WASHINGTON — The White House has released the prepared text of the State of the Union Address, and unlike in the custom of previous years, they have allowed the media to disseminate it freely.
鈥淭here is a ritual on State of the Union night in Washington,鈥� the White House said in a post on Medium. 鈥淎 little before the address, the White House sends out an embargoed copy of the President鈥檚 speech to the press (embargoed means that the press can see the speech, but they can鈥檛 report on it until a designated time). The reporters then start sending it around town to folks on Capitol Hill to get their reaction, then those people send it to all their friends, and eventually everyone in Washington can read along, but the public remains in the dark.
鈥淭his year we change that.鈥�
The text is below:
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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鈥檝e 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鈥檝e 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鈥娾�斺�妛ith a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production鈥娾�斺�妛e have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妎r 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鈥檒l 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鈥檛 get much better than that.
鈥淚f only we had known,鈥� Rebekah wrote to me last spring, 鈥渨hat was about to happen to the housing and construction market.鈥�
As the crisis worsened, Ben鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�奱nd home for dinner every night.
鈥淚t is amazing,鈥� Rebekah wrote, 鈥渨hat you can bounce back from when you have to鈥e are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.鈥�
We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.
America, Rebekah and Ben鈥檚 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鈥檙e 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鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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鈥檛 get in the way. We can鈥檛 slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns. We can鈥檛 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鈥檝e 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鈥� pay than at any time since 2007. But here鈥檚 the thing鈥娾�斺�妕hose of us here tonight, we need to set our sights higher than just making sure government doesn鈥檛 halt the progress we鈥檙e making. We need to do more than just do no harm. Tonight, together, let鈥檚 do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American.
Because families like Rebekah鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥娾�斺�妕ools they needed to go as far as their effort will take them.
That鈥檚 what middle-class economics is鈥娾�斺�妕he 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鈥檛 just want everyone to share in America鈥檚 success鈥娾�斺�妛e want everyone to contribute to our success.
So what does middle-class economics require in our time?
First鈥娾�斺�妋iddle-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鈥娾�斺�奱nd 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鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妔o this country provided universal childcare. In today鈥檚 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鈥檚 not a nice-to-have鈥娾�斺�奿t鈥檚 a must-have. It鈥檚 time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women鈥檚 issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�奲y creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.
Here鈥檚 another example. Today, we鈥檙e the only advanced country on Earth that doesn鈥檛 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鈥檒l 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 the right thing to do.
Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. That鈥檚 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鈥檚 2015. It鈥檚 time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they鈥檝e 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鈥檛 make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship. That鈥檚 not the job of government. To give working families a fair shot, we鈥檒l still need more employers to see beyond next quarter鈥檚 earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妕hese ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families. That is a fact. And that鈥檚 what all of us鈥娾�斺�奟epublicans and Democrats alike鈥娾�斺�妛ere 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鈥檚 not fair to them, and it鈥檚 not smart for our future.
That鈥檚 why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college鈥娾�斺�妕o 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鈥檝e got to earn it鈥娾�斺�妝ou鈥檝e 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鈥檛 derail anyone鈥檚 dreams.
Thanks to Vice President Biden鈥檚 great work to update our job training system, we鈥檙e connecting community colleges with local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and robotics. Tonight, I鈥檓 also asking more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid apprenticeships鈥娾�斺�妎pportunities that give workers the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don鈥檛 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鈥檝e made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the highest quality care. We鈥檙e slashing the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need, and we鈥檙e 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鈥檚 going to get the job done, hire a veteran.
Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill.
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鈥檛 even exist ten or twenty years ago鈥娾�斺�妀obs 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鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妋odern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet. Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let鈥檚 set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let鈥檚 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, including small businesses, need to sell more American products overseas. Today, our businesses export more than ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages.
But as we speak, China wants to write the rules for the world鈥檚 fastest-growing region. That would put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage. Why would we let that happen? We should write those rules. We should level the playing field. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 asking both parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect American workers, with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren鈥檛 just free, but fair.
Look, I鈥檓 the first one to admit that past trade deals haven鈥檛 always lived up to the hype, and that鈥檚 why we鈥檝e gone after countries that break the rules at our expense. But ninety-five percent of the world鈥檚 customers live outside our borders, and we can鈥檛 close ourselves off from those opportunities. More than half of manufacturing executives have said they鈥檙e actively looking at bringing jobs back from China. Let鈥檚 give them one more reason to get it done.
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鈥娾�斺�妎ne 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鈥檓 launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes鈥娾�斺�奱nd 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鈥娾�斺�奵onverting 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鈥娾�斺�奱nd make sure to Instagram it.
Now, the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic research, I know there鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檝e riddled it with giveaways the superrich don鈥檛 need, denying a break to middle class families who do.
This year, we have an opportunity to change that. Let鈥檚 close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and reward those that invest in America. Let鈥檚 use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs home. Let鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
Helping hardworking families make ends meet. Giving them the tools they need for good-paying jobs in this new economy. Maintaining the conditions for growth and competitiveness. This is where America needs to go. I believe it鈥檚 where the American people want to go. It will make our economy stronger a year from now, fifteen years from now, and deep into the century ahead.
Of course, if there鈥檚 one thing this new century has taught us, it鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妕hen we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world. That鈥檚 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鈥檛 let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That鈥檚 exactly what we鈥檙e doing right now鈥娾�斺�奱nd around the globe, it is making a difference.
First, we stand united with people around the world who鈥檝e been targeted by terrorists鈥娾�斺�奻rom 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鈥檝e 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鈥檝e learned some costly lessons over the last thirteen years.
Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we鈥檝e trained their security forces, who鈥檝e now taken the lead, and we鈥檝e honored our troops鈥� sacrifice by supporting that country鈥檚 first democratic transition. Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we鈥檙e partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. In Iraq and Syria, American leadership鈥娾�斺�奿ncluding our military power鈥娾�斺�奿s stopping ISIL鈥檚 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鈥檙e 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鈥檙e upholding the principle that bigger nations can鈥檛 bully the small鈥娾�斺�奲y opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 how America leads鈥娾�斺�妌ot with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.
In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you鈥檙e doing doesn鈥檛 work for fifty years, it鈥檚 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 鈥渟mall steps.鈥� These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba. And after years in prison, we鈥檙e 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鈥檝e 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鈥娾�斺�奿ncluding 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鈥娾�斺�奱lienating America from its allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again. It doesn鈥檛 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鈥檙e 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鈥檚 information. If we don鈥檛 act, we鈥檒l 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鈥娾�斺�妔aving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease. I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of them, and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts. But the job is not yet done鈥娾�斺�奱nd 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鈥娾�斺�奿n 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鈥娾�斺�妌o challenge鈥娾�斺�妏oses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.
2014 was the planet鈥檚 warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn鈥檛 make a trend, but this does鈥娾�斺��14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.
I鈥檝e heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they鈥檙e not scientists; that we don鈥檛 have enough information to act. Well, I鈥檓 not a scientist, either. But you know what鈥娾�斺�奍 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鈥檒l 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鈥檚 why, over the past six years, we鈥檝e done more than ever before to combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we use it. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e set aside more public lands and waters than any administration in history. And that鈥檚 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鈥娾�斺�妕he 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鈥檚 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鈥檝e got.
There鈥檚 one last pillar to our leadership鈥娾�斺�奱nd that鈥檚 the example of our values.
As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we鈥檙e threatened, which is why I鈥檝e prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained. It鈥檚 why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. It鈥檚 why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims鈥娾�斺�妕he vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace. That鈥檚 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鈥檙e right, but because they make us safer.
As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice鈥娾�斺�妔o 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鈥檝e been President, we鈥檝e worked responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in half. Now it鈥檚 time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down. It鈥檚 not who we are.
As Americans, we cherish our civil liberties鈥娾�斺�奱nd 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鈥檛. 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鈥檒l issue a report on how we鈥檙e 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鈥娾�斺�奱lways鈥娾�斺�妛ith the example of our values. That鈥檚 what makes us exceptional. That鈥檚 what keeps us strong. And that鈥檚 why we must keep striving to hold ourselves to the highest of standards鈥娾�斺�妎ur own.
You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn鈥檛 a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black America or a white America鈥娾�斺�奲ut 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鈥娾�斺�奱 state of small towns, rich farmland, and one of the world鈥檚 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鈥檛 delivered on this vision. How ironic, they say, that our politics seems more divided than ever. It鈥檚 held up as proof not just of my own flaws鈥娾�斺�妎f which there are many鈥娾�斺�奲ut also as proof that the vision itself is misguided, and na茂ve, 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鈥檝e 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鈥檝e mourned with grieving families in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and West Virginia. I鈥檝e watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. I鈥檝e 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鈥檚 keeper, and our sister鈥檚 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鈥檚 hopes. I鈥檝e 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鈥檛 what you signed up for鈥娾�斺�奱rguing 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鈥娾�斺�奱 better politics isn鈥檛 one where Democrats abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.
A better politics is one where we appeal to each other鈥檚 basic decency instead of our basest fears.
A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other; where we talk issues, and values, and principles, and facts, rather than 鈥済otcha鈥� moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people鈥檚 daily lives.
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鈥檙e going to have arguments, let鈥檚 have arguments鈥娾�斺�奲ut let鈥檚 make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.
We still may not agree on a woman鈥檚 right to choose, but surely we can agree it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檛 walk home without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won鈥檛 rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift.
Surely we can agree it鈥檚 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鈥檚 criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.
That鈥檚 a better politics. That鈥檚 how we start rebuilding trust. That鈥檚 how we move this country forward.
That鈥檚 what the American people want. That鈥檚 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鈥檝e had since the day I swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol鈥娾�斺�妕o 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鈥檒l 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鈥娾�斺�妕hat 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鈥娾�斺�妋an 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:
鈥淚t is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to鈥e are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.鈥�
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鈥檝e laid a new foundation. A brighter future is ours to write. Let鈥檚 begin this new chapter鈥娾�斺�妕ogether鈥娾�斺�奱nd let鈥檚 start the work right now.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.
