The President:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of
Congress, my fellow Americans: Today in America, a
teacher spent extra time with a student who needed
it, and did her part to lift
America's graduation rate to its highest level in more
than three decades. An entrepreneur flipped
on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part
to add to the more than 8 million new jobs our
businesses have created over the past four years. [Applause] An autoworker
fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient
cars in the world, and did his part to help America
wean itself off foreign oil. A farmer prepared for the
spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm
exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a
young child the first prescription to treat
asthma that his mother could afford. [Applause] A man took
the bus home from the graveyard shift,
bone-tired, but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tight-knit
communities all across America, fathers and
mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm
around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and
give thanks for being home from a war that, after 12 long
years, is finally coming to an end. [Applause] Tonight, this chamber
speaks with one voice to the people we represent:
It is you, our citizens, who make the state
of our union strong. [Applause] And here are the results
of your efforts: The lowest unemployment
rate in over five years. [Applause] A rebounding
housing market. [Applause] A manufacturing
sector that's adding jobs for the first time
since the 1990s. [Applause] More oil
produced at home than we buy from the rest of the
world -- the first time that's happened
in nearly 20 years. Our deficits
-- cut by more than half. And for the
first time in over a decade, business leaders
around the world have declared that China is no
longer the world's number one place to
invest; America is. [Applause] That's why I believe this
can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit
and determined effort, the United States is better
positioned for the 21st century than any
other nation on Earth. The question for everyone
in this chamber, running through every decision we
make this year, is whether we are going to help
or hinder this progress. For several years now,
this town has been consumed by a rancorous
argument over the proper size of the
federal government. It's an important debate
-- one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate
prevents us from carrying out even the most basic
functions of our democracy -- when our differences
shut down government or threaten the full faith
and credit of the United States -- then we are
not doing right by the American people. [Applause] Now, as President, I'm
committed to making Washington work better,
and rebuilding the trust of the people
who sent us here. And I believe most
of you are, too. Last month, thanks to
the work of Democrats and Republicans, Congress
finally produced a budget that undoes some of
last year's severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they
wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this
country's future while bringing down our deficit
in a balanced way, but the budget compromise should
leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs,
not creating new crises. [Applause] In the coming months,
let's see where else we can make progress
together. Let's make this
a year of action. That's what most Americans
want: for all of us in this chamber to focus
on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. What I believe unites the
people of this nation -- regardless of race or
region or party, young or old, rich or poor --
is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for
all -- the notion that if you work hard and take
responsibility, you can get ahead in America. [Applause] Let's face it: That belief
has suffered some serious blows. Over more than three
decades, even before the Great Recession hit,
massive shifts in technology and global
competition had eliminated a lot of good,
middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic
foundations that families depend on. Today, after four years of
economic growth, corporate profits and stock
prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top
have never done better. But average wages
have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility
has stalled. The cold, hard fact is
that even in the midst of recovery, too
many Americans are working more than ever just to get by,
let alone to get ahead. And too many still
aren't working at all. So our job is to
reverse these trends. It won't happen right
away, and we won't agree on everything. But what I offer tonight
is a set of concrete, practical proposals
to speed up growth, strengthen the middle
class, and build new ladders of
opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional
action, and I am eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand
still -- and neither will I. [Applause] So wherever and
whenever I can take steps without legislation to
expand opportunity for more American families,
that's what I'm going to do. [Applause] As usual, our First Lady
sets a good example. [Applause] Michelle's
Let's Move partnership with schools, businesses,
local leaders has helped bring down childhood
obesity rates for the first time in 30 years. [Applause] And that's
an achievement that will improve lives and
reduce health care costs for decades to come. The Joining Forces
alliance that Michelle and Jill Biden launched
has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses. [Applause] Taking a page from that
playbook, the White House just organized a
College Opportunity Summit, where already, 150 universities,
businesses, nonprofits have made concrete
commitments to reduce inequality in access to
higher education -- and to help every hardworking
kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus. [Applause] And across the country, we're partnering with mayors,
governors, and state legislatures on issues from
homelessness to marriage equality. The point is there are
millions of Americans outside of Washington
who are tired of stale political arguments and
are moving this country forward. They believe, and I
believe, that here in America, our
success should depend not on accident of birth, but
the strength of our work ethic and the scope
of our dreams. That's what drew
our forebears here. It's how the daughter of
a factory worker is CEO of America's largest
automaker. [Applause] How the son of a barkeep is Speaker of the House. [Applause] How the son of a single mom can be President of the greatest nation on Earth. [Applause] Opportunity is who we are. And the defining project
of our generation must be to restore that promise. We know where to start:
The best measure of opportunity is
access to a good job. With the economy picking
up speed, companies say they intend to
hire more people this year. And over half of big
manufacturers say they're thinking of
insourcing jobs from abroad. [Applause] So let's make that
decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and
Republicans have argued that our tax code is
riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes
that punish businesses investing here and reward
companies that keep profits abroad. Let's flip that equation. Let's work together to
close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship
jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for
businesses that create jobs right here at home. [Applause] Moreover, we can take the
money we save from this transition to tax reform
to create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes --
because in today's global economy, first-class jobs
gravitate to first-class infrastructure. We'll need Congress
to protect more than 3 million jobs by finishing
transportation and waterways bills
this summer. [Applause] That can happen. But I'll act on my own
to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting
process for key projects, so we can get more
construction workers on the job as fast
as possible. [Applause] We also have the chance,
right now, to beat other countries in the race for
the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs. My administration has
launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh, North Carolina and Youngstown, Ohio, where we've connected businesses
to research universities that can help America lead the world
in advanced technologies. Tonight, I'm announcing
we'll launch six more this year. Bipartisan bills in both
houses could double the number of these hubs and
the jobs they create. So get those bills to my
desk; put more Americans back to work. [Applause] Let's do more to help the
entrepreneurs and small business owners who create
most new jobs in America. Over the past five years,
my administration has made more loans to small
business owners than any other. And when 98 percent of
our exporters are small businesses, new trade
partnerships with Europe and the Asia Pacific will help them create more jobs. We need to work together
on tools like bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority
to protect our workers, protect our environment,
and open new markets to new goods stamped
"Made in the USA." [Applause] Listen, China and Europe
aren't standing on the sidelines, and
neither should we. We know that the nation
that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow. This is an edge America
cannot surrender. Federally funded research
helped lead to the ideas and inventions
behind Google and smartphones. And that's why Congress
should undo the damage done by last year's cuts
to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery. [Applause] There are entire
industries to be built based on vaccines
that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria,
or paper-thin material that's stronger
than steel. And let's pass a patent
reform bill that allows our businesses to stay
focused on innovation, not costly and needless
litigation. [Applause] Now, one of the biggest
factors in bringing more jobs back is
our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above
energy strategy I announced a few years ago
is working, and today, America is closer to
energy independence than we have been in decades. [Applause] One of the reasons why
is natural gas -- if extracted safely, it's the
bridge fuel that can power our economy with less
of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest
almost $100 billion in new factories that
use natural gas. I'll cut red tape to help
states get those factories built and put folks to
work, and this Congress can help by
putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more
cars and trucks from foreign oil to
American natural gas. [Applause] Meanwhile, my
administration will keep working with the industry
to sustain production and jobs growth while
strengthening protection of our air, our water,
our communities. And while we're at it,
I'll use my authority to protect more of our
pristine federal lands for future generations. [Applause] It's not just oil and
natural gas production that's booming; we're
becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes,
another American home or business goes solar, every
panel pounded into place by a worker whose job
cannot be outsourced. Let's continue that
progress with a smarter tax policy that stops
giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries
that don't need it, so we can invest more in fuels
of the future that do. [Applause] And even as we've
increased energy production, we've
partnered with businesses, builders, and local
communities to reduce the energy we consume. When we rescued our
automakers, for example, we worked with them to
set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming months, I'll
build on that success by setting new standards for
our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil
imports and what we pay at the pump. And taken together, our
energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a
cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years,
the United States has reduced our total carbon
pollution more than any other nation on Earth. [Applause] But we have to
act with more urgency -- because a changing climate
is already harming Western communities
struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing
with floods. That's why I directed my
administration to work with states, utilities,
and others to set new standards on the amount of
carbon pollution our power plants are allowed
to dump into the air. [Applause] The shift to a cleaner
energy economy won't happen overnight, and it
will require some tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. [Applause] And when our
children's children look us in the eye and ask if
we did all we could to leave them a safer, more
stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did. [Applause] Finally, if we're serious
about economic growth, it is time to heed the call
of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders,
law enforcement -- and fix our broken
immigration system. [Applause] Republicans and
Democrats in the Senate have acted. And I know that members of
both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say
immigration reform will grow our economy and
shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in
the next two decades. And for good reason:
When people come here to fulfill their dreams -- to
study, invent, contribute to our culture --
they make our country a more attractive place for
businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody. So let's get immigration
reform done this year. [Applause] Let's
get it done. It's time. [Applause] The ideas I've outlined
so far can speed up growth and create more jobs. But in this rapidly
changing economy, we have to make sure that every
American has the skills to fill those jobs. The good news is we
know how to do it. Two years ago, as the
auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed
parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she
knew how to make those parts. She just needed
the workforce. So she dialed up what
we call an American Jobs Center, places
where folks can walk in to get the help or training
they need to find a new job or a better job. She was flooded
with new workers. And today, Detroit
Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees. And what Andra and her
employees experienced is how it should be for every
employer and every job seeker. So tonight, I've asked
Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board
reform of America's training programs to
make sure they have one mission: Train
Americans with the skills employers need, and match them
to good jobs that need to be filled right now. [Applause] That means more on-the-job
training and more apprenticeships that set a
young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting
companies to community colleges that can
help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to
help, you can concentrate funding on
proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs. I'm also convinced we can
help Americans return to the workforce faster by
reforming unemployment insurance so that it's
more effective in today's economy. But first, this Congress
needs to restore the unemployment insurance you
just let expire for 1.6 million people. [Applause] Let me tell you why. Misty DeMars is a mother
of two young boys. She'd been steadily
employed since she was a teenager, put herself
through college. She'd never collected
unemployment benefits, but she'd been paying taxes. In May, she and her
husband used their life savings to buy
their first home. A week later, budget cuts
claimed the job she loved. Last month, when their
unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat
down and wrote me a letter, the kind I get every day. "We are the face of the unemployment crisis," she wrote. "I'm not dependent
on the government. Our country depends on
people like us who build careers, contribute
to society, care about our neighbors. I'm confident that in time
I will find a job, I will pay my taxes, and we will
raise our children in their own home in the
community we love. Please give us
this chance." Congress, give these
hardworking, responsible Americans that chance. [Applause] Give them that chance. [Applause] Give them the chance. [Applause] They need our
help right now. But more important, this
country needs them in the game. That's why I've been
asking CEOs to give more long-term
unemployed workers a fair shot at new jobs, a new
chance to support their families. And in fact, this week,
many will come to the White House to make
that commitment real. Tonight, I ask every
business leader in America to join us and to do the
same -- because we are stronger when
America fields a full team. [Applause] Of course, it's not
enough to train today's workforce. We also have to prepare
tomorrow's workforce, by guaranteeing every child
access to a world-class education. [Applause] Estiven Rodriguez couldn't
speak a word of English when he moved to New
York City at age nine. But last month, thanks
to the support of great teachers and an
innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his classmates
through a crowd of cheering parents and
neighbors from their high school to the
post office, where they mailed off their
college applications. And this son of a factory
worker just found out he's going to college
this fall. [Applause] Five years ago, we set out
to change the odds for all our kids. We worked with lenders to
reform student loans, and today, more young people
are earning college degrees than ever before. Race to the Top, with the
help of governors from both parties, has helped
states raise expectations and performance. Teachers and principals in
schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. are
making big strides in preparing students with
the skills for the new economy -- problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, math. Some of this
change is hard. It requires everything
from more challenging curriculums and more
demanding parents to better support for
teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids
think, not how well they can fill in a
bubble on a test. But it is worth it
and it is working. The problem is we're still
not reaching enough kids, and we're not
reaching them in time. And that has to change. Research shows that one
of the best investments we can make in a child's
life is high-quality early education. [Applause] Last year, I
asked this Congress to help states make
high-quality pre-K available to
every 4-year-old. And as a parent as well as
a President, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, 30
states have raised pre-k funding on their own. They know we can't wait. So just as we worked
with states to reform our schools, this year we'll
invest in new partnerships with states
and communities across the country in a Race to
the Top for our youngest children. And as Congress decides
what it's going to do, I'm going to pull
together a coalition of elected officials, business
leaders, and philanthropists willing to
help more kids access the high-quality pre-K
that they need. [Applause] It is right for America. We need to get this done. [Applause] Last year, I also pledged
to connect 99 percent of our students to high-speed
broadband over the next four years. Tonight, I can announce
that with the support of the FCC and
companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we've got
a down payment to start connecting more than
15,000 schools and 20 million students over the
next two years, without adding a dime
to the deficit. [Applause] We're working to redesign
high schools and partner them with colleges and
employers that offer the real-world education and
hands-on training that can lead directly to
a job and career. We're shaking up our
system of higher education to give parents more
information and colleges more incentives to offer
better value, so that no middle-class kid is
priced out of a college education. We're offering millions
the opportunity to cap their monthly student
loan payments to 10 percent of their income, and I want
to work with Congress to see how we can help even
more Americans who feel trapped by
student loan debt. [Applause] And I'm reaching out to some of
America's leading foundations and corporations on a new
initiative to help more young men of color facing
especially tough odds to stay on track and reach
their full potential. The bottom line is
Michelle and I want every child to have the same
chance this country gave us. But we know our
opportunity agenda won't be complete -- and too
many young people entering the workforce today
will see the American Dream as an empty promise -- unless
we also do more to make sure our economy honors
the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for
every single American. Today, women make up about
half our workforce, but they still make 77 cents
for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and
in 2014, it's an embarrassment. Women deserve equal
pay for equal work. [Applause] She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day
off to care for a sick child or a sick parent
without running into hardship. [Applause] And you know
what, a father does, too. It is time to do away with
workplace policies that belong in a "Mad
Men" episode. [Laughter] [Applause] This year, let's all come together -- Congress, the White House, businesses from
Wall Street to Main Street -- to give every woman the
opportunity she deserves. [Applause] Because
I believe when women succeed, America succeeds. [Applause] Now, women hold a majority
of lower-wage jobs, but they're not the only ones
stifled by stagnant wages. Americans understand that
some people will earn more money than
others, and we don't resent those who, by virtue of their efforts, achieve incredible success. That's what America
is all about. But Americans
overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full-time
should ever have to raise a family in poverty. [Applause] In the year since I asked
this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states
have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have
done it on their own. Nick Chute is here today with his boss, John Soranno. John's an owner of Punch
Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough. [Laughter] Only now
he makes more of it. [Laughter] John just gave
his employees a raise, to 10 bucks an hour -- and
that's a decision that has eased their financial stress and boosted their morale. Tonight, I ask more of
America's business leaders to follow John's lead: Do
what you can to raise your employees' wages. [Applause] It's good
for the economy. It's good for America. [Applause] To every mayor,
governor, state legislator in America, I say you
don't have to wait for Congress to act --
Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive,
I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations
like Costco see higher wages as the smart way
to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I
will issue an executive order requiring federal
contractors to pay their federally funded
employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour --
because if you cook our troops' meals or wash their
dishes, you should not have to live in poverty. [Applause] Of course, to reach
millions more, Congress does need to get on board. Today, the federal minimum
wage is worth about 20 percent less than it was
when Ronald Reagan first stood here. And Tom Harkin and George
Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the
minimum wage to $10.10. It's easy to
remember, $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses
customers with more money to spend. It does not involve any
new bureaucratic program. So join the rest
of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise. [Applause] Give them a raise. [Applause] There are other steps we
can take to help families make ends meet, and few
are more effective at reducing inequality and
helping families pull themselves up through
hard work than the Earned Income Tax Credit. Right now, it helps about
half of all parents at some point. Think about that -- it
helps about half of all parents in America at
some point in their lives. But I agree with
Republicans like Senator Rubio that it doesn't do
enough for single workers who don't have kids. So let's work together
to strengthen the credit, reward work, help more
Americans get ahead. Let's do more to help
Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers
don't have a pension. A Social Security check
often isn't enough on its own. And while the stock market
has doubled over the last five years, that
doesn't help folks who don't have 401(k)s. That's why, tomorrow, I
will direct the Treasury to create a new way
for working Americans to start their own retirement
savings: MyRA. It's a new savings bond
that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA guarantees a decent
return with no risk of losing what you put in. And if this Congress wants
to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax
code that gives big tax breaks to help the
wealthy save, but does little or nothing for
middle-class Americans. Offer every American
access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can
save at work just like everyone in this
chamber can. And since the most
important investment many families make is their
home, send me legislation that protects taxpayers
from footing the bill for a housing crisis
ever again, and keeps the dream of
homeownership alive for future generations. [Applause] One last point on
financial security: For decades, few things
exposed hardworking families to economic
hardship more than a broken health care system. And in case you haven't
heard, we're in the process of fixing that. [Applause] A preexisting condition used to mean that someone like Amanda
Shelley, a physician's assistant and
single mom from Arizona, couldn't get health insurance. But on January 1st,
she got covered. [Applause] On January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain. On January 6th, she
had emergency surgery. Just one week earlier,
Amanda said, that surgery would have meant
bankruptcy. That's what health
insurance reform is all about -- the peace of
mind that if misfortune strikes, you don't have
to lose everything. Already, because of the
Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million Americans
under age 26 have gained coverage under their
parents' plans. [Applause] More than 9
million Americans have signed up for private
health insurance or Medicaid coverage. [Applause] Nine million. And here's another
number: zero. Because of this law, no
American -- none -- zero -- can ever again be
dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting
condition like asthma, or back pain, or cancer. [Applause] No woman can
ever be charged more just because she's a woman. [Applause] And we did all
this while adding years to Medicare's finances,
keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering
prescription costs for millions of seniors. Now, I do not expect to
convince my Republican friends on the
merits of this law. [Laughter] But I know
that the American people are not interested in
refighting old battles. So, again, if you have
specific plans to cut costs, cover more people,
increase choice -- tell America what you'd
do differently. Let's see if the
numbers add up. But let's not have another
40-something votes to repeal a law that's
already helping millions of Americans like Amanda. [Applause] The first 40 were plenty. We all owe it to the
American people to say what we're for, not
just what we're against. And if you want to know
the real impact this law is having, just talk to
Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky, who's
here tonight. Now Kentucky is not the
most liberal part of the country. [Laughter] That's not
where I got my highest vote totals. [Laughter] But he's like
a man possessed when it comes to covering his
commonwealth's families. They are our neighbors
and our friends, he said. "They're people we shop
and go to church with, farmers out on the
tractor, grocery clerks. They're people who go to
work every morning praying they don't get sick. No one deserves
to live that way." Steve is right. That's why, tonight, I ask
every American who knows someone without health
insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. [Applause] Help them get covered. [Applause] Moms, get on
your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and
walk her through the application. It will give her some
peace of mind -- plus, she'll appreciate
hearing from you. [Laughter] After all, that's the
spirit that has always moved this nation forward. It's the spirit of
citizenship -- the recognition that
through hard work and responsibility, we can
pursue our individual dreams but still come
together as one American family to make
sure the next generation can pursue its dreams as well. Citizenship means standing
up for everyone's right to vote. [Applause] Last year, part
of the Voting Rights Act was weakened, but
conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats
are working together to strengthen it. And the bipartisan
commission I appointed, chaired by my campaign
lawyer and Governor Romney's campaign lawyer,
came together and have offered reforms so that no
one has to wait more than a half hour to vote. Let's support
these efforts. [Applause] It should be
the power of our vote, not the size of our bank
accounts that drives our democracy. [Applause] Citizenship means standing
up for the lives that gun violence steals
from us each day. I've seen the courage
of parents, students, pastors, police officers
all over this country who say "we are not afraid." And I intend to keep
trying, with or without Congress, to
help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent
Americans in our movie theaters, in our
shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook. [Applause] Citizenship demands a
sense of common purpose; participation in the hard
work of self-government; an obligation to
serve our communities. And I know this chamber
agrees that few Americans give more to their country
than our diplomats and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. [Applause] Tonight, because of the
extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay
down their lives to keep us free, the United
States is more secure. When I took office, nearly
180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops
are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our
troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now
in the lead for their own security, our troops have
moved to a support role. Together with our allies,
we will complete our mission there by the
end of this year, and America's longest war
will finally be over. [Applause] After 2014, we will
support a unified Afghanistan as it takes
responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan government
signs a security agreement that we have negotiated,
a small force of Americans could remain in
Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two
narrow missions: training and assisting
Afghan forces, and counterterrorism
operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda. For while our relationship
with Afghanistan will change, one thing will
not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch
attacks against our country. [Applause] The fact is that
danger remains. While we put al Qaeda's
core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat
has evolved as al Qaeda affiliates and other
extremists take root in different parts
of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq,
Mali, we have to keep working with partners to
disrupt and disable those networks. In Syria, we'll support
the opposition that rejects the agenda of
terrorist networks. Here at home, we'll
keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new
threats like cyberattacks. And as we reform our
defense budget, we will have to keep faith with
our men and women in uniform, and invest in the
capabilities they need to succeed in
future missions. [Applause] We have to
remain vigilant. But I strongly believe
our leadership and our security cannot depend on our outstanding military alone. As Commander-in-Chief,
I have used force when needed to protect the
American people, and I will never hesitate to do
so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our
troops into harm's way unless it is truly
necessary, nor will I allow our sons and
daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles
that need to be fought, not those that terrorists
prefer from us -- large-scale deployments
that drain our strength and may ultimately
feed extremism. So even as we actively
and aggressively pursue terrorist networks --
through more targeted efforts and by building
the capacity of our foreign partners --
America must move off a permanent war footing. [Applause] That's why I've
imposed prudent limits on the use of drones -- for
we will not be safer if people abroad believe
we strike within their countries without regard
for the consequence. That's why, working with
this Congress, I will reform our surveillance
programs, because the vital work of our
intelligence community depends on public
confidence, here and abroad, that privacy of
ordinary people is not being violated. [Applause] And with the Afghan war
ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts
the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and
we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay -- [applause] because we counter terrorism not
just through intelligence and military actions, but
by remaining true to our constitutional ideals,
and setting an example for the rest of the world. [Applause] You see, in a world of
complex threats, our security, our leadership
depends on all elements of our power,
including strong and principled diplomacy. American diplomacy has
rallied more than 50 countries to prevent
nuclear materials from falling into the wrong
hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance
on Cold War stockpiles. American diplomacy, backed
by the threat of force, is why Syria's chemical
weapons are being eliminated. [Applause] And we will continue
to work with the international community
to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve
-- a future free of dictatorship,
terror and fear. As we speak, American
diplomacy is supporting the Israelis and
Palestinians as they engage in the difficult
but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to
achieve dignity and an independent state for
Palestinians, and lasting peace and security
for the State of Israel -- a Jewish state that knows
America will always be at their side. [Applause] And it is American
diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has
halted the progress of Iran's nuclear program and rolled
back parts of that program for the very first
time in a decade. As we gather here
tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its
stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium. It's not installing
advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections
help the world verify every day that Iran is
not building a bomb. And with our allies and
partners, we're engaged in negotiations to see if we
can peacefully achieve a goal we all share:
preventing Iran from obtaining a
nuclear weapon. [Applause] These negotiations
will be difficult. They may not succeed. We are clear-eyed about
Iran's support for terrorist organizations
like Hezbollah, which threatens our allies. And we're clear about
the mistrust between our nations, mistrust that
cannot be wished away. But these negotiations
don't rely on trust. Any long-term deal we
agree to must be based on verifiable action
that convinces us and the international
community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb. If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan
could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then
surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today. [Applause] The sanctions that we put
in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: I
this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now
that threatens to derail these talks, I
will veto it. [Applause] For the sake of
our national security, we must give diplomacy
a chance to succeed. [Applause] If Iran's
leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will
be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand
ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran
does not build a nuclear weapon. But if Iran's leaders do
seize the chance -- and we'll know soon enough --
then Iran could take an important step to rejoin
the community of nations, and we will have resolved
one of the leading security challenges of our
time without the risks of war. And, finally, let's
remember that our leadership is defined
not just by our defense against threats, but by the enormous
opportunities to do good and promote understanding
around the globe -- to forge greater cooperation, to expand new markets, to free
people from fear and want. And no one is better
positioned to take advantage of those opportunities than America. Our alliance with Europe
remains the strongest the world has ever known. From Tunisia to Burma,
we're supporting those who are willing to do the
hard work of building democracy. In Ukraine, we stand for
the principle that all people have the right
to express themselves freely and peacefully, and
to have a say in their country's future. Across Africa, we're
bringing together businesses and governments
to double access to electricity and help
end extreme poverty. In the Americas, we're
building new ties of commerce, but we're also
expanding cultural and educational exchanges
among young people. And we will continue to
focus on the Asia Pacific, where we support our
allies, shape a future of greater
security and prosperity, and extend a hand to those
devastated by disaster -- as we did in the Philippines,
when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those
battered by a typhoon, and who were greeted with
words like, "We will never forget your
kindness" and "God bless America." We do these things because
they help promote our long-term security, and we
do them because we believe in the inherent dignity
and equality of every human being, regardless of
race or religion, creed or sexual orientation. And next week, the world
will see one expression of that commitment -- when
Team USA marches the red, white, and blue into
the Olympic Stadium, and brings home the gold. [Applause] Audience: USA! USA! USA! The President: My fellow
Americans, no other country in the world
does what we do. On every issue, the world
turns to us, not simply because of the
size of our economy or our military might, but
because of the ideals we stand for and the burdens we bear
to advance them. No one knows this better
than those who serve in uniform. As this time of war
draws to a close, a new generation of heroes
returns to civilian life. We'll keep slashing that
backlog so our veterans receive the
benefits they've earned, and our wounded warriors receive
the health care -- including the mental
health care -- that they need. [Applause] We'll keep
working to help all our veterans translate their
skills and leadership into jobs here at home. And we will all continue
to join forces to honor and support our
remarkable military families. Let me tell you about one
of those families I've come to know. I first met Cory Remsburg,
a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th
anniversary of D-Day. Along with some of his
fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program
and the ceremony. He was a strong,
impressive young man, had an easy manner, he
was sharp as a tack. And we joked around and
took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch. A few months later, on his
tenth deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a
massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him
in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel
in his brain. For months, he
lay in a coma. And the next time I met
him, in the hospital, he couldn't speak,
could barely move. Over the years, he's
endured dozens of surgeries and procedures,
hours of grueling rehab every day. Even now, Cory is still
blind in one eye, still struggles on
his left side. But slowly, steadily, with
the support of caregivers like his dad, Craig, and
the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. And, day by day, he's
learned to speak again and stand again
and walk again. And he's working toward
the day when he can serve his country again. "My recovery has not
been easy," he says. "Nothing in life that's
worth anything is easy." Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he
loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First
Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he
does not quit. [Applause] My fellow Americans, men
and women like Cory remind us that America has
never come easy. Our freedom, our
democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble,
we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than 200
years, we have put those things aside and placed
our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress --
to create and build and expand the possibilities
of individual achievement; to free other nations
from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and
fairness, and equality under the law so that the
words set to paper by our founders are made real
for every citizen. The America we want for
our kids -- a rising America where honest
work is plentiful and communities are strong;
where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for
all lets us go as far as our dreams and
toil will take us -- none of it is easy. But if we work together --
if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory
summoned what is best in him, with our feet planted
firmly in today but our eyes cast toward
tomorrow -- I know it is within our reach. Believe it. God bless you, and God
bless the United States of America. [Applause]
