On this Hill which was my home, I am stirred by old friendships. Though total agreement between the Executive and the Congress is impossible, total respect is important. I am proud to be among my colleagues of the Congress whose legacy to their trust is their loyalty to their Nation. I am not unaware of the inner emotions of the new Members of this body tonight. Twenty-eight years ago, I felt as you do now. You will soon learn that you are among men whose first love is their country, men who try each day to do as best they can what they believe is right. We are entering the third century of the pursuit of American union. Two hundred years ago, in 1765, nine assembled colonies first joined together to demand freedom from arbitrary power. For the first century we struggled to hold together the first continental union of democracy in the history of man. One hundred years ago, in 1865, following a terrible test of blood and fire, the compact of union was finally sealed. For a second century we labored to establish a unity of purpose and interest among the many groups which make up the American community. That struggle has often brought pain and violence. It is not yet over. But we have achieved a unity of interest among our people that is unmatched in the history of freedom. And so tonight, now, in 1965, we begin a new quest for union. We seek the unity of man with the world that he has built--with the knowledge that can save or destroy him--with the cities which can stimulate or stifle him--with the wealth and the machines which can enrich or menace his spirit. We seek to establish a harmony between man and society which will allow each of us to enlarge the meaning of his life and all of us to elevate the quality of our civilization. This is the search that we begin tonight. STATE OF THE WORLD But the unity we seek cannot realize its full promise in isolation. For today the state of the Union depends, in large measure, upon the state of the world. Our concern and interest, compassion and vigilance, extend to every corner of a dwindling planet. Yet, it is not merely our concern but the concern of all free men. We will not, and we should not, assume that it is the task of Americans alone to settle all the conflicts of a torn and troubled world. Let the foes of freedom take no comfort from this. For in concert with other nations, we shall help men defend their freedom. Our first aim remains the safety and the well-being of our own country. We are prepared to live as good neighbors with all, but we cannot be indifferent to acts designed to injure our interests, or our citizens, or our establishments abroad. The community of nations requires mutual respect. We shall extend it--and we shall expect it. In our relations with the world we shall follow the example of Andrew Jackson who said: "I intend to ask for nothing that is not clearly right and to submit to nothing that is wrong." And he promised, that "the honor of my country shall never be stained by an apology from me for the statement of truth or for the performance of duty." That was this Nation's policy in the 1830's and that is this Nation's policy in the 1960's. Our own freedom and growth have never been the final goal of the American dream. We were never meant to be an oasis of liberty and abundance in a worldwide desert of disappointed dreams. Our Nation was created to help strike away the chains of ignorance and misery and tyranny wherever they keep man less than God means him to be. We are moving toward that destiny, never more rapidly than we have moved in the last 4 years. In this period we have built a military power strong enough to meet any threat and destroy any adversary. And that superiority will continue to grow so long as this office is mine--and you sit on Capitol Hill. In this period no new nation has become Communist, and the unity of the Communist empire has begun to crumble. In this period we have resolved in friendship our disputes with our neighbors of the hemisphere, and joined in an Alliance for Progress toward economic growth and political democracy. In this period we have taken more steps toward peace--including the test ban treaty--than at any time since the cold war began. In this period we have relentlessly pursued our advances toward the conquest of space. Most important of all, in this period, the United States has reemerged into the fullness of its self-confidence and purpose. No longer are we called upon to get America moving. We are moving. No longer do we doubt our strength or resolution. We are strong and we have proven our resolve. No longer can anyone wonder whether we are in the grip of historical decay. We know that history is ours to make. And if there is great danger, there is now also the excitement of great expectations. AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST NATIONS Yet we still live in a troubled and perilous world. There is no longer a single threat. There are many. They differ in intensity and in danger. They require different attitudes and different answers. With the Soviet Union we seek peaceful understandings that can lessen the danger to freedom. Last fall I asked the American people to choose that course. I will carry forward their command. If we are to live together in peace, we must come to know each other better. I am sure that the American people would welcome a chance to listen to the Soviet leaders on our television--as I would like the Soviet people to hear our leaders on theirs. I hope the new Soviet leaders can visit America so they can learn about our country at firsthand. In Eastern Europe restless nations are slowly beginning to assert their identity. Your Government, assisted by the leaders in American labor and business, is now exploring ways to increase peaceful trade with these countries and with the Soviet Union. I will report our conclusions to the Congress. In Asia, communism wears a more aggressive face. We see that in Viet-Nam. Why are we there ? We are there, first, because a friendly nation has asked us for help against the Communist aggression. Ten years ago our President pledged our help. Three Presidents have supported that pledge. We will not break it now. Second, our own security is tied to the peace of Asia. Twice in one generation we have had to fight against aggression in the Far East. To ignore aggression now would only increase the danger of a much larger war. Our goal is peace in southeast Asia. That will come only when aggressors leave their neighbors in peace. What is at stake is the cause of freedom and in that cause America will never be found wanting. THE NON-COMMUNIST WORLD But communism is not the only source of trouble and unrest. There are older and deeper sources--in the misery of nations and in man's irrepressible ambition for liberty and a better life. With the free Republics of Latin America I have always felt--and my country has always felt--very special ties of interest and affection. It will be the purpose of my administration to strengthen these ties. Together we share and shape the destiny of the new world. In the coming year I hope to pay a visit to Latin America. And I will steadily enlarge our commitment to the Alliance for Progress as the instrument of our war against poverty and injustice in this hemisphere. In the Atlantic community we continue to pursue our goal of 20 years--a Europe that is growing in strength, unity, and cooperation with America. A great unfinished task is the reunification of Germany through self-determination. This European policy is not based on any abstract design. It is based on the realities of common interests and common values, common dangers and common expectations. These realities will continue to have their way--especially, I think, in our expanding trade and especially in our common defense. Free Americans have shaped the policies of the United States. And because we know these realities, those policies have been, and will be, in the interest of Europe. Free Europeans must shape the course of Europe. And, for the same reasons, that course has been, and will be, in our interest and in the interest of freedom. I found this truth confirmed in my talks with European leaders in the last year. I hope to repay these visits to some of our friends in Europe this year. In Africa and Asia we are witnessing the turbulent unfolding of new nations and continents. We welcome them to the society of nations. We are committed to help those seeking to strengthen their own independence, and to work most closely with those governments dedicated to the welfare of all of their people. We seek not fidelity to an iron faith, but a diversity of belief as varied as man himself. We seek not to extend the power of America but the progress of humanity. We seek not to dominate others but to strengthen the freedom of all people. I will seek new ways to use our knowledge to help deal with the explosion in world population and the growing scarcity in world resources. Finally, we renew our commitment to the continued growth and the effectiveness of the United Nations. The frustrations of the United Nations are a product of the world that we live in, and not of the institution which gives them voice. It is far better to throw these differences open to the assembly of nations than to permit them to fester in silent danger. These are some of the goals of the American Nation in the world in which we live. For ourselves we seek neither praise nor blame, neither gratitude nor obedience. We seek peace. We seek freedom. We seek to enrich the life of man. For that is the world in which we will flourish and that is the world that we mean for all men to ultimately have. TOWARD THE GREAT SOCIETY World affairs will continue to call upon our energy and our courage. But today we can turn increased attention to the character of American life. We are in the midst of the greatest upward surge of economic well-being in the history of any nation. Our flourishing progress has been marked by price stability that is unequalled in the world. Our balance of payments deficit has declined and the soundness of our dollar is unquestioned. I pledge to keep it that way and I urge business and labor to cooperate to that end. We worked for two centuries to climb this peak of prosperity. But we are only at the beginning of the road to the Great Society. Ahead now is a summit where freedom from the wants of the body can help fulfill the needs of the spirit. We built this Nation to serve its people. We want to grow and build and create, but we want progress to be the servant and not the master of man. We do not intend to live in the midst of abundance, isolated from neighbors and nature, confined by blighted cities and bleak suburbs, stunted by a poverty of learning and an emptiness of leisure. The Great Society asks not how much, but how good; not only how to create wealth but how to use it; not only how fast we are going, but where we are headed. It proposes as the first test for a nation: the quality of its people. This kind of society will not flower spontaneously from swelling riches and surging power. It will not be the gift of government or the creation of presidents. It will require of every American, for many generations, both faith in the destination and the fortitude to make the journey. And like freedom itself, it will always be challenge and not fulfillment. And tonight we accept that challenge. A NATIONAL AGENDA I propose that we begin a program in education to ensure every American child the fullest development of his mind and skills. I propose that we begin a massive attack on crippling and killing diseases. I propose that we launch a national effort to make the American city a better and a more stimulating place to live. I propose that we increase the beauty of America and end the poisoning of our rivers and the air that we breathe. I propose that we carry out a new program to develop regions of our country that are now suffering from distress and depression. I propose that we make new efforts to control and prevent crime and delinquency. I propose that we eliminate every remaining obstacle to the right and the opportunity to vote. I propose that we honor and support the achievements of thought and the creations of art. I propose that we make an all-out campaign against waste and inefficiency. THE TASK Our basic task is threefold: First, to keep our economy growing; --to open for all Americans the opportunity that is now enjoyed by most Americans; --and to improve the quality of life for all. In the next 6 weeks I will submit special messages with detailed proposals for national action in each of these areas. Tonight I would like just briefly to explain some of my major recommendations in the three main areas of national need. 1. A GROWING ECONOMY: BASIC POLICIES First, we must keep our Nation prosperous. We seek full employment opportunity for every American citizen. I will present a budget designed to move the economy forward. More money will be left in the hands of the consumer by a substantial cut in excise taxes. We will continue along the path toward a balanced budget in a balanced economy. I confidently predict--what every economic sign tells us tonight--the continued flourishing of the American economy. But we must remember that fear of a recession can contribute to the fact of a recession. The knowledge that our Government will, and can, move swiftly will strengthen the confidence of investors and business. Congress can reinforce this confidence by insuring that its procedures permit rapid action on temporary income tax cuts. And special funds for job-creating public programs should be made available for immediate use if recession threatens. Our continued prosperity demands continued price stability. Business, labor, and the consumer all have a high stake in keeping wages and prices within the framework of the guideposts that have already served the Nation so well. Finding new markets abroad for our goods depends on the initiative of American business. But we stand ready--with credit and other help--to assist the flow of trade which will benefit the entire Nation. ON THE FARMS Our economy owes much to the efficiency of our farmers. We must continue to assure them the opportunity to earn a fair reward. I have instructed the Secretary of Agriculture to lead a major effort to find new approaches to reduce the heavy cost of our farm programs and to direct more of our effort to the small farmer who needs the help the most. INCREASED PROSPERITY We can help insure continued prosperity through: --a regional recovery program to assist the development of stricken areas left behind by our national progress; --further efforts to provide our workers with the skills demanded by modern technology, for the laboring-man is an indispensable force in the American system; --the extension of the minimum wage to more than 2 million unprotected workers; --the improvement and the modernization of the unemployment compensation system. And as pledged in our 1960 and 1964 Democratic platforms, I will propose to Congress changes in the Taft-Hartley Act including section 14(b). I will do so hoping to reduce the conflicts that for several years have divided Americans in various States of our Union. In a country that spans a continent modern transportation is vital to continued growth. TRANSPORTATION FOR GROWTH I will recommend heavier reliance on competition in transportation and a new policy for our merchant marine. I will ask for funds to study high-speed rail transportation between urban centers. We will begin with test projects between Washington and Boston. On high-speed trains, passengers could travel this distance in less than 4 hours. II. OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL Second, we must open opportunity to all our people. Most Americans enjoy a good life. But far too many are still trapped in poverty and idleness and fear. Let a just nation throw open to them the city of promise: --to the elderly, by providing hospital care under social security and by raising benefit payments to those struggling to maintain the dignity of their later years; --to the poor and the unfortunate, through doubling the war against poverty this year; --to Negro Americans, through enforcement of the civil rights law and elimination of barriers to the right to vote; --to those in other lands that are seeking the promise of America, through an immigration law based on the work a man can do and not where he was born or how he spells his name. III. TO ENRICH THE LIFE OF ALL Our third goal is to improve the quality of American life.   THROUGH EDUCATION We begin with learning. Every child must have the best education that this Nation can provide. Thomas Jefferson said that no nation can be both ignorant and free. Today no nation can be both ignorant and great. In addition to our existing programs, I will recommend a new program for schools and students with a first year authorization of $1,500 million. It will help at every stage along the road to learning. For the preschool years we will help needy children become aware of the excitement of learning. For the primary and secondary school years we will aid public schools serving low-income families and assist students in both public and private schools. For the college years we will provide scholarships to high school students of the greatest promise and the greatest need and we will guarantee low-interest loans to students continuing their college studies. New laboratories and centers will help our schools--help them lift their standards of excellence and explore new methods of teaching. These centers will provide special training for those who need and those who deserve special treatment. THROUGH BETTER HEALTH Greatness requires not only an educated people but a healthy people. Our goal is to match the achievements of our medicine to the afflictions of our people. We already carry on a large program in this country. for research and health. In addition, regional medical centers can provide the most advanced diagnosis and treatment for heart disease and cancer and stroke and other major diseases. New support for medical and dental education will provide the trained people to apply our knowledge. Community centers can help the mentally ill and improve health care for school-age children from poor families, including services for the mentally retarded. THROUGH IMPROVING THE WORLD WE LIVE IN The City An educated and healthy people require surroundings in harmony with their hopes. In our urban areas the central problem today is to protect and restore man's satisfaction in belonging to a community where he can find security and significance. The first step is to break old patterns--to begin to think and work and plan for the development of the entire metropolitan areas. We will take this step with new programs of help for the basic community facilities and for neighborhood centers of health and recreation. New and existing programs will be open to those cities which work together to develop unified long-range policies for metropolitan areas. We must also make some very important changes in our housing programs if we are to pursue these same basic goals. So a Department of Housing and Urban Development will be needed to spearhead this effort in our cities. Every citizen has the right to feel secure in his home and on the streets of his community. To help control crime, we will recommend programs: --to train local law enforcement officers; --to put the best techniques of modern science at their disposal; --to discover the causes of crime and better ways to prevent it. I will soon assemble a panel of outstanding experts of this Nation to search out answers to the national problem of crime and delinquency, and I welcome the recommendations and the constructive efforts of the Congress. The Beauty of America For over three centuries the beauty of America has sustained our spirit and has enlarged our vision. We must act now to protect this heritage. In a fruitful new partnership with the States and the cities the next decade should be a conservation milestone. We must make a massive effort to save the countryside and to establish--as a green legacy for tomorrow--more large and small parks, more seashores and open spaces than have been created during any other period in our national history. A new and substantial effort must be made to landscape highways to provide places of relaxation and recreation wherever our roads run, Within our cities imaginative programs are needed to landscape streets and to transform open areas into places of beauty and recreation. We will seek legal power to prevent pollution of our air and water before it happens. We will step up our effort to control harmful wastes, giving first priority to the cleanup of our most contaminated rivers. We will increase research to learn much more about the control of pollution. We hope to make the Potomac a model of beauty here in the Capital, and preserve unspoiled stretches of some of our waterways with a Wild Rivers bill. More ideas for a beautiful America will emerge from a White House Conference on Natural Beauty which I will soon call. Art and Science We must also recognize and encourage those who can be pathfinders for the Nation's imagination and understanding. To help promote and honor creative achievements, I will propose a National Foundation on the Arts. To develop knowledge which will enrich our lives and ensure our progress, I will recommend programs to encourage basic science, particularly in the universities--and to bring closer the day when the oceans will supply our growing need for fresh water. For government to serve these goals it must be modern in structure, efficient in action, and ready for any emergency. I am busy, currently, reviewing the structure of the entire executive branch of this Government. I hope to reshape it and to reorganize it to meet more effectively the tasks of the 20th century. Wherever waste is found, I will eliminate it. Last year we saved almost $3,500 million by eliminating waste in the National Government. And I intend to do better this year. And very soon I will report to you on our progress and on new economies that your Government plans to make. Even the best of government is subject to the worst of hazards. I will propose laws to insure the necessary continuity of leadership should the President become disabled or die. In addition, I will propose reforms in the electoral college--leaving undisturbed the vote by States--but making sure that no elector can substitute his will for that of the people. Last year, in a sad moment, I came here and I spoke to you after 33 years of public service, practically all of them here on this Hill. This year I speak after 1 year as President of the United States. Many of you in this Chamber are among my oldest friends. We have shared many happy moments and many hours of work, and we have watched many Presidents together. Yet, only in the White House can you finally know the full weight of this Office. The greatest burden is not running the huge operations of government--or meeting daily troubles, large and small--or even working with the Congress. A President's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right. Yet the Presidency brings no special gift of prophecy or foresight. You take an oath, you step into an office, and you must then help guide a great democracy. The answer was waiting for me in the land where I was born. It was once barren land. The angular hills were covered with scrub cedar and a few large live oaks. Little would grow in that harsh caliche soil of my country. And each spring the Pedernales River would flood our valley. But men came and they worked and they endured and they built. And tonight that country is abundant; abundant with fruit and cattle and goats and sheep, and there are pleasant homes and lakes and the floods are gone. Why did men come to that once forbidding land ? Well, they were restless, of course, and they had to be moving on. But there was more than that. There was a dream--a dream of a place where a free man could build for himself, and raise his children to a better life--a dream of a continent to be conquered, a world to be won, a nation to be made. Remembering this, I knew the answer. A President does not shape a new and personal vision of America. He collects it from the scattered hopes of the American past. It existed when the first settlers saw the coast of a new world, and when the first pioneers moved westward. It has guided us every step of the way. It sustains every President. But it is also your inheritance and it belongs equally to all the people that we all serve. It must be interpreted anew by each generation for its own needs; as I have tried, in part, to do tonight. It shall lead us as we enter the third century of the search for "a more perfect union." This, then, is the state of the Union: Free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.
On this Hill which was my home, I am stirred by old friendships. Though total agreement between the Executive and the Congress is impossible, total respect is important. I am proud to be among my colleagues of the Congress whose legacy to their trust is their loyalty to their Nation. I am not unaware of the inner emotions of the new Members of this body tonight. Twenty-eight years ago, I felt as you do now. You will soon learn that you are among men whose first love is their country, men who try each day to do as best they can what they believe is right. We are entering the third century of the pursuit of American union. Two hundred years ago, in 1765, nine assembled colonies first joined together to demand freedom from arbitrary power. For the first century we struggled to hold together the first continental union of democracy in the history of man. One hundred years ago, in 1865, following a terrible test of blood and fire, the compact of union was finally sealed. For a second century we labored to establish a unity of purpose and interest among the many groups which make up the American community. That struggle has often brought pain and violence. It is not yet over. But we have achieved a unity of interest among our people that is unmatched in the history of freedom. And so tonight, now, in 1965, we begin a new quest for union. We seek the unity of man with the world that he has built--with the knowledge that can save or destroy him--with the cities which can stimulate or stifle him--with the wealth and the machines which can enrich or menace his spirit. We seek to establish a harmony between man and society which will allow each of us to enlarge the meaning of his life and all of us to elevate the quality of our civilization. This is the search that we begin tonight. STATE OF THE WORLD But the unity we seek cannot realize its full promise in isolation. For today the state of the Union depends, in large measure, upon the state of the world. Our concern and interest, compassion and vigilance, extend to every corner of a dwindling planet. Yet, it is not merely our concern but the concern of all free men. We will not, and we should not, assume that it is the task of Americans alone to settle all the conflicts of a torn and troubled world. Let the foes of freedom take no comfort from this. For in concert with other nations, we shall help men defend their freedom. Our first aim remains the safety and the well-being of our own country. We are prepared to live as good neighbors with all, but we cannot be indifferent to acts designed to injure our interests, or our citizens, or our establishments abroad. The community of nations requires mutual respect. We shall extend it--and we shall expect it. In our relations with the world we shall follow the example of Andrew Jackson who said: "I intend to ask for nothing that is not clearly right and to submit to nothing that is wrong." And he promised, that "the honor of my country shall never be stained by an apology from me for the statement of truth or for the performance of duty." That was this Nation's policy in the 1830's and that is this Nation's policy in the 1960's. Our own freedom and growth have never been the final goal of the American dream. We were never meant to be an oasis of liberty and abundance in a worldwide desert of disappointed dreams. Our Nation was created to help strike away the chains of ignorance and misery and tyranny wherever they keep man less than God means him to be. We are moving toward that destiny, never more rapidly than we have moved in the last 4 years. In this period we have built a military power strong enough to meet any threat and destroy any adversary. And that superiority will continue to grow so long as this office is mine--and you sit on Capitol Hill. In this period no new nation has become Communist, and the unity of the Communist empire has begun to crumble. In this period we have resolved in friendship our disputes with our neighbors of the hemisphere, and joined in an Alliance for Progress toward economic growth and political democracy. In this period we have taken more steps toward peace--including the test ban treaty--than at any time since the cold war began. In this period we have relentlessly pursued our advances toward the conquest of space. Most important of all, in this period, the United States has reemerged into the fullness of its self-confidence and purpose. No longer are we called upon to get America moving. We are moving. No longer do we doubt our strength or resolution. We are strong and we have proven our resolve. No longer can anyone wonder whether we are in the grip of historical decay. We know that history is ours to make. And if there is great danger, there is now also the excitement of great expectations. AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST NATIONS Yet we still live in a troubled and perilous world. There is no longer a single threat. There are many. They differ in intensity and in danger. They require different attitudes and different answers. With the Soviet Union we seek peaceful understandings that can lessen the danger to freedom. Last fall I asked the American people to choose that course. I will carry forward their command. If we are to live together in peace, we must come to know each other better. I am sure that the American people would welcome a chance to listen to the Soviet leaders on our television--as I would like the Soviet people to hear our leaders on theirs. I hope the new Soviet leaders can visit America so they can learn about our country at firsthand. In Eastern Europe restless nations are slowly beginning to assert their identity. Your Government, assisted by the leaders in American labor and business, is now exploring ways to increase peaceful trade with these countries and with the Soviet Union. I will report our conclusions to the Congress. In Asia, communism wears a more aggressive face. We see that in Viet-Nam. Why are we there ? We are there, first, because a friendly nation has asked us for help against the Communist aggression. Ten years ago our President pledged our help. Three Presidents have supported that pledge. We will not break it now. Second, our own security is tied to the peace of Asia. Twice in one generation we have had to fight against aggression in the Far East. To ignore aggression now would only increase the danger of a much larger war. Our goal is peace in southeast Asia. That will come only when aggressors leave their neighbors in peace. What is at stake is the because of freedom and in that because America will never be found wanting. THE NON-COMMUNIST WORLD But communism is not the only source of trouble and unrest. There are older and deeper sources--in the misery of nations and in man's irrepressible ambition for liberty and a better life. With the free Republics of Latin America I have always felt--and my country has always felt--very special ties of interest and affection. It will be the purpose of my administration to strengthen these ties. Together we share and shape the destiny of the new world. In the coming year I hope to pay a visit to Latin America. And I will steadily enlarge our commitment to the Alliance for Progress as the instrument of our war against poverty and injustice in this hemisphere. In the Atlantic community we continue to pursue our goal of 20 years--a Europe that is growing in strength, unity, and cooperation with America. A great unfinished task is the reunification of Germany through self-determination. This European policy is not based on any abstract design. It is based on the realities of common interests and common values, common dangers and common expectations. These realities will continue to have their way--especially, I think, in our expanding trade and especially in our common defense. Free Americans have shaped the policies of the United States. And because we know these realities, those policies have been, and will be, in the interest of Europe. Free Europeans must shape the course of Europe. And, for the same reasons, that course has been, and will be, in our interest and in the interest of freedom. I found this truth confirmed in my talks with European leaders in the last year. I hope to repay these visits to some of our friends in Europe this year. In Africa and Asia we are witnessing the turbulent unfolding of new nations and continents. We welcome them to the society of nations. We are committed to help those seeking to strengthen their own independence, and to work most closely with those governments dedicated to the welfare of all of their people. We seek not fidelity to an iron faith, but a diversity of belief as varied as man himself. We seek not to extend the power of America but the progress of humanity. We seek not to dominate others but to strengthen the freedom of all people. I will seek new ways to use our knowledge to help deal with the explosion in world population and the growing scarcity in world resources. Finally, we renew our commitment to the continued growth and the effectiveness of the United Nations. The frustrations of the United Nations are a product of the world that we live in, and not of the institution which gives them voice. It is far better to throw these differences open to the assembly of nations than to permit them to fester in silent danger. These are some of the goals of the American Nation in the world in which we live. For ourselves we seek neither praise nor blame, neither gratitude nor obedience. We seek peace. We seek freedom. We seek to enrich the life of man. For that is the world in which we will flourish and that is the world that we mean for all men to ultimately have. TOWARD THE GREAT SOCIETY World affairs will continue to call upon our energy and our courage. But today we can turn increased attention to the character of American life. We are in the midst of the greatest upward surge of economic well-being in the history of any nation. Our flourishing progress has been marked by price stability that is unequalled in the world. Our balance of payments deficit has declined and the soundness of our dollar is unquestioned. I pledge to keep it that way and I urge business and labor to cooperate to that end. We worked for two centuries to climb this peak of prosperity. But we are only at the beginning of the road to the Great Society. Ahead now is a summit where freedom from the wants of the body can help fulfill the needs of the spirit. We built this Nation to serve its people. We want to grow and build and create, but we want progress to be the servant and not the master of man. We do not intend to live in the midst of abundance, isolated from neighbors and nature, confined by blighted cities and bleak suburbs, stunted by a poverty of learning and an emptiness of leisure. The Great Society asks not how much, but how good; not only how to create wealth but how to use it; not only how fast we are going, but where we are headed. It proposes as the first test for a nation: the quality of its people. This kind of society will not flower spontaneously from swelling riches and surging power. It will not be the gift of government or the creation of presidents. It will require of every American, for many generations, both faith in the destination and the fortitude to make the journey. And like freedom itself, it will always be challenge and not fulfillment. And tonight we accept that challenge. A NATIONAL AGENDA I propose that we begin a program in education to ensure every American child the fullest development of his mind and skills. I propose that we begin a massive attack on crippling and killing diseases. I propose that we launch a national effort to make the American city a better and a more stimulating place to live. I propose that we increase the beauty of America and end the poisoning of our rivers and the air that we breathe. I propose that we carry out a new program to develop regions of our country that are now suffering from distress and depression. I propose that we make new efforts to control and prevent crime and delinquency. I propose that we eliminate every remaining obstacle to the right and the opportunity to vote. I propose that we honor and support the achievements of thought and the creations of art. I propose that we make an all-out campaign against waste and inefficiency. THE TASK Our basic task is threefold: First, to keep our economy growing; --to open for all Americans the opportunity that is now enjoyed by most Americans; --and to improve the quality of life for all. In the next 6 weeks I will submit special messages with detailed proposals for national action in each of these areas. Tonight I would like just briefly to explain some of my major recommendations in the three main areas of national need. 1. A GROWING ECONOMY: BASIC POLICIES First, we must keep our Nation prosperous. We seek full employment opportunity for every American citizen. I will present a budget designed to move the economy forward. More money will be left in the hands of the consumer by a substantial cut in excise taxes. We will continue along the path toward a balanced budget in a balanced economy. I confidently predict--what every economic sign tells us tonight--the continued flourishing of the American economy. But we must remember that fear of a recession can contribute to the fact of a recession. The knowledge that our Government will, and can, move swiftly will strengthen the confidence of investors and business. Congress can reinforce this confidence by insuring that its procedures permit rapid action on temporary income tax cuts. And special funds for job-creating public programs should be made available for immediate use if recession threatens. Our continued prosperity demands continued price stability. Business, labor, and the consumer all have a high stake in keeping wages and prices within the framework of the guideposts that have already served the Nation so well. Finding new markets abroad for our goods depends on the initiative of American business. But we stand ready--with credit and other help--to assist the flow of trade which will benefit the entire Nation. ON THE FARMS Our economy owes much to the efficiency of our farmers. We must continue to assure them the opportunity to earn a fair reward. I have instructed the Secretary of Agriculture to lead a major effort to find new approaches to reduce the heavy cost of our farm programs and to direct more of our effort to the small farmer who needs the help the most. INCREASED PROSPERITY We can help insure continued prosperity through: --a regional recovery program to assist the development of stricken areas left behind by our national progress; --further efforts to provide our workers with the skills demanded by modern technology, for the laboring-man is an indispensable force in the American system; --the extension of the minimum wage to more than 2 million unprotected workers; --the improvement and the modernization of the unemployment compensation system. And as pledged in our 1960 and 1964 Democratic platforms, I will propose to Congress changes in the Taft-Hartley Act including section 14(b). I will do so hoping to reduce the conflicts that for several years have divided Americans in various States of our Union. In a country that spans a continent modern transportation is vital to continued growth. TRANSPORTATION FOR GROWTH I will recommend heavier reliance on competition in transportation and a new policy for our merchant marine. I will ask for funds to study high-speed rail transportation between urban centers. We will begin with test projects between Washington and Boston. On high-speed trains, passengers could travel this distance in less than 4 hours. II. OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL Second, we must open opportunity to all our people. Most Americans enjoy a good life. But far too many are still trapped in poverty and idleness and fear. Let a just nation throw open to them the city of promise: --to the elderly, by providing hospital care under social security and by raising benefit payments to those struggling to maintain the dignity of their later years; --to the poor and the unfortunate, through doubling the war against poverty this year; --to Negro Americans, through enforcement of the civil rights law and elimination of barriers to the right to vote; --to those in other lands that are seeking the promise of America, through an immigration law based on the work a man can do and not where he was born or how he spells his name. III. TO ENRICH THE LIFE OF ALL Our third goal is to improve the quality of American life. THROUGH EDUCATION We begin with learning. Every child must have the best education that this Nation can provide. Thomas Jefferson said that no nation can be both ignorant and free. Today no nation can be both ignorant and great. In addition to our existing programs, I will recommend a new program for schools and students with a first year authorization of $1,500 million. It will help at every stage along the road to learning. For the preschool years we will help needy children become aware of the excitement of learning. For the primary and secondary school years we will aid public schools serving low-income families and assist students in both public and private schools. For the college years we will provide scholarships to high school students of the greatest promise and the greatest need and we will guarantee low-interest loans to students continuing their college studies. New laboratories and centers will help our schools--help them lift their standards of excellence and explore new methods of teaching. These centers will provide special training for those who need and those who deserve special treatment. THROUGH BETTER HEALTH Greatness requires not only an educated people but a healthy people. Our goal is to match the achievements of our medicine to the afflictions of our people. We already carry on a large program in this country. for research and health. In addition, regional medical centers can provide the most advanced diagnosis and treatment for heart disease and cancer and stroke and other major diseases. New support for medical and dental education will provide the trained people to apply our knowledge. Community centers can help the mentally ill and improve health care for school-age children from poor families, including services for the mentally retarded. THROUGH IMPROVING THE WORLD WE LIVE IN The City An educated and healthy people require surroundings in harmony with their hopes. In our urban areas the central problem today is to protect and restore man's satisfaction in belonging to a community where he can find security and significance. The first step is to break old patterns--to begin to think and work and plan for the development of the entire metropolitan areas. We will take this step with new programs of help for the basic community facilities and for neighborhood centers of health and recreation. New and existing programs will be open to those cities which work together to develop unified long-range policies for metropolitan areas. We must also make some very important changes in our housing programs if we are to pursue these same basic goals. So a Department of Housing and Urban Development will be needed to spearhead this effort in our cities. Every citizen has the right to feel secure in his home and on the streets of his community. To help control crime, we will recommend programs: --to train local law enforcement officers; --to put the best techniques of modern science at their disposal; --to discover the causes of crime and better ways to prevent it. I will soon assemble a panel of outstanding experts of this Nation to search out answers to the national problem of crime and delinquency, and I welcome the recommendations and the constructive efforts of the Congress. The Beauty of America For over three centuries the beauty of America has sustained our spirit and has enlarged our vision. We must act now to protect this heritage. In a fruitful new partnership with the States and the cities the next decade should be a conservation milestone. We must make a massive effort to save the countryside and to establish--as a green legacy for tomorrow--more large and small parks, more seashores and open spaces than have been created during any other period in our national history. A new and substantial effort must be made to landscape highways to provide places of relaxation and recreation wherever our roads run, Within our cities imaginative programs are needed to landscape streets and to transform open areas into places of beauty and recreation. We will seek legal power to prevent pollution of our air and water before it happens. We will step up our effort to control harmful wastes, giving first priority to the cleanup of our most contaminated rivers. We will increase research to learn much more about the control of pollution. We hope to make the Potomac a model of beauty here in the Capital, and preserve unspoiled stretches of some of our waterways with a Wild Rivers bill. More ideas for a beautiful America will emerge from a White House Conference on Natural Beauty which I will soon call. Art and Science We must also recognize and encourage those who can be pathfinders for the Nation's imagination and understanding. To help promote and honor creative achievements, I will propose a National Foundation on the Arts. To develop knowledge which will enrich our lives and ensure our progress, I will recommend programs to encourage basic science, particularly in the universities--and to bring closer the day when the oceans will supply our growing need for fresh water. For government to serve these goals it must be modern in structure, efficient in action, and ready for any emergency. I am busy, currently, reviewing the structure of the entire executive branch of this Government. I hope to reshape it and to reorganize it to meet more effectively the tasks of the 20th century. Wherever waste is found, I will eliminate it. Last year we saved almost $3,500 million by eliminating waste in the National Government. And I intend to do better this year. And very soon I will report to you on our progress and on new economies that your Government plans to make. Even the best of government is subject to the worst of hazards. I will propose laws to insure the necessary continuity of leadership should the President become disabled or die. In addition, I will propose reforms in the electoral college--leaving undisturbed the vote by States--but making sure that no elector can substitute his will for that of the people. Last year, in a sad moment, I came here and I spoke to you after 33 years of public service, practically all of them here on this Hill. This year I speak after 1 year as President of the United States. Many of you in this Chamber are among my oldest friends. We have shared many happy moments and many hours of work, and we have watched many Presidents together. Yet, only in the White House can you finally know the full weight of this Office. The greatest burden is not running the huge operations of government--or meeting daily troubles, large and small--or even working with the Congress. A President's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right. Yet the Presidency brings no special gift of prophecy or foresight. You take an oath, you step into an office, and you must then help guide a great democracy. The answer was waiting for me in the land where I was born. It was once barren land. The angular hills were covered with scrub cedar and a few large live oaks. Little would grow in that harsh caliche soil of my country. And each spring the Pedernales River would flood our valley. But men came and they worked and they endured and they built. And tonight that country is abundant; abundant with fruit and cattle and goats and sheep, and there are pleasant homes and lakes and the floods are gone. Why did men come to that once forbidding land ? Well, they were restless, of course, and they had to be moving on. But there was more than that. There was a dream--a dream of a place where a free man could build for himself, and raise his children to a better life--a dream of a continent to be conquered, a world to be won, a nation to be made. Remembering this, I knew the answer. A President does not shape a new and personal vision of America. He collects it from the scattered hopes of the American past. It existed when the first settlers saw the coast of a new world, and when the first pioneers moved westward. It has guided us every step of the way. It sustains every President. But it is also your inheritance and it belongs equally to all the people that we all serve. It must be interpreted anew by each generation for its own needs; as I have tried, in part, to do tonight. It shall lead us as we enter the third century of the search for "a more perfect union." This, then, is the state of the Union: Free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith.
on this hill which was my home i am stirred by old friendships though total agreement between the executive and the congress is impossible total respect is important i am proud to be among my colleagues of the congress whose legacy to their trust is their loyalty to their nation i am not unaware of the inner emotions of the new members of this body tonight years ago i felt as you do now you will soon learn that you are among men whose first love is their country men who try each day to do as best they can what they believe is right we are entering the third century of the pursuit of american union two hundred years ago in 1765 nine assembled colonies first joined together to demand freedom from arbitrary power for the first century we struggled to hold together the first continental union of democracy in the history of man one hundred years ago in 1865 following a terrible test of blood and fire the compact of union was finally sealed for a second century we labored to establish a unity of purpose and interest among the many groups which make up the american community that struggle has often brought pain and violence it is not yet over but we have achieved a unity of interest among our people that is unmatched in the history of freedom and so tonight now in 1965 we begin a new quest for union we seek the unity of man with the world that he has built with the knowledge that can save or destroy him with the cities which can stimulate or stifle him with the wealth and the machines which can enrich or menace his spirit we seek to establish a harmony between man and society which will allow each of us to enlarge the meaning of his life and all of us to elevate the quality of our civilization this is the search that we begin tonight state of the world but the unity we seek can not realize its full promise in isolation for today the state of the union depends in large measure upon the state of the world our concern and interest compassion and vigilance extend to every corner of a dwindling planet yet it is not merely our concern but the concern of all free men we will not and we should not assume that it is the task of americans alone to settle all the conflicts of a torn and troubled world let the foes of freedom take no comfort from this for in concert with other nations we shall help men defend their freedom our first aim remains the safety and the of our own country we are prepared to live as good neighbors with all but we can not be indifferent to acts designed to injure our interests or our citizens or our establishments abroad the community of nations requires mutual respect we shall extend it and we shall expect it in our relations with the world we shall follow the example of andrew jackson who said i intend to ask for nothing that is not clearly right and to submit to nothing that is wrong and he promised that the honor of my country shall never be stained by an apology from me for the statement of truth or for the performance of duty that was this nation policy in the 1830 and that is this nation policy in the 1960 our own freedom and growth have never been the final goal of the american dream we were never meant to be an oasis of liberty and abundance in a worldwide desert of disappointed dreams our nation was created to help strike away the chains of ignorance and misery and tyranny wherever they keep man less than god means him to be we are moving toward that destiny never more rapidly than we have moved in the last 4 years in this period we have built a military power strong enough to meet any threat and destroy any adversary and that superiority will continue to grow so long as this office is mine and you sit on capitol hill in this period no new nation has become communist and the unity of the communist empire has begun to crumble in this period we have resolved in friendship our disputes with our neighbors of the hemisphere and joined in an alliance for progress toward economic growth and political democracy in this period we have taken more steps toward peace including the test ban treaty than at any time since the cold war began in this period we have relentlessly pursued our advances toward the conquest of space most important of all in this period the united states has reemerged into the fullness of its and purpose no longer are we called upon to get america moving we are moving no longer do we doubt our strength or resolution we are strong and we have proven our resolve no longer can anyone wonder whether we are in the grip of historical decay we know that history is ours to make and if there is great danger there is now also the excitement of great expectations america and the communist nations yet we still live in a troubled and perilous world there is no longer a single threat there are many they differ in intensity and in danger they require different attitudes and different answers with the soviet union we seek peaceful understandings that can lessen the danger to freedom last fall i asked the american people to choose that course i will carry forward their command if we are to live together in peace we must come to know each other better i am sure that the american people would welcome a chance to listen to the soviet leaders on our television as i would like the soviet people to hear our leaders on theirs i hope the new soviet leaders can visit america so they can learn about our country at firsthand in eastern europe restless nations are slowly beginning to assert their identity your government assisted by the leaders in american labor and business is now exploring ways to increase peaceful trade with these countries and with the soviet union i will report our conclusions to the congress in asia communism wears a more aggressive face we see that in why are we there we are there first because a friendly nation has asked us for help against the communist aggression ten years ago our president pledged our help three presidents have supported that pledge we will not break it now second our own security is tied to the peace of asia twice in one generation we have had to fight against aggression in the far east to ignore aggression now would only increase the danger of a much larger war our goal is peace in southeast asia that will come only when aggressors leave their neighbors in peace what is at stake is the because of freedom and in that because america will never be found wanting the world but communism is not the only source of trouble and unrest there are older and deeper sources in the misery of nations and in man irrepressible ambition for liberty and a better life with the free republics of latin america i have always felt and my country has always felt very special ties of interest and affection it will be the purpose of my administration to strengthen these ties together we share and shape the destiny of the new world in the coming year i hope to pay a visit to latin america and i will steadily enlarge our commitment to the alliance for progress as the instrument of our war against poverty and injustice in this hemisphere in the atlantic community we continue to pursue our goal of 20 years a europe that is growing in strength unity and cooperation with america a great unfinished task is the reunification of germany through this european policy is not based on any abstract design it is based on the realities of common interests and common values common dangers and common expectations these realities will continue to have their way especially i think in our expanding trade and especially in our common defense free americans have shaped the policies of the united states and because we know these realities those policies have been and will be in the interest of europe free europeans must shape the course of europe and for the same reasons that course has been and will be in our interest and in the interest of freedom i found this truth confirmed in my talks with european leaders in the last year i hope to repay these visits to some of our friends in europe this year in africa and asia we are witnessing the turbulent unfolding of new nations and continents we welcome them to the society of nations we are committed to help those seeking to strengthen their own independence and to work most closely with those governments dedicated to the welfare of all of their people we seek not fidelity to an iron faith but a diversity of belief as varied as man himself we seek not to extend the power of america but the progress of humanity we seek not to dominate others but to strengthen the freedom of all people i will seek new ways to use our knowledge to help deal with the explosion in world population and the growing scarcity in world resources finally we renew our commitment to the continued growth and the effectiveness of the united nations the frustrations of the united nations are a product of the world that we live in and not of the institution which gives them voice it is far better to throw these differences open to the assembly of nations than to permit them to fester in silent danger these are some of the goals of the american nation in the world in which we live for ourselves we seek neither praise nor blame neither gratitude nor obedience we seek peace we seek freedom we seek to enrich the life of man for that is the world in which we will flourish and that is the world that we mean for all men to ultimately have toward the great society world affairs will continue to call upon our energy and our courage but today we can turn increased attention to the character of american life we are in the midst of the greatest upward surge of economic in the history of any nation our flourishing progress has been marked by price stability that is unequalled in the world our balance of payments deficit has declined and the soundness of our dollar is unquestioned i pledge to keep it that way and i urge business and labor to cooperate to that end we worked for two centuries to climb this peak of prosperity but we are only at the beginning of the road to the great society ahead now is a summit where freedom from the wants of the body can help fulfill the needs of the spirit we built this nation to serve its people we want to grow and build and create but we want progress to be the servant and not the master of man we do not intend to live in the midst of abundance isolated from neighbors and nature confined by blighted cities and bleak suburbs stunted by a poverty of learning and an emptiness of leisure the great society asks not how much but how good not only how to create wealth but how to use it not only how fast we are going but where we are headed it proposes as the first test for a nation the quality of its people this kind of society will not flower spontaneously from swelling riches and surging power it will not be the gift of government or the creation of presidents it will require of every american for many generations both faith in the destination and the fortitude to make the journey and like freedom itself it will always be challenge and not fulfillment and tonight we accept that challenge a national agenda i propose that we begin a program in education to ensure every american child the fullest development of his mind and skills i propose that we begin a massive attack on crippling and killing diseases i propose that we launch a national effort to make the american city a better and a more stimulating place to live i propose that we increase the beauty of america and end the poisoning of our rivers and the air that we breathe i propose that we carry out a new program to develop regions of our country that are now suffering from distress and depression i propose that we make new efforts to control and prevent crime and delinquency i propose that we eliminate every remaining obstacle to the right and the opportunity to vote i propose that we honor and support the achievements of thought and the creations of art i propose that we make an campaign against waste and inefficiency the task our basic task is threefold first to keep our economy growing to open for all americans the opportunity that is now enjoyed by most americans and to improve the quality of life for all in the next 6 weeks i will submit special messages with detailed proposals for national action in each of these areas tonight i would like just briefly to explain some of my major recommendations in the three main areas of national need 1 a growing economy basic policies first we must keep our nation prosperous we seek full employment opportunity for every american citizen i will present a budget designed to move the economy forward more money will be left in the hands of the consumer by a substantial cut in excise taxes we will continue along the path toward a balanced budget in a balanced economy i confidently predict what every economic sign tells us tonight the continued flourishing of the american economy but we must remember that fear of a recession can contribute to the fact of a recession the knowledge that our government will and can move swiftly will strengthen the confidence of investors and business congress can reinforce this confidence by insuring that its procedures permit rapid action on temporary income tax cuts and special funds for public programs should be made available for immediate use if recession threatens our continued prosperity demands continued price stability business labor and the consumer all have a high stake in keeping wages and prices within the framework of the guideposts that have already served the nation so well finding new markets abroad for our goods depends on the initiative of american business but we stand ready with credit and other help to assist the flow of trade which will benefit the entire nation on the farms our economy owes much to the efficiency of our farmers we must continue to assure them the opportunity to earn a fair reward i have instructed the secretary of agriculture to lead a major effort to find new approaches to reduce the heavy cost of our farm programs and to direct more of our effort to the small farmer who needs the help the most increased prosperity we can help insure continued prosperity through a regional recovery program to assist the development of stricken areas left behind by our national progress further efforts to provide our workers with the skills demanded by modern technology for the is an indispensable force in the american system the extension of the minimum wage to more than 2 million unprotected workers the improvement and the modernization of the unemployment compensation system and as pledged in our 1960 and 1964 democratic platforms i will propose to congress changes in the act including section 14 b i will do so hoping to reduce the conflicts that for several years have divided americans in various states of our union in a country that spans a continent modern transportation is vital to continued growth transportation for growth i will recommend heavier reliance on competition in transportation and a new policy for our merchant marine i will ask for funds to study rail transportation between urban centers we will begin with test projects between washington and boston on trains passengers could travel this distance in less than 4 hours ii opportunity for all second we must open opportunity to all our people most americans enjoy a good life but far too many are still trapped in poverty and idleness and fear let a just nation throw open to them the city of promise to the elderly by providing hospital care under social security and by raising benefit payments to those struggling to maintain the dignity of their later years to the poor and the unfortunate through doubling the war against poverty this year to negro americans through enforcement of the civil rights law and elimination of barriers to the right to vote to those in other lands that are seeking the promise of america through an immigration law based on the work a man can do and not where he was born or how he spells his name iii to enrich the life of all our third goal is to improve the quality of american life through education we begin with learning every child must have the best education that this nation can provide thomas jefferson said that no nation can be both ignorant and free today no nation can be both ignorant and great in addition to our existing programs i will recommend a new program for schools and students with a first year authorization of million it will help at every stage along the road to learning for the preschool years we will help needy children become aware of the excitement of learning for the primary and secondary school years we will aid public schools serving families and assist students in both public and private schools for the college years we will provide scholarships to high school students of the greatest promise and the greatest need and we will guarantee loans to students continuing their college studies new laboratories and centers will help our schools help them lift their standards of excellence and explore new methods of teaching these centers will provide special training for those who need and those who deserve special treatment through better health greatness requires not only an educated people but a healthy people our goal is to match the achievements of our medicine to the afflictions of our people we already carry on a large program in this country for research and health in addition regional medical centers can provide the most advanced diagnosis and treatment for heart disease and cancer and stroke and other major diseases new support for medical and dental education will provide the trained people to apply our knowledge community centers can help the mentally ill and improve health care for children from poor families including services for the mentally retarded through improving the world we live in the city an educated and healthy people require surroundings in harmony with their hopes in our urban areas the central problem today is to protect and restore man satisfaction in belonging to a community where he can find security and significance the first step is to break old patterns to begin to think and work and plan for the development of the entire metropolitan areas we will take this step with new programs of help for the basic community facilities and for neighborhood centers of health and recreation new and existing programs will be open to those cities which work together to develop unified policies for metropolitan areas we must also make some very important changes in our housing programs if we are to pursue these same basic goals so a department of housing and urban development will be needed to spearhead this effort in our cities every citizen has the right to feel secure in his home and on the streets of his community to help control crime we will recommend programs to train local law enforcement officers to put the best techniques of modern science at their disposal to discover the causes of crime and better ways to prevent it i will soon assemble a panel of outstanding experts of this nation to search out answers to the national problem of crime and delinquency and i welcome the recommendations and the constructive efforts of the congress the beauty of america for over three centuries the beauty of america has sustained our spirit and has enlarged our vision we must act now to protect this heritage in a fruitful new partnership with the states and the cities the next decade should be a conservation milestone we must make a massive effort to save the countryside and to establish as a green legacy for tomorrow more large and small parks more seashores and open spaces than have been created during any other period in our national history a new and substantial effort must be made to landscape highways to provide places of relaxation and recreation wherever our roads run within our cities imaginative programs are needed to landscape streets and to transform open areas into places of beauty and recreation we will seek legal power to prevent pollution of our air and water before it happens we will step up our effort to control harmful wastes giving first priority to the cleanup of our most contaminated rivers we will increase research to learn much more about the control of pollution we hope to make the potomac a model of beauty here in the capital and preserve unspoiled stretches of some of our waterways with a wild rivers bill more ideas for a beautiful america will emerge from a white house conference on natural beauty which i will soon call art and science we must also recognize and encourage those who can be pathfinders for the nation imagination and understanding to help promote and honor creative achievements i will propose a national foundation on the arts to develop knowledge which will enrich our lives and ensure our progress i will recommend programs to encourage basic science particularly in the universities and to bring closer the day when the oceans will supply our growing need for fresh water for government to serve these goals it must be modern in structure efficient in action and ready for any emergency i am busy currently reviewing the structure of the entire executive branch of this government i hope to reshape it and to reorganize it to meet more effectively the tasks of the 20th century wherever waste is found i will eliminate it last year we saved almost million by eliminating waste in the national government and i intend to do better this year and very soon i will report to you on our progress and on new economies that your government plans to make even the best of government is subject to the worst of hazards i will propose laws to insure the necessary continuity of leadership should the president become disabled or die in addition i will propose reforms in the electoral college leaving undisturbed the vote by states but making sure that no elector can substitute his will for that of the people last year in a sad moment i came here and i spoke to you after 33 years of public service practically all of them here on this hill this year i speak after 1 year as president of the united states many of you in this chamber are among my oldest friends we have shared many happy moments and many hours of work and we have watched many presidents together yet only in the white house can you finally know the full weight of this office the greatest burden is not running the huge operations of government or meeting daily troubles large and small or even working with the congress a president hardest task is not to do what is right but to know what is right yet the presidency brings no special gift of prophecy or foresight you take an oath you step into an office and you must then help guide a great democracy the answer was waiting for me in the land where i was born it was once barren land the angular hills were covered with scrub cedar and a few large live oaks little would grow in that harsh caliche soil of my country and each spring the pedernales river would flood our valley but men came and they worked and they endured and they built and tonight that country is abundant abundant with fruit and cattle and goats and sheep and there are pleasant homes and lakes and the floods are gone why did men come to that once forbidding land well they were restless of course and they had to be moving on but there was more than that there was a dream a dream of a place where a free man could build for himself and raise his children to a better life a dream of a continent to be conquered a world to be won a nation to be made remembering this i knew the answer a president does not shape a new and personal vision of america he collects it from the scattered hopes of the american past it existed when the first settlers saw the coast of a new world and when the first pioneers moved westward it has guided us every step of the way it sustains every president but it is also your inheritance and it belongs equally to all the people that we all serve it must be interpreted anew by each generation for its own needs as i have tried in part to do tonight it shall lead us as we enter the third century of the search for a more perfect union this then is the state of the union free and restless growing and full of hope so it was in the beginning so it shall always be while god is willing and we are strong enough to keep the faith
hill home stirred old friendships though total agreement executive congress impossible total respect important proud among colleagues congress whose legacy trust loyalty nation unaware inner emotions new members body tonight years ago felt soon learn among men whose first love country men try day best believe right entering third century pursuit american union two hundred years ago 1765 nine assembled colonies first joined together demand freedom arbitrary power first century struggled hold together first continental union democracy history man one hundred years ago 1865 following terrible test blood fire compact union finally sealed second century labored establish unity purpose interest among many groups make american community struggle often brought pain violence yet achieved unity interest among people unmatched history freedom tonight 1965 begin new quest union seek unity man world built knowledge save destroy cities stimulate stifle wealth machines enrich menace spirit seek establish harmony man society allow us enlarge meaning life us elevate quality civilization search begin tonight state world unity seek realize full promise isolation today state union depends large measure upon state world concern interest compassion vigilance extend every corner dwindling planet yet merely concern concern free men assume task americans alone settle conflicts torn troubled world let foes freedom take comfort concert nations shall help men defend freedom first aim remains safety country prepared live good neighbors indifferent acts designed injure interests citizens establishments abroad community nations requires mutual respect shall extend shall expect relations world shall follow example andrew jackson said intend ask nothing clearly right submit nothing wrong promised honor country shall never stained apology statement truth performance duty nation policy 1830 nation policy 1960 freedom growth never final goal american dream never meant oasis liberty abundance worldwide desert disappointed dreams nation created help strike away chains ignorance misery tyranny wherever keep man less god means moving toward destiny never rapidly moved last 4 years period built military power strong enough meet threat destroy adversary superiority continue grow long office mine sit capitol hill period new nation become communist unity communist empire begun crumble period resolved friendship disputes neighbors hemisphere joined alliance progress toward economic growth political democracy period taken steps toward peace including test ban treaty time since cold war began period relentlessly pursued advances toward conquest space important period united states reemerged fullness purpose longer called upon get america moving moving longer doubt strength resolution strong proven resolve longer anyone wonder whether grip historical decay know history make great danger also excitement great expectations america communist nations yet still live troubled perilous world longer single threat many differ intensity danger require different attitudes different answers soviet union seek peaceful understandings lessen danger freedom last fall asked american people choose course carry forward command live together peace must come know better sure american people would welcome chance listen soviet leaders television would like soviet people hear leaders hope new soviet leaders visit america learn country firsthand eastern europe restless nations slowly beginning assert identity government assisted leaders american labor business exploring ways increase peaceful trade countries soviet union report conclusions congress asia communism wears aggressive face see first friendly nation asked us help communist aggression ten years ago president pledged help three presidents supported pledge break second security tied peace asia twice one generation fight aggression far east ignore aggression would increase danger much larger war goal peace southeast asia come aggressors leave neighbors peace stake freedom america never found wanting world communism source trouble unrest older deeper sources misery nations man irrepressible ambition liberty better life free republics latin america always felt country always felt special ties interest affection purpose administration strengthen ties together share shape destiny new world coming year hope pay visit latin america steadily enlarge commitment alliance progress instrument war poverty injustice hemisphere atlantic community continue pursue goal 20 years europe growing strength unity cooperation america great unfinished task reunification germany european policy based abstract design based realities common interests common values common dangers common expectations realities continue way especially think expanding trade especially common defense free americans shaped policies united states know realities policies interest europe free europeans must shape course europe reasons course interest interest freedom found truth confirmed talks european leaders last year hope repay visits friends europe year africa asia witnessing turbulent unfolding new nations continents welcome society nations committed help seeking strengthen independence work closely governments dedicated welfare people seek fidelity iron faith diversity belief varied man seek extend power america progress humanity seek dominate others strengthen freedom people seek new ways use knowledge help deal explosion world population growing scarcity world resources finally renew commitment continued growth effectiveness united nations frustrations united nations product world live institution gives voice far better throw differences open assembly nations permit fester silent danger goals american nation world live seek neither praise blame neither gratitude obedience seek peace seek freedom seek enrich life man world flourish world mean men ultimately toward great society world affairs continue call upon energy courage today turn increased attention character american life midst greatest upward surge economic history nation flourishing progress marked price stability unequalled world balance payments deficit declined soundness dollar unquestioned pledge keep way urge business labor cooperate end worked two centuries climb peak prosperity beginning road great society ahead summit freedom wants body help fulfill needs spirit built nation serve people want grow build create want progress servant master man intend live midst abundance isolated neighbors nature confined blighted cities bleak suburbs stunted poverty learning emptiness leisure great society asks much good create wealth use fast going headed proposes first test nation quality people kind society flower spontaneously swelling riches surging power gift government creation presidents require every american many generations faith destination fortitude make journey like freedom always challenge fulfillment tonight accept challenge national agenda propose begin program education ensure every american child fullest development mind skills propose begin massive attack crippling killing diseases propose launch national effort make american city better stimulating place live propose increase beauty america end poisoning rivers air breathe propose carry new program develop regions country suffering distress depression propose make new efforts control prevent crime delinquency propose eliminate every remaining obstacle right opportunity vote propose honor support achievements thought creations art propose make campaign waste inefficiency task basic task threefold first keep economy growing open americans opportunity enjoyed americans improve quality life next 6 weeks submit special messages detailed proposals national action areas tonight would like briefly explain major recommendations three main areas national need 1 growing economy basic policies first must keep nation prosperous seek full employment opportunity every american citizen present budget designed move economy forward money left hands consumer substantial cut excise taxes continue along path toward balanced budget balanced economy confidently predict every economic sign tells us tonight continued flourishing american economy must remember fear recession contribute fact recession knowledge government move swiftly strengthen confidence investors business congress reinforce confidence insuring procedures permit rapid action temporary income tax cuts special funds public programs made available immediate use recession threatens continued prosperity demands continued price stability business labor consumer high stake keeping wages prices within framework guideposts already served nation well finding new markets abroad goods depends initiative american business stand ready credit help assist flow trade benefit entire nation farms economy owes much efficiency farmers must continue assure opportunity earn fair reward instructed secretary agriculture lead major effort find new approaches reduce heavy cost farm programs direct effort small farmer needs help increased prosperity help insure continued prosperity regional recovery program assist development stricken areas left behind national progress efforts provide workers skills demanded modern technology indispensable force american system extension minimum wage 2 million unprotected workers improvement modernization unemployment compensation system pledged 1960 1964 democratic platforms propose congress changes act including section 14 b hoping reduce conflicts several years divided americans various states union country spans continent modern transportation vital continued growth transportation growth recommend heavier reliance competition transportation new policy merchant marine ask funds study rail transportation urban centers begin test projects washington boston trains passengers could travel distance less 4 hours ii opportunity second must open opportunity people americans enjoy good life far many still trapped poverty idleness fear let nation throw open city promise elderly providing hospital care social security raising benefit payments struggling maintain dignity later years poor unfortunate doubling war poverty year negro americans enforcement civil rights law elimination barriers right vote lands seeking promise america immigration law based work man born spells name iii enrich life third goal improve quality american life education begin learning every child must best education nation provide thomas jefferson said nation ignorant free today nation ignorant great addition existing programs recommend new program schools students first year authorization million help every stage along road learning preschool years help needy children become aware excitement learning primary secondary school years aid public schools serving families assist students public private schools college years provide scholarships high school students greatest promise greatest need guarantee loans students continuing college studies new laboratories centers help schools help lift standards excellence explore new methods teaching centers provide special training need deserve special treatment better health greatness requires educated people healthy people goal match achievements medicine afflictions people already carry large program country research health addition regional medical centers provide advanced diagnosis treatment heart disease cancer stroke major diseases new support medical dental education provide trained people apply knowledge community centers help mentally ill improve health care children poor families including services mentally retarded improving world live city educated healthy people require surroundings harmony hopes urban areas central problem today protect restore man satisfaction belonging community find security significance first step break old patterns begin think work plan development entire metropolitan areas take step new programs help basic community facilities neighborhood centers health recreation new existing programs open cities work together develop unified policies metropolitan areas must also make important changes housing programs pursue basic goals department housing urban development needed spearhead effort cities every citizen right feel secure home streets community help control crime recommend programs train local law enforcement officers put best techniques modern science disposal discover causes crime better ways prevent soon assemble panel outstanding experts nation search answers national problem crime delinquency welcome recommendations constructive efforts congress beauty america three centuries beauty america sustained spirit enlarged vision must act protect heritage fruitful new partnership states cities next decade conservation milestone must make massive effort save countryside establish green legacy tomorrow large small parks seashores open spaces created period national history new substantial effort must made landscape highways provide places relaxation recreation wherever roads run within cities imaginative programs needed landscape streets transform open areas places beauty recreation seek legal power prevent pollution air water happens step effort control harmful wastes giving first priority cleanup contaminated rivers increase research learn much control pollution hope make potomac model beauty capital preserve unspoiled stretches waterways wild rivers bill ideas beautiful america emerge white house conference natural beauty soon call art science must also recognize encourage pathfinders nation imagination understanding help promote honor creative achievements propose national foundation arts develop knowledge enrich lives ensure progress recommend programs encourage basic science particularly universities bring closer day oceans supply growing need fresh water government serve goals must modern structure efficient action ready emergency busy currently reviewing structure entire executive branch government hope reshape reorganize meet effectively tasks 20th century wherever waste found eliminate last year saved almost million eliminating waste national government intend better year soon report progress new economies government plans make even best government subject worst hazards propose laws insure necessary continuity leadership president become disabled die addition propose reforms electoral college leaving undisturbed vote states making sure elector substitute people last year sad moment came spoke 33 years public service practically hill year speak 1 year president united states many chamber among oldest friends shared many happy moments many hours work watched many presidents together yet white house finally know full weight office greatest burden running huge operations government meeting daily troubles large small even working congress president hardest task right know right yet presidency brings special gift prophecy foresight take oath step office must help guide great democracy answer waiting land born barren land angular hills covered scrub cedar large live oaks little would grow harsh caliche soil country spring pedernales river would flood valley men came worked endured built tonight country abundant abundant fruit cattle goats sheep pleasant homes lakes floods gone men come forbidding land well restless course moving dream dream place free man could build raise children better life dream continent conquered world nation made remembering knew answer president shape new personal vision america collects scattered hopes american past existed first settlers saw coast new world first pioneers moved westward guided us every step way sustains every president also inheritance belongs equally people serve must interpreted anew generation needs tried part tonight shall lead us enter third century search perfect union state union free restless growing full hope beginning shall always god willing strong enough keep faith
hill home stir old friendship though total agreement executive congress impossible total respect important proud among colleague congress whose legacy trust loyalty nation unaware inner emotion new member body tonight year ago felt soon learn among men whose first love country men try day best believe right enter third century pursuit american union two hundred year ago 1765 nine assembled colony first join together demand freedom arbitrary power first century struggle hold together first continental union democracy history man one hundred year ago 1865 follow terrible test blood fire compact union finally seal second century labor establish unity purpose interest among many group make american community struggle often bring pain violence yet achieve unity interest among people unmatched history freedom tonight 1965 begin new quest union seek unity man world build knowledge save destroy city stimulate stifle wealth machine enrich menace spirit seek establish harmony man society allow u enlarge mean life u elevate quality civilization search begin tonight state world unity seek realize full promise isolation today state union depend large measure upon state world concern interest compassion vigilance extend every corner dwindle planet yet merely concern concern free men assume task american alone settle conflict tear troubled world let foe freedom take comfort concert nation shall help men defend freedom first aim remain safety country prepare live good neighbor indifferent act design injure interest citizens establishment abroad community nation require mutual respect shall extend shall expect relation world shall follow example andrew jackson say intend ask nothing clearly right submit nothing wrong promise honor country shall never stain apology statement truth performance duty nation policy 1830 nation policy 1960 freedom growth never final goal american dream never mean oasis liberty abundance worldwide desert disappointed dream nation create help strike away chain ignorance misery tyranny wherever keep man less god mean move toward destiny never rapidly move last 4 year period build military power strong enough meet threat destroy adversary superiority continue grow long office mine sit capitol hill period new nation become communist unity communist empire begin crumble period resolve friendship dispute neighbor hemisphere join alliance progress toward economic growth political democracy period take step toward peace include test ban treaty time since cold war begin period relentlessly pursue advance toward conquest space important period united state reemerged fullness purpose long call upon get america move move longer doubt strength resolution strong proven resolve long anyone wonder whether grip historical decay know history make great danger also excitement great expectation america communist nation yet still live trouble perilous world longer single threat many differ intensity danger require different attitude different answer soviet union seek peaceful understanding lessen danger freedom last fall ask american people choose course carry forward command live together peace must come know good sure american people would welcome chance listen soviet leader television would like soviet people hear leader hope new soviet leader visit america learn country firsthand eastern europe restless nation slowly begin assert identity government assist leader american labor business explore way increase peaceful trade country soviet union report conclusion congress asia communism wear aggressive face see first friendly nation ask u help communist aggression ten year ago president pledge help three president support pledge break second security tie peace asia twice one generation fight aggression far east ignore aggression would increase danger much large war goal peace southeast asia come aggressor leave neighbor peace stake freedom america never find want world communism source trouble unrest old deeper source misery nation man irrepressible ambition liberty well life free republic latin america always felt country always felt special tie interest affection purpose administration strengthen tie together share shape destiny new world come year hope pay visit latin america steadily enlarge commitment alliance progress instrument war poverty injustice hemisphere atlantic community continue pursue goal 20 year europe grow strength unity cooperation america great unfinished task reunification germany european policy base abstract design base reality common interest common value common danger common expectation reality continue way especially think expand trade especially common defense free american shaped policy united state know reality policy interest europe free european must shape course europe reason course interest interest freedom find truth confirm talk european leader last year hope repay visit friend europe year africa asia witness turbulent unfold new nation continent welcome society nation commit help seek strengthen independence work closely government dedicate welfare people seek fidelity iron faith diversity belief vary man seek extend power america progress humanity seek dominate others strengthen freedom people seek new way use knowledge help deal explosion world population grow scarcity world resource finally renew commitment continued growth effectiveness united nation frustration united nation product world live institution give voice far well throw difference open assembly nation permit fester silent danger goal american nation world live seek neither praise blame neither gratitude obedience seek peace seek freedom seek enrich life man world flourish world mean men ultimately toward great society world affair continue call upon energy courage today turn increase attention character american life midst great upward surge economic history nation flourish progress mark price stability unequalled world balance payment deficit decline soundness dollar unquestioned pledge keep way urge business labor cooperate end work two century climb peak prosperity begin road great society ahead summit freedom want body help fulfill need spirit build nation serve people want grow build create want progress servant master man intend live midst abundance isolate neighbor nature confine blight city bleak suburb stunt poverty learn emptiness leisure great society asks much good create wealth use fast go head proposes first test nation quality people kind society flower spontaneously swell rich surge power gift government creation president require every american many generation faith destination fortitude make journey like freedom always challenge fulfillment tonight accept challenge national agenda propose begin program education ensure every american child full development mind skill propose begin massive attack cripple kill disease propose launch national effort make american city well stimulating place live propose increase beauty america end poison river air breathe propose carry new program develop region country suffer distress depression propose make new effort control prevent crime delinquency propose eliminate every remain obstacle right opportunity vote propose honor support achievement think creation art propose make campaign waste inefficiency task basic task threefold first keep economy grow open american opportunity enjoy american improve quality life next 6 week submit special message detail proposal national action area tonight would like briefly explain major recommendation three main area national need 1 grow economy basic policy first must keep nation prosperous seek full employment opportunity every american citizen present budget design move economy forward money leave hand consumer substantial cut excise tax continue along path toward balanced budget balance economy confidently predict every economic sign tell u tonight continue flourishing american economy must remember fear recession contribute fact recession knowledge government move swiftly strengthen confidence investor business congress reinforce confidence insure procedure permit rapid action temporary income tax cut special fund public program make available immediate use recession threatens continue prosperity demand continued price stability business labor consumer high stake keep wage price within framework guidepost already serve nation well find new market abroad good depend initiative american business stand ready credit help assist flow trade benefit entire nation farm economy owes much efficiency farmer must continue assure opportunity earn fair reward instruct secretary agriculture lead major effort find new approach reduce heavy cost farm program direct effort small farmer need help increase prosperity help insure continue prosperity regional recovery program assist development stricken area leave behind national progress effort provide worker skill demand modern technology indispensable force american system extension minimum wage 2 million unprotected worker improvement modernization unemployment compensation system pledge 1960 1964 democratic platform propose congress change act include section 14 b hop reduce conflict several year divide americans various state union country span continent modern transportation vital continue growth transportation growth recommend heavy reliance competition transportation new policy merchant marine ask fund study rail transportation urban center begin test project washington boston train passenger could travel distance less 4 hour ii opportunity second must open opportunity people american enjoy good life far many still trap poverty idleness fear let nation throw open city promise elderly providing hospital care social security raise benefit payment struggle maintain dignity later year poor unfortunate double war poverty year negro americans enforcement civil right law elimination barrier right vote land seek promise america immigration law base work man bear spell name iii enrich life third goal improve quality american life education begin learn every child must best education nation provide thomas jefferson say nation ignorant free today nation ignorant great addition exist program recommend new program school student first year authorization million help every stage along road learn preschool year help needy child become aware excitement learn primary secondary school year aid public school serve family assist student public private school college year provide scholarships high school student greatest promise great need guarantee loan student continue college study new laboratory center help school help lift standard excellence explore new method teach center provide special train need deserve special treatment well health greatness require educate people healthy people goal match achievement medicine affliction people already carry large program country research health addition regional medical center provide advanced diagnosis treatment heart disease cancer stroke major disease new support medical dental education provide train people apply knowledge community center help mentally ill improve health care child poor family include service mentally retard improving world live city educate healthy people require surroundings harmony hope urban area central problem today protect restore man satisfaction belong community find security significance first step break old pattern begin think work plan development entire metropolitan area take step new program help basic community facility neighborhood center health recreation new exist program open city work together develop unified policy metropolitan area must also make important change housing program pursue basic goal department housing urban development need spearhead effort city every citizen right feel secure home street community help control crime recommend program train local law enforcement officer put best technique modern science disposal discover cause crime well way prevent soon assemble panel outstanding expert nation search answer national problem crime delinquency welcome recommendation constructive effort congress beauty america three century beauty america sustain spirit enlarge vision must act protect heritage fruitful new partnership state city next decade conservation milestone must make massive effort save countryside establish green legacy tomorrow large small park seashore open space create period national history new substantial effort must make landscape highway provide place relaxation recreation wherever road run within city imaginative program need landscape street transform open area place beauty recreation seek legal power prevent pollution air water happen step effort control harmful waste give first priority cleanup contaminate river increase research learn much control pollution hope make potomac model beauty capital preserve unspoiled stretch waterway wild river bill idea beautiful america emerge white house conference natural beauty soon call art science must also recognize encourage pathfinder nation imagination understand help promote honor creative achievement propose national foundation art develop knowledge enrich live ensure progress recommend program encourage basic science particularly universities bring closer day ocean supply grow need fresh water government serve goal must modern structure efficient action ready emergency busy currently review structure entire executive branch government hope reshape reorganize meet effectively task 20th century wherever waste find eliminate last year save almost million eliminate waste national government intend well year soon report progress new economy government plan make even best government subject bad hazard propose law insure necessary continuity leadership president become disabled die addition propose reform electoral college leave undisturbed vote state make sure elector substitute people last year sad moment come speak 33 year public service practically hill year speak 1 year president unite state many chamber among old friend share many happy moment many hour work watch many president together yet white house finally know full weight office great burden run huge operation government meet daily trouble large small even work congress president hard task right know right yet presidency brings special gift prophecy foresight take oath step office must help guide great democracy answer wait land bear barren land angular hill cover scrub cedar large live oak little would grow harsh caliche soil country spring pedernales river would flood valley men come work endured build tonight country abundant abundant fruit cattle goat sheep pleasant home lakes flood go men come forbidding land well restless course move dream dream place free man could build raise child good life dream continent conquer world nation make remember knew answer president shape new personal vision america collect scatter hope american past exist first settler saw coast new world first pioneer move westward guide u every step way sustain every president also inheritance belongs equally people serve must interpret anew generation need try part tonight shall lead u enter third century search perfect union state union free restless grow full hope begin shall always god willing strong enough keep faith