Remarks by the First Lady in School Lunch Standards Announcement

Parklawn Elementary School
Alexandria, Virginia

11:32 A.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you, everyone.  Please, sit, rest.  This is exciting.  It is such a pleasure to be here today.  This is an exciting day.

I want to start by thanking Secretary Vilsack, not just for that very kind introduction but for his outstanding work as Secretary of Agriculture.  He has been just a major proponent on so many issues that are near and dear to me, and we wouldn't be here without his efforts and the efforts of his entire agency.  So, thank you, sir.

I’d also like to thank Principal Akroyd and Jen Fitzgerald for their terrific work and for hosting us here today at Parklawn Elementary School.  Go, Panthers!  (Laughter.)  I hear you're the "purring Panthers."  (Laughter.)  It's very, very good -- very good.  We are so happy to be here and so proud of you all.

And I want to recognize all of the educators, the administrators, the food service workers and the advocates who are here today for everything that you do, every day, on behalf of our kids.  This is a great celebration for us all.

And of course, I want to give a special hello to Rachael Ray, who’s a special guest here.  I know she's hard at work getting lunch ready, and I am hungry -- (laughter) -- so I'm looking forward to it.  But she has been a true advocate on this issue for quite some time, and we're just thrilled that she's here with us today.

And finally, I want to thank all of the parents who are here today -- because, I just want to be clear that we can't make any mistake about it -- this movement to improve the food in our schools is happening in large part because of all of you, the parents.  It’s happening because you all stood up.  It's happening because you all spoke out and you asked for something better for our kids. 

Because, as parents, we all know that if left to their own devices, many of our kids would eat candy for breakfast, they'd follow it up with a few French fries for lunch and cookies and chips for snacks, and then they’d come home for a big chocolate sundae for dinner, right?  (Laughter.)  And we know that it is our responsibility, as adults, to make sure they don’t do that.  So it’s our responsibility to make sure that they get basic nutrition that they need to stay healthy. 

And that’s why so many of us try so very hard to prepare decent meals at home, and to limit how much junk food they get at home, and to ensure that they have a reasonably balanced diet.   And when we’re putting forth this kind of effort at home -- and many of us are, and it's difficult to do every single day -- it's always a challenge, particularly with tough economic times and not enough time in the day -- but when we’re putting forth these efforts, when we’re doing what we're supposed to do at home, the last thing we want is to have all these hard efforts, all this hard work undone in the school cafeteria. 

When we send our kids to school, we have a right to expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we're trying to keep from them when they're at home.  We have a right to expect that the food they get at school is the same kind of food that we want to serve at our own kitchen tables.

And let’s be clear, this isn’t just about our kids’ health. Studies have shown that our kids’ eating habits can actually affect their academic performance as well.  And I’m sure that comes as no surprise to the educators here today.  Anyone who works with kids knows that they need something other than chips and soda in their stomachs if they're going to focus on math and science, right?  Kids can’t be expected to sit still and concentrate when they’re on a sugar high, or when they’re stuffed with salty, greasy food -- or when they’re hungry.

And that brings me to another important point.  For many kids whose families are struggling, school meals can be their main -- or only -- source of nutrition for the entire day.  So when we serve higher-quality food in our schools, we’re not just fighting childhood obesity; we’re taking the important steps that are needed to fight child hunger as well.

And that’s why so many schools across this country have been working so hard to improve the food that they serve to our kids in school.  In fact, there are many schools that have been meeting these new standards for years, long before this legislation was passed.  Thousands more have made significant improvements, offering their students a whole array of healthy -- and tasty, mind you -- new options.

For example, right here at Parklawn and in schools throughout this district, you all are doing some wonderful things, serving baked chicken tenders instead of frying them -- small things; replacing white rice with brown rice.  You're offering all kinds of veggie side dishes, everything from succotash to broccoli, exposing kids to a whole array of wonderful tastes and flavors. 

And we’re seeing changes like these in schools all across the country, of all sizes -- rural, urban and suburban.  And I’m not just talking about schools in well-off areas with plenty of resources.  I’m talking about schools like F.S. Ervin -- it's an elementary school in Pine Hall [sic], Alabama.  Now, Pine Hall [sic] is a little-bitty town, rural town, with a population under 1,000 and an average household income of less than $26,000.  But they have made some important changes to their school menu already -- things like replacing canned vegetables with fresh or frozen ones, moving in more whole grains, offering plenty of fresh fruit, and even baking their French fries instead of frying them.  These are small changes.

And plenty of schools like F.S. Ervin are getting creative in this way.  There are schools around the country that are holding taste tests and recipe contests to get kids really involved in the whole change -- give kids a competition and they'll get involved.  There are schools that are partnering with farmers and with chefs in their communities, and that's making a difference.  They’re making these small, daily changes -- simple things like replacing whole milk with skim milk -- changes that add up over time and it can make a real difference in the life of our kids. 

And again and again, schools are finding that when they actually offer these healthier options, kids aren’t just willing to try them, they actually like them.  That's the thing, that's the surprising thing.  I've been to so many schools across the country where parents see their kids eating fresh vegetables off the vine, kids they say would never try anything, but that's the beauty of children -- they change.  They change much easier than we do, and when we give them an opportunity to try something new, they embrace it oftentimes, and they come back for more.

So while budgets are tight right now, there are schools across the country that are showing that it doesn’t take a whole lot of money or resources to give our kids the nutrition they deserve.  What it does take, however, is effort.  What it does take is imagination.  What it does take is a commitment to our children’s futures. 

So today, I am asking parents and educators and food service workers across this country to embrace this effort on behalf of our children.  Embrace it.  Because we all know that we are some of the best role models for our kids.  We are the first and best role models.  And if kids are like mine, if I'm excited about something, they're excited about it -- right?  If we as adults embrace it, the kids will follow suit.  They're looking to us to figure out how to make this happen.  So if we get pumped up about this effort, get excited, get creative, the kids will follow suit and they will do it with vigor and vim, and they'll be out there out front in a way that we would never expect.

So I want to thank you all once again for all that you do every day on behalf of our children.  I’m excited to be here.  This is a great day, a wonderful accomplishment.  And it's just exciting to be able to highlight the work that's being done here at Parklawn.

So now, as I mentioned, I'm a little hungry.  (Laughter.)  I understand that I get to hang out with the kids, have a little lunch.  And it's turkey tacos!  Sounds really good.  So with that, I want to thank you all for being here, and we're going to have some lunch. 

Thank you all.  (Applause.)

END                    
11:42 A.M. EST

Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address

United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.

9:10 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Last month, I went to Andrews Air Force Base and welcomed home some of our last troops to serve in Iraq.  Together, we offered a final, proud salute to the colors under which more than a million of our fellow citizens fought -- and several thousand gave their lives.

We gather tonight knowing that this generation of heroes has made the United States safer and more respected around the world.  (Applause.)  For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.  (Applause.)  For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country.  (Applause.)  Most of al Qaeda’s top lieutenants have been defeated.  The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

These achievements are a testament to the courage, selflessness and teamwork of America’s Armed Forces.  At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations.  They’re not consumed with personal ambition.  They don’t obsess over their differences.  They focus on the mission at hand.  They work together. 

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example.  (Applause.)  Think about the America within our reach:  A country that leads the world in educating its people.  An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.  A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world.  An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.

We can do this.  I know we can, because we’ve done it before.  At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.  My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth.
 
The two of them shared the optimism of a nation that had triumphed over a depression and fascism.  They understood they were part of something larger; that they were contributing to a story of success that every American had a chance to share -- the basic American promise that if you worked hard, you could do well enough to raise a family, own a home, send your kids to college, and put a little away for retirement. 

The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive.  No challenge is more urgent.  No debate is more important.  We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  (Applause.)  What’s at stake aren’t Democratic values or Republican values, but American values.  And we have to reclaim them.

Let’s remember how we got here.  Long before the recession, jobs and manufacturing began leaving our shores.  Technology made businesses more efficient, but also made some jobs obsolete.  Folks at the top saw their incomes rise like never before, but most hardworking Americans struggled with costs that were growing, paychecks that weren’t, and personal debt that kept piling up.

In 2008, the house of cards collapsed.  We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them.  Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money.  Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior.

It was wrong.  It was irresponsible.  And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hardworking Americans holding the bag.  In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs.  And we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect.

Those are the facts.  But so are these:  In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs.  (Applause.)

Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005.  American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s.  Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion.  And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again.  (Applause.)

The state of our Union is getting stronger.  And we’ve come too far to turn back now.  As long as I’m President, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum.  But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.  (Applause.)  

No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phony financial profits.  Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last -– an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.

Now, this blueprint begins with American manufacturing.

On the day I took office, our auto industry was on the verge of collapse.  Some even said we should let it die.  With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen.  In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility.  We got workers and automakers to settle their differences.  We got the industry to retool and restructure.  Today, General Motors is back on top as the world’s number-one automaker.  (Applause.)  Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any major car company.  Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories.  And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs.   

We bet on American workers.  We bet on American ingenuity.  And tonight, the American auto industry is back.  (Applause.)  

What’s happening in Detroit can happen in other industries.  It can happen in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh.  We can’t bring every job back that’s left our shore.  But right now, it’s getting more expensive to do business in places like China.  Meanwhile, America is more productive.  A few weeks ago, the CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home.  (Applause.)  Today, for the first time in 15 years, Master Lock’s unionized plant in Milwaukee is running at full capacity.  (Applause.)  

So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back.  But we have to seize it.  Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple:  Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.  (Applause.)  

We should start with our tax code.  Right now, companies get tax breaks for moving jobs and profits overseas.  Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay in America get hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world.  It makes no sense, and everyone knows it.  So let’s change it. 

First, if you’re a business that wants to outsource jobs, you shouldn’t get a tax deduction for doing it.  (Applause.)  That money should be used to cover moving expenses for companies like Master Lock that decide to bring jobs home.  (Applause.)  

Second, no American company should be able to avoid paying its fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas.  (Applause.)  From now on, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax.  And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here in America.  (Applause.)    

Third, if you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut.  If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here.  And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.  (Applause.)  

So my message is simple.  It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.  Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away.  (Applause.)     

We’re also making it easier for American businesses to sell products all over the world.  Two years ago, I set a goal of doubling U.S. exports over five years.  With the bipartisan trade agreements we signed into law, we’re on track to meet that goal ahead of schedule.  (Applause.)  And soon, there will be millions of new customers for American goods in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea.  Soon, there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit, and Toledo, and Chicago.  (Applause.)     

I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.  And I will not stand by when our competitors don’t play by the rules.  We’ve brought trade cases against China at nearly twice the rate as the last administration –- and it’s made a difference.  (Applause.)  Over a thousand Americans are working today because we stopped a surge in Chinese tires.  But we need to do more.  It’s not right when another country lets our movies, music, and software be pirated.  It’s not fair when foreign manufacturers have a leg up on ours only because they’re heavily subsidized.

Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading practices in countries like China.  (Applause.)  There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders.  And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia.  Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you -– America will always win.  (Applause.) 

I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire in the United States but can’t find workers with the right skills.  Growing industries in science and technology have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job.  Think about that –- openings at a time when millions of Americans are looking for work.  It’s inexcusable.  And we know how to fix it.  

Jackie Bray is a single mom from North Carolina who was laid off from her job as a mechanic.  Then Siemens opened a gas turbine factory in Charlotte, and formed a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College.  The company helped the college design courses in laser and robotics training.  It paid Jackie’s tuition, then hired her to help operate their plant.

I want every American looking for work to have the same opportunity as Jackie did.  Join me in a national commitment to train 2 million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job.  (Applause.)  My administration has already lined up more companies that want to help.  Model partnerships between businesses like Siemens and community colleges in places like Charlotte, and Orlando, and Louisville are up and running.  Now you need to give more community colleges the resources they need to become community career centers -– places that teach people skills that businesses are looking for right now, from data management to high-tech manufacturing.

And I want to cut through the maze of confusing training programs, so that from now on, people like Jackie have one program, one website, and one place to go for all the information and help that they need.  It is time to turn our unemployment system into a reemployment system that puts people to work.  (Applause.)
   
These reforms will help people get jobs that are open today.  But to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, our commitment to skills and education has to start earlier.

For less than 1 percent of what our nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every state in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning -- the first time that’s happened in a generation.

But challenges remain.  And we know how to solve them.

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced states to lay off thousands of teachers.  We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000.  A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance.  Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives.  Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies -- just to make a difference.

Teachers matter.  So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal.  Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones.  (Applause.)  And in return, grant schools flexibility:  to teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.  That’s a bargain worth making.  (Applause.)

We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma.  When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better.  So tonight, I am proposing that every state -- every state -- requires that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.  (Applause.)

When kids do graduate, the most daunting challenge can be the cost of college.  At a time when Americans owe more in tuition debt than credit card debt, this Congress needs to stop the interest rates on student loans from doubling in July.  (Applause.)

Extend the tuition tax credit we started that saves millions of middle-class families thousands of dollars, and give more young people the chance to earn their way through college by doubling the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.  (Applause.)

Of course, it’s not enough for us to increase student aid.  We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition; we’ll run out of money.  States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets.  And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down.

Recently, I spoke with a group of college presidents who’ve done just that.  Some schools redesign courses to help students finish more quickly.  Some use better technology.  The point is, it’s possible.  So let me put colleges and universities on notice:  If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.  (Applause.)  Higher education can’t be a luxury -– it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.

Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge:  the fact that they aren’t yet American citizens.  Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation.  Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. 

That doesn’t make sense.   

I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration.  That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before.  That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office.  The opponents of action are out of excuses.  We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.  (Applause.)

But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country.  Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship.  I will sign it right away.  (Applause.)

You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country.  That means women should earn equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  It means we should support everyone who’s willing to work, and every risk-taker and entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.  

After all, innovation is what America has always been about.  Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses.  So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed.  Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow.  (Applause.)  Expand tax relief to small businesses that are raising wages and creating good jobs.  Both parties agree on these ideas.  So put them in a bill, and get it on my desk this year.  (Applause.)

Innovation also demands basic research.  Today, the discoveries taking place in our federally financed labs and universities could lead to new treatments that kill cancer cells but leave healthy ones untouched.  New lightweight vests for cops and soldiers that can stop any bullet.  Don’t gut these investments in our budget.  Don’t let other countries win the race for the future.  Support the same kind of research and innovation that led to the computer chip and the Internet; to new American jobs and new American industries.

And nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.  Over the last three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and tonight, I’m directing my administration to open more than 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.  (Applause.)  Right now -- right now -- American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years.  That’s right -- eight years.  Not only that -- last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years.  (Applause.)

But with only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough.  This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy.  (Applause.)  A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.

We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years.  (Applause.)  And my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy.  Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.  And I’m requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use.  (Applause.)  Because America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.

The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy.  (Applause.)  And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock –- reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.  (Applause.)          

Now, what’s true for natural gas is just as true for clean energy.  In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries.  Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it. 

When Bryan Ritterby was laid off from his job making furniture, he said he worried that at 55, no one would give him a second chance.  But he found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan.  Before the recession, the factory only made luxury yachts.  Today, it’s hiring workers like Bryan, who said, “I’m proud to be working in the industry of the future.”

Our experience with shale gas, our experience with natural gas, shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don’t always come right away.  Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail.  But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.  I will not walk away from workers like Bryan.  (Applause.)  I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. 

We’ve subsidized oil companies for a century.  That’s long enough.  (Applause.)  It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that rarely has been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that never has been more promising.  Pass clean energy tax credits.  Create these jobs.  (Applause.)

We can also spur energy innovation with new incentives.  The differences in this chamber may be too deep right now to pass a comprehensive plan to fight climate change.  But there’s no reason why Congress shouldn’t at least set a clean energy standard that creates a market for innovation.  So far, you haven’t acted.  Well, tonight, I will.  I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes.  And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.  (Applause.) 

Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.  So here’s a proposal:  Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings.  Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution, more manufacturing, more jobs for construction workers who need them.  Send me a bill that creates these jobs.  (Applause.)  

Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America’s infrastructure.  So much of America needs to be rebuilt.  We’ve got crumbling roads and bridges; a power grid that wastes too much energy; an incomplete high-speed broadband network that prevents a small business owner in rural America from selling her products all over the world. 

During the Great Depression, America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge.  After World War II, we connected our states with a system of highways.  Democratic and Republican administrations invested in great projects that benefited everybody, from the workers who built them to the businesses that still use them today.

In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects.  But you need to fund these projects.  Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.  (Applause.)

There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst.  Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones who were hurt.  So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline.  And while government can’t fix the problem on its own, responsible homeowners shouldn’t have to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom to get some relief.  

And that’s why I’m sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates.  (Applause.)  No more red tape.  No more runaround from the banks.  A small fee on the largest financial institutions will ensure that it won’t add to the deficit and will give those banks that were rescued by taxpayers a chance to repay a deficit of trust.  (Applause.)

Let’s never forget:  Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same.  It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom.  No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts.  An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody. 

We’ve all paid the price for lenders who sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, and buyers who knew they couldn’t afford them.  That’s why we need smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior.  (Applause.)  Rules to prevent financial fraud or toxic dumping or faulty medical devices -- these don’t destroy the free market.  They make the free market work better.

There’s no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly.  In fact, I’ve approved fewer regulations in the first three years of my presidency than my Republican predecessor did in his.  (Applause.)  I’ve ordered every federal agency to eliminate rules that don’t make sense.  We’ve already announced over 500 reforms, and just a fraction of them will save business and citizens more than $10 billion over the next five years.  We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill -- because milk was somehow classified as an oil.  With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now, I’m confident a farmer can contain a milk spill without a federal agency looking over his shoulder.  (Applause.)  Absolutely.  But I will not back down from making sure an oil company can contain the kind of oil spill we saw in the Gulf two years ago.  (Applause.)  I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean.  I will not go back to the days when health insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, deny your coverage, or charge women differently than men.  (Applause.)

And I will not go back to the days when Wall Street was allowed to play by its own set of rules.  The new rules we passed restore what should be any financial system’s core purpose:  Getting funding to entrepreneurs with the best ideas, and getting loans to responsible families who want to buy a home, or start a business, or send their kids to college.

So if you are a big bank or financial institution, you’re no longer allowed to make risky bets with your customers’ deposits.  You’re required to write out a “living will” that details exactly how you’ll pay the bills if you fail –- because the rest of us are not bailing you out ever again.  (Applause.)  And if you’re a mortgage lender or a payday lender or a credit card company, the days of signing people up for products they can’t afford with confusing forms and deceptive practices -- those days are over.  Today, American consumers finally have a watchdog in Richard Cordray with one job:  To look out for them.  (Applause.)   

We’ll also establish a Financial Crimes Unit of highly trained investigators to crack down on large-scale fraud and protect people’s investments.  Some financial firms violate major anti-fraud laws because there’s no real penalty for being a repeat offender.  That’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for the vast majority of bankers and financial service professionals who do the right thing.  So pass legislation that makes the penalties for fraud count. 

And tonight, I’m asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorney general to expand our investigations into the abusive lending and packaging of risky mortgages that led to the housing crisis.  (Applause.)  This new unit will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans. 

Now, a return to the American values of fair play and shared responsibility will help protect our people and our economy.  But it should also guide us as we look to pay down our debt and invest in our future.

Right now, our most immediate priority is stopping a tax hike on 160 million working Americans while the recovery is still fragile.  (Applause.)  People cannot afford losing $40 out of each paycheck this year.  There are plenty of ways to get this done.  So let’s agree right here, right now:  No side issues.  No drama.  Pass the payroll tax cut without delay.  Let’s get it done.  (Applause.)

When it comes to the deficit, we’ve already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings.  But we need to do more, and that means making choices.  Right now, we’re poised to spend nearly $1 trillion more on what was supposed to be a temporary tax break for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.  Right now, because of loopholes and shelters in the tax code, a quarter of all millionaires pay lower tax rates than millions of middle-class households.  Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.  

Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans?  Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else –- like education and medical research; a strong military and care for our veterans?  Because if we’re serious about paying down our debt, we can’t do both.  

The American people know what the right choice is.  So do I.  As I told the Speaker this summer, I’m prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors. 

But in return, we need to change our tax code so that people like me, and an awful lot of members of Congress, pay our fair share of taxes.  (Applause.)

Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule.  If you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.  And my Republican friend Tom Coburn is right:  Washington should stop subsidizing millionaires.  In fact, if you’re earning a million dollars a year, you shouldn’t get special tax subsidies or deductions.  On the other hand, if you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn’t go up.  (Applause.)  You’re the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages.  You’re the ones who need relief.   

Now, you can call this class warfare all you want.  But asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes?  Most Americans would call that common sense. 

We don’t begrudge financial success in this country.  We admire it.  When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich.  It’s because they understand that when I get a tax break I don’t need and the country can’t afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference -- like a senior on a fixed income, or a student trying to get through school, or a family trying to make ends meet.  That’s not right.  Americans know that’s not right.  They know that this generation’s success is only possible because past generations felt a responsibility to each other, and to the future of their country, and they know our way of life will only endure if we feel that same sense of shared responsibility.  That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit.  That’s an America built to last.  (Applause.)

Now, I recognize that people watching tonight have differing views about taxes and debt, energy and health care.  But no matter what party they belong to, I bet most Americans are thinking the same thing right about now:  Nothing will get done in Washington this year, or next year, or maybe even the year after that, because Washington is broken.

Can you blame them for feeling a little cynical? 

The greatest blow to our confidence in our economy last year didn’t come from events beyond our control.  It came from a debate in Washington over whether the United States would pay its bills or not.  Who benefited from that fiasco?

I’ve talked tonight about the deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street.  But the divide between this city and the rest of the country is at least as bad -- and it seems to get worse every year.

Some of this has to do with the corrosive influence of money in politics.  So together, let’s take some steps to fix that.  Send me a bill that bans insider trading by members of Congress; I will sign it tomorrow.  (Applause.)  Let’s limit any elected official from owning stocks in industries they impact.  Let’s make sure people who bundle campaign contributions for Congress can’t lobby Congress, and vice versa -- an idea that has bipartisan support, at least outside of Washington. 

Some of what’s broken has to do with the way Congress does its business these days.  A simple majority is no longer enough to get anything -– even routine business –- passed through the Senate.  (Applause.)  Neither party has been blameless in these tactics.  Now both parties should put an end to it.  (Applause.)  For starters, I ask the Senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days.  (Applause.)  

The executive branch also needs to change.  Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote.  (Applause.)  That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy, so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.  (Applause.)  

Finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town.  We need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction; that politics is about clinging to rigid ideologies instead of building consensus around common-sense ideas. 

I’m a Democrat.  But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed:  That government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.  (Applause.)  That’s why my education reform offers more competition, and more control for schools and states.  That’s why we’re getting rid of regulations that don’t work.  That’s why our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program. 

On the other hand, even my Republican friends who complain the most about government spending have supported federally financed roads, and clean energy projects, and federal offices for the folks back home. 

The point is, we should all want a smarter, more effective government.  And while we may not be able to bridge our biggest philosophical differences this year, we can make real progress.  With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow.  But I can do a whole lot more with your help.  Because when we act together, there’s nothing the United States of America can’t achieve.  (Applause.)  That’s the lesson we’ve learned from our actions abroad over the last few years.

Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to strike decisive blows against our enemies.  From Pakistan to Yemen, the al Qaeda operatives who remain are scrambling, knowing that they can’t escape the reach of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

From this position of strength, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan.  Ten thousand of our troops have come home.  Twenty-three thousand more will leave by the end of this summer.  This transition to Afghan lead will continue, and we will build an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, so that it is never again a source of attacks against America.  (Applause.)

As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change has washed across the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunis to Cairo; from Sana’a to Tripoli.  A year ago, Qaddafi was one of the world’s longest-serving dictators -– a murderer with American blood on his hands.  Today, he is gone.  And in Syria, I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed, and that human dignity cannot be denied.  (Applause.)

How this incredible transformation will end remains uncertain.  But we have a huge stake in the outcome.  And while it’s ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well.  We will stand against violence and intimidation.  We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews.  We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty.

And we will safeguard America’s own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests.  Look at Iran.  Through the power of our diplomacy, a world that was once divided about how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program now stands as one.  The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent.

Let there be no doubt:  America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal.  (Applause.)

But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations.

The renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe.  Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever.  Our ties to the Americas are deeper.  Our ironclad commitment -- and I mean ironclad -- to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history.  (Applause.)

We’ve made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope.  From the coalitions we’ve built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we’ve led against hunger and disease; from the blows we’ve dealt to our enemies, to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back. 

Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about.  (Applause.)

That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world who are eager to work with us.  That’s not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin, from Cape Town to Rio, where opinions of America are higher than they’ve been in years.  Yes, the world is changing.  No, we can’t control every event.  But America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs –- and as long as I’m President, I intend to keep it that way.  (Applause.)  

That’s why, working with our military leaders, I’ve proposed a new defense strategy that ensures we maintain the finest military in the world, while saving nearly half a trillion dollars in our budget.  To stay one step ahead of our adversaries, I’ve already sent this Congress legislation that will secure our country from the growing dangers of cyber-threats.  (Applause.) 

Above all, our freedom endures because of the men and women in uniform who defend it.  (Applause.)  As they come home, we must serve them as well as they’ve served us.  That includes giving them the care and the benefits they have earned –- which is why we’ve increased annual VA spending every year I’ve been President.  (Applause.)  And it means enlisting our veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation.

With the bipartisan support of this Congress, we’re providing new tax credits to companies that hire vets.  Michelle and Jill Biden have worked with American businesses to secure a pledge of 135,000 jobs for veterans and their families.  And tonight, I’m proposing a Veterans Jobs Corps that will help our communities hire veterans as cops and firefighters, so that America is as strong as those who defend her.  (Applause.)

Which brings me back to where I began.  Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops.  When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian, Latino, Native American; conservative, liberal; rich, poor; gay, straight.  When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails.  When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.

One of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL Team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden.  On it are each of their names.  Some may be Democrats.  Some may be Republicans.  But that doesn’t matter.  Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates -- a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary -- and Hillary Clinton -- a woman who ran against me for president. 

All that mattered that day was the mission.  No one thought about politics.  No one thought about themselves.  One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission.  It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job -- the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs.  More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other -- because you can’t charge up those stairs, into darkness and danger, unless you know that there’s somebody behind you, watching your back.

So it is with America.  Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those 50 stars and those 13 stripes.  No one built this country on their own.  This nation is great because we built it together.  This nation is great because we worked as a team.  This nation is great because we get each other’s backs.  And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard.  As long as we are joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our Union will always be strong.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
10:16 P.M. EST

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Learn more

• Take a deep dive into the data behind the President’s plan
• Find out how you can talk to Obama Administration officials about the President’s plan
• Watch the enhanced version of the 2012 State of the Union Address
• Video: Go behind the scenes as the President prepared his speech
• Photo Gallery: Scenes from the State of the Union
• Interactive: Who joined the First Lady for the speech?

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Creating Jobs by Boosting Tourism

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people about steps his Administration is taking to make it easier for travelers to visit the United States, because increasing tourism will help local economies and support businesses looking to expand and hire.  This plan to boost tourism is part of a series of actions the President has taken without Congress, because we can’t wait any longer to take the steps we need to help grow the economy and create jobs.  President Obama also said that in next week’s State of the Union Address, he will outline his blueprint for how our elected leaders and all Americans can work together to create an economy that is built to last.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
The White House
Saturday, January 21, 2012

Hello, everybody.  On Thursday, I went down to Florida to visit Disneyworld.  To Sasha and Malia’s great disappointment, I was not there to hang out with Mickey or ride Space Mountain.  Instead, I was there to talk about steps we’re taking to boost tourism and create jobs.

Tourism is the number one service we export.  Every year, tens of millions of tourists come from all over the world to visit America.  They stay in our hotels, eat at our restaurants, and see all the sights America has to offer.

That’s good for local businesses.  That’s good for local economies.  And the more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work.  It’s that simple.

We can’t wait to seize this opportunity.  As I’ve said before, I will continue to work with Congress, states, and leaders in the private sector to find ways to move this country forward.  But where they can’t act or won’t act, I will.  Because we want the world to know that America is open for business.  And that’s why I announced steps we’re taking to promote America and make it easier for tourists to come and visit. 

Frequent travelers who pass an extensive background check will be able to scan their passports and fingerprints and skip long lines at immigration at more airports.   We’re going to expand the number of countries where visitors can get pre-cleared by Homeland Security so they don’t need a tourist visa.  And we’re going to speed up visa processing for countries with growing middle classes that can afford to visit America – countries like China and Brazil.

We want more visitors coming here.  We want them spending money here.  It’s good for our economy, and it will help provide the boost more businesses need to grow and hire.  And we can’t wait to make it happen.

Too often over the last few months, we’ve seen Congress drag its feet and refuse to take steps we know will help strengthen our economy.  That’s why this is the latest in a series of actions I’ve taken on my own to help our economy keep growing, creating jobs, and restoring security for middle-class families. 

In September, we decided to stop waiting for Congress to fix No Child Left Behind and give states the flexibility they need to help our kids meet higher standards.  We made sure that small businesses that have contracts with the Federal Government can get paid faster so they can start hiring more people.  We made it easier for veterans to get jobs and put their skills to work.  We took steps to help families whose home values have fallen refinance their mortgages and save up to thousands of dollars a year.  We sped up the loan process for companies that want to rebuild our roads and bridges – putting construction workers back on the job.  And I appointed Richard Cordray to be America’s consumer watchdog and protect working Americans from the worst abuses of the financial industry.

These are good steps.  Now we need to do more.

On Tuesday evening, I’ll deliver my State of the Union Address, where I’ll lay out my blueprint for actions we need to take together – not just me, or Congress, but every American – to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility are rewarded.  An economy that’s built to last.

I hope you’ll tune in.  In the meantime, I’m going to keep doing everything I can to make this country not only the best place to visit and do business – but the best place to live and work and build a better life.

Thanks for watching. Have a great weekend.  And I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Apollo Theater
New York, New York

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, New York!  (Applause.)  Hello, New York!  Hello, Harlem!  (Applause.)  Ah, it is good to be here tonight!  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you so much. 

I want to begin by just thanking Ny for the incredible introduction and being such a great mom.  And we're so proud of her.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  I want to thank our emcee,     Lin-Manuel Miranda -- we appreciate you.  (Applause.) 

I want to thank the incredible performers this evening -- (applause) -- one of my favorites, India Arie in the house.  (Applause.)  There she is.  I love India.

And then to know that Reverend Al Green was here -- (applause.)  (Sings) -- "I'm so in love with you" -- (applause.)  Those guys didn’t think I would do it.  I told you I was going to do it.  (Laughter.)  The Sandman did not come out.  (Applause.)  Don't worry, Rev., I cannot sing like you.  But I just wanted to show my appreciation.  (Laughter.)

I also want to acknowledge a couple of outstanding members of Congress with us here today -- Congressman Charlie Rangel -- (applause) -- and Congressman Jerry Nadler are in the house.  (Applause.)

All right, you guys have a seat.  I've got something to say.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  No, thank you.  Because I am here tonight not just because I need your help; I’m here because your country needs your help.  (Applause.)  

There was a reason why so many of you got involved in the campaign in 2008, worked your hearts out.  And it wasn’t because you thought it was going to be easy.  When you decide to support somebody named Barack Hussein Obama for President you're not doing it because you think it's a cakewalk.  (Laughter.) 

You did it because you understood the campaign wasn’t about me.  It was about a vision that we shared for America.  A vision that wasn’t narrow and cramped.  It wasn’t an idea that in America you just look out for yourself, and the most powerful among us can just play by their own rules.  It was a vision that was big and compassionate and bold, and it said, in America, if you work hard you've got a chance.  You got a chance to get ahead.  Doesn’t matter where you were born.  It doesn’t matter what you look like.  (Applause.)  It doesn’t matter what your name is.  If you’re willing to work hard, if you got some talent, some idea, if you’re motivated, you can make it. 

And it was a vision that said we’re greater together than we are on our own.  (Applause.)  That when everybody gets a fair shot and everybody does their fair share and everybody is playing by the same set of rules, then we all do better.  (Applause.)  We all do better.

That’s a vision we shared.  That was the change we believed in.  And we knew it wasn’t going to come easy.  We knew it wouldn’t come quickly.  We knew there would be resistance.  We knew there would be setbacks.  But because of what you did in 2008, we’ve started to see concrete examples of that change. 

Think about it.  Change is the first bill I signed into law that enshrines a very simple proposition:  You get an equal day’s pay for an equal’s day work, because we want our daughters treated just as well as our sons.  (Applause.)  That’s what change is.

Change is the decision we made to rescue the auto industry from collapse -- (applause) -- even when there were folks saying no, and wanted to let Detroit go bankrupt.  And now, one million jobs were saved, and local businesses have picked up again, and GM is once again the largest auto company in the world.  (Applause.)  And we are seeing cars rolling off those assembly lines stamped with three proud words:  Made in America.  (Applause.)

Change is the decision we made to stop waiting for Congress to do something about our oil addiction, and finally raised our fuel efficiency standards on our cars so that by the next decade, every car is going to be getting 55 miles per gallon.  (Applause.)  That will save you money.  That will save our environment.  It’s good for our national security.  That’s what change is.  We got that done.

Change was the fight that we had to stop sending $60 billion in unnecessary subsidies to the banks in the student loan program -- take that $60 billion out, give it directly to the students so that millions of young people all across America are able to afford a college education.  (Applause.)  That’s change. 

Change is the health care reform bill that we passed after a century of trying -- (applause) -- that says, if you get sick in America, you will not go bankrupt.  And we’ve already got 2.5 million young people with health insurance who didn't have it, and seniors getting help on their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  And Americans won’t be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or insurance companies dropping them right when they need the care most.  That’s what change is.  (Applause.)

Change is the fact that for the first time in our history, you don't have to hide who you love in order to serve this country that you love.  (Applause.)  “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is over.  We don't believe in discrimination in this country.  (Applause.)  That’s part of who we are.  That’s what change is. 

And change is keeping one of the first promises I made in 2008.  We ended the war in Iraq and we brought our troops home.  (Applause.)  And in the meantime, we refocused our efforts on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11.  (Applause.)  And thanks to the extraordinary men and women in uniform and our intelligence agencies, al Qaeda is weaker than it’s ever been, and Osama bin Laden will never walk this Earth again.  That’s what change is.  (Applause.)

Now, you guys have been paying attention.  None of this has been easy.  Some of it was risky.  We were opposed by lobbyists and special interests.  Millions of dollars were spent trying to maintain the status quo.  And a lot of the things we did weren’t always popular at the time, certainly not with the crowd in Washington. 

But part of the reason we were able to get it done is because of you, because I knew that all across America your voices were still being heard.  You guys were still knocking on doors.  You were making phone calls.  You were rooting for us, because you understood that as hard as this was, it was consistent with the vision that we campaigned so hard to bring about. 

You kept up the fight long after the election was over.  And that should make you proud.  And it should make you hopeful.  It shouldn’t make you complacent, it shouldn’t make you satisfied, because everything we did over the last three years is now at stake in this election.  The very core of what this country stands for -- that idea that no matter who you are, you can make it; the idea that we’re all in it together; the idea that if there’s a child somewhere who's not getting a good education, that affects me; the idea that if there’s a senior somewhere losing her home, that affects me -- that idea is at stake in this election.  (Applause.)

The crisis that struck in the months before I took office put more Americans out of work than any time since the Great Depression.  We’ve got a chart that shows in the months right before I took office, 4 million jobs lost; the months right after I took office, another 4 million, before our economic policies had a chance to take effect.

We’ve been growing ever since.  (Applause.)  We’ve been adding jobs ever since.  But this was a profound crisis.  But it was also a culmination of a decade where middle-class families fell further and further behind, and more and more good jobs, manufacturing jobs left our shores.  And suddenly, our prosperity was built on risky financial deals, or homes we couldn’t afford, or everybody running up their credit cards.  And we racked up greater and greater debt, and incomes fell and wages flat-lined, and the cost of everything from college to health care to food went through the roof. 

These problems didn’t happen overnight; we weren’t going to solve them overnight.  It’s going to take more than a few years to meet the challenges that have been decades in the making.  The American people understand that.  What they don’t understand is leaders who refuse to take action.  (Applause.)  They’re sick and tired of watching people who are supposed to represent them put party ahead of country, or the next election before the next generation.  (Applause.)  

President Kennedy once said -- after he took office he said, the thing that surprised him most about Washington was that it was as bad as he had been saying it was.  (Laughter.)  I can relate to that.  (Laughter.)  You’ve got the top Republican in the Senate who said his top priority was beating me.  (Laughter.)  That’s his top priority. 

My top priority is putting Americans back to work.  (Applause.)  My top priority is making sure our kids are getting a good education.  (Applause.)  My top priority is making sure that everybody has affordable, accessible health care.  (Applause.)

His top priority is beating me.  That shows you things aren’t on the level.  That’s how you end up with the Republicans in Congress voting against proposals that they used to support.  (Applause.) 

You saw them in December all tied up in knots because we were proposing tax cuts for workers and small businesses, and they always said they were the party of tax cuts.  Suddenly -- (laughter) -- didn’t know what to do.  Proposals to rebuild roads and bridges -- that didn't used to be a Democratic issue.  It used to be we understood building America was good for America.  Putting cops and teachers back to work, back in the classroom, back on the streets.  (Applause.)  They will fight with everything they have to protect tax cuts for me, for the wealthiest Americans, and then, suddenly, they get confused when it comes to tax cuts for the middle class.

Now, maybe they thought this was smart political strategy.  Maybe they thought it would advance Mitch McConnell’s agenda to beat me.  But it’s not a strategy to create jobs.  It’s not a strategy to strengthen our middle class.  It’s not a strategy to help America succeed. 

So we’ve got a choice this year.  We have not seen a choice this stark in years.  (Applause.)  I mean, even in 2008, the Republican nominee wasn’t a climate change denier.  (Laughter.)  He was in favor of immigration reform.  He was opposed to torture.  (Laughter and applause.) 

The contrast this year could not be sharper.  So the question is not whether people are still hurting; people are still hurting profoundly.  A lot of folks out there still out of work looking for work.  The question is, what do we do about it?  The debate that we need to have in this election is about where do we go from here. 

The Republicans in Congress, the candidates running for President, they’ve got a very specific idea about where they want to take this country.  (Laughter.)  They want to reduce the deficit by gutting our investments in education, by gutting our investments in research and technology, by letting our roads and our bridges and our airports deteriorate. 

I’ve already signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending cuts, proposed even more.  And I think it’s time for us to reduce the deficit by asking those of us who are most fortunate to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)  To pay their fair share.  (Applause.) 

And by the way, let me just say this -- because I’ve been hearing a lot of these Republicans talking about, oh, that’s class warfare, and he just wants to redistribute, and doesn’t believe in work, and he’s trying to create an entitlement society, and this and that and the other.  Let me be absolutely clear:  I should pay more taxes, and folks in my income bracket should pay more taxes, and certainly folks who are making billions of dollars should pay more taxes, not because I want to take their money and just give it to somebody else.  It’s because we’ve got basic investments and basic functions that have to be carried out in this 21st century if we’re going to be able to compete.

We’re going to have to train our young people so that they can get the high-skilled jobs of the future.  (Applause.)  We’re going to have to make sure that we’ve got the best broadband lines and the best infrastructure to move products and services.  We’re going to have to make sure that we have the basic science and technology research that allows us to stay on the cutting-edge of innovation, because other countries are making these investments and they’re catching up.

And if we are going to do all that without leaving a mountain of debt for our kids, while still maintaining the strongest military on Earth, while still making sure that Social Security and Medicare are there for future generations, that our seniors are protected -- then all of us have to do our part.  (Applause.) 

And that should not be a Democratic idea or a Republican idea.  It’s about responsibility.  It’s about taking responsibility for the country.  (Applause.)  And when all of us take responsibility, we all do better.  That’s the idea.  (Applause.)  

The Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail, these guys running for President -- (laughter) -- want to -- why do you laugh?  (Laughter.)  They’re running for President.  (Laughter.)  They are.  And they want to take Medicare and make it a form of private insurance, so that seniors shop around with a voucher, even if it doesn’t cover the costs of their medicine or their care. 

Now, I think we can lower the cost -- we have to lower the cost of Medicare -- with reforms that still guarantee a dignified retirement for seniors, because they’ve earned it.  (Applause.)  These folks act like this is an entitlement that was unearned.  Folks paid into this system.  They worked hard to have some sense of security.  (Applause.)  Our reforms should reflect that.   

They think the best way for America to compete for new jobs and businesses is to follow other countries in a race to the bottom.  So they say, well, look, if -- China lets you pay low wages, so they want to roll back our minimum wage or our right to collectively bargain.  They say, well, if companies can pollute in some of these other countries, so they want to get rid of protections that ensure we have clean air and clean water. 

Look, we should not have any more regulation than is required for the health and safety of the American people.  Nobody likes red tape.  Nobody likes bureaucracy.  That’s why I actually -- I’ve reformed government so that we initiated fewer regulations than the previous administration, with a lot more benefit, much lower costs relative to the benefits, looking to streamline government.  We’re saving businesses billions of dollars in reduced paperwork.  So we are not interested in regulation for regulation’s sake.  But I do not believe in this notion that we should have a race to the bottom.  That shouldn’t be what we’re competing for. 

We should be competing to win that race to the top.  We should be competing to make our schools the best in the world.  (Applause.)  We should be competing to make sure that our workers have the best skills and the best training so they get the best pay.  (Applause.)  We should be making sure that college is within reach of everybody.  (Applause.) 

We should be in a race to give our businesses the best roads and airports.  We should be in a race to support the scientists and the researchers -- (applause) -- that create the next clean-energy breakthrough, or the medicine that might cure pernicious diseases.  We should be in a race to make sure that the next generation of manufacturing doesn’t take root in Asia or in Germany, but takes root in Detroit, and in Pittsburgh, and in Cleveland, and in New York.  (Applause.)  I don’t want this to be a nation that just buys and consumes and borrows.  I want us to be known for building and selling all over the world.  (Applause.)

And that’s a race -- this competition for middle-class security, for advanced technology, for having the best workers in the world -- this is a race I know we can win.  But America is not going to win if we do the same things, if we respond to our economic challenges with the same old, tired "cut taxes for wealthy people; let companies do whatever they want even if it’s harming other folks, and somehow prosperity is going to trickle down to everybody else."

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Look, we tried that.  (Laughter and applause.)  I don’t know if you remember, but we tried that.  It never worked.  It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression.  It’s not what led to the incredible boom in the '50s and the '60s that created the greatest middle class on Earth.  It did not work back in 2001 and ’02, and ’03, and ’04, and ’05, and ’06 -- (laughter) -- where we had the slowest job growth of any decade. 

We can’t go back to this brand of you’re-on-your-own economics.  I believe we’ve got a stake in everybody’s success.  If we can attract outstanding teachers by giving her the pay and the support and the training she deserves, she is going to educate the next Steve Jobs.  (Applause.)  And not only will we have whatever the next iPad is, but we’ll also all see the economy grow.

If we provide faster Internet service to some rural business somewhere and now suddenly they have access to the entire global market, or some business right here in Harlem that’s selling something that previously they could only sell in a few blocks and now they can sell it anywhere, that means suddenly they can start hiring more workers.  They’ve got customers now all over the world.  (Applause.)  Countries will do better -- our whole country will do better.

This is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea.  Abraham Lincoln, first Republican President -- he understood this -- launched the Transcontinental Railroad, the National Academy of Scientists -- or of Sciences, the first land-grant college, all while dealing with the Civil War.  A Republican. 

Teddy Roosevelt called for a progressive income tax, because he understood that you can’t pretend you’re for equality of opportunity when you have huge inequality and you’re not creating ladders for success for people.  A Republican.  

Dwigh Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System, invested in math and science education so we could compete in the race to space.  Republican. 

There were Republicans in Congress that supported FDR giving millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, the chance to go college on the G.I. Bill.  (Applause.)  That idea is as old as this country. 

And that idea, it’s still there.  That sense of common purpose, it’s still there.  We tapped into it in 2008, and it’s still out there all across the country.  I see it everywhere I go.  It may not be in Washington, it may not be in Congress, but it’s out there.  You talk to folks on Main Streets, town halls, VFW halls, barbershops -- they understand this.  Our politics may be divided, but people understand we’re all in this together.  (Applause.)  They understand that no matter who we are, we rise or fall as one nation and as one people.

And that’s what’s at stake right now.  That’s what this election is about. 

Now, I know these have been three tough years.  I know that some of the change folks wanted hasn’t come as fast as people hoped for.  I know that after all the stuff that has gone on in Washington, it’s tempting sometimes to just say, you know what, it’s not possible; the system’s broken; we give up.  That’s tempting.  But remember what I used to say in the last campaign.  I said this -- I repeated it over and over again:  Real change, big change, it’s hard.  It takes time.  It takes more than a single term.  It takes more than a single President. 

What it takes is ordinary citizens like you who just keep on fighting, keep pushing, keep inching the country closer and closer and closer to our ideals.  That’s how the Greatest Generation defeated fascism and yanked us out of a Great Depression and built the largest middle class in history.  That’s how young people from every background were able to suffer billy clubs and fire hoses to ensure that our children grew up in a country where your race is no barrier to what you can become.  (Applause.)

Change is hard, but we know it’s possible.  We’ve seen it.  I’ve lived it.  I’ve lived it.  I’ve seen it. 

And so, as we go into this election year, I want everybody to understand, yes, my hair is grayer, yes, we’ve got some dings and some dents, and, yes, this financial crisis has been a wakeup call, but you know what, there is no other country that doesn’t envy our position.  They understand that this country is still that last, best hope.  (Applause.)  And they are counting -- the world is counting, and our fellow citizens are counting on us not giving up, not giving into despair. 

If you want to end the cynicism and the game-playing and the point-scoring and the sound bytes that pass for politics these days, then you’ve got to send a message this year, starting right now, that you refuse to back down; that you will not give up; that you intend to keep hoping and keep pushing and keep fighting just as hard as you did four years ago.  You are going to keep believing in change.  (Applause.) 

And if you are willing to do that, if you are going to work just as hard, if you’re able to generate that same passion and commitment, then I’ll be there next to you.  Because I’ve often said -- I said in 2008, I’m not a perfect man.  I’m not a perfect President.  But I promise you that I’ve kept that promise I made to you in 2008, I would always tell you what I thought, I would always tell you where I stood, and I would wake up every single day fighting as hard as I can for you.  (Applause.)

I am just as determined now as I was then.  (Applause.)  And if you are willing to stand alongside me, we will knock those obstacles out of the way.  We will reach for that vision of America that we believe in -- in our hearts -- and change will come.  (Applause.)  If you will work harder than you did last time, change will come.  (Applause.) 

If you keep on believing, we’ll finish what we started in 2008.  Change will come.  If you fight with me and press on with me, I promise you change will come.  And we will remind everybody just why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you.  God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END               
10:30 P.M. EST