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President Obama: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress,

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and fellow Americans: Tonight we meet at an urgent time

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for our country.

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We continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of

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our neighbors jobless, and a political crisis that's made

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things worse.

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This past week, reporters have been asking,

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"What will this speech mean for the President?

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What will it mean for Congress?

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How will it affect their polls, and the next election?"

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But the millions of Americans who are watching right now,

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they don't care about politics.

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They have real-life concerns.

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Many have spent months looking for work.

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Others are doing their best just to scrape by -- giving up nights

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out with the family to save on gas or make the mortgage;

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postponing retirement to send a kid to college.

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These men and women grew up with faith in an America where hard

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work and responsibility paid off.

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They believed in a country where everyone gets a fair shake and

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does their fair share -- where if you stepped up, did your job,

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and were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded

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with a decent salary and good benefits;

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maybe a raise once in a while.

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If you did the right thing, you could make it.

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Anybody could make it in America.

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For decades now, Americans have watched that compact erode.

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They have seen the decks too often stacked against them.

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And they know that Washington has not always put their

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interests first.

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The people of this country work hard

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to meet their responsibilities.

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The question tonight is whether we'll meet ours.

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The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national

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crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually

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do something to help the economy.

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(applause)

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The question -- the question is whether we can restore some

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of the fairness and security that has defined this nation

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since our beginning.

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Those of us here tonight can't solve all our nation's woes.

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Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington,

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but by our businesses and our workers.

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But we can help.

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We can make a difference.

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There are steps we can take right now to improve

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people's lives.

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I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass

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right away.

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It's called the American Jobs Act.

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There should be nothing controversial about this

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piece of legislation.

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Everything in here is the kind of proposal that's been

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supported by both Democrats and Republicans -- including

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many who sit here tonight.

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And everything in this bill will be paid for.

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Everything.

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(applause)

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The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more

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people back to work and more money in the pockets of those

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who are working.

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It will create more jobs for construction workers,

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more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans,

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and more jobs for long-term unemployed.

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(applause)

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It will provide -- it will provide a tax break for

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companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in

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half for every working American and every small business.

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(applause)

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It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled,

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and give companies confidence that if they invest and if they

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hire, there will be customers for their products and services.

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You should pass this jobs plan right away.

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(applause)

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Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most new

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jobs begin.

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And you know that while corporate profits have come

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roaring back, smaller companies haven't.

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So for everyone who speaks so passionately about making life

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easier for "job creators," this plan is for you.

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(applause)

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Pass this jobs bill -- pass this jobs bill,

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and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut

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if they hire new workers or if they raise workers' wages.

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Pass this jobs bill, and all small business owners will also

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see their payroll taxes cut in half next year.

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(applause)

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If you have 50 employees -- if you have 50 employees making an

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average salary, that's an $80,000 tax cut.

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And all businesses will be able to continue writing off the

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investments they make in 2012.

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It's not just Democrats who have supported this kind of proposal.

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Fifty House Republicans have proposed the same payroll tax

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cut that's in this plan.

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You should pass it right away.

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(applause)

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Pass this jobs bill, and we can put people to work

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rebuilding America.

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Everyone here knows we have badly decaying roads and bridges

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all over the country.

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Our highways are clogged with traffic.

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Our skies are the most congested in the world.

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It's an outrage.

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Building a world-class transportation system is

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part of what made us a economic superpower.

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And now we're going to sit back and watch China build newer

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airports and faster railroads?

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At a time when millions of unemployed construction

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workers could build them right here in America?

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(applause)

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There are private construction companies all across America

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just waiting to get to work.

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There's a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky

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that's on one of the busiest trucking routes

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in North America.

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A public transit project in Houston that will help clear

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up one of the worst areas of traffic in the country.

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And there are schools throughout this country that desperately

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need renovating.

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How can we expect our kids to do their best in places that

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are literally falling apart?

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This is America.

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Every child deserves a great school -- and we can give it

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to them, if we act now.

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(applause)

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The American Jobs Act will repair and modernize at least

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35,000 schools.

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It will put people to work right now fixing roofs and windows,

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installing science labs and high-speed Internet

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in classrooms all across this country.

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It will rehabilitate homes and businesses in communities hit

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hardest by foreclosures.

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It will jumpstart thousands of transportation projects

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all across the country.

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And to make sure the money is properly spent,

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we're building on reforms we've already put in place.

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No more earmarks.

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No more boondoggles.

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No more bridges to nowhere.

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We're cutting the red tape that prevents some of these projects

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from getting started as quickly as possible.

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And we'll set up an independent fund to attract private dollars

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and issue loans based on two criteria: how badly a

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construction project is needed and how much good it will do

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for the economy.

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(applause)

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This idea came from a bill written by a Texas Republican

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and a Massachusetts Democrat.

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The idea for a big boost in construction is supported by

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America's largest business organization and America's

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largest labor organization.

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It's the kind of proposal that's been supported in the past by

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Democrats and Republicans alike.

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You should pass it right away.

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(applause)

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Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in

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every state will go back to work.

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These are the men and women charged with preparing our

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children for a world where the competition has never

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been tougher.

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But while they're adding teachers in places like South

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Korea, we're laying them off in droves.

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It's unfair to our kids.

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It undermines their future and ours.

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And it has to stop.

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Pass this bill, and put our teachers back in the classroom

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where they belong.

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(applause)

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Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get extra tax

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credits if they hire America's veterans.

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We ask these men and women to leave their careers,

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leave their families, risk their lives to fight for our country.

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The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when

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they come home.

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(applause)

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Pass this bill, and hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged young

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people will have the hope and the dignity of a summer

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job next year.

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And their parents --

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(applause)

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-- their parents, low-income Americans who desperately want

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to work, will have more ladders out of poverty.

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Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get a $4,000

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tax credit if they hire anyone who has spent more

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than six months looking for a job.

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(applause)

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We have to do more to help the long-term unemployed in their

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search for work.

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This jobs plan builds on a program in Georgia that several

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Republican leaders have highlighted,

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where people who collect unemployment insurance

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participate in temporary work as a way to build their skills

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while they look for a permanent job.

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The plan also extends unemployment insurance

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for another year.

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(applause)

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If the millions of unemployed Americans stopped getting this

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insurance, and stopped using that money for basic

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necessities, it would be a devastating blow

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to this economy.

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Democrats and Republicans in this chamber have supported

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unemployment insurance plenty of times in the past.

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And in this time of prolonged hardship,

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you should pass it again -- right away.

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(applause)

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Pass this jobs bill, and the typical working family will

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get a $1,500 tax cut next year.

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Fifteen hundred dollars that would have been taken out of

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your pocket will go into your pocket.

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This expands on the tax cut that Democrats and Republicans

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already passed for this year.

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If we allow that tax cut to expire -- if we refuse to act --

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middle-class families will get hit with a tax increase at the

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worst possible time.

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We can't let that happen.

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I know that some of you have sworn oaths to never raise any

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taxes on anyone for as long as you live.

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Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise

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middle-class taxes, which is why you should pass this

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bill right away.

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(applause)

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This is the American Jobs Act.

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It will lead to new jobs for construction workers,

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for teachers, for veterans, for first responders,

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young people and the long-term unemployed.

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It will provide tax credits to companies that hire new workers,

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tax relief to small business owners,

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and tax cuts for the middle class.

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And here's the other thing I want the American people to

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know: The American Jobs Act will not add to the deficit.

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It will be paid for.

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And here's how.

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(applause)

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The agreement we passed in July will cut government spending by

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about $1 trillion over the next 10 years.

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It also charges this Congress to come up with an additional

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$1.5 trillion in savings by Christmas.

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Tonight, I am asking you to increase that amount so that

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it covers the full cost of the American Jobs Act.

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And a week from Monday, I'll be releasing a more ambitious

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deficit plan -- a plan that will not only cover the cost of this

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jobs bill, but stabilize our debt in the long run.

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(applause)

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This approach is basically the one I've been advocating

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for months.

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In addition to the trillion dollars of spending cuts I've

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already signed into law, it's a balanced plan that would reduce

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the deficit by making additional spending cuts,

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by making modest adjustments to health care programs like

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Medicare and Medicaid, and by reforming our tax code in a way

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that asks the wealthiest Americans and biggest

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corporations to pay their fair share.

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(applause)

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What's more, the spending cuts wouldn't happen so abruptly that

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they'd be a drag on our economy, or prevent us from helping small

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businesses and middle-class families get back on their

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feet right away.

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Now, I realize there are some in my party who don't think we

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should make any changes at all to Medicare and Medicaid,

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and I understand their concerns.

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But here's the truth: Millions of Americans rely on Medicare

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in their retirement.

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And millions more will do so in the future.

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They pay for this benefit during their working years.

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They earn it.

266
00:15:11,063 --> 00:15:14,083
But with an aging population and rising health care costs,

267
00:15:14,083 --> 00:15:17,070
we are spending too fast to sustain the program.

268
00:15:17,070 --> 00:15:20,073
And if we don't gradually reform the system while protecting

269
00:15:20,073 --> 00:15:24,000
current beneficiaries, it won't be there when future

270
00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,020
retirees need it.

271
00:15:26,020 --> 00:15:28,053
We have to reform Medicare to strengthen it.

272
00:15:28,053 --> 00:15:46,023
(applause)

273
00:15:46,023 --> 00:15:48,023
I am also -- I'm also well aware that there are many Republicans

274
00:15:48,023 --> 00:15:50,086
who don't believe we should raise taxes on those who are

275
00:15:50,086 --> 00:15:54,023
most fortunate and can best afford it.

276
00:15:54,023 --> 00:15:58,066
But here is what every American knows: While most people in this

277
00:15:58,066 --> 00:16:01,063
country struggle to make ends meet,

278
00:16:01,063 --> 00:16:04,053
a few of the most affluent citizens and most profitable

279
00:16:04,053 --> 00:16:07,060
corporations enjoy tax breaks and loopholes that

280
00:16:07,060 --> 00:16:10,000
nobody else gets.

281
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,060
Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than

282
00:16:12,060 --> 00:16:16,070
his secretary -- an outrage he has asked us to fix.

283
00:16:16,070 --> 00:16:18,020
(laughter)

284
00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:24,013
We need a tax code where everyone gets a fair shake

285
00:16:24,013 --> 00:16:25,093
and where everybody pays their fair share.

286
00:16:25,093 --> 00:16:39,073
(applause)

287
00:16:39,073 --> 00:16:42,013
And by the way, I believe the vast majority of wealthy

288
00:16:42,013 --> 00:16:45,053
Americans and CEOs are willing to do just that if it helps the

289
00:16:45,053 --> 00:16:49,063
economy grow and gets our fiscal house in order.

290
00:16:49,063 --> 00:16:52,060
I'll also offer ideas to reform a corporate tax code

291
00:16:52,060 --> 00:16:55,036
that stands as a monument to special interest

292
00:16:55,036 --> 00:16:56,086
influence in Washington.

293
00:16:56,086 --> 00:16:59,060
By eliminating pages of loopholes and deductions,

294
00:16:59,060 --> 00:17:02,003
we can lower one of the highest corporate tax

295
00:17:02,003 --> 00:17:03,010
rates in the world.

296
00:17:03,010 --> 00:17:03,076
(applause)

297
00:17:03,076 --> 00:17:06,043
Our tax code should not give an advantage to companies

298
00:17:06,043 --> 00:17:09,026
that can afford the best-connected lobbyists.

299
00:17:09,026 --> 00:17:11,076
It should give an advantage to companies that invest and create

300
00:17:11,076 --> 00:17:14,033
jobs right here in the United States of America.

301
00:17:14,033 --> 00:17:30,033
(applause)

302
00:17:30,033 --> 00:17:34,076
So we can reduce this deficit, pay down our debt,

303
00:17:34,076 --> 00:17:38,066
and pay for this jobs plan in the process.

304
00:17:38,066 --> 00:17:41,090
But in order to do this, we have to decide what

305
00:17:41,090 --> 00:17:44,043
our priorities are.

306
00:17:44,043 --> 00:17:47,059
We have to ask ourselves, "What's the best way to grow

307
00:17:47,059 --> 00:17:51,023
the economy and create jobs?"

308
00:17:51,023 --> 00:17:54,020
Should we keep tax loopholes for oil companies?

309
00:17:54,020 --> 00:17:56,076
Or should we use that money to give small business owners a tax

310
00:17:56,076 --> 00:17:59,026
credit when they hire new workers?

311
00:17:59,026 --> 00:18:03,009
Because we can't afford to do both.

312
00:18:03,009 --> 00:18:06,050
Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires?

313
00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:09,083
Or should we put teachers back to work so our kids can graduate

314
00:18:09,083 --> 00:18:11,066
ready for college and good jobs?

315
00:18:11,066 --> 00:18:16,013
(applause)

316
00:18:16,013 --> 00:18:20,033
Right now, we can't afford to do both.

317
00:18:20,033 --> 00:18:22,093
This isn't political grandstanding.

318
00:18:22,093 --> 00:18:25,020
This isn't class warfare.

319
00:18:25,020 --> 00:18:26,073
This is simple math.

320
00:18:26,073 --> 00:18:28,086
(laughter)

321
00:18:28,086 --> 00:18:30,003
This is simple math.

322
00:18:30,003 --> 00:18:33,003
These are real choices.

323
00:18:33,003 --> 00:18:34,096
These are real choices that we've got to make.

324
00:18:34,096 --> 00:18:37,066
And I'm pretty sure I know what most Americans would choose.

325
00:18:37,066 --> 00:18:39,086
It's not even close.

326
00:18:39,086 --> 00:18:42,059
And it's time for us to do what's right for our future.

327
00:18:42,059 --> 00:18:50,079
(applause)

328
00:18:50,079 --> 00:18:54,009
Now, the American Jobs Act answers the urgent need to

329
00:18:54,009 --> 00:18:57,003
create jobs right away.

330
00:18:57,003 --> 00:18:59,050
But we can't stop there.

331
00:18:59,050 --> 00:19:02,040
As I've argued since I ran for this office,

332
00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,050
we have to look beyond the immediate crisis and start

333
00:19:04,050 --> 00:19:08,016
building an economy that lasts into the future --

334
00:19:08,016 --> 00:19:11,033
an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs that pay well

335
00:19:11,033 --> 00:19:13,056
and offer security.

336
00:19:13,056 --> 00:19:16,006
We now live in a world where technology has made it possible

337
00:19:16,006 --> 00:19:19,070
for companies to take their business anywhere.

338
00:19:19,070 --> 00:19:23,056
If we want them to start here and stay here and hire here,

339
00:19:23,056 --> 00:19:26,096
we have to be able to out-build and out-educate and out-innovate

340
00:19:26,096 --> 00:19:28,029
every other country on Earth.

341
00:19:28,029 --> 00:19:36,020
(applause)

342
00:19:36,020 --> 00:19:39,036
And this task of making America more competitive for the long

343
00:19:39,036 --> 00:19:42,090
haul, that's a job for all of us.

344
00:19:42,090 --> 00:19:45,090
For government and for private companies.

345
00:19:45,090 --> 00:19:48,013
For states and for local communities -- and for

346
00:19:48,013 --> 00:19:50,096
every American citizen.

347
00:19:50,096 --> 00:19:53,086
All of us will have to up our game.

348
00:19:53,086 --> 00:19:58,023
All of us will have to change the way we do business.

349
00:19:58,023 --> 00:20:01,070
My administration can and will take some steps to improve our

350
00:20:01,070 --> 00:20:04,093
competitiveness on our own.

351
00:20:04,093 --> 00:20:07,040
For example, if you're a small business owner who has a

352
00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,020
contract with the federal government,

353
00:20:09,020 --> 00:20:11,056
we're going to make sure you get paid a lot faster

354
00:20:11,056 --> 00:20:12,059
than you do right now.

355
00:20:12,059 --> 00:20:18,033
(applause)

356
00:20:18,033 --> 00:20:21,009
We're also planning to cut away the red tape that prevents too

357
00:20:21,009 --> 00:20:24,023
many rapidly growing startup companies from raising capital

358
00:20:24,023 --> 00:20:25,059
and going public.

359
00:20:25,059 --> 00:20:27,096
And to help responsible homeowners,

360
00:20:27,096 --> 00:20:30,086
we're going to work with federal housing agencies to help more

361
00:20:30,086 --> 00:20:34,006
people refinance their mortgages at interest rates that are now

362
00:20:34,006 --> 00:20:35,086
near 4 percent.

363
00:20:35,086 --> 00:20:36,076
That's a step --

364
00:20:36,076 --> 00:20:50,063
(applause)

365
00:20:50,063 --> 00:20:52,013
-- I know you guys must be for this,

366
00:20:52,013 --> 00:20:54,059
because that's a step that can put more than $2,000

367
00:20:54,059 --> 00:20:57,083
a year in a family's pocket, and give a lift to an economy

368
00:20:57,083 --> 00:21:02,076
still burdened by the drop in housing prices.

369
00:21:02,076 --> 00:21:05,033
So, some things we can do on our own.

370
00:21:05,033 --> 00:21:08,090
Other steps will require congressional action.

371
00:21:08,090 --> 00:21:11,033
Today you passed reform that will speed up the outdated

372
00:21:11,033 --> 00:21:13,090
patent process, so that entrepreneurs can turn a new

373
00:21:13,090 --> 00:21:17,026
idea into a new business as quickly as possible.

374
00:21:17,026 --> 00:21:19,063
That's the kind of action we need.

375
00:21:19,063 --> 00:21:23,070
Now it's time to clear the way for a series of trade agreements

376
00:21:23,070 --> 00:21:26,026
that would make it easier for American companies to sell their

377
00:21:26,026 --> 00:21:30,083
products in Panama and Colombia and South Korea -- while also

378
00:21:30,083 --> 00:21:33,050
helping the workers whose jobs have been affected by

379
00:21:33,050 --> 00:21:34,053
global competition.

380
00:21:34,053 --> 00:21:44,096
(applause)

381
00:21:44,096 --> 00:21:47,070
If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais,

382
00:21:47,070 --> 00:21:50,079
I want to see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys

383
00:21:50,079 --> 00:21:51,090
and Chryslers.

384
00:21:51,090 --> 00:21:52,079
(applause)

385
00:21:52,079 --> 00:21:56,046
I want to see more products sold around the world stamped with

386
00:21:56,046 --> 00:21:59,036
the three proud words: "Made in America."

387
00:21:59,036 --> 00:22:00,076
That's what we need to get done.

388
00:22:00,076 --> 00:22:13,086
(applause)

389
00:22:13,086 --> 00:22:18,026
And on all of our efforts to strengthen competitiveness,

390
00:22:18,026 --> 00:22:20,059
we need to look for ways to work side by side with

391
00:22:20,059 --> 00:22:22,059
America's businesses.

392
00:22:22,059 --> 00:22:24,076
That's why I've brought together a Jobs Council of leaders from

393
00:22:24,076 --> 00:22:27,063
different industries who are developing a wide range of new

394
00:22:27,063 --> 00:22:31,093
ideas to help companies grow and create jobs.

395
00:22:31,093 --> 00:22:33,090
Already, we've mobilized business leaders to train

396
00:22:33,090 --> 00:22:37,083
10,000 American engineers a year, by providing company

397
00:22:37,083 --> 00:22:40,026
internships and training.

398
00:22:40,026 --> 00:22:42,070
Other businesses are covering tuition for workers who learn

399
00:22:42,070 --> 00:22:44,073
new skills at community colleges.

400
00:22:44,073 --> 00:22:48,026
And we're going to make sure the next generation of manufacturing

401
00:22:48,026 --> 00:22:51,056
takes root not in China or Europe, but right here,

402
00:22:51,056 --> 00:22:52,076
in the United States of America.

403
00:22:52,076 --> 00:23:07,063
(applause)

404
00:23:07,063 --> 00:23:09,046
If we provide the right incentives,

405
00:23:09,046 --> 00:23:12,056
the right support -- and if we make sure our trading partners

406
00:23:12,056 --> 00:23:16,053
play by the rules -- we can be the ones to build everything

407
00:23:16,053 --> 00:23:19,059
from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to

408
00:23:19,059 --> 00:23:23,056
semiconductors that we sell all around the world.

409
00:23:23,056 --> 00:23:26,066
That's how America can be number one again.

410
00:23:26,066 --> 00:23:29,033
And that's how America will be number one again.

411
00:23:29,033 --> 00:23:35,029
(applause)

412
00:23:35,029 --> 00:23:39,083
Now, I realize that some of you have a different theory on how

413
00:23:39,083 --> 00:23:42,029
to grow the economy.

414
00:23:42,029 --> 00:23:45,009
Some of you sincerely believe that the only solution to our

415
00:23:45,009 --> 00:23:49,016
economic challenges is to simply cut most government spending and

416
00:23:49,016 --> 00:23:51,009
eliminate most government regulations.

417
00:23:51,009 --> 00:24:03,020
(applause)

418
00:24:03,020 --> 00:24:06,066
Well, I agree that we can't afford wasteful spending,

419
00:24:06,066 --> 00:24:11,076
and I'll work with you, with Congress, to root it out.

420
00:24:11,076 --> 00:24:15,003
And I agree that there are some rules and regulations that do

421
00:24:15,003 --> 00:24:17,090
put an unnecessary burden on businesses at a time when they

422
00:24:17,090 --> 00:24:18,093
can least afford it.

423
00:24:18,093 --> 00:24:24,040
(applause)

424
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,016
That's why I ordered a review of all government regulations.

425
00:24:28,016 --> 00:24:31,000
So far, we've identified over 500 reforms,

426
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,040
which will save billions of dollars over the next few years.

427
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:34,090
(applause)

428
00:24:34,090 --> 00:24:39,023
We should have no more regulation than the health,

429
00:24:39,023 --> 00:24:42,020
safety and security of the American people require.

430
00:24:42,020 --> 00:24:44,059
Every rule should meet that common-sense test.

431
00:24:44,059 --> 00:24:50,063
(applause)

432
00:24:50,063 --> 00:24:56,029
But what we can't do -- what I will not do -- is let this

433
00:24:56,029 --> 00:25:00,013
economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic

434
00:25:00,013 --> 00:25:03,036
protections that Americans have counted on for decades.

435
00:25:03,036 --> 00:25:15,046
(applause)

436
00:25:15,046 --> 00:25:19,009
I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between

437
00:25:19,009 --> 00:25:21,050
their jobs and their safety.

438
00:25:21,050 --> 00:25:24,066
I reject the argument that says for the economy to grow,

439
00:25:24,066 --> 00:25:27,016
we have to roll back protections that ban hidden fees by credit

440
00:25:27,016 --> 00:25:30,029
card companies, or rules that keep our kids from being exposed

441
00:25:30,029 --> 00:25:33,026
to mercury, or laws that prevent the health insurance industry

442
00:25:33,026 --> 00:25:35,086
from shortchanging patients.

443
00:25:35,086 --> 00:25:38,000
I reject the idea that we have to strip away collective

444
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,029
bargaining rights to compete in a global economy.

445
00:25:40,029 --> 00:25:55,020
(applause)

446
00:25:55,020 --> 00:25:57,093
We shouldn't be in a race to the bottom,

447
00:25:57,093 --> 00:26:00,056
where we try to offer the cheapest labor and the worst

448
00:26:00,056 --> 00:26:02,073
pollution standards.

449
00:26:02,073 --> 00:26:04,079
America should be in a race to the top.

450
00:26:04,079 --> 00:26:06,043
And I believe we can win that race.

451
00:26:06,043 --> 00:26:16,033
(applause)

452
00:26:16,033 --> 00:26:18,053
In fact, this larger notion that the only thing we can

453
00:26:18,053 --> 00:26:20,093
do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government,

454
00:26:20,093 --> 00:26:24,003
refund everybody's money, and let everyone write their own

455
00:26:24,003 --> 00:26:27,029
rules, and tell everyone they're on their own --

456
00:26:27,029 --> 00:26:30,026
that's not who we are.

457
00:26:30,026 --> 00:26:33,059
That's not the story of America.

458
00:26:33,059 --> 00:26:36,086
Yes, we are rugged individualists.

459
00:26:36,086 --> 00:26:39,056
Yes, we are strong and self-reliant.

460
00:26:39,056 --> 00:26:42,033
And it has been the drive and initiative of our workers and

461
00:26:42,033 --> 00:26:45,053
entrepreneurs that has made this economy the engine and the envy

462
00:26:45,053 --> 00:26:47,029
of the world.

463
00:26:47,029 --> 00:26:50,009
But there's always been another thread running throughout our

464
00:26:50,009 --> 00:26:53,086
history -- a belief that we're all connected,

465
00:26:53,086 --> 00:26:56,079
and that there are some things we can only do together,

466
00:26:56,079 --> 00:26:58,053
as a nation.

467
00:26:58,053 --> 00:27:01,006
We all remember Abraham Lincoln as the leader who

468
00:27:01,006 --> 00:27:03,016
saved our Union.

469
00:27:03,016 --> 00:27:06,026
Founder of the Republican Party.

470
00:27:06,026 --> 00:27:08,090
But in the middle of a civil war,

471
00:27:08,090 --> 00:27:13,023
he was also a leader who looked to the future -- a Republican

472
00:27:13,023 --> 00:27:15,050
President who mobilized government to build the

473
00:27:15,050 --> 00:27:16,073
Transcontinental Railroad --

474
00:27:16,073 --> 00:27:17,063
(applause)

475
00:27:17,063 --> 00:27:20,000
-- launch the National Academy of Sciences,

476
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,003
set up the first land grant colleges.

477
00:27:22,003 --> 00:27:23,033
(applause)

478
00:27:23,033 --> 00:27:29,006
And leaders of both parties have followed the example he set.

479
00:27:29,006 --> 00:27:32,046
Ask yourselves -- where would we be right now if the people who

480
00:27:32,046 --> 00:27:36,003
sat here before us decided not to build our highways,

481
00:27:36,003 --> 00:27:40,006
not to build our bridges, our dams, our airports?

482
00:27:40,006 --> 00:27:43,009
What would this country be like if we had chosen not to spend

483
00:27:43,009 --> 00:27:48,009
money on public high schools, or research universities,

484
00:27:48,009 --> 00:27:51,006
or community colleges?

485
00:27:51,006 --> 00:27:53,073
Millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather,

486
00:27:53,073 --> 00:27:56,083
had the opportunity to go to school because of the G.I. Bill.

487
00:27:56,083 --> 00:27:59,020
Where would we be if they hadn't had that chance?

488
00:27:59,020 --> 00:28:16,000
(applause)

489
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,079
How many jobs would it have cost us if past Congresses decided

490
00:28:19,079 --> 00:28:22,009
not to support the basic research that led to the

491
00:28:22,009 --> 00:28:24,083
Internet and the computer chip?

492
00:28:24,083 --> 00:28:28,043
What kind of country would this be if this chamber had voted

493
00:28:28,043 --> 00:28:32,016
down Social Security or Medicare just because it violated some

494
00:28:32,016 --> 00:28:35,023
rigid idea about what government could or could not do?

495
00:28:35,023 --> 00:28:35,093
(applause)

496
00:28:35,093 --> 00:28:41,009
How many Americans would have suffered as a result?

497
00:28:41,009 --> 00:28:44,076
No single individual built America on their own.

498
00:28:44,076 --> 00:28:47,063
We built it together.

499
00:28:47,063 --> 00:28:52,016
We have been, and always will be, one nation, under God,

500
00:28:52,016 --> 00:28:54,083
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all;

501
00:28:54,083 --> 00:28:58,066
a nation with responsibilities to ourselves and with

502
00:28:58,066 --> 00:29:00,083
responsibilities to one another.

503
00:29:00,083 --> 00:29:03,006
And members of Congress, it is time for us to meet

504
00:29:03,006 --> 00:29:04,053
our responsibilities.

505
00:29:04,053 --> 00:29:25,050
(applause)

506
00:29:25,050 --> 00:29:28,026
Every proposal I've laid out tonight is the kind that's

507
00:29:28,026 --> 00:29:32,076
been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past.

508
00:29:32,076 --> 00:29:36,023
Every proposal I've laid out tonight will be paid for.

509
00:29:36,023 --> 00:29:39,059
And every proposal is designed to meet the urgent needs of our

510
00:29:39,059 --> 00:29:42,020
people and our communities.

511
00:29:42,020 --> 00:29:45,020
Now, I know there's been a lot of skepticism about whether the

512
00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:48,009
politics of the moment will allow us to pass this jobs

513
00:29:48,009 --> 00:29:51,046
plan -- or any jobs plan.

514
00:29:51,046 --> 00:29:54,040
Already, we're seeing the same old press releases and tweets

515
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,076
flying back and forth.

516
00:29:56,076 --> 00:29:59,000
Already, the media has proclaimed that it's impossible

517
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,029
to bridge our differences.

518
00:30:01,029 --> 00:30:03,073
And maybe some of you have decided that those differences

519
00:30:03,073 --> 00:30:08,079
are so great that we can only resolve them at the ballot box.

520
00:30:08,079 --> 00:30:14,079
But know this: The next election is 14 months away.

521
00:30:14,079 --> 00:30:18,073
And the people who sent us here -- the people who hired us to

522
00:30:18,073 --> 00:30:23,056
work for them -- they don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months.

523
00:30:23,056 --> 00:30:45,040
(applause)

524
00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,063
Some of them are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck,

525
00:30:49,063 --> 00:30:51,000
even day to day.

526
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:54,076
They need help, and they need it now.

527
00:30:54,076 --> 00:30:59,003
I don't pretend that this plan will solve all our problems.

528
00:30:59,003 --> 00:31:01,029
It should not be, nor will it be,

529
00:31:01,029 --> 00:31:04,050
the last plan of action we propose.

530
00:31:04,050 --> 00:31:07,050
What's guided us from the start of this crisis hasn't been the

531
00:31:07,050 --> 00:31:09,070
search for a silver bullet.

532
00:31:09,070 --> 00:31:13,000
It's been a commitment to stay at it -- to be persistent --

533
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,090
to keep trying every new idea that works,

534
00:31:15,090 --> 00:31:17,059
and listen to every good proposal,

535
00:31:17,059 --> 00:31:21,016
no matter which party comes up with it.

536
00:31:21,016 --> 00:31:24,026
Regardless of the arguments we've had in the past,

537
00:31:24,026 --> 00:31:27,009
regardless of the arguments we will have in the future,

538
00:31:27,009 --> 00:31:29,079
this plan is the right thing to do right now.

539
00:31:29,079 --> 00:31:30,096
You should pass it.

540
00:31:30,096 --> 00:31:33,070
And I intend to take that message to every corner

541
00:31:33,070 --> 00:31:34,053
of this country.

542
00:31:34,053 --> 00:31:46,013
(applause)

543
00:31:46,013 --> 00:31:50,090
And I ask -- I ask every American who agrees to lift

544
00:31:50,090 --> 00:31:56,003
your voice: Tell the people who are gathered here tonight that

545
00:31:56,003 --> 00:31:57,086
you want action now.

546
00:31:57,086 --> 00:32:01,013
Tell Washington that doing nothing is not an option.

547
00:32:01,013 --> 00:32:04,033
Remind us that if we act as one nation and one people,

548
00:32:04,033 --> 00:32:08,023
we have it within our power to meet this challenge.

549
00:32:08,023 --> 00:32:12,009
President Kennedy once said, "Our problems are man-made --

550
00:32:12,009 --> 00:32:14,036
therefore they can be solved by man.

551
00:32:14,036 --> 00:32:18,040
And man can be as big as he wants."

552
00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,013
These are difficult years for our country.

553
00:32:20,013 --> 00:32:21,063
But we are Americans.

554
00:32:21,063 --> 00:32:23,076
We are tougher than the times we live in,

555
00:32:23,076 --> 00:32:26,043
and we are bigger than our politics have been.

556
00:32:26,043 --> 00:32:28,020
So let's meet the moment.

557
00:32:28,020 --> 00:32:31,066
Let's get to work, and let's show the world once again why

558
00:32:31,066 --> 00:32:33,016
the United States of America remains the

559
00:32:33,016 --> 00:32:34,033
greatest nation on Earth.

560
00:32:34,033 --> 00:32:34,066
(applause)

561
00:32:34,066 --> 00:32:36,003
Thank you very much.

562
00:32:36,003 --> 00:32:39,076
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

563
00:32:39,076 --> 99:59:59,999
(applause)