President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address

admits and chuckle understand it's good to be almost home down the hall anyway thank you all madam speaker madam vice president no president has ever said those words from this podium no president has ever said those words and it's about time first lady i'm her husband second gentleman chief justice members of the united states congress and the cabinet distinguished guests my fellow americans while the setting tonight is familiar this gathering is just a little bit different a reminder of the extraordinary times we're in throughout our history presidents have come to this chamber to speak to congress to the nation and to the world to declare war to celebrate peace to announce new plans and possibilities tonight i come to talk about crisis and opportunity about rebuilding the nation revitalizing our democracy and winning the future for america i stand here tonight one day shy of the 100th day of my administration a hundred days since i took the oath of office and lifted my hand off our family bible and inherited a nation we all did that was in crisis the worst pandemic in a century the worst economic crisis since the great depression the worst attack on our democracy since the civil war now after just 100 days i can report to the nation america is on the move again attorney parallel into possibility crisis to opportunity setbacks and the strength we all know life can knock us down but in america we never ever ever stay down americans always get up today that's what we're doing america is rising anew choosing hope over fear truth over lies and light over darkness after 100 days of rescuing renewal america is ready for a takeoff in my view we're working again dreaming again discovering again and leading the world again we have shown each other and the world that there's no quit in america none 100 days ago america's house was on fire we had to act and thanks the extraordinary leadership of speaker pelosi majority leader schumer and the overwhelming support of the american people democrats independents and republicans we did act together we passed the american rescue plan one of the most consequential rescue packages in american history we're already seeing the results we're already seeing the results after i promised we'd get 100 million covet 19 vaccine shots into people's arms in 100 days we will have provided over 220 million coveted shots in those hundred days thanks to all the help of all of you we're marshaling with your help everyone's help we're marshaling every federal resource we've gotten vaccines nearly 40 000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers where the poorest of the poor can be reached we're setting up community vaccination sites developing mobile units to get the hard to reach communities today 90 of americans now live within five miles of a vaccination site everyone over the age of 16 everyone is now eligible to get vaccinated right now right away go get vaccinated america go and get the vaccination they're available you're eligible now when i was sworn in on january 20th less than one percent of the seniors in america are fully vaccinated against coven 19. 100 days later 70 percent of seniors in america over 65 are protected fully protected senior deaths from cover 19 are down 80 since january down 80 percent because of all of you and more than half of all the adults in america have gotten at least one shot a mass vaccination center in glendale arizona i asked the nurse i said what's it like she looked at me and she said it's like every shot is giving a dose of hope as a phrase a dose of hope a dose of hope for an educator in florida was a child suffering from an autoimmune disease wrote to me said she's worried that she was worried about bringing the virus home she said she then got vaccinated at a large site in her car she said she sat in her car when she got vaccinated and just cried cried out of joy and cried out a relief parents seeing the smiles on the kids faces for those who are able to go back to school because the teachers and school bus drivers and cafeteria workers have been vaccinated grandparents hugging their children and grandchildren instead of pressing hands against the window to say goodbye means everything those things mean everything you know they're still you all know it you know better than any group of americans there's still more work to do to beat this virus we can't let our guard down but tonight i can say because of you the american people our progress these past hundred days against one of the worst pandemics in history has been one of the greatest logistical achievements logistical achievements this country's ever seen what else have we done in those first hundred days we kept our commitment democrats and republicans of sending 1400 rescue checks to 85 percent of american households we already sent more than once 160 million checks out the door it's making the difference you all know when you go home for many people it's making all the difference in the world a single mom in texas who wrote me she said she couldn't work but she said the relief check put food on the table and saved her and her son from eviction from their apartment a grandmother in virginia who told me she immediately took her granddaughter to the eye doctor something she said she put off for months because she didn't have the money one of the defining images at least from my perspective in this crisis has been cars lined up cars lined up for miles and not not people just barely ever start those cars nice cars lined up for miles waiting for a box of food to be put in their trunk i don't know about you but i didn't ever think i'd see that in america and all of this is through no fault of their own no fault of their own these people are in this position that's why the rescue plan is delivering food and nutrition assistance to millions of americans facing hunger and hungers down sharply already we're also providing rental assistance you all know this but the american people i want to make sure they understand keeping people from being evicted from their homes providing loans to small businesses that reopen and keep their employees on the job during these hundred days an additional eight hundred thousand americans enrolled in the affordable care act when i established a special sign-up period to do that 800 000 in that period we're making one of the largest one-time ever investments ever in improving health care for veterans critical investments to address the opioid crisis and maybe most importantly thanks to the american rescue plan we're on track to cut child poverty in america in half this year and in the process all this was all going on the economy created more than one million three hundred thousand new jobs in a hundred days more jobs and further more jobs in the first hundred days than any president on record the international monetary fund the international monetary fund is now estimating our economy will grow at a rate of more than six percent this year that'll be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in nearly four decades america's moving moving forward but we can't stop now we're in competition with china and other countries to win the 21st century we're at a great inflection point in history we have to do more than just build back better we build back we have to build back better we have to compete more strenuously than we have throughout our history we think about it public investment and infrastructure has literally transformed america our attitudes as well as our opportunities the transcontinental railroad interstate highways united two oceans and brought a totally new age of progress to the united states of america universal public schools and college aid open wide the doors of opportunity scientific breakthroughs took us to the moon now we're on mars discovering vaccines gave us the internet and so much more these are investments we made together as one country and investments that only the government was in a position to make time and again they propel us into the future that's why i propose the american jobs plan a once-in-a-generation investment in america itself this is the largest jobs plan since world war ii creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure jobs modernizing our roads bridges highways jobs building ports and airports rail carters transit lines it's clean water and today up to 10 million homes in america and more than 400 000 schools and child care centers have pipes with lead in them including drinking water a clear and present danger to our children's health american jobs plan creates jobs replacing 100 percent of the nation's lead pipes and service lines so every american can drink clean water and the process will create thousands and thousands of good paying jobs it creates jobs connecting every american with high-speed internet including 35 of the rural america that still doesn't have it it's going to help our kids and our businesses succeed in the 21st century economy and i'm asking the vice president to lead this effort if she would because i know get done creates jobs building a modern power grid our grids are vulnerable to storms hacks catastrophic failures with tight tragic results as we saw in texas and elsewhere during the winter storms american jobs plan will create jobs that lay thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid we can do that look american jobs plan will help millions of people get back to their jobs and back to their careers two million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic two million and too often because they couldn't get the care they needed to care for their child or care for an elderly parent who needs help 800 000 families are on the medicare waiting list right now to get home care for their aging parent or loved one with disability if you think it's not important check out in your own district democrat or republican democrat or republican voters their great concern almost as much as the children is taking care of an elderly loved one who can't be left alone medicaid contemplated but this plan is going to help those families and create jobs for our caregivers with better wages and better benefits continuing to cycle growth for too long we fail to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis jobs jobs jobs for me when i think climate change i think jobs american jobs plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes electrical workers ibew members installing 500 000 charging stations along our highways so we can own so we can own the electric car market farmers farmers planting cover crops so they can reduce the carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it look think about it there is simply no reason why the blades for wind turbines can't be built in pittsburgh instead of beijing no reason none no reason so folks there's no reason why american american workers can't lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries there is no reason we have this capacity we're the brightest best trained people in the world the american jobs plan is going to create millions of good paying jobs jobs americans can raise a family on as my dad would then say with a little breathing room and all the investments in the american job plan will be guided by one principle by american by america and i might note parenthetically that does not that does not violate any trade agreement it's been the law since the 30s buy american american tax dollars are going to be used to buy american products made in america to create american jobs that's the way it's supposed to be and it will be in this administration and i made it clear to all my cabinet people their ability to give exemptions has been extraneously limited it will be american products now i know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you so many of you so many of the folks i grew up with feel left behind forgotten in an economy that's so rapidly changing it's frightening i want to speak directly to you because you think about it that's what people are most worried about can i fit in independent experts estimate the american jobs plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars to economic growth in the years to come it is a it is a eight-year program these are good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced nearly 90 percent of the infrastructure jobs created in an american jobs plan do not require a college degree 75 percent don't require an associate's degree american jobs plan is a blue collar blueprint to build america that's what it is and it recognizes something i've always said in this chamber and the other good guys and women on wall street but wall street didn't build this country the middle class built the country and unions built the middle class so that's why i'm calling on congress to pass protect the right to organize act the pro act and send it to my desk so we can support the right to unionize and by the way while you're thinking about sending things to my desk let's raise the minimum wage to fifteen dollars no one no one working 40 hours a week no one working 40 hours a week should live below the poverty line we need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women and while we're doing this let's get the paycheck fairness act to my desk as well equal pay it's been much too long and if you wonder whether it's too long look behind me and finally american jobs finally the biggest increase in non-defense research and development on record we'll see more technological change and some of you know more about this than i do we'll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50. that's how rapidly artificial intelligence and so much more is changing and we're falling behind the competition with the rest of the world decades ago we used to invest two percent of our gross domestic product in america two percent of our gross domestic product and research and development today mr secretary that's less than one percent china and other countries are closing in fast we have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future advanced batteries biotechnology computer chips clean energy the secretary of defense can tell you and those you on work on national security issues know the defense department has an agency called darpa the defense advanced research project agency the people who set up before i came here and that's been a long time ago to develop breakthroughs that enhance our national security that's their only job and it's a semi-separate agency it's under the defense department it's led to everything from the discovery the internet to gps and so much more it's enhanced our security the national institute of health the nih i believe should create a similar advanced research projects agency for health and that was here's what it would do it would have a singular purpose to develop breakthroughs to prevent detect and treat diseases like alzheimer's diabetes and cancer i'll still never forget when we passed the cancer proposal last year as vice president almost nine million dollars going to nih they've excused the point of personal privilege and i forget you standing mitch and saying name and after my deceased son it meant a lot but so many of us had to see sons daughters and relatives who died of cancer i can think of no more worthy investment i know of nothing that is more bipartisan so let's end cancer as we know it it's within our power it's within our power to do it investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we're talking about have often had bipartisan support in the past vice president harris and i met regularly in the oval office of democrats and republicans discuss the jobs plan and i applaud a group of republican senators who just put forward their own proposal so let's get to work i wanted to lay out before the congress my plan before we got into the deep discussions i like to meet with those who have ideas that are different they think are better i welcome those ideas but the rest of the world is not waiting for us i just want to be clear from my perspective doing nothing is not an option look we can't be so busy competing with one another that we forget the competition that we have with the rest of the world to win the 21st century secretary of lincoln can tell you i spent a lot of time with president xi traveled over 17 000 miles with them spent their time over 24 hours in private discussions with him when he called to congratulate him we had a two-hour discussion he's deadly earnest about becoming the most significant consequential nation in the world he and others autocrats think that democracy can't compete in the 21st century with autocracies it takes too long to get consensus to win that competition for the future in my view we also need to make a once in a generation investment in our families and our children that's why i've introduced the american families plan tonight which addresses four of the biggest challenges facing american families and in turn america first is access to good education when this nation made 12 years of public education universal in the last century it made us the best educated best prepared nation in the world it's i believe the overwhelming reason that propelled us to where we got in the 21st in the 20th century but the world's caught up or catching up they're not waiting i would say parenthetically if we were sitting down we set a bipartisan committee together and said okay we're going to decide what we do in terms of government providing for free education i wonder whether we'd think as we did in the 20th century that 12 years is enough in the 21st century i doubt it 12 years is no longer enough today to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century that's why my american family's plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in america starting as early as we can a great universities in this country have conducted studies of the last 10 years it shows that adding two years of universal high quality preschool for every three-year-old and four-year-old no matter what background they come from puts them in the position to be able to compete all the way through 12 years and increases exponentially their prospect of graduating and going on beyond graduation research chose when a young child goes to school not daycare they're far more likely to graduate from high school and go to college or something after high school when you add two years of free community college on top of that you begin to change the dynamic we can do that and we'll increase pell grants and invest in historical black college and universities tribal colleges minority serving institutions the reason is they don't have the endowments but their students are just as capable of learning about cyber security just as capable of learning about metallurgy met all the things that are going on that provide those jobs of the future jill is a community college professor who teaches today as first lady she's long said she's long if i've heard it once i've heard it a thousand times joe any country that out educates us is going to out-compete us she'll be deeply involved in leaving this effort thank you jill second thing we need american families plan will provide access to quality affordable child care we guarantee when i'm proposing on legislation we guarantee that low middle-income families will pay no more than seven percent of their income for high quality care for children up to the age of five the most hard-pressed working families won't have to spend a dime third the american family's plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave and medical leave family america we're one of the few industrial countries in the world no one should have to choose between a job and a paycheck or taking care of themselves and their loved ones or parent or spouse or child and fourth the american family plan puts directly into the pockets of millions of americans in march we expanded tax credit for every child in a family up to three thousand dollars per child if you're under six years of age i mean excuse me under over six years of age and three thousand six hundred dollars for children over six years of age with two parents two kids that's seventy two hundred dollars in the pockets they're gonna help take care of your family and that will help more than 65 million children and help cut child care poverty in half and we can afford it so we did that in the in the last piece of legislation we passed but let's extend that child care tax credit at least through the end of 2025. the american rescue plan lowered health care premiums for nine million americans who buy their coverage under the affordable care act i know that's really popular this side of the aisle but let's make that provision permanent so their premiums don't go back up in addition to my family's plan i'm going to work with congress to address this year other critical priorities for american families the affordable care act has been a lifeline for millions of americans protecting people with pre-existing conditions protecting women's health and the pandemic has demonstrated how badly how badly it's needed let's lower deductibles for working families on the affordable care and affordable care act and let's lower prescription drug costs we know how to do this the last president had that as objective we all know how outrageously expensive drugs are in america in fact we pay the highest prescription drug prices of anywhere in the world right here in america nearly three times for the same drug nearly three times what other countries pay we have to change that and we can let's do what we talked about for all the years i was down here in this in this body in congress let's give medicare the power to save hundreds of billions by negotiating lower drug prescription prices by the way it won't just won't just tell people on medicare lower prescription drug costs for everyone and the money we save which is billions of dollars can go to strengthen the affordable care act and expand medicare coverage benefits without costing taxpayers an additional penny it's within our power to do it let's do it now we've talked about it long enough democrats and republicans let's get it done this year this is all about a simple premise health care should be a right not a privilege in america so how do we pay for my jobs and family plan i made it clear we can do without increasing the deficits let's start with what i will not do i will not impose any tax increase on people making less than four hundred thousand dollars it's but it's time for corporate america and the wealthiest one percent of americans have just begun to pay their fair share just their fair share sometimes i have arguments with my friends in the democratic party i think you should be able to become a billionaire and a millionaire but pay your fair share a recent study shows that 55 of the nation's biggest corporations paid zero federal tax last year those 55 corporations made in excess of 40 billion dollars in profit a lot of companies also evade taxes through tax havens in switzerland and bermuda and the cayman islands and they benefit from tax loopholes and deductions for offshoring jobs and shifting profits overseas it's not right we're going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from as well we're going to reward work not just wealth we take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest one percent of americans those making over 400 000 or more back up to where it was when george w bush was president when he started 39.6 that's where it was when george w was present we're going to get rid of the loopholes allow americans to make more than a million dollars a year and pay a lower tax rate on their capital gains in americans who receive a paycheck we're only going to affect three tenths of one percent of all americans by that action three tenths of one percent and the rs is going to crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes it's estimated to be billions of dollars by think tanks are left right and center i'm not looking to punish anybody but i will not add a tax burden additional tax burden to the middle class in this country they're already paying enough i believe what i propose is fair fiscally responsible and it raises revenue to pay for the plans i propose and will create millions of jobs that will grow the economy and enhance our financial standing in the country when you hear someone say they don't want to raise taxes on the wealthiest one percent or corporate america ask them whose taxes you want to raise instead who's there going to cut look the big tax cut of 2017. remember it was supposed to pay for itself that was how it was sold and generate vast economic growth instead it added two trillion dollars to the deficit it was a huge windfall for corporate america and those at the very top instead of using the tax saving to raise wages and invest in research and development it poured billions of dollars into the pockets of ceos in fact the pay gap between ceos and their workers is now among the largest in history according to one study ceos make 320 times what the average worker in their corporation makes used to be in a below 100. the pandemic is only made things worse 20 million americans lost their job in the pandemic working the middle class americans at the same time roughly 650 billionaires in america saw their net worth increase by more than one trillion dollars in the same exact period let me say it again 650 people increased their wealth by more than one trillion dollars during this pandemic and they're now worth more than four trillion dollars my fellow americans trickle down trickle down economics has never worked and it's time to grow the economy from the bottom in the middle out you know there's a broad consensus of economists left right and center and they agree what i'm proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic economic growth these are among the highest values investments we can make as a nation i've often said our greatest strength is the power of our example not just the example of our power my conversation with world leaders and i've spoken over 38 40 of them now i've made it known i've made it known that america is back you know what they say the comment i hear most of all from them so they say we see america's back but for how long but for how long my fellow americans we have to show not just that we're back but we're back to stay and that we aren't going to go alone we're going to do it by leading with our allies no one nation can deal with all the crises of our time from terrorism to nuclear proliferation mass migration cyber security climate change as well as experience what we're experiencing now pandemics there's no wall high enough to keep any virus out and our own vaccine supply as it grows to meet our needs and we're meeting them will become an arsenal for vaccines for other countries just as america is an arsenal for democracy for the world and that consequence influenced the world but every american will have access before that occur every american of access to be fully covered by covet 19 from the vaccines we have look the climate crisis is not our fight alone it's a global fight the united states accounts as all of you know less than 15 of carbon emissions the rest of the world accounts for 85 that's why i kept my commitment to rejoin the paris accord because if we do everything perfectly it's not going to only matter i kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in america with all the major economies of the world china russia india european union i said i'd do it my first hundred days i want to be very blunt about it i had my attempt was to make sure that the world could see there was a consensus that we are at an inflection point in history and kent's consensus is if we act to save the planet we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living to most everyone around the world if you watched any of it you were all busy i'm sure you didn't have much time that's what virtually every nation said even the ones that aren't doing their fair share the investments i propose tonight also advance the foreign policy in my view that benefits the middle class that means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy including china my discussions in my discussion with president xi i told him we welcome the competition we're not looking for conflict but i made absolutely clear that we will defend america's interest across the board america will stand up to unfair trade practices and undercut american workers and american industries like subsidies from state to state-owned operations and enterprises and the theft of american technology intellectual property i also told president xi that we'll maintain a strong military presence in the indo-pacific just as we do for nato and europe not to start a conflict but to prevent one i've told them what i've said to many world leaders that america will not back away from our commitments our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms and to our alliances i pointed out tim no responsible american president could remain silent when basic human rights are being so blatantly violated an american president president has to represent the essence of what our country stands for america is an idea the most unique idea in history we are created all of us equal it's who we are and we cannot walk away from that principle and in fact say we're dealing with the american idea with regard to russia i know it concerns some of you but i made very clear to putin excuse me escalation but their actions will have consequences they turn out to be true and they turned out to be true so i responded directly proportionately to russia's interference on our elections and the cyber attacks on our government and our business they did both of these things and i told them we would respond and we had but we can also cooperate when it's our mutual interest we did it when we extended the new start treaty on nuclear arms and we're working to do it on climate change but he understands we will respond on iran and north korea nuclear programs that present serious threats to american security and the security of the world we're going to be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through through diplomacy as well as stern deterrence and american leadership means ending the forever war in afghanistan we have we have without hyperbole the greatest fighting force in history of the world i'm the first president of 40 years who knows what it means to have a son serving in a war zone today we have service members serving in the same war zone as their parents did we have service members in afghanistan who are not yet born on 9 11. the war in afghanistan as we remember the debates here were never meant to be multi-generational undertakings of nation building we went to afghanistan to get terrorists the terrorists attacked us on 9 11. and we said we would follow osama bin laden to the gates of hell to do it if you've been in the upper conor valley you've kind of seen the gates of hell and we delivered justice to bin laden we degraded the terrorist threat of al-qaeda in afghanistan and after 20 years of value valor and sacrifice it's time to bring those troops home look even as we do we'll maintain over the horizon capacity to suppress future threats to the homeland make no mistake in 20 years terrorists has terrorism has metastasized the threat has evolved way beyond afghanistan those of you in the intelligence committees the foreign relations committee defense committees you know well we have to remain vigilant against the threats the united states wherever they come from al qaeda and isis are in yemen syria somalia other places in africa in the middle east and beyond and we won't ignore what our intelligence agencies have determined to be the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today white supremacy is terrorism we're not going to ignore that either my fellow americans look we have to come together to heal the soul of this nation it was nearly a year ago before her father's funeral when i spoke with gianna floyd george floyd's young daughter she's a little tight so i was kneeling down to talk to her so i could look her in the eye she looked at me she said my daddy changed the world well after the conviction of george floyd's murderer we can see how right she was if if we have the courage to act as a congress we've all seen the name and justice on the neck of black americans now's our opportunity to make some real progress the vast majority of men and women wearing a uniform and a badge serve our communities and they serve them honorably i know them i know they want i know they want to help meet this moment as well my fellow americans we have to come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve to root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system and to enact police reform in george floyd's name that passed the house already i know republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in a very productive discussions with democrats in the senate we need to work together to find a consensus but let's get it done next month by the first anniversary of george floyd's death the country supports this reform and congress should act should act we have a giant opportunity to bend the ark of the moral universe toward justice real justice and with the plans outlined tonight we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues america and american lives in other ways a chance to deliver real equity good jobs good schools affordable housing clean air clean water being able to generate wealth and pass it down to generations because you have an access to purchase a house real opportunities in the lives of more americans black white latino asian americans native americans look i also want to thank the united states senate for voting 94-1 to pass covet-19 hate crimes act to protect asian-american and pacific islanders you act it decisively you can see on television the viciousness of the hate crimes we've seen over the past year this past year and for too long i urge the house to do the same and send the legislation to my desk which i will gladly anxiously sign i also hope congressman get to my desk the equality act to protect lgbtq americans for all transgender americans watching at home especially young people you're so brave i want you to know your president has your back another thing let's authorize the violence against women act which has been law for 27 years 27 years ago i wrote it it'll close the act that has to be authorized now we'll close the boyfriend loophole to keep guns out of the hands of abusers the court order said this is an abuser you can't own a gun it's to close that loophole that existed you know it's estimated that 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month in america 50 a month let's pass it and save some and i lives to i need not tell anyone this but gun violence has become an epidemic in america the flag at the white house was still flying at half mast for the eight victims of the mass shooting in georgia when 10 more lives were taken to the mass union in colorado and in the week in between those two events 250 other americans were shot dead in the streets of america 250 shot dead i know how hard it is to make progress on this issue in the 90s we passed universal background checks a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold a hundred rounds that can be fired off in seconds we beat the nra mass shootings and gun violence decline check out the report over 10 years but in the early 20 to 2000s the law expired we've seen daily blood said since i'm not saying if the law continued we wouldn't see bloodshed more than two weeks ago in the rose garden surrounded by some of the bravest people i know the survivors and families who lost loved ones to gun violence i laid out several of the department of justice actions that are being taken to impact on this epidemic one of them is banning so-called ghost guns these are homemade guns built from a kit that includes directions how to finish the firearm the parts have no serial numbers so they show up at crime scenes and they can't be traced the buyers of these ghost gun kits aren't required to pass any background check anyone from a criminal or terrorist could buy this kit and within 30 minutes have a weapon that's lethal but no more and i'll do everything in my power to protect the american people from this epidemic of gun violence but it's time for congress to act as well look i don't want to become confrontational but we need more senate republicans to join the overwhelming majority of democratic colleagues and close the loopholes required in background check purchases of guns we need a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines don't tell me it can't be done we did it before and it worked talk to most responsible gun owners and hunters they'll tell you there's no possible justification for having 100 rounds and a weapon what do you think deer wearing kevlar vests and what's they'll tell you that they're too many people a day who are able to buy a gun but shouldn't be able to buy a gun these kinds of reasonable reforms have overwhelming support from the american people including many gun owners the country supports reform those and congress should act this shouldn't be a red or blue issue and no amendment to the constitution is absolute you can't yell fire in a crowded theater from the very beginning there were certain guns weapons that could not be owned by americans certain people could not own those weapons ever we're not changing the constitution we're being reasonable i think this is not a democrat or republican issue i think it's an american issue and here's what else we can do immigration has always been essential to america let's end our exhausting war over immigration for more than 30 years politicians have talked about immigration reform and we've done nothing about it it's time to fix it on day one of my presidency i kept my commitments and a comprehensive immigration bill to the united states congress if you believe we need to secure the border pass it because it has a lot of money for high-tech border security if you believe in a pathway to citizenship pass it it's over 11 million undocumented folks the vast majority of here overstaying visas pass it we can actually if you actually want to solve a problem i've sent a bill to take a close look at it we have to also have to get at the root problem of why people are fleeing particularly this to our southern border from guatemala honduras and el salvador the violence the corruption the gangs the political instability hunger hurricanes earthquakes natural disasters when i was president my president when i was vice president president asked me to focus on providing help needed to address the root causes of migration and it helped keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave the plan was working but the last administration decided it was not worth it i'm restoring the program and asked vice president harris to lead our diplomatic effort to take care of this i have absolute confidence to get the job done now look if you don't like my plan let's at least pass what we all agree on congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for dreamers the young people have only known america as their home and permanent protection for immigrants who are here on temporary protective status who came from countries that set by man-made and natural made violence and disaster as well as a pathway to citizens for farm workers to put food on our tables look immigrants have done so much for america during this pandemic and throughout our history the country supports immigration reform we should act let's argue over it let's debate it let's act and if we truly want us to restore the soul of america we need to protect the sacred right to vote most people more people vote in the last presidential election than any time in american history in the middle of the worst pandemic ever it should be celebrated instead it's being attacked congress should pass h.r 1 and the john lewis voting rights act and send it to my desk right away the country supports it and congress should act now look in conclusion as we gather here tonight the images of a violent mob assaulting this capital desecrating our democracy remain vivid in all our minds lives are put at risk many of your lives lives were lost extraordinary courage was summoned the insurrection was an existential crisis a test of whether our democracy could survive and it did but the struggle is far from over the question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent as old as our republic still vital today can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us created equal in the image of god had a chance to lead lives of dignity respect and possibility can our democracy deliver the most to the most pressing needs of our people can our democracy overcome the lies anger hate and fears that'll pull us apart america's adversaries the autocrats of the world are betting we can't and i promise you they're betting we can't they believe are too full of anger and division and rage they look at the images of the mob that assaulted the capital as proof that the sun is sending out american democracy but they're wrong you know it i know it but we have to prove them wrong we have to prove democracy still works that our government still works and we can deliver for our people in our first hundred days together we've acted restore people's faith in democracy to deliver we're vaccinating the nation we're creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs we're delivering real results to people they can see it feel it their own lives opening doors of opportunity guaranteeing some more fairness and justice that's the essence of america that's democracy in action our constitution opens with the words as trade as it sounds we the people well it's time to remember that we the people are the government you and i not some force in a distant capital not some powerful force that we have no control over it's us it's we the people in another era when our democracy was tested franklin roosevelt reminded us in america we do our part we all do our part that's all i'm asking that we do our part all of us if we do that we will meet the center challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong autocrats will not win the future we will america will and the future belongs to america as i stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour of life and democracy of our nation and i can say with absolute confidence i have never been more confident or optimistic about america not because i'm president because what's happening with the american people we've stared into the abyss of insurrection and autocracy pandemic and pain and we the people did not flinch at the very moment our adversaries were certain we'd pull apart and fail we came together we united with light and hope we summoned the new strength new resolve to position us to win the competition of the 21st century on our way to a union more perfect more prosperous and more just as one people one nation and one america folks as i told every world leader i've ever met with over the years it's never ever ever been a good bet to bet against america and it still isn't for the united states of america there's not a single thing nothing nothing beyond our capacity we can do whatever we set our minds to if we do it together so let's begin to get together god bless you all and may god protect our troops thank you for your patience thank you thank you shepard smith here thanks for watching cnbc on youtube

Channel: CNBC Television

Views: 495,252

Rating: 2.1096714 out of 5

Keywords: news with shepard smith, shepard smith, news, evening news, CNBC, business news, stock market, news station, breaking news, us news, world news, cable, cable news

Id: dggKaPXt0gI

Length: 65min 25sec (3925 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 28 2021