Just have a look at this coverage and compare it to the presstitutes of the MSM who can't report a single word of Vladimir Putin without distortion and innuendo.
Highlights
of Obama's 2015 State of the Union Address to Congress
US
President Barack Obama delivered his 2015 State of the Union Address
to Congress, which includes a wide range of issues, including
immigration, health care reform, environmental policy, national
security and foreign policy.
21
January, 2015
MOSCOW,
January 21 (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, January 20, at 9:00
p.m. local time (4:00 GMT), US President Barack Obama addressed
to the Republican-controlled US Congress with his annual
State of the Union speech, discussing tax hikes for the
rich, cybersecurity legislation, criminal justice and immigration
reforms.
On
Terrorism
The
United States will continue to act unilaterally to strike
terrorists if needed, US President Barack Obama said during his
the State of the Union.
“We
will continue to hunt down terrorists and
dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act
unilaterally, as we’ve done relentlessly since I took
office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat
to us and our allies,” Obama said.
The
US president noted that the United States was leading a coalition
against the Islamic
State (IS)
militant group, stopping the IS advance and assisting people who
opposed extremism.
"This
effort will take time. It will require focus. But we will succeed.
And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that
we are united in this mission by passing a resolution
to authorize the use of force against [IS]," Obama
said.
Currently,
the US-led anti-IS coalition is carrying out airstrikes
against the positions of Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria. The extremist group has been operating in Syria
since 2012 and in Iraq since 2014, establishing a
caliphate on the territories it has captured in both
countries.
On
Ebola
The
world needs to learn from the Ebola
crisis and
develop a more robust global initiative to contain future
contagions, US President Barack Obama said during the State
of the Union address.
“In
West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses and
healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola – saving countless lives
and stopping the spread of disease. But the job is not yet done
– and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more
effective global effort to prevent the spread of future
pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme
poverty,” Obama said.
The
president emphasized that he couldn’t be prouder of the
sacrifices made so far by aid workers and the scientific
community and thanked Congress for its bipartisan support
in combatting the lethal malady.
The
deadly Ebola virus disease has killed 8,468 people in Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone, with the number of confirmed
cases reaching 21,373, the World Health Organization said Friday
in its new situation report. The UN Mission for Ebola
Emergency Response said in a report last Thursday that the
weekly total of new confirmed Ebola virus disease cases had
declined to its lowest in recent months.
On
Guantanamo
US
President Barack Obama called on Congress to finish the job
of closing the Guantanamo
Bay prison facility
in Cuba amid the recent wave of detainee transfers
from the detention center.
“Since
I’ve been President, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the
population of Guantanamo in half,” President Obama said.
“Now it’s time to finish the job. And I will not relent
in my determination to shut it down. It’s not who we
are.”
The
Guantanamo prison was opened in 2002 in the wake of 9/11
terror attacks on the United States. Since then, the detention
facility has been repeatedly criticized by human rights
advocates citing inhumane conditions of confinement, including
torture.
In
2009, Obama issued an executive order to review the status
of all individuals imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay Naval
Base and to shut down the prison. The number of detainees
has nearly been cut in half since 2009 but the
facility is still open, with 122 detainees remaining imprisoned
at Guantanamo.
On
US гsurveillance programs
The
United States will issue a report next month that will highlight how
the country has kept its promise to strengthen transparency and
privacy amid the revelations of US surveillance programs,
US President Barack Obama announced.
“While
some have moved on from the debates over our surveillance
programs, I haven’t,” President Obama said. “As promised, our
intelligence agencies have worked hard, with the recommendations
of privacy advocates, to increase transparency and build
more safeguards against potential abuse. And next month, we’ll
issue a report on how we’re keeping our promise to keep
our country safe while strengthening privacy.”
The
announcement of the new report follows the increased criticism
that the United States has faced surrounding its mass surveillance
program after it became exposed by leaks from the National
Security Agency’s (NSA)
whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.
Snowden’s
leak of classified documents revealed the NSA’s methods
of running massive surveillance programs without a warrant
and sifting through databases in search of private
information of Americans, foreigners and leaders of allied
countries.
On
Healthcare and Immigration
US
President Barack Obama will veto any bill, designed to push back
on Wall Street reform, as well as any bills that roll
back healthcare or challenge his executive order on immigration.
“We
can’t put the security of families at risk by taking
away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall
Street, or refighting past battles on immigration when
we’ve got a system to fix. And if a bill comes to my desk
that tries to do any of these things, it will earn my
veto,” Obama said.
In
2010, Obama authorized carrying out the so-called Wall Street
Reform, following the 2008 financial crisis. The reform, also
known as the Dodd-Frank Act, aimed to give the US financial
system more transparency and prevent excessive risk-taking, according
to the White House website.
The
same year, the Affordable
Care Act,
also known as Obamacare, was enacted into law, aiming
to provide universal healthcare in the United States
through online health insurance marketplaces and tax-payer
funded subsidies. The act has caused criticism from the
Republican party that considers the law unconstitutional and a burden
on the country's economy.
The
question of immigration is also one of the most acute
issues the United States is currently facing, with Obama
announcing in 2014 a decision to give work authorization
to some five million illegal immigrants in the country and
protect them from deportation.
On
Taxes
The
United States needs to close loopholes in the tax code that
incentivize companies to outsource business to foreign
countries as opposed to investing in America, US
President Barack Obama said.
“Let’s
close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits
abroad, and reward those that invest in America,” Obama said.
Lobbyists
have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some
corporations pay nothing, provide giveaways to the super rich
and deny breaks to middle class families, the president
explained.
The
number of US companies that relocate their headquarters
outside the country grows, as corporations seek to evade
paying high corporate taxes in the United States. In the process
of tax inversion some US companies merge with or purchase
foreign businesses, with their profits being subject to lower
foreign tax rates.
Obama
has suggested earlier that Congress make tax inversions more
difficult by requesting 50 percent control of a company
to shift abroad instead of the current 20 percent. The
idea, however, is opposed by many Republicans and some Democrats
over fears of facilitating foreign takeovers.
On
Trade
US
President Barack Obama has said he will ask Republicans and Democrats
from Congress for more trade promotion authority that will
give the United States new trade deals with Asia and Europe
to protect American workers.
"I'm
asking both parties to give me trade promotion authority
to protect American workers, with strong new trade deals
from Asia to Europe that aren't just free, but fair,"
Obama said during the State of the Union address
on Tuesday.
Trade
promotion authority is a legislative procedure that defines and
oversees through Congress the United States' trade negotiations
and objectives, ultimately deciding whether any proposed US trade
agreement is to be implemented or not.
As
far as US-Asia relation are concerned, the United States is
negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that aims
to increase US economic investment in Asia by conducting
talks with 11 partner countries in the region. According
to the Office of the US Trade Representative, TPP is able
to give US workers, families and businesses access to some
of the fastest growing markets of the world.
In
terms of its relations with the European Union, the United
States is negotiating with the bloc the Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement, which is aimed
at eliminating trade barriers in a number of economic
sectors in order to make the trade between the two
regions easier.
On
Sanctions Against Russia
Washington's sanctions
policy towards Russia has
shown US strength, as well as unity with its allies
on the Ukrainian crisis, US President Barack Obama stated.
"We
are demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy.
We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the
small – by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine’s
democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies," Obama said.
Following
Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the European Union imposed
several rounds of sanctions against Moscow. In August,
Russia responded by introducing a one-year ban on imports
of a number of food products from countries that
imposed sanctions against it.
"Last
year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions
along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. Putin’s
aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength,"
Obama said. "Well, today, it is America that stands strong and
united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its
economy in tatters."
Russia-US
relations have worsened amid the crisis in Ukraine. The
West accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine’s internal
affairs. The Russian government has denied the allegations. In
September 2014, the warring sides in Ukraine reached a ceasefire
agreement in Minsk, although the opposing parties have
repeatedly accused each other of truce violations.
On
US-Cuba relations
“When
what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time
to try something new," Obama said on Tuesday, adding
that the shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a
legacy of mistrust in this hemisphere. "And this year,
Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo.”
The
release of US citizen after five years in Cuba's
prison was mentioned by Obama as one of the small
steps in the direction of normalizing relations between the
two countries.
"These
small steps have added up to new hope for the future
in Cuba. And after years in prison, we’re overjoyed
that Alan Gross is back where he belongs," the President said.
"Welcome home, Alan."
Gross
was sentenced to 15 years in 2011 on charges of acts
against the state for bringing telecommunications devices
under the US government’s democracy project to the island
which has restricted Internet access.
Obama
announced the decision to revive diplomatic relations with Cuba
in December 2014, with plans to ease trade and travel
restrictions and reopen a US embassy in Havana.
On
Iranian Issue
Diplomacy
to end Iran’s
nuclear program is
not guaranteed and all options remain on the table, US President
Barack Obama said.
“There
are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all
options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran,” Obama
said, adding that there is still a chance for the international
community to negotiate an agreement to prevent a
nuclear-armed Iran.
The
group has held several meetings with Iran since 2006,
but the negotiating parties have failed so far to reach a
compromise on Iran's nuclear program. In November 2014, the
sides agreed to extend the talks until July 2015.
According
to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Segei Ryabkov, the next
round of nuclear talks will be held in February, although
neither the exact date, nor the venue of the negotiations has
been determined.
"NATO
and the United States should change their policy because the time
when they dictate their conditions to the world has passed,"
Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Dushanbe, capital of the Central
Asian republic of Tajikistan
'Everything
Is Awesome' SOTU Post-Mortem: "It's Not Government's Job To Make
Everybody Rich"
20
January, 2015
The
only thing we did not get from tonight's State of The Union speech
was a"Mission Accomplished"
flag... oddly some of the 6,493
words (the lowest word-count of his Presidency) were
not entirely 'factual'...
Don't
Forget...
"Make
A New America"
The
Atlantic has an excellent interactive chart for diving into the
details of SOTUs...
*
* *
Some
color...
"The
shadow of crisis has passed" -
so why are Treasury yields at record lows and why does The Fed have
ZIRP and keep threatening QE on every 5% drop in stocks?
"the
stock market has doubled"
"our
economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999"
"Wages
are finally starting to rise again." -
well hope is...
"These
ideas won’t make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. That’s
not the job of government." -
indeed only the 'already rich' get rich...
"The
best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities
are changing the climate"
"Middle
Class Economics" -
How's that working out?
"Cost
of community college for all will be zero" -
yeah that didn't work out so well did it...
"As
Americans, we cherish our civil liberties?" -
not so much Germans... or North Koreans
U.S. Spies Tapped North Korean Computers Before Sony Hack
"Russia
is isolated, with its economy in tatters."
And
finally... "That’s
a better politics. That’s how we start rebuilding trust. That’s
how we move this country forward. That’s what the American people
want. That’s what they deserve."
*
* *
Bloomberg
headline summary...
- *OBAMA SAYS `THE SHADOW OF CRISIS HAS PASSED'
- *OBAMA SAYS BUDGET WILL BE PRACTICAL, NOT PARTISAN
- *OBAMA SAYS HE WILL VETO ATTEMPTS TO KILL OBAMACARE, DODD-FRANK
- *OBAMA CALLS ON CONGRESS TO EXPAND PAID SICK LEAVE
- *OBAMA SAYS HE'S SENDING CONGRESS PLAN FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
- *OBAMA SAYS COST OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILL BE ZERO UNDER PLAN
- *OBAMA REITERATES CALL FOR TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY
- *OBAMA SAYS HE'S LAUNCHING INITIATIVE FOR CURING DISEASES
- *OBAMA CALLS ON CONGRESS TO HELP HIM CLOSE TAX LOOPHOLES
- *OBAMA REITERATES HE WANTS `FREE AND OPEN' INTERNET
- *OBAMA: U.S. HAS LEARNED `COSTLY LESSONS' IN FOREIGN POLICY
- *OBAMA SAYS RUSSIA IS ISOLATED, `ITS ECONOMY IN TATTERS'
- *OBAMA: IRAN SANCTIONS ALL BUT GUARANTEE NUKE TALKS WILL FAIL
- *OBAMA SAYS HE WILL VETO ANY NEW IRAN SANCTIONS BILL
- *OBAMA: NOTHING IS GREATER THREAT TO FUTURE THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
*
* *
Mr.
Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow
Americans:
We
are fifteen years into this new century. Fifteen years that dawned
with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation
fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession
spread across our nation and the world. It has been, and still is, a
hard time for many.
But
tonight, we turn the page.
Tonight,
after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and
creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate
is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our
kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured
than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as
we’ve been in almost 30 years.
Tonight,
for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is
over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain. And we salute the
courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 Generation
who has served to keep us safe. We are humbled and grateful for your
service.
America,
for all that we’ve endured; for all the grit and hard work required
to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:
The
shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.
At
this moment?—?with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling
industry, and booming energy production?—?we have risen from
recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on
Earth. It’s now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next
fifteen years, and for decades to come.
Will
we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or
will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes
and chances for everyone who makes the effort?
Will
we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly
conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing? Or will
we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats
and protect our planet?
Will
we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one
another?—?or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has
always propelled America forward?
In
two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that
are practical, not partisan. And
in the months ahead, I’ll crisscross the country making a case for
those ideas.
So
tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals, and focus
more on the values at stake in the choices before us.
It
begins with our economy.
Seven
years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds. She
waited tables. He worked construction. Their first child, Jack, was
on the way.
They
were young and in love in America, and it doesn’t get much better
than that.
“If
only we had known,” Rebekah wrote to me last spring, “what was
about to happen to the housing and construction market.”
As
the crisis worsened, Ben’s business dried up, so he took what jobs
he could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches
of time. Rebekah took out student loans, enrolled in community
college, and retrained for a new career. They sacrificed for each
other. And slowly, it paid off. They bought their first home. They
had a second son, Henry. Rebekah got a better job, and then a raise.
Ben is back in construction?—?and home for dinner every night.
“It
is amazing,” Rebekah wrote, “what you can bounce back from when
you have to…we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it
through some very, very hard times.”
We
are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very,
very hard times.
America,
Rebekah and Ben’s story is our story. They represent the millions
who have worked hard, and scrimped, and sacrificed, and retooled. You
are the reason I ran for this office. You’re the people I was
thinking of six years ago today, in the darkest months of the crisis,
when I stood on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would
rebuild our economy on a new foundation. And it’s been your effort
and resilience that has made it possible for our country to emerge
stronger.
We
believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and draw new jobs
to our shores. And over the past five years, our businesses have
created more than 11 million new jobs.
We
believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect
our planet. And today, America is number one in oil and gas. America
is number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as
much solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thanks to lower gas
prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should
save $750 at the pump.
We
believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world. And
today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading
scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time
high. And more Americans finish college than ever before.
We
believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis,
shield families from ruin, and encourage fair competition. Today, we
have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts, and a new consumer
watchdog to protect us from predatory lending and abusive credit card
practices. And in the past year alone, about ten million uninsured
Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.
At
every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious;
that we would crush jobs and explode deficits. Instead, we’ve seen
the fastest economic growth in over a decade, our deficits cut by
two-thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care
inflation at its lowest rate in fifty years.
So
the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. Expanding
opportunity works. And these policies will continue to work, as long
as politics don’t get in the way. We can’t slow down businesses
or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal
showdowns. We
can’t put the security of families at risk by taking away their
health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or
refighting past battles on immigration when we’ve got a system to
fix. And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these
things, it will earn my veto.
Today,
thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and more
lives. Wages are finally starting to rise again. We know that more
small business owners plan to raise their employees’ pay than at
any time since 2007. But here’s the thing?—?those of us here
tonight, we need to set our sights higher than just making sure
government doesn’t halt the progress we’re making. We need to do
more than just do no harm. Tonight, together, let’s do more to
restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every
American.
Because
families like Rebekah’s still need our help. She and Ben are
working as hard as ever, but have to forego vacations and a new car
so they can pay off student loans and save for retirement. Basic
childcare for Jack and Henry costs more than their mortgage, and
almost as much as a year at the University of Minnesota. Like
millions of hardworking Americans, Rebekah isn’t asking for a
handout, but she is asking that we look for more ways to help
families get ahead.
In
fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, this
country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to
make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We set up worker protections,
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the
harshest adversity. We gave our citizens schools and colleges,
infrastructure and the internet?—?tools they needed to go as far as
their effort will take them.
That’s
what middle-class economics is?—?the idea that this country does
best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair
share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. We don’t just
want everyone to share in America’s success?—?we want everyone to
contribute to our success.
So
what does middle-class economics require in our time?
First?—?middle-class
economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world
of constant change. That means helping folks afford childcare,
college, health care, a home, retirement?—?and my budget will
address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families
and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.
Here’s
one example. During World War II, when men like my grandfather went
off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a
national security priority?—?so this country provided universal
childcare. In today’s economy, when having both parents in the
workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need
affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever. It’s not a
nice-to-have?—?it’s a must-have. It’s time we stop treating
childcare as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it like
the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that’s
why my plan will make quality childcare more available, and more
affordable, for every middle-class and low-income family with young
children in America?—?by creating more slots and a new tax cut of
up to $3,000 per child, per year.
Here’s
another example. Today, we’re the only advanced country on Earth
that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to
our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave.
Forty-three million. Think about that. And that forces too many
parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a
sick kid at home. So I’ll be taking new action to help states adopt
paid leave laws of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it
was on the ballot last November, let’s put it to a vote right here
in Washington. Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the
opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave. It’s the right
thing to do.
Of
course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages.
That’s why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure
a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really.
It’s 2015. It’s time. We still need to make sure employees get
the overtime they’ve earned. And to everyone in this Congress who
still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly
believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than
$15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the
hardest-working people in America a raise.
These
ideas won’t make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. That’s
not the job of government. To
give working families a fair shot, we’ll still need more employers
to see beyond next quarter’s earnings and recognize that investing
in their workforce is in their company’s long-term interest. We
still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give
American workers a voice. But
things like child care and sick leave and equal pay; things like
lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage?—?these ideas
will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of
families. That is a fact. And that’s what all of us?—?Republicans
and Democrats alike?—?were sent here to do.
Second,
to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have
to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills.
America
thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a
generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in the
world. But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like
never before, we need to do more.
By
the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some
higher education. Two in three. And yet, we still live in a country
where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the
education they need. It’s not fair to them, and it’s not smart
for our future.
That’s
why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of
community college?—?to zero.
Forty
percent of our college students choose community college. Some are
young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job.
Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into
the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate
ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. Understand, you’ve
got to earn it?—?you’ve got to keep your grades up and graduate
on time. Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago,
a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community
college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America,
so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America
as high school is today. And I want to work with this Congress, to
make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce
their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn’t derail
anyone’s dreams.
Thanks
to Vice President Biden’s great work to update our job training
system, we’re connecting community colleges with local employers to
train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and
robotics. Tonight, I’m also asking more businesses to follow the
lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational
benefits and paid apprenticeships?—?opportunities that give workers
the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don’t have a
higher education.
And
as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every
opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend. Already,
we’ve made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access
to the highest quality care. We’re slashing the backlog that had
too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need, and
we’re making it easier for vets to translate their training and
experience into civilian jobs. Joining Forces, the national campaign
launched by Michelle and Jill Biden, has helped nearly 700,000
veterans and military spouses get new jobs. So to every CEO in
America, let me repeat: If you want somebody who’s going to get the
job done, hire a veteran.
Since
2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan,
and all advanced economies combined. Our
manufacturers have added almost 800,000 new jobs. Some of our bedrock
sectors, like our auto industry, are booming. But there are also
millions of Americans who work in jobs that didn’t even exist ten
or twenty years ago?—?jobs at companies like Google, and eBay, and
Tesla.
So
no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs of
the future. But we do know we want them here in America. That’s why
the third part of middle-class economics is about building the most
competitive economy anywhere, the place where businesses want to
locate and hire.
21st
century businesses need 21st century infrastructure?—?modern ports,
stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet. Democrats
and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights
higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a bipartisan
infrastructure plan that could create more than thirty times as many
jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.
21st
century businesses will rely on American science, technology,
research and development. I want the country that eliminated polio
and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine?—?one
that delivers the right treatment at the right time. In some patients
with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once
thought unstoppable. Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision
Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer
and diabetes?—?and to give all of us access to the personalized
information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier.
I
intend to protect a free and open internet, extend
its reach to every classroom, and every community, and help folks
build the fastest networks, so that the next generation of digital
innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our
world.
I
want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that
unleash new jobs?—?converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating
revolutionary prosthetics, so that a veteran who gave his arms for
his country can play catch with his kid; pushing out into the Solar
System not just to visit, but to stay. Last month, we launched a new
spacecraft as part of a re-energized space program that will send
American astronauts to Mars. In two months, to prepare us for those
missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space. Good
luck, Captain?—?and make sure to Instagram it.
Now,
the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic
research, I know there’s bipartisan support in this chamber.
Members of both parties have told me so. Where we too often run onto
the rocks is how to pay for these investments. As Americans, we don’t
mind paying our fair share of taxes, as long as everybody else does,
too. But for far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with
loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay
full freight. They’ve riddled it with giveaways the superrich don’t
need, denying a break to middle class families who do.
This
year, we have an opportunity to change that. Let’s
close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits
abroad, and reward those that invest in America.
Let’s use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and make it
more attractive for companies to bring jobs home. Let’s simplify
the system and let a small business owner file based on her actual
bank statement, instead of the number of accountants she can afford.
And let’s close the loopholes that lead to inequality by allowing
the top one percent to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated
wealth. We can use that money to help more families pay for childcare
and send their kids to college. We need a tax code that truly helps
working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we
can achieve that together.
Of
course, if there’s one thing this new century has taught us, it’s
that we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our
shores.
My
first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of
America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in
the world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the
headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a
challenge is to send in our military?—?then we risk getting drawn
into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need
for a safer, more prosperous world. That’s what our enemies want us
to do.
I
believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We
lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when
we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don’t let
our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century
presents. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now?—?and
around the globe, it is making a difference.
First,
we stand united with people around the world who’ve been targeted
by terrorists?—?from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris.
We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their
networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we’ve
done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose
a direct threat to us and our allies.
At
the same time, we’ve learned some costly lessons over the last
thirteen years.
Instead
of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we’ve trained
their security forces, who’ve now taken the lead, and we’ve
honored our troops’ sacrifice by supporting that country’s first
democratic transition. Instead of sending large ground forces
overseas, we’re partnering with nations from South Asia to North
Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. In Iraq
and Syria, American leadership?—?including our military power?—?is
stopping ISIL’s advance. Instead of getting dragged into another
ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition,
including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this
terrorist group. We’re also supporting a moderate opposition in
Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people
everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent
extremism. This effort will take time. It will require focus. But
we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the
world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to
authorize the use of force against ISIL.
Second,
we are demonstrating the power of American strength and
diplomacy. We’re
upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the
small?—?by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine’s
democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies. Last year, as we were
doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some
suggested that Mr. Putin’s aggression was a masterful display of
strategy and strength. Well,
today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies,
while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters.
That’s
how America leads?—?not with bluster, but with persistent, steady
resolve.
In
Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date.
When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time
to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to
end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse
for restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and
extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. And this year,
Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo. As His
Holiness, Pope Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of “small
steps.” These small steps have added up to new hope for the future
in Cuba. And after years in prison, we’re overjoyed that Alan Gross
is back where he belongs. Welcome home, Alan.
Our
diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time
in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and
reduced its stockpile of nuclear material. Between now and this
spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that
prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our
allies?—?including Israel; while avoiding yet another Middle East
conflict.
There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and
I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran. But new
sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all
but guarantee that diplomacy fails?—?alienating America from its
allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again.
It doesn’t make sense. That is why I will veto any new sanctions
bill that threatens to undo this progress. The American people expect
us to only go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to
that wisdom.
Third,
we’re looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the past
to shape the coming century.
No
foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks,
steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families,
especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates
intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat
terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the
legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of
cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s
information. If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our
economy vulnerable. If we do, we can continue to protect the
technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people
around the globe.
In
West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses and
healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola?—?saving countless lives
and stopping the spread of disease. I couldn’t be prouder of them,
and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their
efforts. But the job is not yet done?—?and the world needs to use
this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the
spread of future pandemics, invest in smart development, and
eradicate extreme poverty.
In
the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure that
other nations play by the rules?—?in how they trade, how they
resolve maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common
international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief.
And no challenge?—?no challenge?—?poses a greater threat to
future generations than climate change.
2014
was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t
make a trend, but this does?—?14 of the 15 warmest years on record
have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.
I’ve
heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not
scientists; that we don’t have enough information to act. Well, I’m
not a scientist, either. But you know what?—?I know a lot of really
good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The
best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities
are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll
continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous
droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater
migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says
that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security.
We should act like it.
That’s
why, over the past six years, we’ve done more than ever before to
combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we
use it. That’s why we’ve set aside more public lands and waters
than any administration in history. And that’s why I will not let
this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the
clock on our efforts. I am determined to make sure American
leadership drives international action. In Beijing, we made an
historic announcement?—?the United States will double the pace at
which we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first
time, to limiting their emissions. And because the world’s two
largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up,
and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally reach an
agreement to protect the one planet we’ve got.
There’s
one last pillar to our leadership?—?and that’s the example of our
values.
As
Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we’re threatened,
which is why I’ve prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our
use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It’s why
we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced
in certain parts of the world. It’s why we continue to reject
offensive stereotypes of Muslims?—?the vast majority of whom share
our commitment to peace. That’s why we defend free speech, and
advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of
women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or transgender. We do these things not only because they’re
right, but because they make us safer.
As
Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice?—?so it makes
no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a
prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit. Since
I’ve been President, we’ve worked responsibly to cut the
population of GTMO in half. Now it’s time to finish the job. And I
will not relent in my determination to shut it down. It’s not who
we are.
As
Americans, we cherish our civil liberties?—?and we need to uphold
that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries
and industry in our fight against terrorist networks. So
while some have moved on from the debates over our surveillance
programs, I haven’t. As promised, our intelligence agencies have
worked hard, with the recommendations of privacy advocates, to
increase transparency and build more safeguards against potential
abuse. And next month, we’ll issue a report on how we’re keeping
our promise to keep our country safe while strengthening privacy.
Looking
to the future instead of the past. Making sure we match our power
with diplomacy, and use force wisely. Building coalitions to meet new
challenges and opportunities. Leading?—?always?—?with the example
of our values. That’s what makes us exceptional. That’s what
keeps us strong. And that’s why we must keep striving to hold
ourselves to the highest of standards?—?our own.
You
know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said
there wasn’t a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black
America or a white America?—?but a United States of America. I said
this because I had seen it in my own life, in a nation that gave
someone like me a chance; because I grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot
of races and customs; because I made Illinois my home?—?a state of
small towns, rich farmland, and one of the world’s great cities; a
microcosm of the country where Democrats and Republicans and
Independents, good people of every ethnicity and every faith, share
certain bedrock values.
Over
the past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that
my presidency hasn’t delivered on this vision. How ironic, they
say, that our politics seems more divided than ever. It’s held up
as proof not just of my own flaws?—?of which there are many?—?but
also as proof that the vision itself is misguided, and naïve, and
that there are too many people in this town who actually benefit from
partisanship and gridlock for us to ever do anything about it.
I
know how tempting such cynicism may be. But I still think the cynics
are wrong.
I
still believe that we are one people. I still believe that together,
we can do great things, even when the odds are long. I believe this
because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America
at its best. I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates from
New York to California; and our newest officers at West Point,
Annapolis, Colorado Springs, and New London. I’ve mourned with
grieving families in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and
West Virginia. I’ve watched Americans beat back adversity from the
Gulf Coast to the Great Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the
Mid-Atlantic seaboard. I’ve seen something like gay marriage go
from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom
across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in
ten Americans call home.
So
I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the
American people who, every day, live the idea that we are our
brother’s keeper, and our sister’s keeper. And I know they expect
those of us who serve here to set a better example.
So
the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all of us, can
better reflect America’s hopes. I’ve served in Congress with many
of you. I know many of you well. There are a lot of good people here,
on both sides of the aisle. And many of you have told me that this
isn’t what you signed up for?—?arguing past each other on cable
shows, the constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at
how the base will react to every decision.
Imagine
if we broke out of these tired old patterns. Imagine if we did
something different.
Understand?—?a
better politics isn’t one where Democrats abandon their agenda or
Republicans simply embrace mine.
A
better politics is one where we appeal to each other’s basic
decency instead of our basest feыrs.
A
better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark
money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time
lifting young people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility, and
asking them to join in the great mission of building America.
If
we’re going to have arguments, let’s have arguments?—?but let’s
make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.
We
still may not agree on a woman’s right to choose, but surely we can
agree it’s a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are
nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the
health care she needs.
Yes,
passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see
something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that
no one benefits when a hardworking mom is taken from her child, and
that it’s possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a
nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.
We
may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the
right to vote is sacred; that it’s being denied to too many; and
that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to
Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come
together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every
single American.
We
may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. But
surely we can understand a father who fears his son can’t walk home
without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won’t
rest until the police officer she married walks through the front
door at the end of his shift. Surely we can agree it’s a good thing
that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the
incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a
starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and
law enforcement, to reform America’s criminal justice system so
that it protects and serves us all.
That’s
a better politics. That’s how we start rebuilding trust. That’s
how we move this country forward. That’s what the American people
want. That’s what they deserve.
I
have no more campaigns to run. My only agenda for the next two years
is the same as the one I’ve had since the day I swore an oath on
the steps of this Capitol?—?to do what I believe is best for
America. If you share the broad vision I outlined tonight, join me in
the work at hand. If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you’ll
at least work with me where you do agree. And I commit to every
Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I
will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.
Because
I want this chamber, this city, to reflect the truth?—?that for all
our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a people with the strength
and generosity of spirit to bridge divides, to unite in common
effort, and help our neighbors, whether down the street or on the
other side of the world.
I
want our actions to tell every child, in every neighborhood: your
life matters, and we are as committed to improving your life chances
as we are for our own kids.
I
want future generations to know that we are a people who see our
differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the
dignity and worth of every citizen?—?man and woman, young and old,
black and white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and Native American, gay
and straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability.
I
want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still
know to be true: that we are still more than a collection of red
states and blue states; that we are the United States of America.
I
want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can
sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up
these past six years:
“It
is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to…we are a
strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very
hard times.”
My
fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit family. We, too,
have made it through some hard times. Fifteen years into this new
century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun
again the work of remaking America. We’ve laid a new foundation. A
brighter future is ours to write. Let’s begin this new
chapter?—?together?—?and let’s start the work right now.
Thank
you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.
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