Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans:
Today
in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it,
and did her part to lift America's graduation rate to its highest level
in more than three decades.
A
farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of
farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave
a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother
could afford. A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift,
bone-tired, but dreaming big dreams for his son.
And
in tight-knit communities all across America, fathers and mothers will
tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen
comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after 12 long
years, is finally coming to an end.
Tonight,
this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent: It is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.
And
here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in
over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector
that's adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced
at home than we buy from the rest of the world — the first time that's
happened in nearly 20 years. Our deficits — cut by more than half. And
for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world
have declared that China is no longer the world's number one place to
invest; America is.
That's why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined
effort, the United States is better positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.
The
question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision
we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this
progress.
For
several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument
over the proper size of the federal government. It's an important debate
— one that dates back to our very founding.
But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic
functions of our democracy — when our differences shut down government
or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States — then we are
not doing right by the American people.
Now,
as president, I'm committed to making Washington work better, and
rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. And I believe most
of you are, too.
Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, Congress
finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year's severe cuts to
priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we
can still do more to invest in this country's future while bringing
down our deficit in a balanced way, but the budget compromise should
leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.
In
the coming months, let's see where else we can make progress together.
Let's make this a year of action. That's what most Americans want: for
all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their
aspirations.
What I
believe unites the people of this nation — regardless of race or region
or party, young or old, rich or poor — is the simple, profound belief in
opportunity for all — the notion that if you work hard and take
responsibility, you can get ahead in America.
Let's face it: That belief has suffered some serious
blows. Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession
hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a
lot of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations
that families depend on.
Today,
after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices
have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better.
But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward
mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of
recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by,
let alone to get ahead. And too many still aren't working at all.
So
our job is to reverse these
trends. It won't happen right away, and we won't agree on everything.
But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to
speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of
opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional action,
and I am eager to work with all of you.
But America does not stand still — and neither will I. So wherever and
whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for
more American families, that's what I'm going to do.
As usual, our first lady sets a good example.
Michelle's
Let's Move partnership with schools, businesses, local leaders has
helped bring down childhood obesity rates for the first time in 30
years. And that's an achievement that will improve lives and reduce
health care costs for decades to come. The Joining Forces alliance that
Michelle and Jill Biden launched has already encouraged employers to
hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses.
Taking
a page from that playbook, the White House just organized a College
Opportunity Summit, where already, 150 universities, businesses,
nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access
to higher education — and to help every hardworking kid go to college
and succeed when they get to campus. And across the country, we're
partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from
homelessness to marriage
equality.
The point is
there are millions of Americans outside of Washington who are tired of
stale political arguments and are moving this country forward.
They
believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend
not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the
scope of our dreams. That's what drew our forebears here. It's how the
daughter of a factory worker is CEO of America's largest automaker. How
the son of a barkeep is Speaker of the House. How the son of a single
mom can be president of the greatest nation on Earth.
Opportunity
is who we are. And the defining project of our generation must be to
restore that promise. We know where to start: The best measure of
opportunity is access to a good job. With the economy picking up speed,
companies say they intend to hire more people this year. And over half
of big manufacturers say they're thinking of insourcing jobs from
abroad.
So
let's make that decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and
Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful,
complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here and reward
companies that keep profits abroad. Let's flip that
equation. Let's work together to close those loopholes, end those
incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses
that create jobs right here at home.
gallery
Moreover,
we can take the money we save from this transition to tax reform to
create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our
commutes — because in today's global economy, first-class jobs gravitate
to first-class infrastructure. We'll need Congress to protect more than
3 million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this
summer. That can happen. But I'll act on my own to slash bureaucracy and
streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more
construction workers on the job as fast as possible.
We
also have the chance,
right now, to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of
high-tech manufacturing jobs. My administration has launched two hubs
for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh, North Carolina and Youngstown,
Ohio,
where we've connected businesses to research universities that can help
America lead the world in advanced technologies. Tonight, I'm
announcing we'll launch six more this year. Bipartisan bills in both
houses could double the number of these hubs and the jobs they create.
So get
those bills to my desk; put more Americans back to work.
Let's
do more to help the entrepreneurs and small business owners who create
most new jobs in America. Over the past five years, my administration
has made more loans to small business owners than any other.
And when 98 percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade
partnerships with Europe and the Asia Pacific will help them create more
jobs. We need to work together on tools like bipartisan Trade Promotion
Authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new
markets to new goods
stamped "Made in the USA."
Listen,
China and Europe aren't standing on the sidelines, and neither should
we. We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will
own the global economy tomorrow. This is an edge America cannot
surrender. Federally funded research helped lead to the ideas and
inventions behind Google and smartphones.
And that's why Congress should undo the damage done by last year's cuts
to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery.
There
are entire industries to be
built based on vaccines that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria, or
paper-thin material that's stronger than steel. And let's pass a patent
reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation,
not costly and needless litigation.
Now,
one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment
to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a
few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy
independence than we have been in decades.
One
of the reasons why is natural gas — if extracted safely, it's the
bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution
that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost $100
billion in new factories that use natural
gas. I'll cut red tape to help states get those factories built and put
folks to work, and this Congress can help by putting people to work
building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign
oil to American natural gas.
Meanwhile,
my administration will keep working with the industry to sustain
production and jobs growth while strengthening protection of our air,
our water, our communities. And while we're at it, I'll use my authority
to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.
It's
not just oil and natural gas production that's booming; we're becoming a
global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home
or business goes solar, every panel pounded into place by a worker whose
job
cannot be outsourced. Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax
policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries
that don't need it, so we can invest more in fuels of the future that
do.
And
even as we've increased energy production, we've partnered with
businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we
consume. When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with
them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming
months, I'll build on that success by setting new standards for our
trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the
pump.
And taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years,
the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more
urgency
— because a changing climate is already harming Western communities
struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods. That's
why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and
others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power
plants are allowed to dump into the air.
The
shift to a cleaner energy economy won't happen overnight, and
it will require some tough choices along the way. But the debate is
settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children's children look
us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer,
more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to
say yes, we did.
Finally,
if we're serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of
business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement — and
fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the
Senate have acted.
And I know that members of both parties
in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say
immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by
almost $1 trillion in the next two decades.
And
for good reason: When people come here to fulfill their dreams — to
study, invent, contribute to our culture — they make our country a more
attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody.
So let's get immigration reform done this year. Let's get it done. It's
time.
The
ideas I've outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs.
But in this rapidly changing economy, we have to make sure that every
American has the skills to fill those jobs. The good news is we know how
to do it.
Two
years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up
a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed parts for
the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make those parts.
She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we call an American Jobs Center, places where
folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job or a better job.
She
was flooded with new workers. And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems
has more than 700 employees. And what Andra and her employees
experienced is how it should be for every employer and every job seeker.
So
tonight, I've asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board
reform of America's training programs to make sure they have one
mission: Train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them
to good jobs that need to be filled right now.
That
means more on-the-job training and more apprenticeships that set a
young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting
companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill
their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate
funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans
with ready-to-be-filled jobs.
I'm
also convinced we
can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming
unemployment insurance so that it's more effective in today's economy.
But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you
just let expire for 1.6 million people.
Let me tell you why.
Misty DeMars is a mother of two young boys. She'd been steadily
employed since she was a teenager, put herself through college. She'd
never collected unemployment benefits, but she'd been paying taxes. In
May, she and her husband used their life savings to buy their first
home. A week later, budget cuts claimed the job she loved.
Last month, when their unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat down
and wrote me a letter, the kind I get every day. "We are the face of
the unemployment crisis," she wrote. "I'm not dependent on the
government.
Our
country depends on people like us who build careers, contribute to
society, care about our neighbors. I'm confident that in time I will
find a job, I will pay my taxes, and we will raise our children in their
own home in the community we love. Please give us this chance."
Congress,
give these hardworking, responsible Americans that chance. Give them
that chance. Give them the chance. They need our help right now. But
more important, this country needs them in the game. That's why I've
been asking CEOs
to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at new jobs, a
new chance to support their families. And in fact, this week, many will
come to the White House to make that commitment real.
Tonight,
I ask every business leader in America to join us and to do the same --
because we are stronger when America fields a full team.
Of
course, it's not enough to train today's workforce. We also have to
prepare tomorrow's workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a
world-class education.
Estiven
Rodriguez couldn't speak a word of English when he moved to New York
City at age nine. But last month, thanks to the support of great
teachers and an innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his
classmates through a crowd of cheering parents and neighbors from their
high school to the post office, where they mailed off their college
applications. And this son of a factory worker just found out he's going
to college this fall.
Five
years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids. We worked
with lenders to reform student loans, and today, more young people are
earning college degrees than ever before. Race to the Top, with the help
of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations
and performance.
Teachers and principals in schools
from Tennessee to Washington, D.C., are making big strides in preparing
students with the skills for the new economy -- problem solving,
critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, math.
Some
of this change is hard. It requires everything from more challenging
curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers
and new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can
fill in a bubble on a test. But it is worth it and it is working. The
problem is we're still not reaching enough kids, and we're not reaching
them in time. And that has to change.
Research
shows that one of the best investments we can make in a child's life is
high-quality early education. Last year, I asked this Congress to help
states make high-quality pre-K available to every 4-year-old. And as a
parent as well as a president, I repeat that request tonight. But in the
meantime, 30 states have raised pre-k funding on their own.
They
know we can't wait. So just as we worked with states to reform our
schools, this year we'll invest in new
partnerships with states and communities across the country in a Race
to the Top for our youngest children. And as Congress decides what it's
going to do, I'm going to pull together a coalition of elected
officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more
kids access the high-quality pre-K that they need. It is right for
America. We need to get this done.
Last
year, I also pledged to connect 99 percent of our students to
high-speed broadband over the next four years. Tonight, I can announce
that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft,
Sprint, and Verizon, we've got a down payment to start connecting more
than 15,000 schools and
20 million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to
the deficit.
We're
working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and
employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that
can lead directly to a job and career. We're shaking up our system of
higher education to give parents more information and colleges more
incentives to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced
out of a college education.
We're
offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan
payments to 10 percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress
to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student
loan debt. And I'm reaching out to some of America's leading
foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men
of color facing especially tough odds to stay on track and reach their
full potential.
The
bottom line is Michelle and I want every child to have the same chance
this country gave us. But we know our opportunity agenda won't be
complete — and too many young people entering the workforce today will
see the American Dream as an empty promise — unless we also do more to
make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off
for every single American.
Today,
women make up about half our workforce, but they still make 77 cents
for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it's an
embarrassment. Women deserve equal pay for equal work. She deserves
to have a baby without sacrificing her job.
A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or a sick parent
without running into hardship. And you know what, a father does, too. It
is time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a "Mad Men"
episode. This year, let's all come together — Congress, the White House,
businesses from Wall Street to Main Street — to give every woman the
opportunity she deserves. Because I believe when women succeed, America
succeeds.
Now,
women hold a majority of lower-wage jobs, but they're not the only ones
stifled by stagnant wages. Americans understand that some people will
earn more money than others, and we don't resent those who, by virtue of
their efforts, achieve incredible success. That's what America is all
about. But Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works
full-time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.
In
the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five
states have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have done it on
their own. Nick Chute is here today with his boss, John Soranno. John's
an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough.
Only now he makes more of it. John just gave his employees a
raise, to 10 bucks an hour — and that's a decision that has eased their
financial stress and boosted their morale.
Tonight,
I ask more of America's business leaders to follow John's lead: Do what
you can to raise your employees' wages. It's good for the economy. It's
good for America. To every mayor, governor, state legislator in
America, I say you don't have to wait for Congress to act — Americans
will support you if you take this on.
'' Find Investing Solutions ► -Find Stocks, Mutual funds, Forex Market, Bonds, Securities, IRAs & Investment Ideas, Help, Guide, Advice .. Investment Sources I - Useful Links.- Where, When, How to Invest?- INVESTMENT.
'' Start your own business EASY & SIMPLE, be your own boss, make extra money, secure your financial future, obtain financial freedom.
And
as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable
corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost
productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I
will issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their
federally funded employees a fair
wage of at least $10.10 an hour — because if you cook our troops' meals
or wash their dishes, you should not have to live in poverty.
Of
course, to reach millions more, Congress does need to get on board.
Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about 20 percent less than it
was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. And Tom Harkin and George
Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10.
It's easy to remember, $10.10.
This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It does not involve any new bureaucratic
program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise. Give them a raise.
There
are other steps we can take to help families make ends meet, and few
are more effective at reducing inequality and helping families pull
themselves up through hard work than the Earned Income Tax Credit. Right
now, it helps about half of all parents at some point. Think about that
— it helps about half of all parents in America at some point in their
lives. But I agree with Republicans like Senator Rubio that it doesn't
do enough for single workers who don't have kids. So let's work together
to strengthen the credit, reward work, help more Americans get ahead.
Let's
do more to help Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers
don't have a pension. A Social Security check often isn't enough on its
own. And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years,
that doesn't help folks who don't have 401(k)s. That's why, tomorrow, I
will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to
start their own retirement savings: MyRA.
It's a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg.
MyRA
guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in. And
if this Congress wants to help, work with me to
fix an upside-down tax code that gives big tax breaks to help the
wealthy save, but does little or nothing for middle-class Americans.
Offer every American access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can
save at work just like everyone in this chamber can.
And
since the most important investment many families make is their home,
send me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a
housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of homeownership alive
for future generations.
One
last point on financial security: For decades, few things exposed
hardworking families to economic hardship more than a broken health
care system. And in case you haven't heard, we're in the process of
fixing that. A preexisting condition used to mean that someone like
Amanda Shelley, a physician's assistant and single mom from Arizona,
couldn't get health insurance. But on January 1st, she got covered. On
January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain. On January 6th, she had emergency
surgery. Just one week earlier, Amanda said, that surgery would have
meant bankruptcy.
That's
what health insurance reform is all about -- the peace of mind that if
misfortune strikes, you don't have to lose everything. Already, because
of the Affordable Care Act, more than 3 million Americans under age 26
have gained coverage under their parents' plans. More than 9 million
Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid
coverage. Nine million.
And
here's another number: zero. Because of this law, no American — none —
zero — can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting
condition like asthma, or back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be
charged more just because she's a woman. And we did all this while
adding years to Medicare's finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and
lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors.
Now, I do not expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law.
But I
know that the American people are not interested in refighting old
battles. So, again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more
people, increase choice — tell America what you'd do differently. Let's
see if the numbers add up. But let's not have another 40-something votes
to repeal a law that's already helping millions of Americans like
Amanda.
The
first 40 were plenty. We all owe it to the American people to say what
we're for, not just what we're against. And if you want to know the real
impact this law is having, just talk to Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky,
who's here tonight. Now Kentucky is not the most liberal part of the
country.
That's not where I got my highest vote totals. But he's like a man
possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealth's families. They
are our neighbors and our friends, he said. "They're people we shop and
go to church with, farmers out on the tractor, grocery clerks. They're
people who go to work every morning praying they don't get sick. No one
deserves to live that way."
-----------------------
'' FREE TAX SOFTWARE - Free Tax Filing Services Are Out There, Here’s How To Find Them..
// FREE TAX FILING IN YOUR AREA. HOW TO PAY LESS TAX AND MAKE MORE MONEY WITH IRS... (Institute)
'' Ways To Get A Bigger Tax Refund This Year. And what do you really know bout insurance TAXES... MORE CASH FOR YOUR POCKETS. READ MORE...
'' Supplements that Help Lower Cholesterol -=20 Best Cancer Fighting Foods - Cancer can be cured with a nutritious. (Nursing)
''NURSING AND MEDICAL CAREER: HERE YOU CAN FIND A BETTER WAY TO START A
NURSING CAREER, OR
ADVANCE YOUR NURSING CAREER TO HIGHER LEVEL... NURSING PROGRAMS FROM A
TO Z. ” Introduction to The Best Nursing And Medical Programs...(NOA)
'' Boards of Nursing in the United States And Canada: State-by-State Web Links, Apply For A
License, Renew A License, Continue Education, License Verification.. (N.O.A.)
'' Motivational - Inspirational: HERE ARE..'' ''Inspirational Words Of Wisdom -
''Encouragement - Friendship -''Life -
Love - SEX - Relationships - Faith - Forgiveness Positive Thoughts - Motivation - Marriage -
Dating. (Education)
'' Ten (10) Anti-Cancer Foods You Should Always Eat:=
According to Department of Health, cancer currently ranks as one of the major cause of
mortality and morbidity...
(Health Care) READ MORE...
'' The Ten (10) Commandments for a Younger looking You! Ways To Look Forever Young...
Age is just a number. You’ll find lots men and women, it could be hard for you to believe their
age... Ways To Stay Young, Look Young, Feel Young!
'' Medical Education and training.-- Nursing Scholarships and Grants. FREE MONEY to
advance your in the medical field. Financial Aid: Nursing Scholarships and Grants-
'' Nursing Credentials and Courses: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing
Programs... From (LPN) TO (RN} TO {BSN) TO {MSN} And Much More..
'' The medical and the nursing industry: Good Stuffs you may not know yet. Learn them now
- Right Here - Right now..
Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Clinical Nurse
Specialist (CNS) , Nurse Administrator / Manager ,
Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Nurse Consultant,
Nurse Educator, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Practitioner
(NP), Nurse Researcher. READ MORE...
'' Health Care And Nursing Blog: Tips on Healthy Eating .
Healthy is not delicious. Usually what's good for the mouth is not always good for the body;
Vice a Versa, What's good for the body not always taste good in the mouth... (Tblr)
'' History of Nursing In America / Nursing Alliance / Nurses Of America. Have you been
thinking about pursuing a career in health care Or Advancing Your Career In Health Care?
Now is the time to stop thinking and start moving toward your goal. “The economy goes up,
the economy goes down, but people will always need health care,” WP
'' Start Your Medical Assisting Education - Start your LPN License Practical Nurse Education -
Start Your Medical Billing & Coding - Dental Assisting or Dental Hygiene -
Start Your Registered Nurse (RN) - Start Your Patient Care & Therapy ETC. LEARN MORE... b-
spot
