 Thank you all very, very much. Thank you, please. Thank you so much. Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, and our First Lady and Second Gentleman, Members of Congress and the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court, my fellow Americans: Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart. This year, we're finally together again. Tonight we meet as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, but most importantly, as Americans with a duty to one another, to America, to the American people, and to the Constitution, and an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny. Six—[ ]—thank you. Six days ago, Russia's Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people. From President Zelenskiy, their—to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination literally inspires the world. Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees, to teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland. And in this struggle—President Zelenskiy said in his speech to the European Parliament, "Light will win over darkness." The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight sitting with the First Lady. Let each of us, if you're able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to the world and Ukraine. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. She's bright, she's strong, and she's resolved. Yes. We, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people. Throughout our history, we've learned this lesson: When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos; they keep moving; and the costs, the threats to the America—and America, to the world keeps rising. That's why the NATO alliance was created: to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War II. The United States is a member, along with 29 other nations. It matters. American diplomacy matters. American resolve matters. Putin's latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked. He rejected repeated—repeated—efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this Chamber, in this Nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united. And that's what we did: We stayed united. We prepared extensively and carefully. We spent months building coalitions of other freedom-loving nations in Europe and the Americas to—from America to the Asian and African continents to confront Putin. Like many of you, I spent countless hours unifying our European allies. We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsify and justify his aggression. We countered Russia's lies with the truth. And now—now that he's acted, the free world is holding him accountable, along with 27 members of the European Union—including France, Germany, Italy—as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others—even Switzerland—are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been. Together, along with our allies, we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. We're cutting off Russia's largest banks from the international financial system; preventing Russia's Central Bank from defending the Russian ruble, making Putin's $630 billion war fund worthless. We're choking Russia's access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come. Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime: No more. The United States—[ ]—I mean it. The United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs. We're joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets. We're coming for your ill-begotten gains. And tonight I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy. He has no idea what's coming. The ruble has already lost 30 percent of its value, the Russian stock market has lost 40 percent of its value, and trading remains suspended. The Russian economy is reeling, and Putin alone is the one to blame. Together with our allies, we're providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom: military assistance, economic assistance, humanitarian assistance. We're giving more than a billion dollars in direct assistance to Ukraine. And we'll continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and help ease their suffering. But let me be clear: Our Forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine. Our Forces are not going to Europe to fight [in]* Ukraine but to defend our NATO allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west. For that purpose, we have mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, ship deployments to protect NATO countries, including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. And as I've made crystal clear, the United States and our allies will defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power—every single inch. And we're clear eyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days, weeks, and months will be hard on them. Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield, he'll pay a continuing high price over the long run. And a pound of Ukrainian people—the proud, proud people—pound for pound, ready to fight with every inch of energy they have. They've known 30 years of independence—have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards. To all Americans, I'll be honest with you, as I've always promised I would be. A Russian dictator invading a foreign country has costs around the world. And I'm taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russian economy and that we use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers. Tonight I can announce the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world. America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels of our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And we stand ready to do more if necessary, united with our allies. These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. But I know news about what's happening can seem alarming to all Americans. But I want you to know: We're going to be okay. We're going to be okay. When the history of this era is written, Putin's war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. While it shouldn't have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what's at stake, now everyone sees it clearly. We see the unity among leaders of nations, a more unified Europe, a more unified West. We see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world, even in Russia, to demonstrate their support for the people of Ukraine. In the battle between democracy and autocracies, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. This is the real test, and it's going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. To our fellow Ukrainian Americans who forged a deep bond that connects our two nations: We stand with you. We stand with you. Putin may circle Kiev with tanks, but he'll never gain the hearts and souls of the Uranian [Ukrainian]* people. He'll never extinguish their love of freedom. And he will never, never weaken the resolve of the free world. We meet tonight in an America that has lived through 2 of the hardest years this Nation has ever faced. The pandemic has been punishing. And so many families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and so much more. I understand, like many of you did. My dad had to leave his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to find work. So, like many of you, I grew up in a family when the price of food went up, it was felt throughout the family; it had an impact. That's why one of the first things I did as President was fight to pass the American Rescue Plan, because people were hurting. We needed to act, and we did. Few pieces of legislation have done more at a critical moment in our history to lift us out of a crisis. It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the Nation and combat COVID-19. It delivered immediate economic relief to tens of millions of Americans. It helped put food on the table. Remember those long lines of cars waiting for hours just to get a box of food put in their trunk? It cut the cost of health care insurance. And as my dad used to say, it gave the people "just a little bit of breathing room." And unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefited the top 1 percent of Americans, the American Rescue Plan——  Boo! ——the American Rescue Plan helped working people and left no one behind. And, folks—and it worked. It worked. It worked and created jobs, lots of jobs. In fact, our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs in 1 year than ever before in the history of the United States of America. The economy grew at a rate of 5.7 last year, the strongest growth rate in 40 years and the first step in bringing fundamental change to our economy that hasn't worked for working people in this Nation for too long. For the past 40 years, we were told that tax breaks for those at the top and benefits would trickle down and everyone would benefit. But that trickle-down theory led to a weaker economic growth, lower wages, bigger deficits, and a widening gap between the top and everyone else in the—in nearly a century. Look, Vice President Harris and I ran for office—and I realize we have fundamental disagreements on this—but ran for office with a new economic vision for America: invest in America; educate Americans; grow the workforce; build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down. Because we know—because we know—when the middle class grows, the poor go way up, and the wealthy do very well. America used to have the best roads, bridges, and airports on Earth. And now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world. We won't be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st century if we don't fix it. That's why it was so important to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. And I thank my Republican friends who joined to invest and rebuild America, the single biggest investment in history. It was a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank the members of both parties who worked to make it happen. We're done talking about infrastructure weeks. We're now talking about an infrastructure decade. And look, it's going to transform America to put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with the rest of the world, particularly China. I've told Xi Jinping: It's never been a good bet to bet against the American people. We'll create good jobs for millions of Americans—modernizing roads, airports, ports, waterways—all across America. And we'll do it to withstand the devastating effects of climate crisis and promote environmental justice. We'll build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations; begin to replace the poisonous lead pipes so every child, every American has clean water to drink at home and at school. We're going to provide affordable high-speed internet for every American—rural, suburban, urban, and Tribal communities. Four thousand projects have already been announced. Many of you have announced them in your districts. And tonight I'm announcing that, this year, we will start fixing over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair. And, folks, when we use taxpayers' dollars to rebuild America, we're going to do it by buying American. Buy American products. Support American jobs. The Federal Government spends about $600 billion a year to keep this country safe and secure. There's been a law on the books for almost a century to make sure taxpayers' dollars support American jobs and businesses. Every administration—Democrat and Republican—says they'll do it, but we're actually doing it. We'll buy American to make sure everything from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. But, folks, to compete for the jobs of the future, we also need to level the playing field with China and other competitors. That's why it's so important to pass the bipartisan innovation act sitting in Congress that will make record investments in emerging technologies and American manufacturing. We used to invest almost 2 percent of our GDP in research and development. We don't now. Can't—China is. Let me give you one example why it's so important to pass. If you travel 20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, you'll find a thousand empty acres of land. It won't look like much. But if you stop and look closely, you'll see a "field of dreams," the ground on which America's future will be built. That's where Intel, the American company that helped build Silicon Valley, is going to build a $20 billion semiconductor "mega site," up to eight state-of-the-art factories in one place. Ten thousand new jobs. And in those factories, the average job—about $135—$135,000 a year. Some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and everyday lives, from smartphones, technology that—the internet—technology that's yet to be invented. But that's just the beginning. Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, who is here tonight—and I don't know where Pat is. Pat? There you go, Pat. Stand up. Pat came to see me, and he told me they're ready to increase their investment from $20 billion to $100 billion. That would be the biggest investment in manufacturing in American history. And all they're waiting for is for you to pass this bill. So let's not wait any longer. Send it to my desk, I'll sign it, and we will really take off in a big way. And, folks, Intel is not alone. There's something happening in America. Just look around, and you'll see an amazing story—the rebirth of pride that comes from stamping products "Made in America," the revitalization of American manufacturing. Companies are choosing to build new factories here when just a few years ago, they would have gone overseas. That's what is happening. Ford is investing $11 billion in electric vehicles, creating 11,000 jobs across the country. GM is making the largest investment in its history—$7 billion to build electric vehicles, creating 4,000 jobs in Michigan. All told, 369,000 new manufacturing jobs were created in America last year alone. And, folks, powered by people I've met—like JoJo Burgess from generations of union steelworkers in Pittsburgh, who's here with us tonight. Where are you, JoJo? There you go. Thanks, buddy. As Ohio—as Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown says—[ ]—as Sherrod Brown says, "It's time to bury the label 'Rust Belt.'" It's time to see the—what used to be called the Rust Belt become the home of a significant resurgence of manufacturing. And with all the bright spots in our economy—record job growth, higher wages—too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills. Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel. I get it. That's why my top priority is getting prices under control. Look, our economy roared back faster than almost anyone predicted, but the pandemic meant that businesses had a hard time hiring enough people because of the pandemic to keep up production in their factories. So you didn't have people making those beams that went into buildings because they were out—the factory was closed. The panic [pandemic]* also disrupted the global supply chain. Factories close. When that happens, it takes longer to make goods and get them to the warehouses, to the stores, and go—prices go up. Look at cars last year. One-third of all the inflation was because of automobile sales. There weren't enough semiconductors to make all the cars that people wanted to buy. And guess what? Prices of automobiles went way up, especially used vehicles as well. What—and so we have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I think I have a better idea to fight inflation: Lower your costs, not your wages. And, folks, that means make more cars and semiconductors in America, more infrastructure and innovation in America, more goods moving faster and cheaper in America, more jobs where you can earn a good living in America. Instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let's make it in America. Look, economists——  U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!  Economists——  U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!  ——call this increasing the productive capacity of our economy. I call it building a better America. My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit. Seventeen Nobel laureates in economics said my plan will ease long-term inflationary pressures. Top business leaders and, I believe, most Americans support the plan. And here's the plan. First, cut the cost of prescription drugs. We pay more for the same drug produced by the same company in America than any other country in the world. Just look at insulin. One in ten Americans has diabetes. In Virginia, I met a 13-year-old boy, the handsome young man standing up there, Joshua Davis. He and his dad both have type 1 diabetes, which means they need insulin every single day. Insulin costs about $10 a vial to make. That's what it costs the pharmaceutical company. But drug companies charge families like Joshua and his dad up to 30 times that amount. I spoke with Joshua's mom. Imagine what it's like to look at your child who needs insulin to stay healthy and have no idea how in God's name you're going to be able to pay for it—what it does to your family, but what it does to your dignity, your ability to look your child in the eye, to be the parent you expect yourself to be. I really mean it. Think about that. That's what I think about. You know, yesterday—Joshua is here tonight, but yesterday was his birthday. Happy birthday, buddy, by the way. For Joshua and 200,000 other young people with type 1 diabetes, let's cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month so everyone can afford it. And drug companies will do very, very well—their profit margin. And while we're at it—I know we have great disagreements on this floor with this—let's let Medicare negotiate the price of prescription drugs. They already set the price for VA drugs. Look, the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families on Affordable Care Act plans to save them $2,400 a year on their health premiums. Let's close the coverage gap and make those savings permanent. And second, let's cut energy costs for families an average of $500 a year by combating climate change. Let's provide an investment and tax credit to weatherize your home and your business to be energy efficient and get a tax credit for it; double America's clean energy production in solar, wind, and so much more; lower the price of electric vehicles, saving another $80 a month that you've not going to have to pay at the pump. Folks—third—the third thing we can do to change the standard of living for hard-working folks is cut the cost of childcare. [ ] Cut the cost of childcare. Folks, if you live in a major city in America, you can pay up to $14,000 a year for childcare per child. I was a single dad for 5 years, raising two kids. I had a lot of help though. I had a mom, a dad, a brother, and sister that really helped. But middle class and working folks shouldn't have to pay more than 7 percent of their income to care for their young children. My plan would cut the cost of childcare in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women who left the workforce during the pandemic because they couldn't afford childcare to be able to get back to work, generating economic growth. But my plan doesn't stop there. It also includes home and long-term care, more affordable housing, pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. All of these will lower costs to families. And under my plan, nobody—let me say this again—nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes. Not a single penny. I may be wrong, but my guess is, if we took a secret ballot in this floor, that we'd all agree that the present tax system ain't fair. We have to fix it. I'm not looking to punish anybody, but let's make corporations and wealthy Americans start paying their fair share. Look, last year—[ ]—last year—and like Chris Coons and Tom Carper and my distinguished Congresswoman—we come from the land of corporate America. There are more corporations incorporated in America [Delaware]* than every other State in America combined. And I still won 36 years in a row. The point is, even they understand they should pay just a fair share. Last year, 55 of the Fortune 500 companies earned $40 billion in profit and paid zero in Federal taxes.  Boo!  No, look, it's not fair. That's why I proposed a 15-percent minimum tax rate for corporations. And we've got—and that's why in the G-7 and other meetings overseas we were able to put together—I was able to be somewhat helpful—130 countries to agree on a global minimum tax rate so companies can't get out of paying their taxes at home by shipping jobs and factories overseas. It will raise billions of dollars. And that's why I've proposed closing loopholes for the very wealthy who don't pay—who pay a lower tax rate than a teacher and a firefighter. So that's my plan. But we have—we'll go into more detail later. I'm going to grow—we will grow the economy, lower the costs to families. So what are we waiting for? Let's get this done. We all know we've got to make changes. Folks, and while you're at it, confirm my nominees for the Federal Reserve, which plays a critical role in fighting inflation. My plan will not only lower costs and give families a fair shot, it will lower the deficit. The previous administration not only ballooned the deficit with those tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations, it undermined the watchdogs—the job of those to keep pandemic relief funds from being wasted. Remember we had those debates about whether or not those watchdogs should be able to see, every day, how much money was being spent, where it—was it going to the right place? In my administration, the watchdogs are back. And we're going after the criminals who stole billions of relief money meant for small business and millions of Americans. And tonight I'm announcing that the Justice Department will soon name a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud. And look—[ ]—I think we all agree—thank you—by the end of this year, the deficit will be down to less than half what it was before I took office, the only President ever to cut the deficit by more than $1 trillion in a single year. Lowering your costs also meant demanding more competition. I'm a capitalist, but capitalism without competition is not capitalism. Capitalism without competition is exploitation. It drives up profits [prices].* When corporations have to compete, their profits go up and your prices go up—when they don't have to compete. Small businesses and family farmers and ranchers—I need not tell some of my Republican friends from those States—guess what? You've got four basic meatpacking facilities. That's it. You play with them or you don't get to play at all. And you pay a hell of a lot more—a hell of a lot more—because there's only four. See what's happening with ocean carriers moving goods in and out of America. During the pandemic, about half a dozen or less foreign-owned companies raised prices by as much as 1,000 percent and made record profits. Tonight I'm announcing a crackdown on those companies overcharging American businesses and consumers. Folks—[ ]—and as Wall Street firms take over more nursing homes, quality in those homes has gone down, and costs have gone up. That ends on my watch. Medicare is going to set higher standards for nursing homes and make sure your loved ones get the care they deserve and that they inspect and they will—looked at closely. We're also going to cut costs to keep the economy going strong and giving workers a fair shot; provide more training and apprenticeships; hire them based on skills, not just their degrees. Let's pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and paid leave; raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour; and extend the child tax credit so no one has to raise a family in poverty. Let's increase Pell grants; increase our historic support for HBCUs; and invest in what Jill, our First Lady, who teaches full time, calls America's best kept secret: community colleges. Look, let's pass the PRO Act. When a majority of workers want to form a union, they shouldn't be able to be stopped. When we invest in our workers and we build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, together we can do something we haven't done in a long time: build a better America. For more than 2 years, COVID has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of this Nation. And I know you're tired, frustrated, and exhausted. That doesn't even count the close to a million people who sit at a dining room table or a kitchen table and look at an empty chair because they lost somebody. But I also know this: Because of the progress we've made, because of your resilience and the tools that we have been provided by this Congress, tonight I can say we're moving forward safely, back to a more—normal routines. We've reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19 where severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year. Just a few days ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new mask guidelines. Under the new guidelines, most Americans in most of the country can now go mask free. And based on projections, more of the country will reach a point across—that point across the next couple of weeks. And thanks to the progress we've made in the past year, COVID-19 no longer need control our lives. I know some are talking about "living with COVID-19." But tonight I say that we never will just accept living with COVID-19; we'll continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this virus mutates and spreads, we have to stay on guard. And here are four commonsense steps as we move forward safely, in my view: first, stay protected with vaccines and treatments. We know how incredibly effective vaccines are. If you're vaccinated and boosted, you have the highest degree of protection, and we'll never give up on vaccinating more Americans. Now, I know parents with kids under 5 are eager to see their vaccines authorized for their children. Scientists are working hard to get that done, and we'll be ready with plenty of vaccines if and when they do. We're already—we are also ready with antiviral treatments. If you get COVID-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90 percent. I've ordered more pills than anyone in the world has. Pfizer is working overtime to get us a million pills this month and more than double that next month. And now we're launching the "Test To Treat" initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and, if they prove positive, receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost. And, folks, if you're immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability, we have treatments and free high-quality masks. We're leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone's needs as we move forward. On testing, we've made hundreds of millions of tests available, and you can order them for free to your doorstep. And we've already ordered free tests. If you already ordered free tests, tonight I'm announcing you can order another group of tests. COVID—go to COVIDtests.gov, starting next week, and you can get more tests. Second, we must prepare for new variants. Over the past—we've gotten much better at detecting new variants. If necessary, we'll be able to develop [deploy]* new vaccines within a hundred days instead of maybe months or years. And if Congress presides [provides]* the funds we need, we'll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, pills ready if needed. I can't promise a new variant won't come, but I can promise you we'll do everything within our power to be ready if it does. Third, we can end the shutdown of schools and businesses. We have the tools we need. It's time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people. People working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices. We're doing that here in the Federal Government. The vast majority of Federal workers will once again work in person. Our schools are open. Let's keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school. With 75 percent of adult Americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77 percent, most Americans can remove their masks and stay in the classroom and move forward safely. We achieved this because we provided free vaccines, treatments, tests, and masks. Of course, continuing this costs money, so it will not surprise you I'll be back to see you all. [ ] And I'm going to soon send a request to Congress. The vast majority of Americans have used these tools and may want again—we may need them again. So I expect Congress—and I hope you'll pass that quickly. Fourth, we'll continue vaccinating the world. We've sent 475 million vaccine doses to 112 countries—more than any nation on Earth. We won't stop, because you can't build a wall high enough to keep out a vaccine—the vaccine can stop the spread of these diseases. You know, we've lost so much in COVID-19. Time with one another. The worst of all, the loss of life. Let's use this moment to reset. So stop looking at COVID as a partisan dividing line. See it for what it is, a God-awful disease. Let's stop sending—seeing each other as enemies and start seeing each other for who we are, fellow Americans. Look, we can't change how divided we've been. That was a long time in coming. But we can change how to move forward on COVID-19 and other issues that we must face together. I recently visited New York City Police Department days after the funerals of Officer Wilbert Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera. They were responding to a 911 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun. Officer Mora was 27 years old. Officer Rivera was 22 years old. Both Dominican Americans who grew up in the same streets that they later chose to parole—to patrol as police officers. I spoke with their families, and I told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifices and we'll carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety in every community it deserves. Like some of you that have been around for a while—I've worked with you on these issues for a long time. I know what works: Investigating [Investing in]* crime prevention and community policing: cops who walk the beat, who know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety. Let's not abandon our streets or choose between safety and equal justice. Let's come together and protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable. That's why the Justice Department has required body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers. That's why the American Rescue Plan that you all provided $350 billion that cities, States, and counties can use to hire more police, invest in more proven strategies like community violence interruption, trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people some hope. We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police.  That's right!  It's to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with the resources and training—resources and training they need to protect our communities. I ask Democrats and Republicans alike to pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe. And we'll do everything in my power to crack down on gun trafficking of ghost guns that you can buy online, assemble at home—no serial numbers, can't be traced. I ask Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence. Pass universal background checks. Why should anyone on the terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon. Why? Why?  Boo!  And, folks, ban assault weapons with high-capacity magazines that hold up to a hundred rounds. You think the deer are wearing Kevlar vests? [ ] Look, repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that can't be sued—the only one. Imagine had we done that with the tobacco manufacturers. These laws don't infringe on the Second Amendment, they save lives. The most fundamental right in America is the right to vote and have it counted. And look, it's under assault. In State after State, new laws have been passed not only to suppress the vote—we've been there before—but to subvert the entire election. We can't let this happen. Tonight I call on the Senate to pass the Freedom To Vote act. Pass the John Lewis Act—Voting Rights Act. And while you're at it, pass the DISCLOSE Act so Americans know who is funding our elections. Look, tonight I'd like to honor someone who has dedicated his life to serve this country: Justice Breyer, an Army veteran, constitutional scholar, retiring Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Breyer, thank you for your service. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean it. Get up. Stand and let them see you. Thank you. And we all know—no matter what your ideology, we all know one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court. As I did 4 days ago, I've nominated a Circuit Court of Appeals—Ketanji Brown Jackson. One of our Nation's top legal minds who will continue in Justice Breyer's legacy of excellence. A former top litigator in private practice, a former Federal public defender from a family of public-school educators and police officers, she's a consensus builder. Since she's been nominated, she's received a broad range of support, including the Fraternal Order of Police and former judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans. Folks, if we are to advance liberty and justice, we need to secure our border and fix the immigration system.  Build the wall! Build the wall! Build the wall!  And as you might guess, I think we can do both. At our border, we've installed new technology, like cutting-edge scanners, to better detect drug smuggling. We've set up joint patrols with Mexico and Guatemala to catch more human traffickers. We're putting in place dedicated immigration judges in significant larger number so families fleeing persecution and violence can have their cases—cases heard faster—and those who don't [aren't]* legitimately here can be sent back. We're screening—we're securing commitments and supporting partners in South and Central America to host more refugees and secure their own borders. We can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led the generation of immigrants to this land, my forebearers and many of yours. Provide a pathway to citizenship for "dreamers," those with temporary status, farmworkers, essential workers. To revise our laws so businesses have workers they need and families don't wait decades to reunite. It's not only the right thing to do, it's economically smart thing to do. That's why the immigration reform is supported by everyone from labor unions to religious leaders to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Let's get it done once and for all. Folks, advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women. The constitutional right affirmed by   v.  , standing precedent for half a century, is under attack as never before. If you want to go forward not backwards, we must protect access to health care, preserve a woman's right to choose, and continue to advance maternal health care for all Americans. And, folks, for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let's finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of State laws targeting transgender Americans and their families—it's simply wrong. As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I'll always have your back as your President so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential. Folks, as I've just demonstrated, while it often appears we do not agree—[ ]—and that—we do agree on a lot more things than we acknowledge. I signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year, from preventing Government shutdowns, to protecting Asian Americans from still-too-common hate crimes, to reforming military justice. And we'll soon be strengthening the Violence Against Women Act that I first wrote three decades ago. And it's important—it's important—for us to show the Nation that we can come together and do big things. So tonight I'm offering a unity agenda for the Nation: four big things we can do together, in my view. First, beat the opioid epidemic. There's so much we can do: increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery; get rid of outdated rules and stop doctors and—that stop doctors from prescribing treatments; stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with State and local law enforcement to go after the traffickers. And if you're suffering from addiction, you know—you should know you're not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million—23 million Americans in recovery. Second, let's take on mental health—especially among our children, whose lives and education have been turned upside down. The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning. I urge every parent to make sure your school does just that. They have the money. We can all play a part. Sign up to be a tutor or a mentor. Children were also struggling before the pandemic: bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media. As Frances Haugen, who is here tonight with us, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they're conducting on our children for profit. Folks—[ ]—thank you. Thank you for the courage you showed. It's time to strengthen privacy protections; ban targeted advertising to children; demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children. And let's get all Americans the mental health services they need. More people can turn for help and full parity between physical and mental health care if we treat it that way in our insurance. Look, the third piece of that agenda is support our veterans. Veterans are the backbone and the spine of this country. They're the best of us. I've always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip those we send to war and care for those and their family when they come home. My administration is providing assistance and job training and housing and now helping lower income veterans get VA care debt free. And our troops in Iraq have faced—and Afghanistan—have faced many dangers. One being stationed at bases, breathing in toxic smoke from burn pits. Many of you have been there. I've been in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan over 40 times. These burn pits that incinerate waste—the wastes of war, medical and hazardous material, jet fuel, and so much more. And they come home—many of the world's fittest and best trained warriors in the world—never the same: headaches, numbness, dizziness, a cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. I know.  You put them in. Thirteen of them.  Whoa! Boo!  One of those—one of those soldiers was my son, Major Beau Biden. I don't know for sure if the burn pit that he lived near—that his hooch was near in Iraq and, earlier than that, in Kosovo is the cause of his brain cancer and the disease of so many other troops. But I'm committed to find out everything we can. Committed to military families like Danielle Robinson from Ohio, the widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson. He was born a soldier. Army National Guard. Combat medic in Kosovo and Iraq. Stationed near Baghdad, just yards from burn pits the size of football fields. Danielle is here with us tonight. They loved going to Ohio State football games. And he loved building Legos with their daughter. But cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged Heath's lungs and body. Danielle says Heath was a fighter to the very end. He didn't know how to stop fighting, and neither did she. Through her pain, she found purpose to demand that we do better. Tonight, Danielle, we are going to do better. The VA is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to disease, already helping more veterans get benefits. And tonight I'm announcing we're expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers. I'm also calling on Congress to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and the comprehensive health care they deserve. And fourth and last, let's end cancer as we know it. This is personal. This is personal to me and to Jill and to Kamala and so many of you. So many of you have lost someone you love—husband, wife, son, daughter, mom, dad. Cancer is the number-two cause of death in America, second only to heart disease. Last month, I announced the plan to supercharge the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead 6 years ago. Our goal is to cut cancer death rates by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. And I think we can do better than that: turn cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases, more support for patients and their families. To get there, I call on Congress to fund what I called ARPA-H: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Patterned after DARPA in the Defense Department, projects that led—in DARPA—to the internet, GPS, and so much more that make our Forces more—safer and be able to wage war more—with more clarity. ARPA [ARPA-H]* will have a singular purpose to drive breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, and more. A unity agenda for the Nation. We can do these things. It's within our power. And I don't see a partisan edge to any one of those four things. My fellow Americans, tonight we've gathered in a sacred space: the citadel of democracy. In this Capitol, generation after generation of Americans have debated great questions amid great strife and have done great things. We fought for freedom, expanded liberty, debated [defeated]* totalitarianism and terror. We built the strongest, freest, and most prosperous nation the world has ever known. Now is the hour: our moment of responsibility, our test of resolve and conscience of history itself. It is in this moment that our character of this generation is formed, our purpose is found, our future is forged. Well, I know this Nation. We'll meet the test, protect freedom and liberty, expand fairness and opportunity. And we will save democracy. As hard as those times have been, I'm more optimistic about America today than I've been my whole life because I see the future that's within our grasp, because I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity. We're the only nation on Earth that has always turned every crisis we've faced into an opportunity, the only nation that can be defined by a single word: possibilities. So, on this night, on our 245th year as a nation, I've come to report on the state of the Nation—the state of the Union. And my report is this: The state of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong. We are stronger today—we are stronger today—than we were a year ago. And we'll be stronger a year from now than we are today. This is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. And we will, as one people, one America: the United States of America. God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you. Go get 'em.
Thank you all very, very much. Thank you, please. Thank you so much. Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, and our First Lady and Second Gentleman, Members of Congress and the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court, my fellow Americans: Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart. This year, we are finally together again. Tonight we meet as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, but most importantly, as Americans with a duty to one another, to America, to the American people, and to the Constitution, and an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny. Six—[ ]—thank you. Six days ago, Russia's Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people. From President Zelenskiy, their—to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination literally inspires the world. Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees, to teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland. And in this struggle—President Zelenskiy said in his speech to the European Parliament, "Light will win over darkness." The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight sitting with the First Lady. Let each of us, if you are able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to the world and Ukraine. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. She is bright, she is strong, and she is resolved. Yes. We, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people. Throughout our history, we have learned this lesson: When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they because more chaos; they keep moving; and the costs, the threats to the America—and America, to the world keeps rising. That is why the NATO alliance was created: to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War II. The United States is a member, along with 29 other nations. It matters. American diplomacy matters. American resolve matters. Putin's latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked. He rejected repeated—repeated—efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO would not respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this Chamber, in this Nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united. And that is what we did: We stayed united. We prepared extensively and carefully. We spent months building coalitions of other freedom-loving nations in Europe and the Americas to—from America to the Asian and African continents to confront Putin. Like many of you, I spent countless hours unifying our European allies. We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsify and justify his aggression. We countered Russia's lies with the truth. And now—now that he is acted, the free world is holding him accountable, along with 27 members of the European Union—including France, Germany, Italy—as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others—even Switzerland—are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been. Together, along with our allies, we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. We are cutting off Russia's largest banks from the international financial system; preventing Russia's Central Bank from defending the Russian ruble, making Putin's $630 billion war fund worthless. We are choking Russia's access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come. Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime: No more. The United States—[ ]—I mean it. The United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs. We are joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains. And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy. He has no idea what is coming. The ruble has already lost 30 percent of its value, the Russian stock market has lost 40 percent of its value, and trading remains suspended. The Russian economy is reeling, and Putin alone is the one to blame. Together with our allies, we are providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom: military assistance, economic assistance, humanitarian assistance. We are giving more than a billion dollars in direct assistance to Ukraine. And we will continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and help ease their suffering. But let me be clear: Our Forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine. Our Forces are not going to Europe to fight [in]* Ukraine but to defend our NATO allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west. For that purpose, we have mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, ship deployments to protect NATO countries, including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. And as I have made crystal clear, the United States and our allies will defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power—every single inch. And we are clear eyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days, weeks, and months will be hard on them. Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield, he will pay a continuing high price over the long run. And a pound of Ukrainian people—the proud, proud people—pound for pound, ready to fight with every inch of energy they have. They have known 30 years of independence—have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards. To all Americans, I will be honest with you, as I have always promised I would be. A Russian dictator invading a foreign country has costs around the world. And I am taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russian economy and that we use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers. Tonight I can announce the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world. America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels of our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And we stand ready to do more if necessary, united with our allies. These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. But I know news about what is happening can seem alarming to all Americans. But I want you to know: We are going to be okay. We are going to be okay. When the history of this era is written, Putin's war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. While it should not have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what is at stake, now everyone sees it clearly. We see the unity among leaders of nations, a more unified Europe, a more unified West. We see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world, even in Russia, to demonstrate their support for the people of Ukraine. In the battle between democracy and autocracies, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. This is the real test, and it is going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. To our fellow Ukrainian Americans who forged a deep bond that connects our two nations: We stand with you. We stand with you. Putin may circle Kiev with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Uranian [Ukrainian]* people. He will never extinguish their love of freedom. And he will never, never weaken the resolve of the free world. We meet tonight in an America that has lived through 2 of the hardest years this Nation has ever faced. The pandemic has been punishing. And so many families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and so much more. I understand, like many of you did. My dad had to leave his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to find work. So, like many of you, I grew up in a family when the price of food went up, it was felt throughout the family; it had an impact. That is why one of the first things I did as President was fight to pass the American Rescue Plan, because people were hurting. We needed to act, and we did. Few pieces of legislation have done more at a critical moment in our history to lift us out of a crisis. It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the Nation and combat COVID-19. It delivered immediate economic relief to tens of millions of Americans. It helped put food on the table. Remember those long lines of cars waiting for hours just to get a box of food put in their trunk? It cut the cost of health care insurance. And as my dad used to say, it gave the people "just a little bit of breathing room." And unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefited the top 1 percent of Americans, the American Rescue Plan—— Boo! ——the American Rescue Plan helped working people and left no one behind. And, folks—and it worked. It worked. It worked and created jobs, lots of jobs. In fact, our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs in 1 year than ever before in the history of the United States of America. The economy grew at a rate of 5.7 last year, the strongest growth rate in 40 years and the first step in bringing fundamental change to our economy that has not worked for working people in this Nation for too long. For the past 40 years, we were told that tax breaks for those at the top and benefits would trickle down and everyone would benefit. But that trickle-down theory led to a weaker economic growth, lower wages, bigger deficits, and a widening gap between the top and everyone else in the—in nearly a century. Look, Vice President Harris and I ran for office—and I realize we have fundamental disagreements on this—but ran for office with a new economic vision for America: invest in America; educate Americans; grow the workforce; build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down. Because we know—because we know—when the middle class grows, the poor go way up, and the wealthy do very well. America used to have the best roads, bridges, and airports on Earth. And now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world. We will not be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st century if we do not fix it. That is why it was so important to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. And I thank my Republican friends who joined to invest and rebuild America, the single biggest investment in history. It was a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank the members of both parties who worked to make it happen. We are done talking about infrastructure weeks. We are now talking about an infrastructure decade. And look, it is going to transform America to put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with the rest of the world, particularly China. I have told Xi Jinping: It is never been a good bet to bet against the American people. We will create good jobs for millions of Americans—modernizing roads, airports, ports, waterways—all across America. And we will do it to withstand the devastating effects of climate crisis and promote environmental justice. We will build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations; begin to replace the poisonous lead pipes so every child, every American has clean water to drink at home and at school. We are going to provide affordable high-speed internet for every American—rural, suburban, urban, and Tribal communities. Four thousand projects have already been announced. Many of you have announced them in your districts. And tonight I am announcing that, this year, we will start fixing over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair. And, folks, when we use taxpayers' dollars to rebuild America, we are going to do it by buying American. Buy American products. Support American jobs. The Federal Government spends about $600 billion a year to keep this country safe and secure. There is been a law on the books for almost a century to make sure taxpayers' dollars support American jobs and businesses. Every administration—Democrat and Republican—says they will do it, but we are actually doing it. We will buy American to make sure everything from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. But, folks, to compete for the jobs of the future, we also need to level the playing field with China and other competitors. That is why it is so important to pass the bipartisan innovation act sitting in Congress that will make record investments in emerging technologies and American manufacturing. We used to invest almost 2 percent of our GDP in research and development. We do not now. Cannot—China is. Let me give you one example why it is so important to pass. If you travel 20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, you will find a thousand empty acres of land. It will not look like much. But if you stop and look closely, you will see a "field of dreams," the ground on which America's future will be built. That is where Intel, the American company that helped build Silicon Valley, is going to build a $20 billion semiconductor "mega site," up to eight state-of-the-art factories in one place. Ten thousand new jobs. And in those factories, the average job—about $135—$135,000 a year. Some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and everyday lives, from smartphones, technology that—the internet—technology that is yet to be invented. But that is just the beginning. Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, who is here tonight—and I do not know where Pat is. Pat? There you go, Pat. Stand up. Pat came to see me, and he told me they are ready to increase their investment from $20 billion to $100 billion. That would be the biggest investment in manufacturing in American history. And all they are waiting for is for you to pass this bill. So let us not wait any longer. Send it to my desk, I will sign it, and we will really take off in a big way. And, folks, Intel is not alone. There is something happening in America. Just look around, and you will see an amazing story—the rebirth of pride that comes from stamping products "Made in America," the revitalization of American manufacturing. Companies are choosing to build new factories here when just a few years ago, they would have gone overseas. That is what is happening. Ford is investing $11 billion in electric vehicles, creating 11,000 jobs across the country. GM is making the largest investment in its history—$7 billion to build electric vehicles, creating 4,000 jobs in Michigan. All told, 369,000 new manufacturing jobs were created in America last year alone. And, folks, powered by people I have met—like JoJo Burgess from generations of union steelworkers in Pittsburgh, who is here with us tonight. Where are you, JoJo? There you go. Thanks, buddy. As Ohio—as Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown says—[ ]—as Sherrod Brown says, "It is time to bury the label 'Rust Belt.'" It is time to see the—what used to be called the Rust Belt become the home of a significant resurgence of manufacturing. And with all the bright spots in our economy—record job growth, higher wages—too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills. Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel. I get it. That is why my top priority is getting prices under control. Look, our economy roared back faster than almost anyone predicted, but the pandemic meant that businesses had a hard time hiring enough people because of the pandemic to keep up production in their factories. So you did not have people making those beams that went into buildings because they were out—the factory was closed. The panic [pandemic]* also disrupted the global supply chain. Factories close. When that happens, it takes longer to make goods and get them to the warehouses, to the stores, and go—prices go up. Look at cars last year. One-third of all the inflation was because of automobile sales. There were not enough semiconductors to make all the cars that people wanted to buy. And guess what? Prices of automobiles went way up, especially used vehicles as well. What—and so we have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I think I have a better idea to fight inflation: Lower your costs, not your wages. And, folks, that means make more cars and semiconductors in America, more infrastructure and innovation in America, more goods moving faster and cheaper in America, more jobs where you can earn a good living in America. Instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let us make it in America. Look, economists—— YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.! Economists—— YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.! YOU.S.A.! ——call this increasing the productive capacity of our economy. I call it building a better America. My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit. Seventeen Nobel laureates in economics said my plan will ease long-term inflationary pressures. Top business leaders and, I believe, most Americans support the plan. And here is the plan. First, cut the cost of prescription drugs. We pay more for the same drug produced by the same company in America than any other country in the world. Just look at insulin. One in ten Americans has diabetes. In Virginia, I met a 13-year-old boy, the handsome young man standing up there, Joshua Davis. He and his dad both have type 1 diabetes, which means they need insulin every single day. Insulin costs about $10 a vial to make. That is what it costs the pharmaceutical company. But drug companies charge families like Joshua and his dad up to 30 times that amount. I spoke with Joshua's mom. Imagine what it is like to look at your child who needs insulin to stay healthy and have no idea how in God's name you are going to be able to pay for it—what it does to your family, but what it does to your dignity, your ability to look your child in the eye, to be the parent you expect yourself to be. I really mean it. Think about that. That is what I think about. You know, yesterday—Joshua is here tonight, but yesterday was his birthday. Happy birthday, buddy, by the way. For Joshua and 200,000 other young people with type 1 diabetes, let us cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month so everyone can afford it. And drug companies will do very, very well—their profit margin. And while we are at it—I know we have great disagreements on this floor with this—let us let Medicare negotiate the price of prescription drugs. They already set the price for VA drugs. Look, the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families on Affordable Care Act plans to save them $2,400 a year on their health premiums. Let us close the coverage gap and make those savings permanent. And second, let us cut energy costs for families an average of $500 a year by combating climate change. Let us provide an investment and tax credit to weatherize your home and your business to be energy efficient and get a tax credit for it; double America's clean energy production in solar, wind, and so much more; lower the price of electric vehicles, saving another $80 a month that you have not going to have to pay at the pump. Folks—third—the third thing we can do to change the standard of living for hard-working folks is cut the cost of childcare. [ ] Cut the cost of childcare. Folks, if you live in a major city in America, you can pay up to $14,000 a year for childcare per child. I was a single dad for 5 years, raising two kids. I had a lot of help though. I had a mom, a dad, a brother, and sister that really helped. But middle class and working folks should not have to pay more than 7 percent of their income to care for their young children. My plan would cut the cost of childcare in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women who left the workforce during the pandemic because they could not afford childcare to be able to get back to work, generating economic growth. But my plan does not stop there. It also includes home and long-term care, more affordable housing, pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. All of these will lower costs to families. And under my plan, nobody—let me say this again—nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes. Not a single penny. I may be wrong, but my guess is, if we took a secret ballot in this floor, that we would all agree that the present tax system are not fair. We have to fix it. I am not looking to punish anybody, but let us make corporations and wealthy Americans start paying their fair share. Look, last year—[ ]—last year—and like Chris Coons and Tom Carper and my distinguished Congresswoman—we come from the land of corporate America. There are more corporations incorporated in America [Delaware]* than every other State in America combined. And I still won 36 years in a row. The point is, even they understand they should pay just a fair share. Last year, 55 of the Fortune 500 companies earned $40 billion in profit and paid zero in Federal taxes. Boo! No, look, it is not fair. That is why I proposed a 15-percent minimum tax rate for corporations. And we have got—and that is why in the G-7 and other meetings overseas we were able to put together—I was able to be somewhat helpful—130 countries to agree on a global minimum tax rate so companies cannot get out of paying their taxes at home by shipping jobs and factories overseas. It will raise billions of dollars. And that is why I have proposed closing loopholes for the very wealthy who do not pay—who pay a lower tax rate than a teacher and a firefighter. So that is my plan. But we have—we will go into more detail later. I am going to grow—we will grow the economy, lower the costs to families. So what are we waiting for? Let us get this done. We all know we have got to make changes. Folks, and while you are at it, confirm my nominees for the Federal Reserve, which plays a critical role in fighting inflation. My plan will not only lower costs and give families a fair shot, it will lower the deficit. The previous administration not only ballooned the deficit with those tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations, it undermined the watchdogs—the job of those to keep pandemic relief funds from being wasted. Remember we had those debates about whether or not those watchdogs should be able to see, every day, how much money was being spent, where it—was it going to the right place? In my administration, the watchdogs are back. And we are going after the criminals who stole billions of relief money meant for small business and millions of Americans. And tonight I am announcing that the Justice Department will soon name a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud. And look—[ ]—I think we all agree—thank you—by the end of this year, the deficit will be down to less than half what it was before I took office, the only President ever to cut the deficit by more than $1 trillion in a single year. Lowering your costs also meant demanding more competition. I am a capitalist, but capitalism without competition is not capitalism. Capitalism without competition is exploitation. It drives up profits [prices].* When corporations have to compete, their profits go up and your prices go up—when they do not have to compete. Small businesses and family farmers and ranchers—I need not tell some of my Republican friends from those States—guess what? You have got four basic meatpacking facilities. That is it. You play with them or you do not get to play at all. And you pay a hell of a lot more—a hell of a lot more—because there is only four. See what is happening with ocean carriers moving goods in and out of America. During the pandemic, about half a dozen or less foreign-owned companies raised prices by as much as 1,000 percent and made record profits. Tonight I am announcing a crackdown on those companies overcharging American businesses and consumers. Folks—[ ]—and as Wall Street firms take over more nursing homes, quality in those homes has gone down, and costs have gone up. That ends on my watch. Medicare is going to set higher standards for nursing homes and make sure your loved ones get the care they deserve and that they inspect and they will—looked at closely. We are also going to cut costs to keep the economy going strong and giving workers a fair shot; provide more training and apprenticeships; hire them based on skills, not just their degrees. Let us pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and paid leave; raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour; and extend the child tax credit so no one has to raise a family in poverty. Let us increase Pell grants; increase our historic support for HBCUs; and invest in what Jill, our First Lady, who teaches full time, calls America's best kept secret: community colleges. Look, let us pass the PRO Act. When a majority of workers want to form a union, they should not be able to be stopped. When we invest in our workers and we build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out, together we can do something we have not done in a long time: build a better America. For more than 2 years, COVID has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of this Nation. And I know you are tired, frustrated, and exhausted. That does not even count the close to a million people who sit at a dining room table or a kitchen table and look at an empty chair because they lost somebody. But I also know this: Because of the progress we have made, because of your resilience and the tools that we have been provided by this Congress, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to a more—normal routines. We have reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19 where severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year. Just a few days ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new mask guidelines. Under the new guidelines, most Americans in most of the country can now go mask free. And based on projections, more of the country will reach a point across—that point across the next couple of weeks. And thanks to the progress we have made in the past year, COVID-19 no longer need control our lives. I know some are talking about "living with COVID-19." But tonight I say that we never will just accept living with COVID-19; we will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this virus mutates and spreads, we have to stay on guard. And here are four commonsense steps as we move forward safely, in my view: first, stay protected with vaccines and treatments. We know how incredibly effective vaccines are. If you are vaccinated and boosted, you have the highest degree of protection, and we will never give up on vaccinating more Americans. Now, I know parents with kids under 5 are eager to see their vaccines authorized for their children. Scientists are working hard to get that done, and we will be ready with plenty of vaccines if and when they do. We are already—we are also ready with antiviral treatments. If you get COVID-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90 percent. I have ordered more pills than anyone in the world has. Pfizer is working overtime to get us a million pills this month and more than double that next month. And now we are launching the "Test To Treat" initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and, if they prove positive, receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost. And, folks, if you are immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability, we have treatments and free high-quality masks. We are leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone's needs as we move forward. On testing, we have made hundreds of millions of tests available, and you can order them for free to your doorstep. And we have already ordered free tests. If you already ordered free tests, tonight I am announcing you can order another group of tests. COVID—go to COVIDtests.gov, starting next week, and you can get more tests. Second, we must prepare for new variants. Over the past—we have gotten much better at detecting new variants. If necessary, we will be able to develop [deploy]* new vaccines within a hundred days instead of maybe months or years. And if Congress presides [provides]* the funds we need, we will have new stockpiles of tests, masks, pills ready if needed. I cannot promise a new variant will not come, but I can promise you we will do everything within our power to be ready if it does. Third, we can end the shutdown of schools and businesses. We have the tools we need. It is time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people. People working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices. We are doing that here in the Federal Government. The vast majority of Federal workers will once again work in person. Our schools are open. Let us keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school. With 75 percent of adult Americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77 percent, most Americans can remove their masks and stay in the classroom and move forward safely. We achieved this because we provided free vaccines, treatments, tests, and masks. Of course, continuing this costs money, so it will not surprise you I will be back to see you all. [ ] And I am going to soon send a request to Congress. The vast majority of Americans have used these tools and may want again—we may need them again. So I expect Congress—and I hope you will pass that quickly. Fourth, we will continue vaccinating the world. We have sent 475 million vaccine doses to 112 countries—more than any nation on Earth. We will not stop, because you cannot build a wall high enough to keep out a vaccine—the vaccine can stop the spread of these diseases. You know, we have lost so much in COVID-19. Time with one another. The worst of all, the loss of life. Let us use this moment to reset. So stop looking at COVID as a partisan dividing line. See it for what it is, a God-awful disease. Let us stop sending—seeing each other as enemies and start seeing each other for who we are, fellow Americans. Look, we cannot change how divided we have been. That was a long time in coming. But we can change how to move forward on COVID-19 and other issues that we must face together. I recently visited New York City Police Department days after the funerals of Officer Wilbert Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera. They were responding to a 911 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun. Officer Mora was 27 years old. Officer Rivera was 22 years old. Both Dominican Americans who grew up in the same streets that they later chose to parole—to patrol as police officers. I spoke with their families, and I told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifices and we will carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety in every community it deserves. Like some of you that have been around for a while—I have worked with you on these issues for a long time. I know what works: Investigating [Investing in]* crime prevention and community policing: cops who walk the beat, who know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety. Let us not abandon our streets or choose between safety and equal justice. Let us come together and protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable. That is why the Justice Department has required body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers. That is why the American Rescue Plan that you all provided $350 billion that cities, States, and counties can use to hire more police, invest in more proven strategies like community violence interruption, trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people some hope. We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. That is right! It is to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with the resources and training—resources and training they need to protect our communities. I ask Democrats and Republicans alike to pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe. And we will do everything in my power to crack down on gun trafficking of ghost guns that you can buy online, assemble at home—no serial numbers, cannot be traced. I ask Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence. Pass universal background checks. Why should anyone on the terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon. Why? Why? Boo! And, folks, ban assault weapons with high-capacity magazines that hold up to a hundred rounds. You think the deer are wearing Kevlar vests? [ ] Look, repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that cannot be sued—the only one. Imagine had we done that with the tobacco manufacturers. These laws do not infringe on the Second Amendment, they save lives. The most fundamental right in America is the right to vote and have it counted. And look, it is under assault. In State after State, new laws have been passed not only to suppress the vote—we have been there before—but to subvert the entire election. We cannot let this happen. Tonight I call on the Senate to pass the Freedom To Vote act. Pass the John Lewis Act—Voting Rights Act. And while you are at it, pass the DISCLOSE Act so Americans know who is funding our elections. Look, tonight I would like to honor someone who has dedicated his life to serve this country: Justice Breyer, an Army veteran, constitutional scholar, retiring Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Breyer, thank you for your service. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean it. Get up. Stand and let them see you. Thank you. And we all know—no matter what your ideology, we all know one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court. As I did 4 days ago, I have nominated a Circuit Court of Appeals—Ketanji Brown Jackson. One of our Nation's top legal minds who will continue in Justice Breyer's legacy of excellence. A former top litigator in private practice, a former Federal public defender from a family of public-school educators and police officers, she is a consensus builder. Since she is been nominated, she is received a broad range of support, including the Fraternal Order of Police and former judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans. Folks, if we are to advance liberty and justice, we need to secure our border and fix the immigration system. Build the wall! Build the wall! Build the wall! And as you might guess, I think we can do both. At our border, we have installed new technology, like cutting-edge scanners, to better detect drug smuggling. We have set up joint patrols with Mexico and Guatemala to catch more human traffickers. We are putting in place dedicated immigration judges in significant larger number so families fleeing persecution and violence can have their cases—cases heard faster—and those who do not [are not]* legitimately here can be sent back. We are screening—we are securing commitments and supporting partners in South and Central America to host more refugees and secure their own borders. We can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led the generation of immigrants to this land, my forebearers and many of yours. Provide a pathway to citizenship for "dreamers," those with temporary status, farmworkers, essential workers. To revise our laws so businesses have workers they need and families do not wait decades to reunite. It is not only the right thing to do, it is economically smart thing to do. That is why the immigration reform is supported by everyone from labor unions to religious leaders to the YOU.S. Chamber of Commerce. Let us get it done once and for all. Folks, advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women. The constitutional right affirmed by v. , standing precedent for half a century, is under attack as never before. If you want to go forward not backwards, we must protect access to health care, preserve a woman's right to choose, and continue to advance maternal health care for all Americans. And, folks, for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let us finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of State laws targeting transgender Americans and their families—it is simply wrong. As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your President so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential. Folks, as I have just demonstrated, while it often appears we do not agree—[ ]—and that—we do agree on a lot more things than we acknowledge. I signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year, from preventing Government shutdowns, to protecting Asian Americans from still-too-common hate crimes, to reforming military justice. And we will soon be strengthening the Violence Against Women Act that I first wrote three decades ago. And it is important—it is important—for us to show the Nation that we can come together and do big things. So tonight I am offering a unity agenda for the Nation: four big things we can do together, in my view. First, beat the opioid epidemic. There is so much we can do: increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery; get rid of outdated rules and stop doctors and—that stop doctors from prescribing treatments; stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with State and local law enforcement to go after the traffickers. And if you are suffering from addiction, you know—you should know you are not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million—23 million Americans in recovery. Second, let us take on mental health—especially among our children, whose lives and education have been turned upside down. The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning. I urge every parent to make sure your school does just that. They have the money. We can all play a part. Sign up to be a tutor or a mentor. Children were also struggling before the pandemic: bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media. As Frances Haugen, who is here tonight with us, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they are conducting on our children for profit. Folks—[ ]—thank you. Thank you for the courage you showed. It is time to strengthen privacy protections; ban targeted advertising to children; demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children. And let us get all Americans the mental health services they need. More people can turn for help and full parity between physical and mental health care if we treat it that way in our insurance. Look, the third piece of that agenda is support our veterans. Veterans are the backbone and the spine of this country. They are the best of us. I have always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip those we send to war and care for those and their family when they come home. My administration is providing assistance and job training and housing and now helping lower income veterans get VA care debt free. And our troops in Iraq have faced—and Afghanistan—have faced many dangers. One being stationed at bases, breathing in toxic smoke from burn pits. Many of you have been there. I have been in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan over 40 times. These burn pits that incinerate waste—the wastes of war, medical and hazardous material, jet fuel, and so much more. And they come home—many of the world's fittest and best trained warriors in the world—never the same: headaches, numbness, dizziness, a cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. I know. You put them in. Thirteen of them. Whoa! Boo! One of those—one of those soldiers was my son, Major Beau Biden. I do not know for sure if the burn pit that he lived near—that his hooch was near in Iraq and, earlier than that, in Kosovo is the because of his brain cancer and the disease of so many other troops. But I am committed to find out everything we can. Committed to military families like Danielle Robinson from Ohio, the widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson. He was born a soldier. Army National Guard. Combat medic in Kosovo and Iraq. Stationed near Baghdad, just yards from burn pits the size of football fields. Danielle is here with us tonight. They loved going to Ohio State football games. And he loved building Legos with their daughter. But cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged Heath's lungs and body. Danielle says Heath was a fighter to the very end. He did not know how to stop fighting, and neither did she. Through her pain, she found purpose to demand that we do better. Tonight, Danielle, we are going to do better. The VA is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to disease, already helping more veterans get benefits. And tonight I am announcing we are expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers. I am also calling on Congress to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and the comprehensive health care they deserve. And fourth and last, let us end cancer as we know it. This is personal. This is personal to me and to Jill and to Kamala and so many of you. So many of you have lost someone you love—husband, wife, son, daughter, mom, dad. Cancer is the number-two because of death in America, second only to heart disease. Last month, I announced the plan to supercharge the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead 6 years ago. Our goal is to cut cancer death rates by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. And I think we can do better than that: turn cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases, more support for patients and their families. To get there, I call on Congress to fund what I called ARPA-H: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Patterned after DARPA in the Defense Department, projects that led—in DARPA—to the internet, GPS, and so much more that make our Forces more—safer and be able to wage war more—with more clarity. ARPA [ARPA-H]* will have a singular purpose to drive breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, and more. A unity agenda for the Nation. We can do these things. It is within our power. And I do not see a partisan edge to any one of those four things. My fellow Americans, tonight we have gathered in a sacred space: the citadel of democracy. In this Capitol, generation after generation of Americans have debated great questions amid great strife and have done great things. We fought for freedom, expanded liberty, debated [defeated]* totalitarianism and terror. We built the strongest, freest, and most prosperous nation the world has ever known. Now is the hour: our moment of responsibility, our test of resolve and conscience of history itself. It is in this moment that our character of this generation is formed, our purpose is found, our future is forged. Well, I know this Nation. We will meet the test, protect freedom and liberty, expand fairness and opportunity. And we will save democracy. As hard as those times have been, I am more optimistic about America today than I have been my whole life because I see the future that is within our grasp, because I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity. We are the only nation on Earth that has always turned every crisis we have faced into an opportunity, the only nation that can be defined by a single word: possibilities. So, on this night, on our 245th year as a nation, I have come to report on the state of the Nation—the state of the Union. And my report is this: The state of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong. We are stronger today—we are stronger today—than we were a year ago. And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today. This is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. And we will, as one people, one America: the United States of America. God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you. Go get them.
thank you all very very much thank you please thank you so much madam speaker madam vice president and our first lady and second gentleman members of congress and the cabinet justices of the supreme court my fellow americans last year kept us apart this year we are finally together again tonight we meet as democrats republicans and independents but most importantly as americans with a duty to one another to america to the american people and to the constitution and an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny you six days ago russia vladimir putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways but he badly miscalculated he thought he could roll into ukraine and the world would roll over instead he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined he met the ukrainian people from president zelenskiy every ukrainian their fearlessness their courage their determination literally inspires the world groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies everyone from students to retirees to teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland and in this zelenskiy said in his speech to the european parliament light will win over darkness the ukrainian ambassador to the united states is here tonight sitting with the first lady let each of us if you are able to stand stand and send an unmistakable signal to the world and ukraine thank you thank you thank you thank you she is bright she is strong and she is resolved yes we the united states of america stand with the ukrainian people throughout our history we have learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they because more chaos they keep moving and the costs the threats to the america to the world keeps rising that is why the nato alliance was created to secure peace and stability in europe after world war ii the united states is a member along with 29 other nations it matters american diplomacy matters american resolve matters putin latest attack on ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked he rejected at diplomacy he thought the west and nato would not respond he thought he could divide us at home in this chamber in this nation he thought he could divide us in europe as well but putin was wrong we are ready we are united and that is what we did we stayed united we prepared extensively and carefully we spent months building coalitions of other nations in europe and the americas america to the asian and african continents to confront putin like many of you i spent countless hours unifying our european allies we shared with the world in advance what we knew putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsify and justify his aggression we countered russia lies with the truth and that he is acted the free world is holding him accountable along with 27 members of the european france germany well as countries like the united kingdom canada japan korea australia new zealand and many inflicting pain on russia and supporting the people of ukraine putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been together along with our allies we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions we are cutting off russia largest banks from the international financial system preventing russia central bank from defending the russian ruble making putin 630 billion war fund worthless we are choking russia access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come tonight i say to the russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime no more the united mean it the united states department of justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the russian oligarchs we are joining with european allies to find and seize their yachts their luxury apartments their private jets we are coming for your gains and tonight i am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off american air space to all russian flights further isolating russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy he has no idea what is coming the ruble has already lost 30 percent of its value the russian stock market has lost 40 percent of its value and trading remains suspended the russian economy is reeling and putin alone is the one to blame together with our allies we are providing support to the ukrainians in their fight for freedom military assistance economic assistance humanitarian assistance we are giving more than a billion dollars in direct assistance to ukraine and we will continue to aid the ukrainian people as they defend their country and help ease their suffering but let me be clear our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with russian forces in ukraine our forces are not going to europe to fight in ukraine but to defend our nato allies in the event that putin decides to keep moving west for that purpose we have mobilized american ground forces air squadrons ship deployments to protect nato countries including poland romania latvia lithuania and estonia and as i have made crystal clear the united states and our allies will defend every inch of territory that is nato territory with the full force of our collective single inch and we are clear eyed the ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage but the next few days weeks and months will be hard on them putin has unleashed violence and chaos but while he may make gains on the battlefield he will pay a continuing high price over the long run and a pound of ukrainian proud proud for pound ready to fight with every inch of energy they have they have known 30 years of repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards to all americans i will be honest with you as i have always promised i would be a russian dictator invading a foreign country has costs around the world and i am taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at russian economy and that we use every tool at our disposal to protect american businesses and consumers tonight i can announce the united states has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world america will lead that effort releasing 30 million barrels of our own strategic petroleum reserve and we stand ready to do more if necessary united with our allies these steps will help blunt gas prices here at home but i know news about what is happening can seem alarming to all americans but i want you to know we are going to be okay we are going to be okay when the history of this era is written putin war on ukraine will have left russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger while it should not have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what is at stake now everyone sees it clearly we see the unity among leaders of nations a more unified europe a more unified west we see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world even in russia to demonstrate their support for the people of ukraine in the battle between democracy and autocracies democracies are rising to the moment and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security this is the real test and it is going to take time so let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the ukrainian people to our fellow ukrainian americans who forged a deep bond that connects our two nations we stand with you we stand with you putin may circle kiev with tanks but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the uranian ukrainian people he will never extinguish their love of freedom and he will never never weaken the resolve of the free world we meet tonight in an america that has lived through 2 of the hardest years this nation has ever faced the pandemic has been punishing and so many families are living paycheck to paycheck struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food gas housing and so much more i understand like many of you did my dad had to leave his home in scranton pennsylvania to find work so like many of you i grew up in a family when the price of food went up it was felt throughout the family it had an impact that is why one of the first things i did as president was fight to pass the american rescue plan because people were hurting we needed to act and we did few pieces of legislation have done more at a critical moment in our history to lift us out of a crisis it fueled our efforts to vaccinate the nation and combat it delivered immediate economic relief to tens of millions of americans it helped put food on the table remember those long lines of cars waiting for hours just to get a box of food put in their trunk it cut the cost of health care insurance and as my dad used to say it gave the people just a little bit of breathing room and unlike the 2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefited the top 1 percent of americans the american rescue boo american rescue plan helped working people and left no one behind and it worked it worked it worked and created jobs lots of jobs in fact our economy created over million new jobs just last year more jobs in 1 year than ever before in the history of the united states of america the economy grew at a rate of last year the strongest growth rate in 40 years and the first step in bringing fundamental change to our economy that has not worked for working people in this nation for too long for the past 40 years we were told that tax breaks for those at the top and benefits would trickle down and everyone would benefit but that theory led to a weaker economic growth lower wages bigger deficits and a widening gap between the top and everyone else in nearly a century look vice president harris and i ran for i realize we have fundamental disagreements on ran for office with a new economic vision for america invest in america educate americans grow the workforce build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out not from the top down because we we the middle class grows the poor go way up and the wealthy do very well america used to have the best roads bridges and airports on earth and now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world we will not be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st century if we do not fix it that is why it was so important to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law and i thank my republican friends who joined to invest and rebuild america the single biggest investment in history it was a bipartisan effort and i want to thank the members of both parties who worked to make it happen we are done talking about infrastructure weeks we are now talking about an infrastructure decade and look it is going to transform america to put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with the rest of the world particularly china i have told xi jinping it is never been a good bet to bet against the american people we will create good jobs for millions of roads airports ports across america and we will do it to withstand the devastating effects of climate crisis and promote environmental justice we will build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations begin to replace the poisonous lead pipes so every child every american has clean water to drink at home and at school we are going to provide affordable internet for every suburban urban and tribal communities four thousand projects have already been announced many of you have announced them in your districts and tonight i am announcing that this year we will start fixing over miles of highway and bridges in disrepair and folks when we use taxpayers dollars to rebuild america we are going to do it by buying american buy american products support american jobs the federal government spends about 600 billion a year to keep this country safe and secure there is been a law on the books for almost a century to make sure taxpayers dollars support american jobs and businesses every and they will do it but we are actually doing it we will buy american to make sure everything from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on highway guardrails is made in america from beginning to end all of it all of it but folks to compete for the jobs of the future we also need to level the playing field with china and other competitors that is why it is so important to pass the bipartisan innovation act sitting in congress that will make record investments in emerging technologies and american manufacturing we used to invest almost 2 percent of our gdp in research and development we do not now can not is let me give you one example why it is so important to pass if you travel 20 miles east of columbus ohio you will find a thousand empty acres of land it will not look like much but if you stop and look closely you will see a field of dreams the ground on which america future will be built that is where intel the american company that helped build silicon valley is going to build a 20 billion semiconductor mega site up to eight factories in one place ten thousand new jobs and in those factories the average a year some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and everyday lives from smartphones technology that is yet to be invented but that is just the beginning intel ceo pat gelsinger who is here i do not know where pat is pat there you go pat stand up pat came to see me and he told me they are ready to increase their investment from 20 billion to 100 billion that would be the biggest investment in manufacturing in american history and all they are waiting for is for you to pass this bill so let us not wait any longer send it to my desk i will sign it and we will really take off in a big way and folks intel is not alone there is something happening in america just look around and you will see an amazing rebirth of pride that comes from stamping products made in america the revitalization of american manufacturing companies are choosing to build new factories here when just a few years ago they would have gone overseas that is what is happening ford is investing 11 billion in electric vehicles creating jobs across the country gm is making the largest investment in its 7 billion to build electric vehicles creating jobs in michigan all told new manufacturing jobs were created in america last year alone and folks powered by people i have jojo burgess from generations of union steelworkers in pittsburgh who is here with us tonight where are you jojo there you go thanks buddy as ohio senator sherrod brown sherrod brown says it is time to bury the label belt it is time to see used to be called the rust belt become the home of a significant resurgence of manufacturing and with all the bright spots in our job growth higher many families are struggling to keep up with their bills inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel i get it that is why my top priority is getting prices under control look our economy roared back faster than almost anyone predicted but the pandemic meant that businesses had a hard time hiring enough people because of the pandemic to keep up production in their factories so you did not have people making those beams that went into buildings because they were factory was closed the panic pandemic also disrupted the global supply chain factories close when that happens it takes longer to make goods and get them to the warehouses to the stores and go up look at cars last year of all the inflation was because of automobile sales there were not enough semiconductors to make all the cars that people wanted to buy and guess what prices of automobiles went way up especially used vehicles as well so we have a choice one way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make americans poorer i think i have a better idea to fight inflation lower your costs not your wages and folks that means make more cars and semiconductors in america more infrastructure and innovation in america more goods moving faster and cheaper in america more jobs where you can earn a good living in america instead of relying on foreign supply chains let us make it in america look this increasing the productive capacity of our economy i call it building a better america my plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit seventeen nobel laureates in economics said my plan will ease inflationary pressures top business leaders and i believe most americans support the plan and here is the plan first cut the cost of prescription drugs we pay more for the same drug produced by the same company in america than any other country in the world just look at insulin one in ten americans has diabetes in virginia i met a boy the handsome young man standing up there joshua davis he and his dad both have type 1 diabetes which means they need insulin every single day insulin costs about 10 a vial to make that is what it costs the pharmaceutical company but drug companies charge families like joshua and his dad up to 30 times that amount i spoke with joshua mom imagine what it is like to look at your child who needs insulin to stay healthy and have no idea how in god name you are going to be able to pay for it does to your family but what it does to your dignity your ability to look your child in the eye to be the parent you expect yourself to be i really mean it think about that that is what i think about you know is here tonight but yesterday was his birthday happy birthday buddy by the way for joshua and other young people with type 1 diabetes let us cap the cost of insulin at 35 a month so everyone can afford it and drug companies will do very very profit margin and while we are at know we have great disagreements on this floor with us let medicare negotiate the price of prescription drugs they already set the price for va drugs look the american rescue plan is helping millions of families on affordable care act plans to save them a year on their health premiums let us close the coverage gap and make those savings permanent and second let us cut energy costs for families an average of 500 a year by combating climate change let us provide an investment and tax credit to weatherize your home and your business to be energy efficient and get a tax credit for it double america clean energy production in solar wind and so much more lower the price of electric vehicles saving another 80 a month that you have not going to have to pay at the pump third thing we can do to change the standard of living for folks is cut the cost of childcare cut the cost of childcare folks if you live in a major city in america you can pay up to a year for childcare per child i was a single dad for 5 years raising two kids i had a lot of help though i had a mom a dad a brother and sister that really helped but middle class and working folks should not have to pay more than 7 percent of their income to care for their young children my plan would cut the cost of childcare in half for most families and help parents including millions of women who left the workforce during the pandemic because they could not afford childcare to be able to get back to work generating economic growth but my plan does not stop there it also includes home and care more affordable housing for and all of these will lower costs to families and under my plan me say this earning less than a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes not a single penny i may be wrong but my guess is if we took a secret ballot in this floor that we would all agree that the present tax system are not fair we have to fix it i am not looking to punish anybody but let us make corporations and wealthy americans start paying their fair share look last like chris coons and tom carper and my distinguished come from the land of corporate america there are more corporations incorporated in america delaware than every other state in america combined and i still won 36 years in a row the point is even they understand they should pay just a fair share last year 55 of the fortune 500 companies earned 40 billion in profit and paid zero in federal taxes boo no look it is not fair that is why i proposed a minimum tax rate for corporations and we have that is why in the and other meetings overseas we were able to put was able to be somewhat countries to agree on a global minimum tax rate so companies can not get out of paying their taxes at home by shipping jobs and factories overseas it will raise billions of dollars and that is why i have proposed closing loopholes for the very wealthy who do not pay a lower tax rate than a teacher and a firefighter so that is my plan but we will go into more detail later i am going to will grow the economy lower the costs to families so what are we waiting for let us get this done we all know we have got to make changes folks and while you are at it confirm my nominees for the federal reserve which plays a critical role in fighting inflation my plan will not only lower costs and give families a fair shot it will lower the deficit the previous administration not only ballooned the deficit with those tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations it undermined the job of those to keep pandemic relief funds from being wasted remember we had those debates about whether or not those watchdogs should be able to see every day how much money was being spent where it going to the right place in my administration the watchdogs are back and we are going after the criminals who stole billions of relief money meant for small business and millions of americans and tonight i am announcing that the justice department will soon name a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud and think we all the end of this year the deficit will be down to less than half what it was before i took office the only president ever to cut the deficit by more than 1 trillion in a single year lowering your costs also meant demanding more competition i am a capitalist but capitalism without competition is not capitalism capitalism without competition is exploitation it drives up profits prices when corporations have to compete their profits go up and your prices go they do not have to compete small businesses and family farmers and need not tell some of my republican friends from those what you have got four basic meatpacking facilities that is it you play with them or you do not get to play at all and you pay a hell of a lot hell of a lot there is only four see what is happening with ocean carriers moving goods in and out of america during the pandemic about half a dozen or less companies raised prices by as much as percent and made record profits tonight i am announcing a crackdown on those companies overcharging american businesses and consumers as wall street firms take over more nursing homes quality in those homes has gone down and costs have gone up that ends on my watch medicare is going to set higher standards for nursing homes and make sure your loved ones get the care they deserve and that they inspect and they at closely we are also going to cut costs to keep the economy going strong and giving workers a fair shot provide more training and apprenticeships hire them based on skills not just their degrees let us pass the paycheck fairness act and paid leave raise the minimum wage to 15 an hour and extend the child tax credit so no one has to raise a family in poverty let us increase pell grants increase our historic support for hbcus and invest in what jill our first lady who teaches full time calls america best kept secret community colleges look let us pass the pro act when a majority of workers want to form a union they should not be able to be stopped when we invest in our workers and we build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out together we can do something we have not done in a long time build a better america for more than 2 years covid has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of this nation and i know you are tired frustrated and exhausted that does not even count the close to a million people who sit at a dining room table or a kitchen table and look at an empty chair because they lost somebody but i also know this because of the progress we have made because of your resilience and the tools that we have been provided by this congress tonight i can say we are moving forward safely back to a routines we have reached a new moment in the fight against where severe cases are down to a level not seen since july of last year just a few days ago the center for disease control and prevention issued a new mask guidelines under the new guidelines most americans in most of the country can now go mask free and based on projections more of the country will reach a point point across the next couple of weeks and thanks to the progress we have made in the past year no longer need control our lives i know some are talking about living with but tonight i say that we never will just accept living with we will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases and because this virus mutates and spreads we have to stay on guard and here are four commonsense steps as we move forward safely in my view first stay protected with vaccines and treatments we know how incredibly effective vaccines are if you are vaccinated and boosted you have the highest degree of protection and we will never give up on vaccinating more americans now i know parents with kids under 5 are eager to see their vaccines authorized for their children scientists are working hard to get that done and we will be ready with plenty of vaccines if and when they do we are are also ready with antiviral treatments if you get the pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90 percent i have ordered more pills than anyone in the world has pfizer is working overtime to get us a million pills this month and more than double that next month and now we are launching the test to treat initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and if they prove positive receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost and folks if you are immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability we have treatments and free masks we are leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone needs as we move forward on testing we have made hundreds of millions of tests available and you can order them for free to your doorstep and we have already ordered free tests if you already ordered free tests tonight i am announcing you can order another group of tests to starting next week and you can get more tests second we must prepare for new variants over the have gotten much better at detecting new variants if necessary we will be able to develop deploy new vaccines within a hundred days instead of maybe months or years and if congress presides provides the funds we need we will have new stockpiles of tests masks pills ready if needed i can not promise a new variant will not come but i can promise you we will do everything within our power to be ready if it does third we can end the shutdown of schools and businesses we have the tools we need it is time for america to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people people working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices we are doing that here in the federal government the vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person our schools are open let us keep it that way our kids need to be in school with 75 percent of adult americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77 percent most americans can remove their masks and stay in the classroom and move forward safely we achieved this because we provided free vaccines treatments tests and masks of course continuing this costs money so it will not surprise you i will be back to see you all and i am going to soon send a request to congress the vast majority of americans have used these tools and may want may need them again so i expect i hope you will pass that quickly fourth we will continue vaccinating the world we have sent 475 million vaccine doses to 112 than any nation on earth we will not stop because you can not build a wall high enough to keep out a vaccine can stop the spread of these diseases you know we have lost so much in time with one another the worst of all the loss of life let us use this moment to reset so stop looking at covid as a partisan dividing line see it for what it is a disease let us stop each other as enemies and start seeing each other for who we are fellow americans look we can not change how divided we have been that was a long time in coming but we can change how to move forward on and other issues that we must face together i recently visited new york city police department days after the funerals of officer wilbert mora and his partner officer jason rivera they were responding to a 911 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun officer mora was 27 years old officer rivera was 22 years old both dominican americans who grew up in the same streets that they later chose to patrol as police officers i spoke with their families and i told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifices and we will carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety in every community it deserves like some of you that have been around for a have worked with you on these issues for a long time i know what works investigating investing in crime prevention and community policing cops who walk the beat who know the neighborhood and who can restore trust and safety let us not abandon our streets or choose between safety and equal justice let us come together and protect our communities restore trust and hold law enforcement accountable that is why the justice department has required body cameras banned chokeholds and restricted warrants for its officers that is why the american rescue plan that you all provided 350 billion that cities states and counties can use to hire more police invest in more proven strategies like community violence interruption trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people some hope we should all agree the answer is not to defund the police that is right it is to fund the police fund them fund them fund them with the resources and and training they need to protect our communities i ask democrats and republicans alike to pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe and we will do everything in my power to crack down on gun trafficking of ghost guns that you can buy online assemble at serial numbers can not be traced i ask congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence pass universal background checks why should anyone on the terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon why why boo and folks ban assault weapons with magazines that hold up to a hundred rounds you think the deer are wearing kevlar vests look repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in america that can not be only one imagine had we done that with the tobacco manufacturers these laws do not infringe on the second amendment they save lives the most fundamental right in america is the right to vote and have it counted and look it is under assault in state after state new laws have been passed not only to suppress the have been there to subvert the entire election we can not let this happen tonight i call on the senate to pass the freedom to vote act pass the john lewis rights act and while you are at it pass the disclose act so americans know who is funding our elections look tonight i would like to honor someone who has dedicated his life to serve this country justice breyer an army veteran constitutional scholar retiring justice of the united states supreme court justice breyer thank you for your service thank you thank you thank you i mean it get up stand and let them see you thank you and we all matter what your ideology we all know one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a president has is nominating someone to serve on the united states supreme court as i did 4 days ago i have nominated a circuit court of brown jackson one of our nation top legal minds who will continue in justice breyer legacy of excellence a former top litigator in private practice a former federal public defender from a family of educators and police officers she is a consensus builder since she is been nominated she is received a broad range of support including the fraternal order of police and former judges appointed by democrats and republicans folks if we are to advance liberty and justice we need to secure our border and fix the immigration system build the wall build the wall build the wall and as you might guess i think we can do both at our border we have installed new technology like scanners to better detect drug smuggling we have set up joint patrols with mexico and guatemala to catch more human traffickers we are putting in place dedicated immigration judges in significant larger number so families fleeing persecution and violence can have their heard those who do not are not legitimately here can be sent back we are are securing commitments and supporting partners in south and central america to host more refugees and secure their own borders we can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led the generation of immigrants to this land my forebearers and many of yours provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers those with temporary status farmworkers essential workers to revise our laws so businesses have workers they need and families do not wait decades to reunite it is not only the right thing to do it is economically smart thing to do that is why the immigration reform is supported by everyone from labor unions to religious leaders to the chamber of commerce let us get it done once and for all folks advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women the constitutional right affirmed by standing precedent for half a century is under attack as never before if you want to go forward not backwards we must protect access to health care preserve a woman right to choose and continue to advance maternal health care for all americans and folks for our americans let us finally get the bipartisan equality act to my desk the onslaught of state laws targeting transgender americans and their is simply wrong as i said last year especially to our younger transgender americans i will always have your back as your president so you can be yourself and reach your potential folks as i have just demonstrated while it often appears we do not do agree on a lot more things than we acknowledge i signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year from preventing government shutdowns to protecting asian americans from hate crimes to reforming military justice and we will soon be strengthening the violence against women act that i first wrote three decades ago and it is is us to show the nation that we can come together and do big things so tonight i am offering a unity agenda for the nation four big things we can do together in my view first beat the opioid epidemic there is so much we can do increase funding for prevention treatment harm reduction and recovery get rid of outdated rules and stop doctors stop doctors from prescribing treatments stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with state and local law enforcement to go after the traffickers and if you are suffering from addiction you should know you are not alone i believe in recovery and i celebrate the 23 million americans in recovery second let us take on mental among our children whose lives and education have been turned upside down the american rescue plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning i urge every parent to make sure your school does just that they have the money we can all play a part sign up to be a tutor or a mentor children were also struggling before the pandemic bullying violence trauma and the harms of social media as frances haugen who is here tonight with us has shown we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they are conducting on our children for profit you thank you for the courage you showed it is time to strengthen privacy protections ban targeted advertising to children demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children and let us get all americans the mental health services they need more people can turn for help and full parity between physical and mental health care if we treat it that way in our insurance look the third piece of that agenda is support our veterans veterans are the backbone and the spine of this country they are the best of us i have always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip those we send to war and care for those and their family when they come home my administration is providing assistance and job training and housing and now helping lower income veterans get va care debt free and our troops in iraq have faced many dangers one being stationed at bases breathing in toxic smoke from burn pits many of you have been there i have been in and out of iraq and afghanistan over 40 times these burn pits that incinerate wastes of war medical and hazardous material jet fuel and so much more and they come of the world fittest and best trained warriors in the the same headaches numbness dizziness a cancer that would put them in a coffin i know you put them in thirteen of them whoa boo one of of those soldiers was my son major beau biden i do not know for sure if the burn pit that he lived his hooch was near in iraq and earlier than that in kosovo is the because of his brain cancer and the disease of so many other troops but i am committed to find out everything we can committed to military families like danielle robinson from ohio the widow of sergeant first class heath robinson he was born a soldier army national guard combat medic in kosovo and iraq stationed near baghdad just yards from burn pits the size of football fields danielle is here with us tonight they loved going to ohio state football games and he loved building legos with their daughter but cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged heath lungs and body danielle says heath was a fighter to the very end he did not know how to stop fighting and neither did she through her pain she found purpose to demand that we do better tonight danielle we are going to do better the va is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to disease already helping more veterans get benefits and tonight i am announcing we are expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers i am also calling on congress to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposure in iraq and afghanistan finally get the benefits and the comprehensive health care they deserve and fourth and last let us end cancer as we know it this is personal this is personal to me and to jill and to kamala and so many of you so many of you have lost someone you wife son daughter mom dad cancer is the because of death in america second only to heart disease last month i announced the plan to supercharge the cancer moonshot that president obama asked me to lead 6 years ago our goal is to cut cancer death rates by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years and i think we can do better than that turn cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases more support for patients and their families to get there i call on congress to fund what i called advanced research projects agency for health patterned after darpa in the defense department projects that the internet gps and so much more that make our forces and be able to wage war more clarity arpa will have a singular purpose to drive breakthroughs in cancer alzheimer and diabetes and more a unity agenda for the nation we can do these things it is within our power and i do not see a partisan edge to any one of those four things my fellow americans tonight we have gathered in a sacred space the citadel of democracy in this capitol generation after generation of americans have debated great questions amid great strife and have done great things we fought for freedom expanded liberty debated defeated totalitarianism and terror we built the strongest freest and most prosperous nation the world has ever known now is the hour our moment of responsibility our test of resolve and conscience of history itself it is in this moment that our character of this generation is formed our purpose is found our future is forged well i know this nation we will meet the test protect freedom and liberty expand fairness and opportunity and we will save democracy as hard as those times have been i am more optimistic about america today than i have been my whole life because i see the future that is within our grasp because i know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity we are the only nation on earth that has always turned every crisis we have faced into an opportunity the only nation that can be defined by a single word possibilities so on this night on our 245th year as a nation i have come to report on the state of the state of the union and my report is this the state of the union is strong because you the american people are strong we are stronger are stronger we were a year ago and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today this is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time and we will as one people one america the united states of america god bless you all and may god protect our troops thank you go get them
thank much thank please thank much madam speaker madam vice president first lady second gentleman members congress cabinet justices supreme court fellow americans last year kept us apart year finally together tonight meet democrats republicans independents importantly americans duty one another america american people constitution unwavering resolve freedom always triumph tyranny six days ago russia vladimir putin sought shake foundations free world thinking could make bend menacing ways badly miscalculated thought could roll ukraine world would roll instead met wall strength never anticipated imagined met ukrainian people president zelenskiy every ukrainian fearlessness courage determination literally inspires world groups citizens blocking tanks bodies everyone students retirees teachers turned soldiers defending homeland zelenskiy said speech european parliament light win darkness ukrainian ambassador united states tonight sitting first lady let us able stand stand send unmistakable signal world ukraine thank thank thank thank bright strong resolved yes united states america stand ukrainian people throughout history learned lesson dictators pay price aggression chaos keep moving costs threats america world keeps rising nato alliance created secure peace stability europe world war ii united states member along 29 nations matters american diplomacy matters american resolve matters putin latest attack ukraine premeditated totally unprovoked rejected diplomacy thought west nato would respond thought could divide us home chamber nation thought could divide us europe well putin wrong ready united stayed united prepared extensively carefully spent months building coalitions nations europe americas america asian african continents confront putin like many spent countless hours unifying european allies shared world advance knew putin planning precisely would try falsify justify aggression countered russia lies truth acted free world holding accountable along 27 members european france germany well countries like united kingdom canada japan korea australia new zealand many inflicting pain russia supporting people ukraine putin isolated world ever together along allies right enforcing powerful economic sanctions cutting russia largest banks international financial system preventing russia central bank defending russian ruble making putin 630 billion war fund worthless choking russia access technology sap economic strength weaken military years come tonight say russian oligarchs corrupt leaders bilked billions dollars violent regime united mean united states department justice assembling dedicated task force go crimes russian oligarchs joining european allies find seize yachts luxury apartments private jets coming gains tonight announcing join allies closing american air space russian flights isolating russia adding additional squeeze economy idea coming ruble already lost 30 percent value russian stock market lost 40 percent value trading remains suspended russian economy reeling putin alone one blame together allies providing support ukrainians fight freedom military assistance economic assistance humanitarian assistance giving billion dollars direct assistance ukraine continue aid ukrainian people defend country help ease suffering let clear forces engaged engage conflict russian forces ukraine forces going europe fight ukraine defend nato allies event putin decides keep moving west purpose mobilized american ground forces air squadrons ship deployments protect nato countries including poland romania latvia lithuania estonia made crystal clear united states allies defend every inch territory nato territory full force collective single inch clear eyed ukrainians fighting back pure courage next days weeks months hard putin unleashed violence chaos may make gains battlefield pay continuing high price long run pound ukrainian proud proud pound ready fight every inch energy known 30 years repeatedly shown tolerate anyone tries take country backwards americans honest always promised would russian dictator invading foreign country costs around world taking robust action make sure pain sanctions targeted russian economy use every tool disposal protect american businesses consumers tonight announce united states worked 30 countries release 60 million barrels oil reserves around world america lead effort releasing 30 million barrels strategic petroleum reserve stand ready necessary united allies steps help blunt gas prices home know news happening seem alarming americans want know going okay going okay history era written putin war ukraine left russia weaker rest world stronger taken something terrible people around world see stake everyone sees clearly see unity among leaders nations unified europe unified west see unity among people gathering cities large crowds around world even russia demonstrate support people ukraine battle democracy autocracies democracies rising moment world clearly choosing side peace security real test going take time let us continue draw inspiration iron ukrainian people fellow ukrainian americans forged deep bond connects two nations stand stand putin may circle kiev tanks never gain hearts souls uranian ukrainian people never extinguish love freedom never never weaken resolve free world meet tonight america lived 2 hardest years nation ever faced pandemic punishing many families living paycheck paycheck struggling keep rising cost food gas housing much understand like many dad leave home scranton pennsylvania find work like many grew family price food went felt throughout family impact one first things president fight pass american rescue plan people hurting needed act pieces legislation done critical moment history lift us crisis fueled efforts vaccinate nation combat delivered immediate economic relief tens millions americans helped put food table remember long lines cars waiting hours get box food put trunk cut cost health care insurance dad used say gave people little bit breathing room unlike 2 trillion tax cut passed previous administration benefited top 1 percent americans american rescue boo american rescue plan helped working people left one behind worked worked worked created jobs lots jobs fact economy created million new jobs last year jobs 1 year ever history united states america economy grew rate last year strongest growth rate 40 years first step bringing fundamental change economy worked working people nation long past 40 years told tax breaks top benefits would trickle everyone would benefit theory led weaker economic growth lower wages bigger deficits widening gap top everyone else nearly century look vice president harris ran realize fundamental disagreements ran office new economic vision america invest america educate americans grow workforce build economy bottom middle top middle class grows poor go way wealthy well america used best roads bridges airports earth infrastructure ranked 13th world able compete jobs 21st century fix important pass bipartisan infrastructure law thank republican friends joined invest rebuild america single biggest investment history bipartisan effort want thank members parties worked make happen done talking infrastructure weeks talking infrastructure decade look going transform america put us path win economic competition 21st century face rest world particularly china told xi jinping never good bet bet american people create good jobs millions roads airports ports across america withstand devastating effects climate crisis promote environmental justice build national network electric vehicle charging stations begin replace poisonous lead pipes every child every american clean water drink home school going provide affordable internet every suburban urban tribal communities four thousand projects already announced many announced districts tonight announcing year start fixing miles highway bridges disrepair folks use taxpayers dollars rebuild america going buying american buy american products support american jobs federal government spends 600 billion year keep country safe secure law books almost century make sure taxpayers dollars support american jobs businesses every actually buy american make sure everything deck aircraft carrier steel highway guardrails made america beginning end folks compete jobs future also need level playing field china competitors important pass bipartisan innovation act sitting congress make record investments emerging technologies american manufacturing used invest almost 2 percent gdp research development let give one example important pass travel 20 miles east columbus ohio find thousand empty acres land look like much stop look closely see field dreams ground america future built intel american company helped build silicon valley going build 20 billion semiconductor mega site eight factories one place ten thousand new jobs factories average year sophisticated manufacturing world make computer chips size fingertip power world everyday lives smartphones technology yet invented beginning intel ceo pat gelsinger know pat pat go pat stand pat came see told ready increase investment 20 billion 100 billion would biggest investment manufacturing american history waiting pass bill let us wait longer send desk sign really take big way folks intel alone something happening america look around see amazing rebirth pride comes stamping products made america revitalization american manufacturing companies choosing build new factories years ago would gone overseas happening ford investing 11 billion electric vehicles creating jobs across country gm making largest investment 7 billion build electric vehicles creating jobs michigan told new manufacturing jobs created america last year alone folks powered people jojo burgess generations union steelworkers pittsburgh us tonight jojo go thanks buddy ohio senator sherrod brown sherrod brown says time bury label belt time see used called rust belt become home significant resurgence manufacturing bright spots job growth higher many families struggling keep bills inflation robbing gains thought otherwise would able feel get top priority getting prices control look economy roared back faster almost anyone predicted pandemic meant businesses hard time hiring enough people pandemic keep production factories people making beams went buildings factory closed panic pandemic also disrupted global supply chain factories close happens takes longer make goods get warehouses stores go look cars last year inflation automobile sales enough semiconductors make cars people wanted buy guess prices automobiles went way especially used vehicles well choice one way fight inflation drive wages make americans poorer think better idea fight inflation lower costs wages folks means make cars semiconductors america infrastructure innovation america goods moving faster cheaper america jobs earn good living america instead relying foreign supply chains let us make america look increasing productive capacity economy call building better america plan fight inflation lower costs lower deficit seventeen nobel laureates economics said plan ease inflationary pressures top business leaders believe americans support plan plan first cut cost prescription drugs pay drug produced company america country world look insulin one ten americans diabetes virginia met boy handsome young man standing joshua davis dad type 1 diabetes means need insulin every single day insulin costs 10 vial make costs pharmaceutical company drug companies charge families like joshua dad 30 times amount spoke joshua mom imagine like look child needs insulin stay healthy idea god name going able pay family dignity ability look child eye parent expect really mean think think know tonight yesterday birthday happy birthday buddy way joshua young people type 1 diabetes let us cap cost insulin 35 month everyone afford drug companies profit margin know great disagreements floor us let medicare negotiate price prescription drugs already set price va drugs look american rescue plan helping millions families affordable care act plans save year health premiums let us close coverage gap make savings permanent second let us cut energy costs families average 500 year combating climate change let us provide investment tax credit weatherize home business energy efficient get tax credit double america clean energy production solar wind much lower price electric vehicles saving another 80 month going pay pump third thing change standard living folks cut cost childcare cut cost childcare folks live major city america pay year childcare per child single dad 5 years raising two kids lot help though mom dad brother sister really helped middle class working folks pay 7 percent income care young children plan would cut cost childcare half families help parents including millions women left workforce pandemic could afford childcare able get back work generating economic growth plan stop also includes home care affordable housing lower costs families plan say earning less year pay additional penny new taxes single penny may wrong guess took secret ballot floor would agree present tax system fair fix looking punish anybody let us make corporations wealthy americans start paying fair share look last like chris coons tom carper distinguished come land corporate america corporations incorporated america delaware every state america combined still 36 years row point even understand pay fair share last year 55 fortune 500 companies earned 40 billion profit paid zero federal taxes boo look fair proposed minimum tax rate corporations meetings overseas able put able somewhat countries agree global minimum tax rate companies get paying taxes home shipping jobs factories overseas raise billions dollars proposed closing loopholes wealthy pay lower tax rate teacher firefighter plan go detail later going grow economy lower costs families waiting let us get done know got make changes folks confirm nominees federal reserve plays critical role fighting inflation plan lower costs give families fair shot lower deficit previous administration ballooned deficit tax cuts wealthy corporations undermined job keep pandemic relief funds wasted remember debates whether watchdogs able see every day much money spent going right place administration watchdogs back going criminals stole billions relief money meant small business millions americans tonight announcing justice department soon name chief prosecutor pandemic fraud think end year deficit less half took office president ever cut deficit 1 trillion single year lowering costs also meant demanding competition capitalist capitalism without competition capitalism capitalism without competition exploitation drives profits prices corporations compete profits go prices go compete small businesses family farmers need tell republican friends got four basic meatpacking facilities play get play pay hell lot hell lot four see happening ocean carriers moving goods america pandemic half dozen less companies raised prices much percent made record profits tonight announcing crackdown companies overcharging american businesses consumers wall street firms take nursing homes quality homes gone costs gone ends watch medicare going set higher standards nursing homes make sure loved ones get care deserve inspect closely also going cut costs keep economy going strong giving workers fair shot provide training apprenticeships hire based skills degrees let us pass paycheck fairness act paid leave raise minimum wage 15 hour extend child tax credit one raise family poverty let us increase pell grants increase historic support hbcus invest jill first lady teaches full time calls america best kept secret community colleges look let us pass pro act majority workers want form union able stopped invest workers build economy bottom middle together something done long time build better america 2 years covid impacted every decision lives life nation know tired frustrated exhausted even count close million people sit dining room table kitchen table look empty chair lost somebody also know progress made resilience tools provided congress tonight say moving forward safely back routines reached new moment fight severe cases level seen since july last year days ago center disease control prevention issued new mask guidelines new guidelines americans country go mask free based projections country reach point point across next couple weeks thanks progress made past year longer need control lives know talking living tonight say never accept living continue combat virus diseases virus mutates spreads stay guard four commonsense steps move forward safely view first stay protected vaccines treatments know incredibly effective vaccines vaccinated boosted highest degree protection never give vaccinating americans know parents kids 5 eager see vaccines authorized children scientists working hard get done ready plenty vaccines also ready antiviral treatments get pfizer pill reduces chances ending hospital 90 percent ordered pills anyone world pfizer working overtime get us million pills month double next month launching test treat initiative people get tested pharmacy prove positive receive antiviral pills spot cost folks immunocompromised vulnerability treatments free masks leaving one behind ignoring anyone needs move forward testing made hundreds millions tests available order free doorstep already ordered free tests already ordered free tests tonight announcing order another group tests starting next week get tests second must prepare new variants gotten much better detecting new variants necessary able develop deploy new vaccines within hundred days instead maybe months years congress presides provides funds need new stockpiles tests masks pills ready needed promise new variant come promise everything within power ready third end shutdown schools businesses tools need time america get back work fill great downtowns people people working home feel safe begin return offices federal government vast majority federal workers work person schools open let us keep way kids need school 75 percent adult americans fully vaccinated hospitalizations 77 percent americans remove masks stay classroom move forward safely achieved provided free vaccines treatments tests masks course continuing costs money surprise back see going soon send request congress vast majority americans used tools may want may need expect hope pass quickly fourth continue vaccinating world sent 475 million vaccine doses 112 nation earth stop build wall high enough keep vaccine stop spread diseases know lost much time one another worst loss life let us use moment reset stop looking covid partisan dividing line see disease let us stop enemies start seeing fellow americans look change divided long time coming change move forward issues must face together recently visited new york city police department days funerals officer wilbert mora partner officer jason rivera responding 911 call man shot killed stolen gun officer mora 27 years old officer rivera 22 years old dominican americans grew streets later chose patrol police officers spoke families told forever debt sacrifices carry mission restore trust safety every community deserves like around worked issues long time know works investigating investing crime prevention community policing cops walk beat know neighborhood restore trust safety let us abandon streets choose safety equal justice let us come together protect communities restore trust hold law enforcement accountable justice department required body cameras banned chokeholds restricted warrants officers american rescue plan provided 350 billion cities states counties use hire police invest proven strategies like community violence interruption trusted messengers breaking cycle violence trauma giving young people hope agree answer defund police right fund police fund fund fund resources training need protect communities ask democrats republicans alike pass budget keep neighborhoods safe everything power crack gun trafficking ghost guns buy online assemble serial numbers traced ask congress pass proven measures reduce gun violence pass universal background checks anyone terrorist list able purchase weapon boo folks ban assault weapons magazines hold hundred rounds think deer wearing kevlar vests look repeal liability shield makes gun manufacturers industry america one imagine done tobacco manufacturers laws infringe second amendment save lives fundamental right america right vote counted look assault state state new laws passed suppress subvert entire election let happen tonight call senate pass freedom vote act pass john lewis rights act pass disclose act americans know funding elections look tonight would like honor someone dedicated life serve country justice breyer army veteran constitutional scholar retiring justice united states supreme court justice breyer thank service thank thank thank mean get stand let see thank matter ideology know one serious constitutional responsibilities president nominating someone serve united states supreme court 4 days ago nominated circuit court brown jackson one nation top legal minds continue justice breyer legacy excellence former top litigator private practice former federal public defender family educators police officers consensus builder since nominated received broad range support including fraternal order police former judges appointed democrats republicans folks advance liberty justice need secure border fix immigration system build wall build wall build wall might guess think border installed new technology like scanners better detect drug smuggling set joint patrols mexico guatemala catch human traffickers putting place dedicated immigration judges significant larger number families fleeing persecution violence heard legitimately sent back securing commitments supporting partners south central america host refugees secure borders keeping lit torch liberty led generation immigrants land forebearers many provide pathway citizenship dreamers temporary status farmworkers essential workers revise laws businesses workers need families wait decades reunite right thing economically smart thing immigration reform supported everyone labor unions religious leaders chamber commerce let us get done folks advancing liberty justice also requires protecting rights women constitutional right affirmed standing precedent half century attack never want go forward backwards must protect access health care preserve woman right choose continue advance maternal health care americans folks americans let us finally get bipartisan equality act desk onslaught state laws targeting transgender americans simply wrong said last year especially younger transgender americans always back president reach potential folks demonstrated often appears agree lot things acknowledge signed 80 bipartisan bills law last year preventing government shutdowns protecting asian americans hate crimes reforming military justice soon strengthening violence women act first wrote three decades ago us show nation come together big things tonight offering unity agenda nation four big things together view first beat opioid epidemic much increase funding prevention treatment harm reduction recovery get rid outdated rules stop doctors stop doctors prescribing treatments stop flow illicit drugs working state local law enforcement go traffickers suffering addiction know alone believe recovery celebrate 23 million americans recovery second let us take mental among children whose lives education turned upside american rescue plan gave schools money hire teachers help students make lost learning urge every parent make sure school money play part sign tutor mentor children also struggling pandemic bullying violence trauma harms social media frances haugen tonight us shown must hold social media platforms accountable national experiment conducting children profit thank courage showed time strengthen privacy protections ban targeted advertising children demand tech companies stop collecting personal data children let us get americans mental health services need people turn help full parity physical mental health care treat way insurance look third piece agenda support veterans veterans backbone spine country best us always believed sacred obligation equip send war care family come home administration providing assistance job training housing helping lower income veterans get va care debt free troops iraq faced many dangers one stationed bases breathing toxic smoke burn pits many iraq afghanistan 40 times burn pits incinerate wastes war medical hazardous material jet fuel much come world fittest best trained warriors headaches numbness dizziness cancer would put coffin know put thirteen whoa boo one soldiers son major beau biden know sure burn pit lived hooch near iraq earlier kosovo brain cancer disease many troops committed find everything committed military families like danielle robinson ohio widow sergeant first class heath robinson born soldier army national guard combat medic kosovo iraq stationed near baghdad yards burn pits size football fields danielle us tonight loved going ohio state football games loved building legos daughter cancer prolonged exposure burn pits ravaged heath lungs body danielle says heath fighter end know stop fighting neither pain found purpose demand better tonight danielle going better va pioneering new ways linking toxic exposures disease already helping veterans get benefits tonight announcing expanding eligibility veterans suffering nine respiratory cancers also calling congress pass law make sure veterans devastated toxic exposure iraq afghanistan finally get benefits comprehensive health care deserve fourth last let us end cancer know personal personal jill kamala many many lost someone wife son daughter mom dad cancer death america second heart disease last month announced plan supercharge cancer moonshot president obama asked lead 6 years ago goal cut cancer death rates least 50 percent next 25 years think better turn cancers death sentences treatable diseases support patients families get call congress fund called advanced research projects agency health patterned darpa defense department projects internet gps much make forces able wage war clarity arpa singular purpose drive breakthroughs cancer alzheimer diabetes unity agenda nation things within power see partisan edge one four things fellow americans tonight gathered sacred space citadel democracy capitol generation generation americans debated great questions amid great strife done great things fought freedom expanded liberty debated defeated totalitarianism terror built strongest freest prosperous nation world ever known hour moment responsibility test resolve conscience history moment character generation formed purpose found future forged well know nation meet test protect freedom liberty expand fairness opportunity save democracy hard times optimistic america today whole life see future within grasp know simply nothing beyond capacity nation earth always turned every crisis faced opportunity nation defined single word possibilities night 245th year nation come report state state union report state union strong american people strong stronger stronger year ago stronger year today moment meet overcome challenges time one people one america united states america god bless may god protect troops thank go get
thank much thank please thank much madam speaker madam vice president first lady second gentleman member congress cabinet justice supreme court fellow american last year keep u apart year finally together tonight meet democrat republicans independent importantly americans duty one another america american people constitution unwavering resolve freedom always triumph tyranny six day ago russia vladimir putin seek shake foundation free world thinking could make bend menace way badly miscalculate thought could roll ukraine world would roll instead meet wall strength never anticipate imagined meet ukrainian people president zelenskiy every ukrainian fearlessness courage determination literally inspire world group citizens block tank body everyone student retire teacher turn soldier defend homeland zelenskiy say speech european parliament light win darkness ukrainian ambassador united state tonight sit first lady let u able stand stand send unmistakable signal world ukraine thank thank thank thank bright strong resolve yes united state america stand ukrainian people throughout history learn lesson dictator pay price aggression chaos keep moving cost threat america world keep rise nato alliance create secure peace stability europe world war ii united state member along 29 nation matter american diplomacy matter american resolve matter putin late attack ukraine premeditate totally unprovoked reject diplomacy think west nato would respond thought could divide u home chamber nation think could divide u europe well putin wrong ready united stayed unite prepared extensively carefully spent month build coalition nation europe america america asian african continent confront putin like many spent countless hour unify european ally share world advance know putin planning precisely would try falsify justify aggression counter russia lie truth act free world hold accountable along 27 member european france germany well country like united kingdom canada japan korea australia new zealand many inflict pain russia support people ukraine putin isolated world ever together along ally right enforce powerful economic sanction cut russia large bank international financial system prevent russia central bank defend russian ruble make putin 630 billion war fund worthless choke russia access technology sap economic strength weaken military year come tonight say russian oligarch corrupt leader bilk billion dollar violent regime united mean united state department justice assemble dedicate task force go crime russian oligarch join european ally find seize yacht luxury apartment private jet come gain tonight announce join ally close american air space russian flight isolate russia add additional squeeze economy idea come ruble already lose 30 percent value russian stock market lose 40 percent value trading remain suspended russian economy reel putin alone one blame together ally provide support ukrainian fight freedom military assistance economic assistance humanitarian assistance give billion dollar direct assistance ukraine continue aid ukrainian people defend country help ease suffer let clear force engage engage conflict russian force ukraine force go europe fight ukraine defend nato ally event putin decide keep move west purpose mobilized american ground force air squadron ship deployment protect nato country include poland romania latvia lithuania estonia make crystal clear united state ally defend every inch territory nato territory full force collective single inch clear eye ukrainian fight back pure courage next day week month hard putin unleashed violence chaos may make gain battlefield pay continue high price long run pound ukrainian proud proud pound ready fight every inch energy know 30 year repeatedly show tolerate anyone try take country backwards americans honest always promise would russian dictator invade foreign country cost around world take robust action make sure pain sanction target russian economy use every tool disposal protect american business consumer tonight announce united state work 30 country release 60 million barrel oil reserve around world america lead effort release 30 million barrel strategic petroleum reserve stand ready necessary united ally step help blunt gas price home know news happen seem alarm american want know go okay go okay history era write putin war ukraine leave russia weak rest world strong take something terrible people around world see stake everyone see clearly see unity among leader nation unify europe unified west see unity among people gather city large crowd around world even russia demonstrate support people ukraine battle democracy autocracy democracies rise moment world clearly choose side peace security real test go take time let u continue draw inspiration iron ukrainian people fellow ukrainian american forge deep bond connects two nation stand stand putin may circle kiev tank never gain heart souls uranian ukrainian people never extinguish love freedom never never weaken resolve free world meet tonight america live 2 hard year nation ever face pandemic punish many family live paycheck paycheck struggle keep rise cost food gas housing much understand like many dad leave home scranton pennsylvania find work like many grow family price food go felt throughout family impact one first thing president fight pass american rescue plan people hurt need act piece legislation do critical moment history lift u crisis fuel effort vaccinate nation combat deliver immediate economic relief ten million american help put food table remember long line car wait hour get box food put trunk cut cost health care insurance dad use say give people little bit breathing room unlike 2 trillion tax cut pass previous administration benefit top 1 percent american american rescue boo american rescue plan help work people leave one behind work worked work create job lot job fact economy create million new job last year job 1 year ever history united state america economy grow rate last year strong growth rate 40 year first step bring fundamental change economy work working people nation long past 40 year tell tax break top benefit would trickle everyone would benefit theory lead weak economic growth lower wage big deficit widen gap top everyone else nearly century look vice president harris run realize fundamental disagreement run office new economic vision america invest america educate american grow workforce build economy bottom middle top middle class grow poor go way wealthy well america use best road bridge airport earth infrastructure rank 13th world able compete job 21st century fix important pas bipartisan infrastructure law thank republican friend join invest rebuild america single big investment history bipartisan effort want thank member party work make happen do talk infrastructure week talk infrastructure decade look go transform america put u path win economic competition 21st century face rest world particularly china tell xi jinping never good bet bet american people create good job million road airport port across america withstand devastate effect climate crisis promote environmental justice build national network electric vehicle charge station begin replace poisonous lead pipe every child every american clean water drink home school go provide affordable internet every suburban urban tribal community four thousand project already announce many announced district tonight announce year start fix mile highway bridge disrepair folk use taxpayer dollar rebuild america go buying american buy american product support american job federal government spend 600 billion year keep country safe secure law book almost century make sure taxpayer dollar support american job business every actually buy american make sure everything deck aircraft carrier steel highway guardrail make america begin end folk compete job future also need level play field china competitor important pas bipartisan innovation act sit congress make record investment emerge technology american manufacturing use invest almost 2 percent gdp research development let give one example important pas travel 20 mile east columbus ohio find thousand empty acre land look like much stop look closely see field dream grind america future build intel american company help build silicon valley go build 20 billion semiconductor mega site eight factory one place ten thousand new job factory average year sophisticated manufacturing world make computer chip size fingertip power world everyday live smartphones technology yet invent begin intel ceo pat gelsinger know pat pat go pat stand pat come see told ready increase investment 20 billion 100 billion would big investment manufacture american history wait pas bill let u wait long send desk sign really take big way folk intel alone something happen america look around see amazing rebirth pride come stamp product make america revitalization american manufacturing company choose build new factory year ago would go overseas happening ford invest 11 billion electric vehicle create job across country gm make large investment 7 billion build electric vehicle create job michigan tell new manufacturing job create america last year alone folk power people jojo burgess generation union steelworker pittsburgh u tonight jojo go thanks buddy ohio senator sherrod brown sherrod brown say time bury label belt time see use call rust belt become home significant resurgence manufacturing bright spot job growth high many family struggle keep bill inflation rob gain think otherwise would able feel get top priority get price control look economy roar back faster almost anyone predict pandemic meant business hard time hire enough people pandemic keep production factory people make beams go building factory close panic pandemic also disrupt global supply chain factory close happen take long make good get warehouse store go look car last year inflation automobile sale enough semiconductor make car people want buy guess price automobile go way especially used vehicle well choice one way fight inflation drive wage make american poor think good idea fight inflation lower cost wage folk mean make car semiconductor america infrastructure innovation america good move faster cheap america job earn good living america instead rely foreign supply chain let u make america look increase productive capacity economy call building well america plan fight inflation lower cost low deficit seventeen nobel laureate economics say plan ease inflationary pressure top business leader believe americans support plan plan first cut cost prescription drug pay drug produce company america country world look insulin one ten americans diabetes virginia meet boy handsome young man stand joshua davis dad type 1 diabetes mean need insulin every single day insulin cost 10 vial make cost pharmaceutical company drug company charge family like joshua dad 30 time amount speak joshua mom imagine like look child need insulin stay healthy idea god name go able pay family dignity ability look child eye parent expect really mean think think know tonight yesterday birthday happy birthday buddy way joshua young people type 1 diabetes let u cap cost insulin 35 month everyone afford drug company profit margin know great disagreement floor u let medicare negotiate price prescription drug already set price va drug look american rescue plan help million family affordable care act plan save year health premium let u close coverage gap make saving permanent second let u cut energy cost family average 500 year combat climate change let u provide investment tax credit weatherize home business energy efficient get tax credit double america clean energy production solar wind much low price electric vehicle save another 80 month go pay pump third thing change standard live folk cut cost childcare cut cost childcare folk live major city america pay year childcare per child single dad 5 year raise two kid lot help though mom dad brother sister really help middle class work folk pay 7 percent income care young child plan would cut cost childcare half family help parent include million woman leave workforce pandemic could afford childcare able get back work generate economic growth plan stop also include home care affordable housing lower cost family plan say earn less year pay additional penny new tax single penny may wrong guess take secret ballot floor would agree present tax system fair fix look punish anybody let u make corporation wealthy american start pay fair share look last like chris coon tom carper distinguish come land corporate america corporation incorporate america delaware every state america combine still 36 year row point even understand pay fair share last year 55 fortune 500 company earn 40 billion profit pay zero federal tax boo look fair propose minimum tax rate corporation meeting overseas able put able somewhat country agree global minimum tax rate company get pay tax home shipping job factory overseas raise billion dollar propose closing loophole wealthy pay low tax rate teacher firefighter plan go detail later go grow economy low cost family wait let u get do know got make change folk confirm nominees federal reserve play critical role fight inflation plan low cost give family fair shot low deficit previous administration balloon deficit tax cut wealthy corporation undermined job keep pandemic relief fund waste remember debate whether watchdog able see every day much money spend go right place administration watchdog back go criminal stole billion relief money mean small business million american tonight announce justice department soon name chief prosecutor pandemic fraud think end year deficit less half take office president ever cut deficit 1 trillion single year lowering cost also mean demand competition capitalist capitalism without competition capitalism capitalism without competition exploitation drive profit price corporation compete profit go price go compete small business family farmer need tell republican friend get four basic meatpacking facility play get play pay hell lot hell lot four see happen ocean carrier move good america pandemic half dozen less company raise price much percent make record profit tonight announce crackdown company overcharge american business consumer wall street firm take nursing home quality home go cost go end watch medicare go set high standard nurse home make sure love one get care deserve inspect closely also go cut cost keep economy go strong give worker fair shot provide train apprenticeship hire base skill degree let u pass paycheck fairness act pay leave raise minimum wage 15 hour extend child tax credit one raise family poverty let u increase pell grant increase historic support hbcus invest jill first lady teach full time call america best kept secret community college look let u pass pro act majority worker want form union able stop invest worker build economy bottom middle together something do long time build good america 2 year covid impact every decision live life nation know tire frustrated exhaust even count close million people sit din room table kitchen table look empty chair lose somebody also know progress make resilience tool provide congress tonight say move forward safely back routine reach new moment fight severe case level see since july last year day ago center disease control prevention issue new mask guideline new guideline american country go mask free base projection country reach point point across next couple week thanks progress make past year longer need control live know talk live tonight say never accept live continue combat virus diseases virus mutates spread stay guard four commonsense step move forward safely view first stay protect vaccine treatment know incredibly effective vaccine vaccinate boosted high degree protection never give vaccinate american know parent kid 5 eager see vaccine authorize child scientist work hard get do ready plenty vaccine also ready antiviral treatment get pfizer pill reduce chance end hospital 90 percent order pill anyone world pfizer work overtime get u million pill month double next month launch test treat initiative people get test pharmacy prove positive receive antiviral pill spot cost folk immunocompromised vulnerability treatment free mask leave one behind ignore anyone need move forward test make hundred million test available order free doorstep already order free test already order free test tonight announce order another group test start next week get test second must prepare new variant get much well detect new variant necessary able develop deploy new vaccine within hundred day instead maybe month year congress preside provide fund need new stockpile test mask pill ready need promise new variant come promise everything within power ready third end shutdown school business tool need time america get back work fill great downtowns people people work home feel safe begin return office federal government vast majority federal worker work person school open let u keep way kid need school 75 percent adult american fully vaccinate hospitalization 77 percent american remove mask stay classroom move forward safely achieve provide free vaccine treatment test mask course continue cost money surprise back see go soon send request congress vast majority american use tool may want may need expect hope pas quickly fourth continue vaccinate world send 475 million vaccine dose 112 nation earth stop build wall high enough keep vaccine stop spread disease know lose much time one another bad loss life let u use moment reset stop look covid partisan divide line see disease let u stop enemy start see fellow american look change divide long time come change move forward issue must face together recently visit new york city police department day funeral officer wilbert mora partner officer jason rivera respond 911 call man shot kill steal gun officer mora 27 year old officer rivera 22 year old dominican american grow street later choose patrol police officer speak family tell forever debt sacrifice carry mission restore trust safety every community deserve like around worked issue long time know work investigate invest crime prevention community police cop walk beat know neighborhood restore trust safety let u abandon street choose safety equal justice let u come together protect community restore trust hold law enforcement accountable justice department require body camera ban chokehold restrict warrant officer american rescue plan provide 350 billion city state county use hire police invest proven strategy like community violence interruption trust messenger break cycle violence trauma give young people hope agree answer defund police right fund police fund fund fund resource train need protect community ask democrat republicans alike pas budget keep neighborhood safe everything power crack gun traffic ghost gun buy online assemble serial number trace ask congress pas prove measure reduce gun violence pas universal background check anyone terrorist list able purchase weapon boo folk ban assault weapon magazine hold hundred round think deer wear kevlar vest look repeal liability shield make gun manufacturer industry america one imagine do tobacco manufacturer law infringe second amendment save live fundamental right america right vote count look assault state state new law pass suppress subvert entire election let happen tonight call senate pas freedom vote act pas john lewis right act pass disclose act american know fund election look tonight would like honor someone dedicate life serve country justice breyer army veteran constitutional scholar retire justice united state supreme court justice breyer thank service thank thank thank mean get stand let see thank matter ideology know one serious constitutional responsibility president nominate someone serve united state supreme court 4 day ago nominate circuit court brown jackson one nation top legal mind continue justice breyer legacy excellence former top litigator private practice former federal public defender family educator police officer consensus builder since nominate receive broad range support include fraternal order police former judge appoint democrat republicans folk advance liberty justice need secure border fix immigration system build wall build wall build wall might guess think border instal new technology like scanner well detect drug smuggle set joint patrol mexico guatemala catch human trafficker put place dedicate immigration judge significant large number family flee persecution violence heard legitimately send back secure commitment support partner south central america host refugee secure border keep lit torch liberty lead generation immigrant land forebearers many provide pathway citizenship dreamer temporary status farmworkers essential worker revise law business worker need family wait decade reunite right thing economically smart thing immigration reform support everyone labor union religious leader chamber commerce let u get do folk advance liberty justice also require protect right woman constitutional right affirm stand precedent half century attack never want go forward backwards must protect access health care preserve woman right choose continue advance maternal health care americans folk american let u finally get bipartisan equality act desk onslaught state law target transgender american simply wrong say last year especially young transgender american always back president reach potential folk demonstrate often appear agree lot thing acknowledge sign 80 bipartisan bill law last year prevent government shutdown protect asian american hate crime reform military justice soon strengthen violence woman act first write three decade ago u show nation come together big thing tonight offer unity agenda nation four big thing together view first beat opioid epidemic much increase funding prevention treatment harm reduction recovery get rid outdated rule stop doctor stop doctor prescribe treatment stop flow illicit drug work state local law enforcement go trafficker suffer addiction know alone believe recovery celebrate 23 million american recovery second let u take mental among child whose life education turn upside american rescue plan give school money hire teacher help student make lose learning urge every parent make sure school money play part sign tutor mentor child also struggle pandemic bullying violence trauma harm social medium france haugen tonight u show must hold social medium platform accountable national experiment conduct child profit thank courage show time strengthen privacy protection ban target advertising child demand tech company stop collect personal data child let u get american mental health service need people turn help full parity physical mental health care treat way insurance look third piece agenda support veteran veterans backbone spine country best u always believe sacred obligation equip send war care family come home administration provide assistance job train housing help low income veteran get va care debt free troop iraq face many danger one station base breathe toxic smoke burn pit many iraq afghanistan 40 time burn pit incinerate waste war medical hazardous material jet fuel much come world fit best trained warrior headache numbness dizziness cancer would put coffin know put thirteen whoa boo one soldier son major beau biden know sure burn pit live hooch near iraq earlier kosovo brain cancer disease many troop commit find everything committed military family like danielle robinson ohio widow sergeant first class heath robinson bear soldier army national guard combat medic kosovo iraq station near baghdad yard burn pit size football field danielle u tonight love go ohio state football game love building lego daughter cancer prolong exposure burn pit ravage heath lung body danielle say heath fighter end know stop fight neither pain find purpose demand well tonight danielle go well va pioneer new way link toxic exposure disease already help veteran get benefit tonight announce expand eligibility veteran suffer nine respiratory cancer also call congress pas law make sure veteran devastate toxic exposure iraq afghanistan finally get benefit comprehensive health care deserve fourth last let u end cancer know personal personal jill kamala many many lose someone wife son daughter mom dad cancer death america second heart disease last month announce plan supercharge cancer moonshot president obama ask lead 6 year ago goal cut cancer death rate least 50 percent next 25 year think good turn cancer death sentence treatable disease support patient family get call congress fund call advanced research project agency health pattern darpa defense department project internet gps much make force able wage war clarity arpa singular purpose drive breakthrough cancer alzheimer diabetes unity agenda nation thing within power see partisan edge one four thing fellow american tonight gather sacred space citadel democracy capitol generation generation american debate great question amid great strife do great thing fight freedom expand liberty debate defeat totalitarianism terror build strong free prosperous nation world ever know hour moment responsibility test resolve conscience history moment character generation form purpose found future forge well know nation meet test protect freedom liberty expand fairness opportunity save democracy hard time optimistic america today whole life see future within grasp know simply nothing beyond capacity nation earth always turn every crisis face opportunity nation define single word possibility night 245th year nation come report state state union report state union strong american people strong strong strong year ago strong year today moment meet overcome challenge time one people one america united state america god bless may god protect troop thank go get