TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
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 audience tonight, 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.
