U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

79–011 2009

111th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 111–1 

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 ON THE STATE OF THE UNION 

FEBRUARY 25, 2009.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the 

Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered 

to be printed 


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To the Congress of the United States: 

I’ve come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men 

and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here. 

I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state 

of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly 

so. If you haven’t been personally affected by this recession, you 

probably know someone who has—a friend; a neighbor; a member 

of your family. You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to 

know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. 

It’s the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. 

It’s the job you thought you’d retire from but now have lost; the 

business you built your dreams upon that’s now hanging by a 

thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in 

the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere. 

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence 

shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, 

tonight I want every American to know this: 

We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before. 

The weight of this crisis will not determine the destiny of this 

Nation. The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. 

They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and 

our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the 

pride of the hardest-working people on Earth. Those qualities that 

have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in 

human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required 

now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more. 

Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that for too long, 

we have not always met these responsibilities—as a Government or 

as a people. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment 

that we’ll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament. 

The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor 

did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed 

or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import 

more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up 

more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that 

too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all 

these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more 

money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our 

Government, than ever before. 


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In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, 

short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we 

failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the 

next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the 

wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of 

a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. 

And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put 

off for some other time on some other day. 

Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take 

charge of our future is here. 

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely—to not only revive this 

economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now 

is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest 

in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our 

economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down. 

That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s 

what I’d like to talk to you about tonight. 

It’s an agenda that begins with jobs. 

As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President’s Day that would put people back to work 

and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger 

Government—I don’t. Not because I’m not mindful of the massive 

debt we’ve inherited—I am. I called for action because the failure 

to do so would have cost more jobs and caused more hardships. In 

fact, a failure to act would have worsened our long-term deficit by 

assuring weak economic growth for years. That’s why I pushed for 

quick action. And tonight, I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law. 

Over the next 2 years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million 

jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector—jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and expanding mass transit. 

Because of this plan, there are teachers who can now keep their 

jobs and educate our kids. Health care professionals can continue 

caring for our sick. There are 57 police officers who are still on the 

streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make. 

Because of this plan, 95 percent of the working households in 

America will receive a tax cut—a tax cut that you will see in your 

paychecks beginning on April 1st. 

Because of this plan, families who are struggling to pay tuition 

costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for all four years of college. 

And Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be 

able to receive extended unemployment benefits and continued 

health care coverage to help them weather this storm. 

I know there are some in this chamber and watching at home 

who are skeptical of whether this plan will work. I understand that 

skepticism. Here in Washington, we’ve all seen how quickly good 

intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. 


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And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get 

it right. 

That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, 

unprecedented oversight effort—because nobody messes with Joe. I 

have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me 

and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out 

any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new 

website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out 

how and where their money is being spent. 

So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our 

economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even 

if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery 

unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our 

financial system. 

I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly affects you and 

your family’s well-being. You should also know that the money 

you’ve deposited in banks across the country is safe; your insurance 

is secure; and you can rely on the continued operation of our financial system. That is not the source of concern. 

The concern is that if we do not re-start lending in this country, 

our recovery will be choked off before it even begins. 

You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The 

ability to get a loan is how you finance the purchase of everything 

from a home to a car to a college education; how stores stock their 

shelves, farms buy equipment, and businesses make payroll. 

But credit has stopped flowing the way it should. Too many bad 

loans from the housing crisis have made their way onto the books 

of too many banks. With so much debt and so little confidence, 

these banks are now fearful of lending out any more money to 

households, to businesses, or to each other. When there is no lending, families can’t afford to buy homes or cars. So businesses are 

forced to make layoffs. Our economy suffers even more, and credit 

dries up even further. 

That is why this Administration is moving swiftly and aggressively to break this destructive cycle, restore confidence, and restart lending. 

We will do so in several ways. First, we are creating a new lending fund that represents the largest effort ever to help provide auto 

loans, college loans, and small business loans to the consumers and 

entrepreneurs who keep this economy running. 

Second, we have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly 

payments and refinance their mortgages. It’s a plan that won’t help 

speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house 

he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans 

who are struggling with declining home values—Americans who 

will now be able to take advantage of the lower interest rates that 

this plan has already helped bring about. In fact, the average family who refinances today can save nearly $2,000 per year on their 

mortgage. 


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Third, we will act with the full force of the Federal Government 

to ensure that the major banks that Americans depend on have 

enough confidence and enough money to lend even in more difficult 

times. And when we learn that a major bank has serious problems, 

we will hold accountable those responsible, force the necessary adjustments, provide the support to clean up their balance sheets, 

and assure the continuity of a strong, viable institution that can 

serve our people and our economy. 

I understand that on any given day, Wall Street may be more 

comforted by an approach that gives banks bailouts with no strings 

attached, and that holds nobody accountable for their reckless decisions. But such an approach won’t solve the problem. And our goal 

is to quicken the day when we re-start lending to the American 

people and American business and end this crisis once and for all. 

I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance 

they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate 

how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won’t be able to use taxpayer money to pad 

their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. 

Those days are over. 

Still, this plan will require significant resources from the Federal 

Government—and yes, probably more than we’ve already set aside. 

But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the 

cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy 

that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. 

That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for 

you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that 

happen. 

I understand that when the last Administration asked this Congress to provide assistance for struggling banks, Democrats and 

Republicans alike were infuriated by the mismanagement and results that followed. So were the American taxpayers. So was I. 

So I know how unpopular it is to be seen as helping banks right 

now, especially when everyone is suffering in part from their bad 

decisions. I promise you—I get it. 

But I also know that in a time of crisis, we cannot afford to govern out of anger, or yield to the politics of the moment. My job— 

our job—is to solve the problem. Our job is to govern with a sense 

of responsibility. I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of 

rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it 

takes to help the small business that can’t pay its workers or the 

family that has saved and still can’t get a mortgage. 

That’s what this is about. It’s not about helping banks—it’s about 

helping people. Because when credit is available again, that young 

family can finally buy a new home. And then some company will 

hire workers to build it. And then those workers will have money 

to spend, and if they can get a loan too, maybe they’ll finally buy 

that car, or open their own business. Investors will return to the 

market, and American families will see their retirement secured 

once more. Slowly, but surely, confidence will return, and our economy will recover. 

So I ask this Congress to join me in doing whatever proves necessary. Because we cannot consign our Nation to an open-ended recession. And to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never hapVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:36 Feb 26, 2009 Jkt 079011 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD001.XXX HD001

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pens again, I ask the Congress to move quickly on legislation that 

will finally reform our outdated regulatory system. It is time to put 

in place tough, new common-sense rules of the road so that our financial market rewards drive and innovation, and punishes shortcuts and abuse. 

The recovery plan and the financial stability plan are the immediate steps we’re taking to revive our economy in the short-term. 

But the only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to 

make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the 

world. The only way this century will be another American century 

is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil and the 

high cost of health care; the schools that aren’t preparing our children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is our 

responsibility. 

In the next few days, I will submit a budget to the Congress. So 

often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers 

on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America—as a blueprint for our future. 

My budget does not attempt to solve every problem or address 

every issue. It reflects the stark reality of what we’ve inherited— 

a trillion dollar deficit, a financial crisis, and a costly recession. 

Given these realities, everyone in this chamber—Democrats and 

Republicans—will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for 

which there are no dollars. And that includes me. 

But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term 

challenges. I reject the view that says our problems will simply 

take care of themselves; that says Government has no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity. 

For history tells a different story. History reminds us that at 

every moment of economic upheaval and transformation, this Nation has responded with bold action and big ideas. In the midst of 

civil war, we laid railroad tracks from one coast to another that 

spurred commerce and industry. From the turmoil of the Industrial 

Revolution came a system of public high schools that prepared our 

citizens for a new age. In the wake of war and depression, the GI 

Bill sent a generation to college and created the largest middleclass in history. And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation 

of highways, an American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes our world. 

In each case, Government didn’t supplant private enterprise; it 

catalyzed private enterprise. It created the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to adapt and to thrive. 

We are a Nation that has seen promise amid peril, and claimed 

opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that nation again. That 

is why, even as it cuts back on the programs we don’t need, the 

budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely 

critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education. 

It begins with energy. 

We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it is China that has 

launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy 

efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind 


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countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they will run on batteries 

made in Korea. 

Well I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders—and I know you don’t either. 

It is time for America to lead again. 

Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this Nation’s supply 

of renewable energy in the next 3 years. We have also made the 

largest investment in basic research funding in American history— 

an investment that will spur not only new discoveries in energy, 

but breakthroughs in medicine, science, and technology. 

We will soon lay down thousands of miles of power lines that can 

carry new energy to cities and towns across this country. And we 

will put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more 

efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bills. 

But to truly transform our economy, protect our security, and 

save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that places a 

market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production of 

more renewable energy in America. And to support that innovation, 

we will invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind 

power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more 

fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America. 

As for our auto industry, everyone recognizes that years of bad 

decision-making and a global recession have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will not, protect them 

from their own bad practices. But we are committed to the goal of 

a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. 

Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. 

And I believe the Nation that invented the automobile cannot walk 

away from it. 

None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this 

is America. We don’t do what’s easy. We do what is necessary to 

move this country forward. 

For that same reason, we must also address the crushing cost of 

health care. 

This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 

seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last 8 years, premiums have grown 

four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. It is one of 

the major reasons why small businesses close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And it’s one of the largest and fastestgrowing parts of our budget. 

Given these facts, we can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold. 

Already, we have done more to advance the cause of health care 

reform in the last thirty days than we have in the last decade. 

When it was days old, this Congress passed a law to provide and 

protect health insurance for 11 million American children whose 

parents work full-time. Our recovery plan will invest in electronic 

health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring 

down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives. It will launch a new efVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:36 Feb 26, 2009 Jkt 079011 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD001.XXX HD001

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fort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every 

American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time. And it makes 

the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one 

of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under 

control. 

This budget builds on these reforms. It includes an historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform—a down-payment on 

the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for 

every American. It’s a commitment that’s paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And it’s a step we 

must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come. 

Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how 

to achieve reform, and that is why I’m bringing together businesses 

and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week. 

I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be 

hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt 

first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down 

our economy and the conscience of our Nation long enough. So let 

there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not 

wait, and it will not wait another year. 

The third challenge we must address is the urgent need to expand the promise of education in America. 

In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell 

is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to 

opportunity—it is a prerequisite. 

Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of 

our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half 

of the students who begin college never finish. 

This is a prescription for economic decline, because we know the 

countries that out-teach us today will out-compete us tomorrow. 

That is why it will be the goal of this Administration to ensure that 

every child has access to a complete and competitive education— 

from the day they are born to the day they begin a career. 

Already, we have made an historic investment in education 

through the economic recovery plan. We have dramatically expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its 

quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes 

in those first years of life. We have made college affordable for 

nearly seven million more students. And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful cuts and teacher layoffs that 

would set back our children’s progress. 

But we know that our schools don’t just need more resources. 

They need more reform. That is why this budget creates new incentives for teacher performance; pathways for advancement, and rewards for success. We’ll invest in innovative programs that are already helping schools meet high standards and close achievement 

gaps. And we will expand our commitment to charter schools. 

It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this 

system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at 

least 1 year or more of higher education or career training. This 


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can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training 

or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every 

American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And 

dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country—and this country 

needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we 

will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and 

meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. 

I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why 

if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back 

to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that 

you can afford a higher education. And to encourage a renewed 

spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this 

Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name 

of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never 

stopped asking what he can do for his country—Senator Edward 

Kennedy. 

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for 

our children. But it is up to us to ensure they, walk through them. 

In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for 

a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, 

put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you 

not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children’s education must begin at home. 

There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass 

on to them a debt they cannot pay. With the deficit we inherited, 

the cost of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must 

meet, it has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers, we do what it takes to bring this deficit down. 

I’m proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and 

I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we 

spend reflects only our most important national priorities. 

Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office. My Administration 

has also begun to go line by line through the Federal budget in 

order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can 

imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we’re starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified two trillion 

dollars in savings over the next decade. 

In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work 

and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need 

them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions 

in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for 

Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use. We will root out the 

waste, fraud, and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t 

make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks 

for corporations that ship our jobs overseas. 

In order to save our children from a future of debt, we will also 

end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. But 

let me be perfectly clear, because I know you’ll hear the same old 


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claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than 

$250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single 

dime. I repeat: not one single dime. In fact, the recovery plan provides a tax cut—that’s right, a tax cut—for 95 percent of working 

families. And these checks are on the way. 

To preserve our long-term fiscal health, we must also address the 

growing costs in Medicare and Social Security. Comprehensive 

health care reform is the best way to strengthen Medicare for years 

to come. And we must also begin a conversation on how to do the 

same for Social Security, while creating tax-free universal savings 

accounts for all Americans. 

Finally, because we’re also suffering from a deficit of trust, I am 

committed to restoring a sense of honesty and accountability to our 

budget. That is why this budget looks ahead 10 years and accounts 

for spending that was left out under the old rules—and for the first 

time, that includes the full cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

For 7 years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide 

its price. 

We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I 

will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its 

people and responsibility ends this war. 

And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al 

Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists 

to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world 

away. 

As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand 

watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every 

one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their 

absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor 

your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our 

unyielding support. To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget 

increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our 

sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give 

our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have 

earned. 

To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding 

the values our troops defend—because there is no force in the 

world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I 

have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo 

Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists—because living our values doesn’t make us weaker, it makes 

us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand 

here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the 

United States of America does not torture. 

In words and deeds, we are showing the world that a new era 

of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet 

the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them 

without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore 

the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to 

move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious 

times demand. 


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To seek progress toward a secure and lasting peace between 

Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to sustain 

our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century—from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber 

threats to crushing poverty—we will strengthen old alliances, forge 

new ones, and use all elements of our national power. 

And to respond to an economic crisis that is global in scope, we 

are working with the nations of the G–20 to restore confidence in 

our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across 

the globe. For the world depends on us to have a strong economy, 

just as our economy depends on the strength of the world’s. 

As we stand at this crossroads of history, the eyes of all people 

in all nations are once again upon us—watching to see what we do, 

with this moment; waiting for us to lead. 

Those of us gathered here tonight have been called to govern in 

extraordinary times. It is a tremendous burden, but also a great 

privilege—one that has been entrusted to few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good 

or for ill. 

I know that it is easy to lose sight of this truth—to become cynical and doubtful; consumed with the petty and the trivial. 

But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely 

places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most 

power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary. 

I think about Leonard Abess, the bank president from Miami 

who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million 

bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus 

another 72 who used to work for him. He didn’t tell anyone, but 

when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ‘‘I knew some 

of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn’t feel right getting 

the money myself.’’ 

I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely 

destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a 

global example of how clean energy can power an entire community—how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles 

of bricks and rubble once lay. ‘‘The tragedy was terrible,’’ said one 

of the men who helped them rebuild. ‘‘But the folks here know that 

it also provided an incredible opportunity.’’ 

And I think about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that 

school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina—a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. 

She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day 

after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to 

the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for 

the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, 

‘‘We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change 

to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are 

not quitters.’’ 

We are not quitters. 


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These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit 

of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most 

trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for 

posterity. 

Their resolve must be our inspiration. Their concerns must be 

our cause. And we must show them and all our people that we are 

equal to the task before us. 

I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there 

are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But,I also 

know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this 

country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point 

for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which 

the American people expect us to build common ground. 

And if we do—if we come together and lift this Nation from the 

depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart 

the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America 

that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can 

tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in 

the words that are carved into this very chamber, ‘‘something worthy to be remembered.’’ Thank you, God Bless you, and may God 

Bless the United States of America. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, February 24, 2009. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with REPORTS