WASHINGTON - Here is the complete text of President Barack
Obama's State of the Union speech, as prepared for delivery on Tuesday:
Mr.
Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, fellow citizens: Fifty-one
years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this Chamber that "the Constitution makes
us not rivals for power but partners for progress ... It is my task," he said,
"to report the State of the Union - to improve it is the task of us all."
Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is
much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women
in uniform are coming home. After years of grueling recession, our businesses
have created over six million new jobs. We buy more American cars than we have
in five years, and less foreign oil than we have in twenty. Our housing market
is healing, our stock market is rebounding, and consumers, patients, and
homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before.
Together, we have
cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed confidence that the
state of our union is stronger.
But we gather here knowing that there are
millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded.
Our economy is adding jobs - but too many people still can't find full-time
employment. Corporate profits have rocketed to all-time highs - but for more
than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged.
It is our
generation's task, then, to reignite the true engine of America's economic
growth - a rising, thriving middle class.
It is our unfinished task to
restore the basic bargain that built this country - the idea that if you work
hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come
from, what you look like, or who you love.
It is our unfinished task to
make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the
few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and
opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great
nation.
The American people don't expect government to solve every
problem. They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue.
But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party. They do expect
us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For they know that America moves
forward only when we do so together; and that the responsibility of improving
this union remains the task of us all.
Our work must begin by making some
basic decisions about our budget - decisions that will have a huge impact on the
strength of our recovery.
Over the last few years, both parties have
worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion - mostly
through spending cuts, but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 percent
of Americans. As a result, we are more than halfway towards the goal of $4
trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our
finances.
Now we need to finish the job. And the question is, how? In
2011, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn't agree on a plan
to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars' worth of budget cuts would
automatically go into effect this year. These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts
would jeopardize our military readiness. They'd devastate priorities like
education, energy, and medical research. They would certainly slow our recovery,
and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. That's why Democrats, Republicans,
business leaders, and economists have already said that these cuts, known here
in Washington as "the sequester," are a really bad idea.
Now, some in
this Congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts by making even
bigger cuts to things like education and job training; Medicare and Social
Security benefits.
That idea is even worse. Yes, the biggest driver of
our long-term debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population.
And those of us who care deeply about programs like Medicare must embrace the
need for modest reforms - otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the
investments we need for our children, and jeopardize the promise of a secure
retirement for future generations.
But we can't ask senior citizens and
working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction while asking
nothing more from the wealthiest and most powerful. We won't grow the middle
class simply by shifting the cost of health care or college onto families that
are already struggling, or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers,
cops, and firefighters. Most Americans - Democrats, Republicans, and
Independents - understand that we can't just cut our way to prosperity. They
know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit
reduction, with spending cuts and revenue, and with everybody doing their fair
share. And that's the approach I offer tonight.
On Medicare, I'm prepared
to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of health care savings by the
beginning of the next decade as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan
Simpson-Bowles commission. Already, the Affordable Care Act is helping to slow
the growth of health care costs. The reforms I'm proposing go even further.
We'll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from
the wealthiest seniors. We'll bring down costs by changing the way our
government pays for Medicare, because our medical bills shouldn't be based on
the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital - they should be based
on the quality of care that our seniors receive. And I am open to additional
reforms from both parties, so long as they don't violate the guarantee of a
secure retirement. Our government shouldn't make promises we cannot keep - but
we must keep the promises we've already made.
To hit the rest of our
deficit reduction target, we should do what leaders in both parties have already
suggested, and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax
loopholes and deductions for the well-off and well-connected. After all, why
would we choose to make deeper cuts to education and Medicare just to protect
special interest tax breaks? How is that fair? How does that promote growth? Now
is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that encourages job
creation and helps bring down the deficit. The American people deserve a tax
code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms,
and more time expanding and hiring; a tax code that ensures billionaires with
high-powered accountants can't pay a lower rate than their hard-working
secretaries; a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas, and lowers
tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that create jobs right here in
America. That's what tax reform can deliver. That's what we can do
together.
I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform won't be easy.
The politics will be hard for both sides. None of us will get 100 percent of
what we want. But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, and visit
hardship on millions of hardworking Americans. So let's set party interests
aside, and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings
and wise investments in our future. And let's do it without the brinksmanship
that stresses consumers and scares off investors. The greatest nation on Earth
cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to
the next. Let's agree, right here, right now, to keep the people's government
open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the
United States of America. The American people have worked too hard, for too
long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause
another.
Now, most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be
part of our agenda. But let's be clear: deficit reduction alone is not an
economic plan. A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs - that
must be the North Star that guides our efforts. Every day, we should ask
ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our
shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And
how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living? A year and a half
ago, I put forward an American Jobs Act that independent economists said would
create more than one million new jobs. I thank the last Congress for passing
some of that agenda, and I urge this Congress to pass the rest. Tonight, I'll
lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with
the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago. Let me repeat -
nothing I'm proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime. It's
not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities
and invests in broad-based growth.
Our first priority is making America a
magnet for new jobs and manufacturing.
After shedding jobs for more than
10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three.
Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from
Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening
its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start
making Macs in America again.
There are things we can do, right now, to
accelerate this trend. Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation
institute in Youngstown, Ohio. A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the
art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing that has the potential
to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. There's no reason this can't
happen in other towns. So tonight, I'm announcing the launch of three more of
these manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Departments of
Defense and Energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into global
centers of high-tech jobs. And I ask this Congress to help create a network of
fifteen of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is
Made in America.
If we want to make the best products, we also have to
invest in the best ideas. Every dollar we invested to map the human genome
returned $140 to our economy. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain
to unlock the answers to Alzheimer's; developing drugs to regenerate damaged
organs; devising new material to make batteries ten times more powerful. Now is
not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation.
Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the
height of the Space Race. And today, no area holds more promise than our
investments in American energy.
After years of talking about it, we are
finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more oil at home
than we have in 15 years. We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a
gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like
wind and solar - with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it.
We produce more natural gas than ever before - and nearly everyone's energy bill
is lower because of it. And over the last four years, our emissions of the
dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually
fallen.
But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more
to combat climate change. Yes, it's true that no single event makes a trend. But
the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat
waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods - all are now more frequent and intense.
We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in
decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a
freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of
science - and act before it's too late.
The good news is, we can make
meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge
this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change,
like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago.
But if Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will
direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the
future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of
climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of
energy.
Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market
and the jobs that came with it. We've begun to change that. Last year, wind
energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. So let's generate
even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year - so let's drive costs down
even further. As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy,
so must we.
In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner
power and greater energy independence. That's why my Administration will keep
cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits. But I also want to
work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps
natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.
Indeed,
much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public,
own together. So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to
fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to
shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a non-partisan coalition of CEOs
and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we.
Let's take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful
spikes in gas prices we've put up with for far too long. I'm also issuing a new
goal for America: let's cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and
businesses over the next twenty years. The states with the best ideas to create
jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will
receive federal support to help make it happen.
America's energy sector
is just one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. Ask any CEO
where they'd rather locate and hire: a country with deteriorating roads and
bridges, or one with high-speed rail and internet; high-tech schools and
self-healing power grids. The CEO of Siemens America - a company that brought
hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina - has said that if we upgrade our
infrastructure, they'll bring even more jobs. And I know that you want these
job-creating projects in your districts. I've seen you all at the
ribbon-cuttings.
Tonight, I propose a "Fix-It-First" program to put
people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly
70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. And to make sure
taxpayers don't shoulder the whole burden, I'm also proposing a Partnership to
Rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses
need most: modern ports to move our goods; modern pipelines to withstand a
storm; modern schools worthy of our children. Let's prove that there is no
better place to do business than the United States of America. And let's start
right away.
Part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing
sector. Today, our housing market is finally healing from the collapse of 2007.
Home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years, home purchases are up
nearly 50 percent, and construction is expanding again.
But even with
mortgage rates near a 50-year low, too many families with solid credit who want
to buy a home are being rejected. Too many families who have never missed a
payment and want to refinance are being told no. That's holding our entire
economy back, and we need to fix it. Right now, there's a bill in this Congress
that would give every responsible homeowner in America the chance to save $3,000
a year by refinancing at today's rates. Democrats and Republicans have supported
it before. What are we waiting for? Take a vote, and send me that bill. Right
now, overlapping regulations keep responsible young families from buying their
first home. What's holding us back? Let's streamline the process, and help our
economy grow.
These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure,
and housing will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create
new jobs. But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the
skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest
possible age.
Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins
learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10
four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most
middle-class parents can't afford a few hundred bucks a week for private
preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to
preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives.
Tonight,
I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every
child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can
save more than seven dollars later on - by boosting graduation rates, reducing
teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. In states that make it a priority
to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show
students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high
school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let's do what
works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.
Let's give our kids that chance.
Let's also make sure that a high school
diploma puts our kids on a path to a good job. Right now, countries like Germany
focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a
technical degree from one of our community colleges, so that they're ready for a
job. At schools like P-Tech in Brooklyn, a collaboration between New York Public
Schools, the City University of New York, and IBM, students will graduate with a
high school diploma and an associate degree in computers or
engineering.
We need to give every American student opportunities like
this. Four years ago, we started Race to the Top - a competition that convinced
almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, for about
1 percent of what we spend on education each year. Tonight, I'm announcing a new
challenge to redesign America's high schools so they better equip graduates for
the demands of a high-tech economy. We'll reward schools that develop new
partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on
science, technology, engineering, and math - the skills today's employers are
looking for to fill jobs right now and in the future.
Now, even with
better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. It's a
simple fact: the more education you have, the more likely you are to have a job
and work your way into the middle class. But today, skyrocketing costs price way
too many young people out of a higher education, or saddle them with
unsustainable debt.
Through tax credits, grants, and better loans, we
have made college more affordable for millions of students and families over the
last few years. But taxpayers cannot continue to subsidize the soaring cost of
higher education. Colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it's our
job to make sure they do. Tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education
Act, so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges
receive certain types of federal aid. And tomorrow, my Administration will
release a new "College Scorecard" that parents and students can use to compare
schools based on a simple criteria: where you can get the most bang for your
educational buck.
To grow our middle class, our citizens must have access
to the education and training that today's jobs require. But we also have to
make sure that America remains a place where everyone who's willing to work hard
has the chance to get ahead.
Our economy is stronger when we harness the
talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. And right now, leaders
from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that
the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Real reform
means strong border security, and we can build on the progress my Administration
has already made - putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in
our history, and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40
years.
Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned
citizenship - a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and
a meaningful penalty, learning English, and going to the back of the line behind
the folks trying to come here legally.
And real reform means fixing the
legal immigration system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and attract
the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and
grow our economy.
In other words, we know what needs to be done. As we
speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a
bill, and I applaud their efforts. Now let's get this done. Send me a
comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it
right away.
But we can't stop there. We know our economy is stronger when
our wives, mothers, and daughters can live their lives free from discrimination
in the workplace, and free from the fear of domestic violence. Today, the Senate
passed the Violence Against Women Act that Joe Biden originally wrote almost 20
years ago. I urge the House to do the same. And I ask this Congress to declare
that women should earn a living equal to their efforts, and finally pass the
Paycheck Fairness Act this year.
We know our economy is stronger when we
reward an honest day's work with honest wages. But today, a full-time worker
making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we've put
in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below
the poverty line. That's wrong. That's why, since the last time this Congress
raised the minimum wage, nineteen states have chosen to bump theirs even
higher.
Tonight, let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no
one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal
minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. This single step would raise the incomes of
millions of working families. It could mean the difference between groceries or
the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead. For
businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their
pockets. In fact, working folks shouldn't have to wait year after year for the
minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher. So here's an idea
that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year: let's tie the minimum
wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live
on.
Tonight, let's also recognize that there are communities in this
country where no matter how hard you work, it's virtually impossible to get
ahead. Factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up. Inescapable
pockets of poverty, urban and rural, where young adults are still fighting for
their first job. America is not a place where chance of birth or circumstance
should decide our destiny. And that is why we need to build new ladders of
opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb
them.
Let's offer incentives to companies that hire Americans who've got
what it takes to fill that job opening, but have been out of work so long that
no one will give them a chance. Let's put people back to work rebuilding vacant
homes in run-down neighborhoods. And this year, my Administration will begin to
partner with 20 of the hardest-hit towns in America to get these communities
back on their feet. We'll work with local leaders to target resources at public
safety, education, and housing. We'll give new tax credits to businesses that
hire and invest. And we'll work to strengthen families by removing the financial
deterrents to marriage for low-income couples, and doing more to encourage
fatherhood - because what makes you a man isn't the ability to conceive a child;
it's having the courage to raise one.
Stronger families. Stronger
communities. A stronger America. It is this kind of prosperity - broad, shared,
and built on a thriving middle class - that has always been the source of our
progress at home. It is also the foundation of our power and influence
throughout the world.
Tonight, we stand united in saluting the troops and
civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them, we can say
with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan, and
achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda. Already, w have brought
home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This spring, our forces will move
into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, I can
announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home
from Afghanistan. This drawdown will continue. And by the end of next year, our
war in Afghanistan will be over.
Beyond 2014, America's commitment to a
unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, but the nature of our commitment
will change. We are negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that
focuses on two missions: training and equipping Afghan forces so that the
country does not again slip into chaos, and counter-terrorism efforts that allow
us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates.
Today, the
organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self. Different
al Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged - from the Arabian
Peninsula to Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving. But to meet this
threat, we don't need to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters
abroad, or occupy other nations. Instead, we will need to help countries like
Yemen, Libya, and Somalia provide for their own security, and help allies who
take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. And, where necessary, through
a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action against those
terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans.
As we do, we must
enlist our values in the fight. That is why my Administration has worked
tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our
counterterrorism operations. Throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of
our efforts. I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word
that we're doing things the right way. So, in the months ahead, I will continue
to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and
prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks
and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American
people and to the world.
Of course, our challenges don't end with al
Qaeda. America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the
world's most dangerous weapons. The regime in North Korea must know that they
will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international
obligations. Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them
further, as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead
the world in taking firm action in response to these threats.
Likewise,
the leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic
solution, because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their
obligations, and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a
nuclear weapon. At the same time, we will engage Russia to seek further
reductions in our nuclear arsenals, and continue leading the global effort to
secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands - because our
ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead.
America
must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber-attacks. We know hackers
steal people's identities and infiltrate private e-mail. We know foreign
countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also
seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and
our air traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder
why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our
economy.
That's why, earlier today, I signed a new executive order that
will strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, and
developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our
privacy. Now, Congress must act as well, by passing legislation to give our
government a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter
attacks.
Even as we protect our people, we should remember that today's
world presents not only dangers, but opportunities. To boost American exports,
support American jobs, and level the playing field in the growing markets of
Asia, we intend to complete negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership. And
tonight, I am announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union - because
trade that is free and fair across the Atlantic supports millions of good-paying
American jobs.
We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts
of our world enriches us all. In many places, people live on little more than a
dollar a day. So the United States will join with our allies to eradicate such
extreme poverty in the next two decades: by connecting more people to the global
economy and empowering women; by giving our young and brightest minds new
opportunities to serve and helping communities to feed, power, and educate
themselves; by saving the world's children from preventable deaths; and by
realizing the promise of an AIDS-free generation.
Above all, America must
remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historic change. I
saw the power of hope last year in Rangoon - when Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed an
American President into the home where she had been imprisoned for years; when
thousands of Burmese lined the streets, waving American flags, including a man
who said, "There is justice and law in the United States. I want our country to
be like that." In defense of freedom, we will remain the anchor of strong
alliances from the Americas to Africa; from Europe to Asia. In the Middle East,
we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, and support
stable transitions to democracy. The process will be messy, and we cannot
presume to dictate the course of change in countries like Egypt; but we can -
and will - insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. We will
keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, and
support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. And we will
stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace. These
are the messages I will deliver when I travel to the Middle East next
month.
All this work depends on the courage and sacrifice of those who
serve in dangerous places at great personal risk - our diplomats, our
intelligence officers, and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.
As long as I'm Commander-in-Chief, we will do whatever we must to protect those
who serve their country abroad, and we will maintain the best military in the
world. We will invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime
spending. We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, and equal
benefits for their families - gay and straight. We will draw upon the courage
and skills of our sisters and daughters, because women have proven under fire
that they are ready for combat. We will keep faith with our veterans - investing
in world-class care, including mental health care, for our wounded warriors;
supporting our military families; and giving our veterans the benefits,
education, and job opportunities they have earned. And I want to thank my wife
Michelle and Dr. Jill Biden for their continued dedication to serving our
military families as well as they serve us.
But defending our freedom is not the job of our military alone. We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are protected here at home. That includes our most fundamental right as citizens: the right to vote. When any Americans - no matter where they live or what their party - are denied that right simply because they can't wait for five, six, seven hours just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals. That's why, tonight, I'm announcing a non-partisan commission to improve the voting experience in America. And I'm asking two long-time experts in the field, who've recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and for Governor Romney's campaign, to lead it. We can fix this, and we will. The American people demand it. And so does our democracy.
Of course, what I've said tonight matters little if we don't come together to protect our most precious resource - our children.
It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. Overwhelming majorities of Americans - Americans who believe in the 2nd Amendment - have come together around commonsense reform - like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. Senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned.
Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun.
One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house.
Hadiya's parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote.
The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence - they deserve a simple vote.
Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I've outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity, and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.
We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example.
We should follow the example of a New York City nurse named Menchu Sanchez. When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, her thoughts were not with how her own home was faring - they were with the twenty precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe.
We should follow the example of a North Miami woman named Desiline Victor. When she arrived at her polling place, she was told the wait to vote might be six hours. And as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like her would get to have their say. Hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in line in support of her. Because Desiline is 102 years old. And they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read "I Voted."
We should follow the example of a police officer named Brian Murphy. When a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and Brian was the first to arrive, he did not consider his own safety. He fought back until help arrived, and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the Americans worshiping inside - even as he lay bleeding from twelve bullet wounds.
When asked how he did that, Brian said, "That's just the way we're made."
That's just the way we're made.
We may do different jobs, and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us. But as Americans, we all share the same proud title:
We are citizens. It's a word that doesn't just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we're made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations; that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter in our American story.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
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