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[House Document 114-1]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

114th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 114-1
 
        PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                     THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

       THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

  January 21, 2015.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
 Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to 
                               be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my 
fellow Americans:
    We are 15 years into this new century. Fifteen years that 
dawned with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a 
new generation fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a 
vicious recession spread across our Nation and the world. It 
has been, and still is, a hard time for many.
    But tonight, we turn the page.
    Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy 
is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. 
Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the 
financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever 
before; more of our people are insured than ever before; we are 
as free from the grip of foreign oil as we've been in almost 30 
years.
    Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission 
in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American 
troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 
remain. And we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man 
and woman in this 9/11 Generation who has served to keep us 
safe. We are humbled and grateful for your service.
    America, for all that we've endured; for all the grit and 
hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie 
ahead, know this:
    The shadow of crisis has passed, and the state of the Union 
is strong.
    At this moment--with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, 
bustling industry, and booming energy production--we have risen 
from recession freer to write our own future than any other 
nation on Earth. It's now up to us to choose who we want to be 
over the next 15 years, and for decades to come.
    Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do 
spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy 
that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who 
makes the effort?
    Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged 
into costly conflicts that strain our military and set back our 
standing? Or will we lead wisely, using all elements of our 
power to defeat new threats and protect our planet?
    Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and 
turned against one another--or will we recapture the sense of 
common purpose that has always propelled America forward?
    In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled 
with ideas that are practical, not partisan. And in the months 
ahead, I'll crisscross the country making a case for those 
ideas.
    So tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of 
proposals, and focus more on the values at stake in the choices 
before us.
    It begins with our economy.
    Seven years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were 
newlyweds. She waited tables. He worked construction. Their 
first child, Jack, was on the way.
    They were young and in love in America, and it doesn't get 
much better than that.
    ``If only we had known,'' Rebekah wrote to me last spring, 
``what was about to happen to the housing and construction 
market.''
    As the crisis worsened, Ben's business dried up, so he took 
what jobs he could find, even if they kept him on the road for 
long stretches of time. Rebekah took out student loans, 
enrolled in community college, and retrained for a new career. 
They sacrificed for each other. And slowly, it paid off. They 
bought their first home. They had a second son, Henry. Rebekah 
got a better job, and then a raise. Ben is back in 
construction--and home for dinner every night.
    ``It is amazing,'' Rebekah wrote, ``what you can bounce 
back from when you have to--we are a strong, tight-knit family 
who has made it through some very, very hard times.''
    We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through 
some very, very hard times.
    America, Rebekah and Ben's story is our story. They 
represent the millions who have worked hard, and scrimped, and 
sacrificed, and retooled. You are the reason I ran for this 
office. You're the people I was thinking of 6 years ago today, 
in the darkest months of the crisis, when I stood on the steps 
of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild our economy on a 
new foundation. And it's been your effort and resilience that 
has made it possible for our country to emerge stronger.
    We believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and 
draw new jobs to our shores. And over the past 5 years, our 
businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs.
    We believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil 
and protect our planet. And today, America is number one in oil 
and gas. America is number one in wind power. Every three 
weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 
2008. And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, 
the typical family this year should save $750 at the pump.
    We believed we could prepare our kids for a more 
competitive world. And today, our younger students have earned 
the highest math and reading scores on record. Our high school 
graduation rate has hit an all-time high. And more Americans 
finish college than ever before.
    We believed that. sensible regulations could prevent 
another crisis, shield families from ruin, and encourage fair 
competition. Today, we have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded 
bailouts, and a new consumer watchdog to protect us from 
predatory lending and abusive credit card practices. And in the 
past year alone, about ten million uninsured Americans finally 
gained the security of health coverage.
    At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too 
ambitious; that we would crush jobs and explode deficits. 
Instead, we've seen the fastest economic growth in over a 
decade, our deficits cut by two-thirds, a stock market that has 
doubled, and health care inflation at its lowest rate in 50 
years.
    So the verdict is clear. Middle-class economics works. 
Expanding opportunity works. And these policies will continue 
to work, as long as politics don't get in the way. We can't 
slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with Government 
shutdowns or fiscal showdowns. We can't put the security of 
families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or 
unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting past 
battles on immigration when we've got a system to fix. And if a 
bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, it 
will earn my veto.
    Today, thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is 
touching more and more lives. Wages are finally starting to 
rise again. We know that more small business owners plan to 
raise their employees' pay than at any time since 2007. But 
here's the thing--those of us here tonight, we need to set our 
sights higher than just making sure Government doesn't halt the 
progress we're making. We need to do more than just do no harm. 
Tonight, together, let's do more to restore the link between 
hard work and growing opportunity for every American.
    Because families like Rebekah's still need our help. She 
and Ben are working as hard as ever, but have to forego 
vacations and a new car so they can pay off student loans and 
save for retirement. Basic childcare for Jack and Henry costs 
more than their mortgage, and almost as much as a year at the 
University of Minnesota. Like millions of hardworking 
Americans, Rebekah isn't asking for a handout, but she is 
asking that we look for more ways to help families get ahead.
    In fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our 
history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new 
circumstances, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot. We 
set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, and 
Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity. We 
gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the 
internet--tools they needed to go as far as their effort will 
take them.
    That's what middle-class economics is--the idea that this 
country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone 
does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of 
rules. We don't just want everyone to share in America's 
success--we want everyone to contribute to our success.
    So what does middle-class economics require in our time?
    First--middle-class economics means helping working 
families feel more secure in a world of constant change. That 
means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a 
home, retirement--and my budget will address each of these 
issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting 
thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.
    Here's one example. During World War II, when men like my 
grandfather went off to war, having women like my grandmother 
in the workforce was a national security priority--so this 
country provided universal childcare. In today's economy, when 
having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity 
for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare 
more than ever. It's not a nice-to-have--it's a must-have. It's 
time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women's 
issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it 
is for all of us. And that's why my plan will make quality 
childcare more available, and more affordable, for every 
middle-class and low-income family with young children in 
America--by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to 
$3,000 per child, per year.
    Here's another example. Today, we're the only advanced 
country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid 
maternity leave to our workers. Forty-three million workers 
have no paid sick leave. Forty-three million. Think about that. 
And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching 
choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home. So I'll be 
taking new action to help States adopt paid leave laws of their 
own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot 
last November, let's put it to a vote right here in Washington. 
Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the 
opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave. It's the 
right thing to do.
    Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like 
higher wages. That's why this Congress still needs to pass a 
law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing 
the same work. Really. It's 2015. It's time. We still need to 
make sure employees get the overtime they've earned. And to 
everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the 
minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work 
full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go 
try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working 
people in America a raise.
    These ideas won't make everybody rich, or relieve every 
hardship. That's not the job of Government. To give working 
families a fair shot, we'll still need more employers to see 
beyond next quarter's earnings and recognize that investing in 
their workforce is in their company's long-term interest. We 
still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and 
give American workers a voice. But things like child care and 
sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums 
and a higher minimum wage these ideas will make a meaningful 
difference in the lives of millions of families. That is a 
fact. And that's what all of us--Republicans and Democrats 
alike--were sent here to do.
    Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down 
the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their 
skills.
    America thrived in the 20th century because we made high 
school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, and trained 
the best workforce in the world. But in a 21st century economy 
that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to do more.
    By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will 
require some higher education. Two in three. And yet, we still 
live in a country where too many bright, striving Americans are 
priced out of the education they need. It's not fair to them, 
and it's not smart for our future.
    That's why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to 
lower the cost of community college--to zero.
    Forty percent of our college students choose community 
college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and 
looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents 
trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, 
this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, 
without a load of debt. Understand, you've got to earn it--
you've got to keep your grades up and graduate on time. 
Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a 
city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free 
community college is possible. I want to spread that idea all 
across America, so that 2 years of college becomes as free and 
universal in America as high school is today. And I want to 
work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already 
burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, 
so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams.
    Thanks to Vice President Biden's great work to update our 
job training system, we're connecting community colleges with 
local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like 
coding, and nursing, and robotics. Tonight, I'm also asking 
more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and 
UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid 
apprenticeships--opportunities that give workers the chance to 
earn higher-paying jobs even if they don't have a higher 
education.
    And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them 
every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped 
defend. Already, we've made strides towards ensuring that every 
veteran has access to the highest quality care. We're slashing 
the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the 
benefits they need, and we're making it easier for vets to 
translate their training and experience into civilian jobs. 
Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by Michelle and 
Jill Biden, has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military 
spouses get new jobs. So to every CEO in America, let me 
repeat: If you want somebody who's going to get the job done, 
hire a veteran.
    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't 
even exist 10 or 20 years ago--jobs at companies like Google, 
and eBay, and Tesla.
    So no one knows for certain which industries will generate 
the jobs of the future. But we do know we want them here in 
America. That's why the third part of middle-class economics is 
about building the most competitive economy anywhere, the place 
where businesses want to locate and hire.
    Twenty-first century businesses need 21st century 
infrastructure--modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains 
and the fastest internet. Democrats and Republicans used to 
agree on this. So let's set our sights higher than a single oil 
pipeline. Let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that 
could create more than thirty times as many jobs per year, and 
make this country stronger for decades to come.
    Twenty-first 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's 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's why I'm asking both 
parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect 
American workers, with strong new trade deals from Asia to 
Europe that aren't just free, but fair.
    Look, I'm the first one to admit that past trade deals 
haven't always lived up to the hype, and that's why we've gone 
after countries that break the rules at our expense. But 95 
percent of the world's customers live outside our borders, and 
we can't close ourselves off from those opportunities. More 
than half of manufacturing executives have said they're 
actively looking at bringing jobs back from China. Let's give 
them one more reason to get it done.
    Twenty-first century businesses will rely on American 
science, technology, research and development. I want the 
country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to 
lead a new era of medicine--one that delivers the right 
treatment at the right time. In some patients with cystic 
fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought 
unstoppable. Tonight, I'm launching a new Precision Medicine 
Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer 
and diabetes--and to give all of us access to the personalized 
information we need to keep ourselves and our families 
healthier.
    I intend to protect a free and open internet, extend its 
reach to every classroom, and every community, and help folks 
build the fastest networks, so that the next generation of 
digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep 
reshaping our world.
    I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of 
discoveries that unleash new jobs--converting sunlight into 
liquid fuel; creating revolutionary prosthetics, so that a 
veteran who gave his arms for his country can play catch with 
his kid; pushing out into the Solar System not just to visit, 
but to stay. Last month, we launched a new spacecraft as part 
of a re-energized space program that will send American 
astronauts to Mars. In two months, to prepare us for those 
missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space. 
Good luck, Captain--and make sure to Instagram it.
    Now, the truth is, when it comes to issues like 
infrastructure and basic research, I know there's bipartisan 
support in this chamber. Members of both parties have told me 
so. Where we too often run onto the rocks is how to pay for 
these investments. As Americans, we don't mind paying our fair 
share of taxes, as long as everybody else does, too. But for 
far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes 
that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full 
freight. They've riddled it with giveaways the superrich don't 
need, denying a break to middle class families who do.
    This year, we have an opportunity to change that. Let's 
close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep 
profits abroad, and reward those that invest in America. Let's 
use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and make it 
more attractive for companies to bring jobs home. Let's 
simplify the system and let a small business owner file based 
on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of 
accountants she can afford. And let's close the loopholes that 
lead to inequality by allowing the top 1 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's where the American 
people want to go. It will make our economy stronger a year 
from now, 15 years from now, and deep into the century ahead.
    Of course, if there's one thing this new century has taught 
us, it's that we cannot separate our work at home from 
challenges beyond our shores.
    My first duty as Commander in Chief is to defend the United 
States of America. In doing so, the question is not whether 
America leads in the world, but how. When we make rash 
decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our 
heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our 
military--then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary 
conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a 
safer, more prosperous world. That's what our enemies want us 
to do.
    I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We Lead 
best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when 
we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don't 
let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new 
century presents. That's exactly what we're doing right now--
and around the globe, it is making a difference.
    First, we stand united with people around the world who've 
been targeted by terrorists--from a school in Pakistan to the 
streets of Paris. We will continue to hunt down terrorists and 
dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act 
unilaterally, as we've done relentlessly since I took office to 
take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our 
allies.
    At the same time, we've learned some costly lessons over 
the last 13 years.
    Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, 
we've trained their security forces, who've now taken the lead, 
and we've honored our troops' sacrifice by supporting that 
country's first democratic transition. Instead of sending large 
ground forces overseas, we're partnering with nations from 
South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who 
threaten America. In Iraq and Syria, American leadership--
including our military power--is stopping ISIL's advance. 
Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the 
Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab 
nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist 
group. We're also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria 
that can help us in this effort, and assisting people 
everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent 
extremism. This effort will take time. It will require focus. 
But we will succeed. And tonight, I call on this Congress to 
show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a 
resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.
    Second, we are demonstrating the power of American strength 
and diplomacy. We're upholding the principle that bigger 
nations can't bully the small--by opposing Russian aggression, 
supporting Ukraine's democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies. 
Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions 
along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. Putin's 
aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength. 
Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with 
our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in 
tatters.
    That's how America leads--not with bluster, but with 
persistent, steady resolve.
    In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its 
expiration date. When what you're doing doesn't work for 50 
years, it's time to try something new. Our shift in Cuba policy 
has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our 
hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba; 
stands up for democratic values; and extends the hand of 
friendship to the Cuban people. And this year, Congress should 
begin the work of ending the embargo. As His Holiness, Pope 
Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of ``small steps.'' 
These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in 
Cuba. And after years in prison, we're overjoyed that Alan 
Gross is back where he belongs. Welcome home, Alan.
    Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for 
the first time in a decade, we've halted the progress of its 
nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material. 
Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a 
comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran; 
secures America and our allies--including Israel; while 
avoiding yet another Middle East conflict. There are no 
guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all 
options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran. But new 
sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will 
all but guarantee that diplomacy fails--alienating America from 
its allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear 
program again. It doesn't make sense. That is why I will veto 
any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress. 
The American people expect us to only go to war as a last 
resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.
    Third, we're looking beyond the issues that have consumed 
us in the past to shape the coming century.
    No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down 
our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of 
American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our 
Government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, 
just as we have done to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge 
this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better 
meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity 
theft, and protect our children's information. If we don't act, 
we'll leave our Nation and our economy vulnerable. If we do, we 
can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed 
untold opportunities for people around the globe.
    In West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, 
our nurses and healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola--
saving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease. I 
couldn't be prouder of them, and I thank this Congress for your 
bipartisan support of their efforts. But the job is not yet 
done--and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more 
effective global effort to prevent the spread of future 
pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme 
poverty.
    In the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while 
making sure that other nations play by the rules--in how they 
trade, how they resolve maritime disputes, and how they 
participate in meeting common international challenges like 
nonproliferation and disaster relief. And no challenge--no 
challenge--poses a greater threat to future generations than 
climate change.
    2014 was the planet's warmest year on record. Now, one year 
doesn't make a trend, but this does--14 of the 15 warmest years 
on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this 
century.
    I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying 
they're not scientists; that we don't have enough information 
to act. Well, I'm not a scientist, either. But you know what--I 
know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at 
our major universities. The best scientists in the world are 
all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, 
and if we do not act forcefully, we'll continue to see rising 
oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and 
floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater 
migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon 
says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national 
security. We should act like it.
    That's why, over the past 6 years, we've done more than 
ever before to combat climate change, from the way we produce 
energy, to the way we use it. That's why we've set aside more 
public lands and waters than any administration in history. And 
that's why I will not let this Congress endanger the health of 
our children by turning back the clock on our efforts. I am 
determined to make sure American leadership drives 
international action. In Beijing, we made an historic 
announcement--the United States will double the pace at which 
we cut carbon pollution, and China committed, for the first 
time, to limiting their emissions. And because the world's two 
largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping 
up, and offering hope that, this year, the world will finally 
reach an agreement to protect the one planet we've got.
    There's one last pillar to our leadership--and that's the 
example of our values.
    As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we're 
threatened, which is why I've prohibited torture, and worked to 
make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly 
constrained. It's why we speak out against the deplorable anti-
Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world. 
It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of 
Muslims--the vast majority of whom share our commitment to 
peace. That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for 
political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or 
religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
or transgender. We do these things not only because they're 
right, but because they make us safer.
    As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice--so 
it makes no sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner 
to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists 
use to recruit. Since I've been President, we've worked 
responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in half. Now it's 
time to finish the job. And I will not relent in my 
determination to shut it down. It's not who we are.
    As Americans, we cherish our civil liberties--and we need 
to uphold that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from 
other countries and industry in our fight against terrorist 
networks. So while some have moved on from the debates over our 
surveillance programs, I haven't. As promised, our intelligence 
agencies have worked hard, with the recommendations of privacy 
advocates, to increase transparency and build more safeguards 
against potential abuse. And next month, we'll issue a report 
on how we're keeping our promise to keep our country safe while 
strengthening privacy.
    Looking to the future instead of the past. Making sure we 
match our power with diplomacy, and use force wisely. Building 
coalitions to meet new challenges and opportunities. Leading--
always--with the example of our values. That's what makes us 17 
exceptional. That's what keeps us strong. And that's why we 
must keep striving to hold ourselves to the highest of 
standards--our own.
    You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston 
where I said there wasn't a liberal America, or a conservative 
America; a black America or a white America--but a United 
States of America. I said this because I had seen it in my own 
life, in a nation that gave someone like me a chance; because I 
grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot of races and customs; because 
I made Illinois my home--a state of small towns, rich farmland, 
and one of the world's great cities; a microcosm of the country 
where Democrats and Republicans and Independents, good people 
of every ethnicity and every faith, share certain bedrock 
values.
    Over the past 6 years, the pundits have pointed out more 
than once that my presidency hasn't delivered on this vision. 
How ironic, they say, that our politics seems more divided than 
ever. It's held up as proof not just of my own flaws--of which 
there are many--but also as proof that the vision itself is 
misguided, and naive, 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 6 years in 
office, I have seen America at its best. I've seen the hopeful 
faces of young graduates from New York to California; and our 
newest officers at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, and 
New London. I've mourned with grieving families in Tucson and 
Newtown; in Boston, West Texas, and West Virginia. I've watched 
Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great 
Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-Atlantic 
seaboard. I've seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge 
issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our 
country, a civil right now legal in States that seven in ten 
Americans call home.
    So I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted 
generosity of the American people who, every day, live the idea 
that we are our brother's keeper, and our sister's keeper. And 
I know they expect those of us who serve here to set a better 
example.
    So the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all 
of us, can better reflect America's hopes. I've served in 
Congress with many of you. I know many of you well. There are a 
lot of good people here, on both sides of the aisle. And many 
of you have told me that this isn't what you signed up for--
arguing past each other on cable shows, the constant 
fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the base 
will react to every decision.
    Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns. 
Imagine if we did something different.
    Understand--a better politics isn't one where Democrats 
abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.
    A better politics is one where we appeal to each other's 
basic decency instead of our basest 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 ``gotcha'' moments, or trivial gaffes, 
or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people's 
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're going to have arguments, let's have arguments--but 
let's make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this 
country.
    We still may not agree on a woman's right to choose, but 
surely we can agree it's a good thing that teen pregnancies and 
abortions are nearing all-time lows, and that every woman 
should have access to the health care she needs.
    Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can 
all see something of ourselves in the striving young student, 
and agree that no one benefits when a hardworking mom is taken 
from her child, and that it's possible to shape a law that 
upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of 
immigrants.
    We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree 
that the right to vote is sacred; that it's being denied to too 
many; and that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march 
from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights 
Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make 
voting easier for every single American.
    We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and 
New York. But surely we can understand a father who fears his 
son can't walk home without being harassed. Surely we can 
understand the wife who won't rest until the police officer she 
married walks through the front door at the end of his shift. 
Surely we can agree it's a good thing that for the first time 
in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have 
come down together, and use that as a starting point for 
Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law 
enforcement, to reform America's criminal justice system so 
that it protects and serves us all.
    That's a better politics. That's how we start rebuilding 
trust. That's how we move this country forward. That's what the 
American people want. That's what they deserve.
    I have no more campaigns to run. My only agenda for the 
next 2 years is the same as the one I've had since the day I 
swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol--to do what I 
believe is best for America. If you share the broad vision I 
outlined tonight, join me in the work at hand. If you disagree 
with parts of it, I hope you'll at least work with me where you 
do agree. And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I 
will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you 
to make this country stronger.
    Because I want this chamber, this city, to reflect the 
truth--that for all our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a 
people with the strength and generosity of spirit to bridge 
divides, to unite in common effort, and help our neighbors, 
whether down the street or on the other side of the world.
    I want our actions to tell every child, in every 
neighborhood: your life matters, and we are as committed to 
improving your life chances as we are for our own kids.
    I want future generations to know that we are a people who 
see our differences as a great gift, that we are a people who 
value the dignity and worth of every citizen--man and woman, 
young and old, black and white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and 
Native American, gay and straight, Americans with mental 
illness or physical disability.
    I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world 
what we still know to be true: that we are still more than a 
collection of red States and blue States; that we are the 
United States of America.
    I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like 
Rebekah can sit down and write a letter to her President with a 
story to sum up these past 6 years:
    ``It is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have 
to . . . we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it 
through some very, very hard times.''
    My fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit 
family. We, too, have made it through some hard times. Fifteen 
years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, 
dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking 
America. We've laid a new foundation. A brighter future is ours 
to write. Let's begin this new chapter--together--and let's 
start the work right now.
    Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we 
love.

                                                      Barack Obama.
    The White House, January 20, 2015.

                                  [all]
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