inflation provide improve trade balance balance help protect integrity dollar overseas work closely friend abroad promote economic health whole world fair balance agreement lower barrier trade despite inevitable pressure build world economy suffers high unemployment must firmly resist demand protectionism free trade must also fair trade determine protect american industry american worker foreign trade practice unfair illegal separate write message congress outline domestic initiative welfare reform consumer protection basic education skill urban policy reform labor law national health care later year repeat tonight several point would like make directly past year americans see government grow far u citizens government almost become like foreign country strange distant often deal trained ambassador sometimes become powerful accountant lobbyist go must abraham lincoln government people make progress toward kind government give authority request reorganize federal bureaucracy use authority already begin series reorganization plan complete period 3 year also propose abolish almost 500 federal advisory commission board know american people still sick tired federal paperwork redtape bit bit chop thicket unnecessary federal regulation government often interfere personal life personal business cut public federal paperwork load 12 percent less year cutting make good start turn gobbledygook federal regulation plain english people understand know still long way go bring together part 11 government agency create new department energy time take another major step create separate department education even best organized government effective people carry policy reason consider civil service reform absolutely vital work civil servant reorganization plan restore merit principle system grow bureaucratic maze provide great management flexibility well reward well performance without compromise job security government efficient open truly worthy people understand respect promised government intend keep promise foreign policy separation people government past source weakness error democratic system like foreign policy decision must able stand test public examination public debate make mistake administration side frankness openness american people modern world death literally million people result terrify second destruction path national strength security identical path peace tonight happy report strong nation peace world confident nation restore moral basis foreign policy heart identity nation firm commitment human right stand human right believe government purpose promote citizen true domestic policy also true foreign policy world must know support human right unite state stand firm expect quick easy result significant movement toward great freedom humanity several part world thousand political prisoner free leader ideological see attitude toward fundamental human right affect stand international community affect relation united state serve interest every american foreign policy three major goal first prime concern remain security country security base national security base strength arm force militarily strong security also come strength alliance reconfirm commitment defense europe year demonstrate commitment modernize strengthen military capability security also enhance agreement potential adversary reduce threat nuclear disaster maintain relative strategic capability area peaceful competition soviet union continue hold time negotiate quiet confidence without haste careful determination ease tension u ensure great stability security strategic arm limitation talk long difficult want mutual limit quality quantity giant nuclear arsenal nation want actual reduction strategic arm major step toward ultimate elimination nuclear weapon face earth talk result agreement trust pledge agreement maintain enhance stability world strategic balance security united state 30 year concert unsuccessful effort make ban test atomic military weapon peaceful nuclear device hard work great britain soviet union agreement stop test protect national security provide adequate verification compliance make believe good progress toward comprehensive ban nuclear explosion also work vigorously halt proliferation nuclear weapon among nation world reduce deadly global traffic conventional arm sale stand peace suspect also principal arm merchant world decide cut arm transfer abroad basis work major arm exporter encourage similar constraint every american stake second major world peace nuclear age u threaten peace secure everywhere try promote harmony part world major difference exist among nation threaten international peace middle east contribute good office maintain momentum current negotiation keep open line communication among middle eastern leader whole world great stake success effort precious opportunity historic settlement longstanding opportunity may never come lifetime role difficult sometimes thankless controversial constructive necessary continue third major foreign policy goal one touch life every american citizen every economic growth stability require strong economic performance industrialize democracy like progress resolve global energy crisis last fall help others succeed vigorous effort maintain stability price oil many foreign leader emphasize personally sure great future contribution america make world economy would effective energy conservation program home hesitate take action need protect integrity american dollar try develop international system spirit support struggle human development africa asia latin america finally world watch see act one important controversial item panama canal treaty treaty senate result work four democratic two republican guarantee canal open always unrestricted use ship world ship right go head line priority passage time emergency need retain permanent right defend canal military force necessary guarantee openness neutrality treaty clear advantage panamanians user canal ratify panama canal treaty demonstrate good faith world discourage spread hostile ideology hemisphere directly contribute economic security united state say welcome applause laughter two moment recent journey confirm final aim foreign policy always must one little village india meet people passionately attached right liberty whose child far small chance good health food education human fulfillment child born country moment warsaw capital nation twice devastate war century people rebuild city war destruction take new emphasize clearly lose saw two place crystalized purpose nation policy ensure economic justice advance human right resolve conflict without violence proclaim great democracy constant faith liberty dignity human being everywhere americans great deal work together end well work depend spirit approach must seek fresh answer unhindered stale prescription past say best year behind u say america best still ahead emerged bitter experience chasten proud confident ready face challenge unite come together tonight solemn time last week senate lose good honest metcalf montana today flag united state fly capitol american installation ship world mourn senator hubert humphrey exemplify well joy zest live death remind u much mortality possibility offer u life always look future special american kind confidence hope enthusiasm best way honor follow example use word senator reconciliation rebuild rebirth reconciliation private need interest high purpose rebuild old dreams justice liberty country community rebirth faith common good u listen rededicate serving common good community beloved community u individual fate link future intertwine act knowledge spirit together bible say move mountains thank much