03/01/2017
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the First Lady of the United States, and Citizens of America:
Tonight, as we
mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we are reminded
of our Nation's path toward civil rights and the work that still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community
Centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in
Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we
are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms.
Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice –- in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present.
That torch is now
in our hands. And we will use it to
light up the world. I am here tonight to
deliver a message of unity and strength, and it is a message deeply delivered from
my heart.
A new chapter of
American Greatness is now beginning.
A new national
pride is sweeping across our Nation.
And a new surge
of optimism is placing impossible dreams firmly within our grasp.
What we are
witnessing today is the Renewal of the American Spirit.
Our allies will
find that America is once again ready to lead.
All the nations
of the world -- friend or foe -- will find that America is strong, America is
proud, and America is free.
In 9 years, the
United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our founding -- 250 years
since the day we declared our Independence.
It will be one of
the great milestones in the history of the world.
But what will
America look like as we reach our 250th year? What kind of country will we
leave for our children?
I will not allow
the mistakes of recent decades past to define the course of our future.
For too long,
we've watched our middle class shrink as we've exported our jobs and wealth to
foreign countries.
We've financed
and built one global project after another, but ignored the fates of our
children in the inner cities of Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit -- and so many
other places throughout our land.
We've defended
the borders of other nations, while leaving our own borders wide open, for
anyone to cross -- and for drugs to pour in at a now unprecedented rate.
And we've spent
trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly
crumbled.
Then, in 2016,
the earth shifted beneath our feet. The
rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all colors and
creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their children, and a fair
hearing for their concerns.
But then the
quiet voices became a loud chorus -- as thousands of citizens now spoke out
together, from cities small and large, all across our country.
Finally, the
chorus became an earthquake – and the people turned out by the tens of
millions, and they were all united by one very simple, but crucial demand, that
America must put its own citizens first ... because only then, can we truly
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
Dying industries
will come roaring back to life. Heroic
veterans will get the care they so desperately need.
Our military will
be given the resources its brave warriors so richly deserve.
Crumbling
infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and
railways gleaming across our beautiful land.
Our terrible drug
epidemic will slow down and ultimately, stop.
And our neglected
inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.
Above all else,
we will keep our promises to the American people.
It's been a
little over a month since my inauguration, and I want to take this moment to
update the Nation on the progress I've made in keeping those promises.
Since my
election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed,
Intel, Walmart, and many others, have announced that they will invest billions
of dollars in the United States and will create tens of thousands of new
American jobs.
The stock market
has gained almost three trillion dollars in value since the election on
November 8th, a record. We've saved
taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the
fantastic new F-35 jet fighter, and will be saving billions more dollars on
contracts all across our Government. We
have placed a hiring freeze on non-military and non-essential Federal workers.
We have begun to
drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a 5 year ban on lobbying
by executive branch officials –- and a lifetime ban on becoming lobbyists for a
foreign government.
We have
undertaken a historic effort to massively reduce job crushing regulations,
creating a deregulation task force inside of every Government agency; imposing
a new rule which mandates that for every 1 new regulation, 2 old regulations
must be eliminated; and stopping a regulation that threatens the future and
livelihoods of our great coal miners.
We have cleared the way for the construction of the Keystone
and Dakota Access Pipelines -- thereby creating tens of thousands of jobs --
and I've issued a new directive that new American pipelines be made with
American steel.
We have withdrawn the United States from the job-killing
Trans-Pacific Partnership.
With the help of
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we have formed a Council with our neighbors in
Canada to help ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to the networks,
markets and capital they need to start a business and live out their financial
dreams.
To protect our
citizens, I have directed the Department of Justice to form a Task Force on
Reducing Violent Crime.
I have further
ordered the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, along with the
Department of State and the Director of National Intelligence, to coordinate an
aggressive strategy to dismantle the criminal cartels that have spread across
our Nation.
We will stop the
drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth -- and we will
expand treatment for those who have become so badly addicted.
At the same time,
my Administration has answered the pleas of the American people for immigration
enforcement and border security. By
finally enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the
unemployed, save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for
everyone. We want all Americans to
succeed –- but that can't happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law
to our borders.
For that reason,
we will soon begin the construction of a great wall along our southern border.
It will be started ahead of schedule and, when finished, it will be a very
effective weapon against drugs and crime.
As we speak, we
are removing gang members, drug dealers and criminals that threaten our
communities and prey on our citizens.
Bad ones are going out as I speak tonight and as I have promised.
To any in
Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this
question: what would you say to the
American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved one, because
America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders?
Our obligation is
to serve, protect, and defend the citizens of the United States. We are also taking strong measures to protect
our Nation from Radical Islamic Terrorism.
According to data
provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals
convicted for terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our
country. We have seen the attacks at
home -– from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon and yes, even the World
Trade Center.
We have seen the
attacks in France, in Belgium, in Germany and all over the world.
It is not
compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where
proper vetting cannot occur. Those given
the high honor of admission to the United States should support this country
and love its people and its values.
We cannot allow a
beachhead of terrorism to form inside America -- we cannot allow our Nation to
become a sanctuary for extremists.
That is why my
Administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will
shortly take new steps to keep our Nation safe -- and to keep out those who
would do us harm.
As promised, I
directed the Department of Defense to develop a plan to demolish and destroy
ISIS -- a network of lawless savages that have slaughtered Muslims and
Christians, and men, women, and children of all faiths and beliefs. We will work with our allies, including our
friends and allies in the Muslim world, to extinguish this vile enemy from our
planet.
I have also
imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals who support Iran's ballistic
missile program, and reaffirmed our unbreakable alliance with the State of
Israel.
Finally, I have
kept my promise to appoint a Justice to the United States Supreme Court -- from
my list of 20 judges -- who will defend our Constitution. I am honored to have Maureen Scalia with us
in the gallery tonight. Her late, great
husband, Antonin Scalia, will forever be a symbol of American justice. To fill his seat, we have chosen Judge Neil
Gorsuch, a man of incredible skill, and deep devotion to the law. He was confirmed unanimously to the Court of
Appeals, and I am asking the Senate to swiftly approve his nomination.
Tonight, as I
outline the next steps we must take as a country, we must honestly acknowledge
the circumstances we inherited.
Ninety-four
million Americans are out of the labor force.
Over 43 million
people are now living in poverty, and over 43 million Americans are on food
stamps.
More than 1 in 5
people in their prime working years are not working.
We have the worst financial recovery in 65
years.
In the last 8
years, the past Administration has put on more new debt than nearly all other
Presidents combined.
We've lost more
than one-fourth of our manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was approved, and we've
lost 60,000 factories since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Our trade deficit
in goods with the world last year was nearly $800 billion dollars.
And overseas, we
have inherited a series of tragic foreign policy disasters.
Solving these,
and so many other pressing problems, will require us to work past the
differences of party. It will require us
to tap into the American spirit that has overcome every challenge throughout
our long and storied history.
But to accomplish
our goals at home and abroad, we must restart the engine of the American
economy -- making it easier for companies to do business in the United States,
and much harder for companies to leave.
Right now,
American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world.
My economic team
is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our
companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone. At the same time, we will provide massive tax
relief for the middle class.
We must create a
level playing field for American companies and workers.
Currently, when
we ship products out of America, many other countries make us pay very high
tariffs and taxes -- but when foreign companies ship their products into
America, we charge them almost nothing.
I just met with
officials and workers from a great American company, Harley-Davidson. In fact, they proudly displayed five of their
magnificent motorcycles, made in the USA, on the front lawn of the White House.
At our meeting, I
asked them, how are you doing, how is business?
They said that it's good. I asked
them further how they are doing with other countries, mainly international
sales. They told me -- without even complaining
because they have been mistreated for so long that they have become used to it
-- that it is very hard to do business with other countries because they tax
our goods at such a high rate. They said
that in one case another country taxed their motorcycles at 100 percent.
They weren't even
asking for change. But I am.
I believe
strongly in free trade but it also has to be FAIR TRADE.
The first
Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, warned that the "abandonment of the
protective policy by the American Government [will] produce want and ruin among
our people."
Lincoln was right
-- and it is time we heeded his words. I am not going to let America and its
great companies and workers, be taken advantage of anymore.
I am going to
bring back millions of jobs. Protecting
our workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration. The current, outdated system depresses wages
for our poorest workers, and puts great pressure on taxpayers.
Nations around
the world, like Canada, Australia and many others –- have a merit-based
immigration system. It is a basic
principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support
themselves financially. Yet, in America,
we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public resources that our
poorest citizens rely upon. According to
the National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs
America's taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.
Switching away
from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a
merit-based system, will have many benefits:
it will save countless dollars, raise workers' wages, and help
struggling families –- including immigrant families –- enter the middle class.
I believe that real and positive immigration reform is
possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages
for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for
our laws.
If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then
I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome
that has eluded our country for decades.
Another
Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, initiated the last truly great
national infrastructure program –- the building of the interstate highway
system. The time has come for a new
program of national rebuilding.
America has spent
approximately six trillion dollars in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure
at home is crumbling. With this six
trillion dollars we could have rebuilt our country –- twice. And maybe even three times if we had people
who had the ability to negotiate.
To launch our
national rebuilding, I will be asking the Congress to approve legislation that
produces a $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure of the United States --
financed through both public and private capital –- creating millions of new
jobs.
This effort will
be guided by two core principles: Buy American,
and Hire American.
Tonight, I am
also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that
expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide
better Healthcare.
Mandating every
American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right
solution for America. The way to make
health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health
insurance, and that is what we will do.
Obamacare
premiums nationwide have increased by double and triple digits. As an example, Arizona went up 116 percent
last year alone. Governor Matt Bevin of
Kentucky just said Obamacare is failing in his State -- it is unsustainable and
collapsing.
One third of
counties have only one insurer on the exchanges –- leaving many Americans with
no choice at all.
Remember when you were told that you could keep your doctor,
and keep your plan?
We now know that
all of those promises have been broken.
Obamacare is
collapsing –- and we must act decisively to protect all Americans. Action is not a choice –- it is a necessity.
So I am calling
on all Democrats and Republicans in the Congress to work with us to save
Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster.
Here are the principles
that should guide the Congress as we move to create a better healthcare system
for all Americans:
First, we should
ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and
that we have a stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the
healthcare exchanges.
Secondly, we
should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax
credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts –- but it must be the plan they
want, not the plan forced on them by the Government.
Thirdly, we
should give our great State Governors the resources and flexibility they need
with Medicaid to make sure no one is left out.
Fourthly, we
should implement legal reforms that protect patients and doctors from
unnecessary costs that drive up the price of insurance – and work to bring down
the artificially high price of drugs and bring them down immediately.
Finally, the time
has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across
State lines –- creating a truly competitive national marketplace that will
bring cost way down and provide far better care.
Everything that
is broken in our country can be fixed.
Every problem can be solved. And
every hurting family can find healing, and hope.
Our citizens
deserve this, and so much more –- so why not join forces to finally get it
done? On this and so many other things,
Democrats and Republicans should get together and unite for the good of our
country, and for the good of the American people.
My administration
wants to work with members in both parties to make childcare accessible and
affordable, to help ensure new parents have paid family leave, to invest in
women's health, and to promote clean air and clear water, and to rebuild our
military and our infrastructure.
True love for our
people requires us to find common ground, to advance the common good, and to
cooperate on behalf of every American child who deserves a brighter future.
An incredible
young woman is with us this evening who should serve as an inspiration to us
all.
Today is Rare
Disease day, and joining us in the gallery is a Rare Disease Survivor, Megan
Crowley. Megan was diagnosed with Pompe
Disease, a rare and serious illness, when she was 15 months old. She was not expected to live past 5.
On receiving this
news, Megan's dad, John, fought with everything he had to save the life of his
precious child. He founded a company to
look for a cure, and helped develop the drug that saved Megan's life. Today she is 20 years old -- and a sophomore
at Notre Dame.
Megan's story is
about the unbounded power of a father's love for a daughter.
But our slow and
burdensome approval process at the Food and Drug Administration keeps too many
advances, like the one that saved Megan's life, from reaching those in need.
If we slash the
restraints, not just at the FDA but across our Government, then we will be
blessed with far more miracles like Megan.
In fact, our
children will grow up in a Nation of miracles.
But to achieve
this future, we must enrich the mind –- and the souls –- of every American
child.
Education is the
civil rights issue of our time.
I am calling upon
Members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for
disadvantaged youth, including millions of African-American and Latino
children. These families should be free
to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that
is right for them.
Joining us
tonight in the gallery is a remarkable woman, Denisha Merriweather. As a young girl, Denisha struggled in school
and failed third grade twice. But then
she was able to enroll in a private center for learning, with the help of a tax
credit scholarship program. Today, she
is the first in her family to graduate, not just from high school, but from
college. Later this year she will get
her masters degree in social work.
We want all
children to be able to break the cycle of poverty just like Denisha.
But to break the
cycle of poverty, we must also break the cycle of violence.
The murder rate
in 2015 experienced its largest single-year increase in nearly half a century.
In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot
last year alone –- and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher.
This is not
acceptable in our society.
Every American
child should be able to grow up in a safe community, to attend a great school,
and to have access to a high-paying job.
But to create
this future, we must work with –- not against -– the men and women of law
enforcement.
We must build
bridges of cooperation and trust –- not drive the wedge of disunity and division.
Police and
sheriffs are members of our community.
They are friends and neighbors, they are mothers and fathers, sons and
daughters – and they leave behind loved ones every day who worry whether or not
they'll come home safe and sound.
We must support
the incredible men and women of law enforcement.
And we must
support the victims of crime.
I have ordered
the Department of Homeland Security to create an office to serve American
Victims. The office is called VOICE –-
Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement.
We are providing a voice to those who have been ignored by our media,
and silenced by special interests.
Joining us in the
audience tonight are four very brave Americans whose government failed them.
Their names are
Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, and Jessica Davis.
Jamiel's
17-year-old son was viciously murdered by an illegal immigrant gang member, who
had just been released from prison.
Jamiel Shaw Jr. was an incredible young man, with unlimited potential
who was getting ready to go to college where he would have excelled as a great
quarterback. But he never got the
chance. His father, who is in the audiencetonight,
has become a good friend of mine.
Also with us are
Susan Oliver and Jessica Davis. Their
husbands –- Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver and Detective Michael Davis –- were
slain in the line of duty in California.
They were pillars of their community.
These brave men were viciously gunned down by an illegal immigrant with
a criminal record and two prior deportations.
Sitting with
Susan is her daughter, Jenna.
Jenna: I want you to know that
your father was a hero, and that tonight you have the love of an entire country
supporting you and praying for you.
To Jamiel, Jenna,
Susan and Jessica: I want you to know –-
we will never stop fighting for justice.
Your loved ones will never be forgotten, we will always honor their
memory.
Finally, to keep
America Safe we must provide the men and women of the United States military
with the tools they need to prevent war and –- if they must –- to fight and to
win.
I am sending the
Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the Defense sequester,
and calls for one of the largest increases in national defense spending in
American history.
My budget will
also increase funding for our veterans.
Our veterans have
delivered for this Nation –- and now we must deliver for them.
The challenges we
face as a Nation are great. But our people
are even greater.
And none are
greater or braver than those who fight for America in uniform.
We are blessed to
be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the widow of a U.S. Navy Special Operator,
Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens.
Ryan died as he lived: a warrior,
and a hero –- battling against terrorism and securing our Nation.
I just spoke to
General Mattis, who reconfirmed that, and I quote, "Ryan was a part of a
highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that
will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies." Ryan's legacy is etched into eternity. For as the Bible teaches us, there is no
greater act of love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends, for
his country, and for our freedom –- we will never forget him.
To those allies
who wonder what kind of friend America will be, look no further than the heroes
who wear our uniform.
Our foreign
policy calls for a direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the
world. It is American leadership based
on vital security interests that we share with our allies across the globe.
We strongly
support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that
dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism.
But our partners
must meet their financial obligations.
And now, based on
our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.
We expect our
partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle East, or the Pacific –- to take a
direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and pay
their fair share of the cost.
We will respect
historic institutions, but we will also respect the sovereign rights of
nations.
Free nations are
the best vehicle for expressing the will of the people –- and America respects
the right of all nations to chart their own path. My job is not to represent the world. My job is to represent the United States of
America. But we know that America is better off, when there is less conflict --
not more.
We must learn
from the mistakes of the past –- we have seen the war and destruction that have
raged across our world.
The only
long-term solution for these humanitarian disasters is to create the conditions
where displaced persons can safely return home and begin the long process of
rebuilding.
America is
willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where shared
interests align. We want harmony and
stability, not war and conflict.
We want peace,
wherever peace can be found. America is
friends today with former enemies. Some
of our closest allies, decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World
Wars. This history should give us all
faith in the possibilities for a better world.
Hopefully, the
250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and
more free.
On our 100th anniversary, in 1876, citizens
from across our Nation came to Philadelphia to celebrate America's
centennial. At that celebration, the
country's builders and artists and inventors showed off their creations.
Alexander Graham
Bell displayed his telephone for the first time.
Remington
unveiled the first typewriter. An early
attempt was made at electric light.
Thomas Edison
showed an automatic telegraph and an electric pen.
Imagine the
wonders our country could know in America's 250th year.
Think of the
marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.
Cures to
illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope.
American
footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream.
Millions lifted
from welfare to work is not too much to expect.
And streets where
mothers are safe from fear -- schools where children learn in peace -- and jobs
where Americans prosper and grow -- are not too much to ask.
When we have all
of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. For all Americans.
This is our
vision. This is our mission.
But we can only
get there together.
We are one
people, with one destiny.
We all bleed the
same blood.
We all salute the
same flag.
And we are all
made by the same God.
And when we
fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we
will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American Greatness began.
The time for
small thinking is over. The time for
trivial fights is behind us.
We just need the
courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.
The bravery to
express the hopes that stir our souls.
And the
confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.
From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations,
not burdened by our fears –-
inspired by the
future, not bound by the failures of the past –-and guided by our vision, not blinded by our doubts.
I am asking all
citizens to embrace this Renewal of the American Spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join
me in dreaming big, and bold and daring things for our country.
And I am asking everyone watching tonight to seize this
moment and --
Believe in
yourselves.
Believe in your
future.
And believe, once
more, in America.
Thank you, God
bless you, and God Bless these United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment