9:16 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Madam
Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, the First Lady of the
United States -- (applause) -- she's around here
somewhere.
I have come here tonight not only to address
the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak
frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here.
I know that for many Americans watching right
now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others.
And rightly so. If you haven't been personally affected by this
recession, you probably know someone who has -- a friend; a neighbor; a
member of your family. You don't need to hear another list of
statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it
every day. It's the worry you wake up with and the source of
sleepless nights. It's the job you thought you'd retire from but
now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that's now
hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to
put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real,
and it is everywhere.
But while our economy may be weakened and our
confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain
times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will
rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge
stronger than before. (Applause.)
The weight of this crisis will not determine
the destiny of this nation. The answers to our problems don't lie
beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and our
universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of
our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on
Earth. Those qualities that have made America the greatest force
of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample
measure. What is required now is for this country to pull
together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take
responsibility for our future once more. (Applause.)
Now, if we're honest with ourselves, we'll
admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities
-- as a government or as a people. I say this not to lay blame or
to look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we
arrived at this moment that we'll be able to lift ourselves out of this
predicament.
The fact is our economy did not fall into
decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the
housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known
for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of
energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The
cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet
we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a
global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them
for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still
managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals
and through our government, than ever before.
In other words, we have lived through an era
where too often short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity;
where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or
the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth
to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future.
(Applause.) Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick
profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes
they knew they couldn't afford from banks and lenders who pushed those
bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and
difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other
day.
Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and
the time to take charge of our future is here.
Now is the time to act boldly and wisely -- to
not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting
prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start
lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education
that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our
deficit down. That is what my economic agenda is designed to do,
and that is what I'd like to talk to you about tonight.
It's an agenda that begins with jobs.
(Applause.)
As soon as I took office, I asked this
Congress to send me a recovery plan by President's Day that would put
people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I
believe in bigger government -- I don't. Not because I'm not
mindful of the massive debt we've inherited -- I am. I called for
action because the failure to do so would have cost more jobs and
caused more hardship. In fact, a failure to act would have
worsened our long-term deficit by assuring weak economic growth for
years. And that's why I pushed for quick action. And
tonight, I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say
that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law.
(Applause.)
Over the next two years, this plan will save
or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs
will be in the private sector -- jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges;
constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband and
expanding mass transit.
Because of this plan, there are teachers who
can now keep their jobs and educate our kids. Health care
professionals can continue caring for our sick. There are 57
police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight
because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to
make. (Applause.)
Because of this plan, 95 percent of working
households in America will receive a tax cut -- a tax cut that you will
see in your paychecks beginning on April 1st. (Applause.)
Because of this plan, families who are
struggling to pay tuition costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for
all four years of college. And Americans -- (applause) -- and
Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be able to
receive extended unemployment benefits and continued health care
coverage to help them weather this storm. (Applause.)
Now, I know there are some in this chamber and
watching at home who are skeptical of whether this plan will
work. And I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington,
we've all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken
promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale
comes enormous responsibility to get it right.
And that's why I've asked Vice President Biden
to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort -- because nobody
messes with Joe. (Applause.) I -- isn't that right?
They don't mess with you. I have told each of my Cabinet, as well
as mayors and governors across the country, that they will be held
accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they
spend. I've appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General
to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have
created a new website called
recovery.gov so that every American can find out
how and where their money is being spent.
So the recovery plan we passed is the first
step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the
first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there
will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has
severely weakened our financial system.
I want to speak plainly and candidly about
this issue tonight, because every American should know that it directly
affects you and your family's well-being. You should also know
that the money you've deposited in banks across the country is safe;
your insurance is secure; you can rely on the continued operation of
our financial system. That's not the source of concern.
The concern is that if we do not restart
lending in this country, our recovery will be choked off before it even
begins.
You see -- (applause) -- you see, the flow of
credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The ability to get a loan
is how you finance the purchase of everything from a home to a car to a
college education, how stores stock their shelves, farms buy equipment,
and businesses make payroll.
But credit has stopped flowing the way it
should. Too many bad loans from the housing crisis have made
their way onto the books of too many banks. And with so much debt
and so little confidence, these banks are now fearful of lending out
any more money to households, to businesses, or even to each
other. And when there is no lending, families can't afford to buy
homes or cars. So businesses are forced to make layoffs.
Our economy suffers even more, and credit dries up even further.
That is why this administration is moving
swiftly and aggressively to break this destructive cycle, to restore
confidence, and restart lending.
And we will do so in several ways.
First, we are creating a new lending fund that represents the largest
effort ever to help provide auto loans, college loans, and small
business loans to the consumers and entrepreneurs who keep this economy
running. (Applause.)
Second -- second, we have launched a housing
plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of
foreclosure lower their monthly payments and refinance their
mortgages. It's a plan that won't help speculators or that
neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to
afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with
declining home values -- Americans who will now be able to take
advantage of the lower interest rates that this plan has already helped
to bring about. In fact, the average family who refinances today
can save nearly $2,000 per year on their mortgage. (Applause.)
Third, we will act with the full force of the
federal government to ensure that the major banks that Americans depend
on have enough confidence and enough money to lend even in more
difficult times. And when we learn that a major bank has serious
problems, we will hold accountable those responsible, force the
necessary adjustments, provide the support to clean up their balance
sheets, and assure the continuity of a strong, viable institution that
can serve our people and our economy.
I understand that on any given day, Wall
Street may be more comforted by an approach that gives bank bailouts
with no strings attached, and that holds nobody accountable for their
reckless decisions. But such an approach won't solve the
problem. And our goal is to quicken the day when we restart
lending to the American people and American business, and end this
crisis once and for all.
And I intend to hold these banks fully
accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will
have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending
for the American taxpayer. (Applause.) This time -- this
time, CEOs won't be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks,
or buy fancy drapes, or disappear on a private jet. Those days
are over. (Applause.)
Still, this plan will require significant
resources from the federal government -- and, yes, probably more than
we've already set aside. But while the cost of action will be
great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater,
for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or
years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit,
worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next
generation. And I refuse to let that happen. (Applause.)
Now, I understand that when the last
administration asked this Congress to provide assistance for struggling
banks, Democrats and Republicans alike were infuriated by the
mismanagement and the results that followed. So were the American
taxpayers. So was I. So I know how unpopular it is to be
seen as helping banks right now, especially when everyone is suffering
in part from their bad decisions. I promise you -- I get
it.
But I also know that in a time of crisis, we
cannot afford to govern out of anger, or yield to the politics of the
moment. (Applause.) My job -- our job -- is to solve the
problem. Our job is to govern with a sense of
responsibility. I will not send -- I will not spend a single
penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but
I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can't pay
its workers, or the family that has saved and still can't get a
mortgage. (Applause.)
That's what this is about. It's not
about helping banks -- it's about helping people.
(Applause.) It's not about helping banks; it's about helping
people. Because when credit is available again, that young family
can finally buy a new home. And then some company will hire
workers to build it. And then those workers will have money to
spend. And if they can get a loan, too, maybe they'll finally buy
that car, or open their own business. Investors will return to
the market, and American families will see their retirement secured
once more. Slowly, but surely, confidence will return, and our
economy will recover. (Applause.)
So I ask this Congress to join me in doing
whatever proves necessary. Because we cannot consign our nation
to an open-ended recession. And to ensure that a crisis of this
magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on
legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory
system. (Applause.) It is time -- it is time to put in
place tough, new common-sense rules of the road so that our financial
market rewards drive and innovation, and punishes short-cuts and
abuse.
The recovery plan and the financial stability
plan are the immediate steps we're taking to revive our economy in the
short term. But the only way to fully restore America's economic
strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new
jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of
the world. The only way this century will be another American
century is if we confront at last the price of our dependence on oil
and the high cost of health care; the schools that aren't preparing our
children and the mountain of debt they stand to inherit. That is
our responsibility.
In the next few days, I will submit a budget
to Congress. So often, we've come to view these documents as
simply numbers on a page or a laundry list of programs. I see
this document differently. I see it as a vision for America -- as
a blueprint for our future.
My budget does not attempt to solve every
problem or address every issue. It reflects the stark reality of
what we've inherited -- a trillion-dollar deficit, a financial crisis,
and a costly recession.
Given these realities, everyone in this
chamber -- Democrats and Republicans -- will have to sacrifice some
worthy priorities for which there are no dollars. And that
includes me.
But that does not mean we can afford to ignore
our long-term challenges. I reject the view that says our
problems will simply take care of themselves; that says government has
no role in laying the foundation for our common prosperity.
For history tells a different story.
History reminds us that at every moment of economic upheaval and
transformation, this nation has responded with bold action and big
ideas. In the midst of civil war, we laid railroad tracks from
one coast to another that spurred commerce and industry. From the
turmoil of the Industrial Revolution came a system of public high
schools that prepared our citizens for a new age. In the wake of
war and depression, the GI Bill sent a generation to college and
created the largest middle class in history. (Applause.)
And a twilight struggle for freedom led to a nation of highways, an
American on the moon, and an explosion of technology that still shapes
our world.
In each case, government didn't supplant
private enterprise; it catalyzed private enterprise. It created
the conditions for thousands of entrepreneurs and new businesses to
adapt and to thrive.
We are a nation that has seen promise amid
peril, and claimed opportunity from ordeal. Now we must be that
nation again. That is why, even as it cuts back on programs we
don't need, the budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are
absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care,
and education. (Applause.)
It begins with energy.
We know the country that harnesses the power
of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet,
it is China that has launched the largest effort in history to make
their economy energy-efficient. We invented solar technology, but
we've fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing
it. New plug-in hybrids roll off our assembly lines, but they
will run on batteries made in Korea.
Well, I do not accept a future where the jobs
and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders -- and I know
you don't, either. It is time for America to lead again.
(Applause.)
Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double
this nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years.
We've also made the largest investment in basic research funding in
American history -- an investment that will spur not only new
discoveries in energy, but breakthroughs in medicine and science and
technology.
We will soon lay down thousands of miles of
power lines that can carry new energy to cities and towns across this
country. And we will put Americans to work making our homes and
buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our
energy bills.
But to truly transform our economy, to protect
our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change,
we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind
of energy. So I ask this Congress to send me legislation that
places a market-based cap on carbon pollution and drives the production
of more renewable energy in America. That's what we need.
(Applause.) And to support -- to support that innovation, we will
invest $15 billion a year to develop technologies like wind power and
solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient cars and
trucks built right here in America. (Applause.)
Speaking of our auto industry, everyone
recognizes that years of bad decision-making and a global recession
have pushed our automakers to the brink. We should not, and will
not, protect them from their own bad practices. But we are
committed to the goal of a retooled, reimagined auto industry that can
compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of
communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented
the automobile cannot walk away from it. (Applause.)
None of this will come without cost, nor will
it be easy. But this is America. We don't do what's
easy. We do what's necessary to move this country forward.
And for that same reason, we must also address
the crushing cost of health care.
This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in
America every 30 seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause
1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight
years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in
each of these years, 1 million more Americans have lost their health
insurance. It is one of the major reasons why small businesses
close their doors and corporations ship jobs overseas. And it's
one of the largest and fastest-growing parts of our budget.
Given these facts, we can no longer afford to
put health care reform on hold. We can't afford to do it.
It's time. (Applause.)
Already, we've done more to advance the cause
of health care reform in the last 30 days than we've done in the last
decade. When it was days old, this Congress passed a law to
provide and protect health insurance for 11 million American children
whose parents work full-time. (Applause.) Our recovery plan
will invest in electronic health records and new technology that will
reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives.
It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the
life of nearly every American, including me, by seeking a cure for
cancer in our time. (Applause.) And -- and it makes the
largest investment ever in preventive care, because that's one of the
best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control.
This budget builds on these reforms. It
includes a historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform -- a
down payment on the principle that we must have quality, affordable
health care for every American. (Applause.) It's a
commitment -- it's a commitment that's paid for in part by efficiencies
in our system that are long overdue. And it's a step we must take
if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come.
Now, there will be many different opinions and
ideas about how to achieve reform, and that's why I'm bringing together
businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats
and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week.
I suffer no illusions that this will be an
easy process. Once again, it will be hard. But I also know
that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform,
the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and our
conscience long enough. So let there be no doubt: Health
care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another
year. (Applause.)
The third challenge we must address is the
urgent need to expand the promise of education in America.
In a global economy where the most valuable
skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer
just a pathway to opportunity -- it is a prerequisite.
Right now, three-quarters of the
fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school
diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level
of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout
rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who
begin college never finish.
This is a prescription for economic decline,
because we know the countries that out-teach us today will out-compete
us tomorrow. That is why it will be the goal of this
administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and
competitive education -- from the day they are born to the day they
begin a career. (Applause.) That is a promise we have to
make to the children of America. (Applause.)
Already, we've made an historic investment in
education through the economic recovery plan. We've dramatically
expanded early childhood education and will continue to improve its
quality, because we know that the most formative learning comes in
those first years of life. We've made college affordable for
nearly seven million more students -- seven million. (Applause.)
And we have provided the resources necessary to prevent painful
cuts and teacher layoffs that would set back our children's
progress.
But we know that our schools don't just need
more resources. They need more reform. (Applause.)
That is why this budget creates new teachers -- new incentives for
teacher performance; pathways for advancement, and rewards for
success. We'll invest in innovative programs that are already
helping schools meet high standards and close achievement gaps.
And we will expand our commitment to charter schools. (Applause.)
It is our responsibility as lawmakers and as
educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility
of every citizen to participate in it. So tonight, I ask every
American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or
career training. This can be community college or a four-year
school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever
the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high
school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an
option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your
country -- and this country needs and values the talents of every
American. (Applause.) That's why we will support -- we will
provide the support necessary for all young Americans to complete
college and meet a new goal: By 2020, America will once again
have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
That's is a goal we can meet. (Applause.) That's a goal we
can meet.
Now, I know that the price of tuition is
higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your
neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we
will make sure that you can afford a higher education.
(Applause.) And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service
for this and future generations, I ask Congress to send me the
bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch, as
well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his
country -- Senator Edward Kennedy. (Applause.)
These education policies will open the doors
of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure
they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy
that can substitute for a parent -- for a mother or father who will
attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn
off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child.
(Applause.) I speak to you not just as a President, but as a
father, when I say that responsibility for our children's education
must begin at home. That is not a Democratic issue or a
Republican issue. That's an American issue. (Applause.)
There is, of course, another responsibility we
have to our children. And that's the responsibility to ensure
that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay.
(Applause.) That is critical. I agree, absolutely.
See, I know we can get some consensus in here. (Laughter.)
With the deficit we inherited, the cost -- (applause) -- the cost
of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must meet, it
has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers,
we do what it takes to bring this deficit down. That is
critical. (Applause.)
Now, I'm proud that we passed a recovery plan
free of earmarks -- (applause) -- and I want to pass a budget next year
that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important
national priorities.
And yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I
pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in
office. My administration has also begun to go line by line
through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and
ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that
will take some time. But we have already identified $2 trillion
in savings over the next decade. (Applause.)
In this budget -- in this budget, we will end
education programs that don't work and end direct payments to large
agribusiness that don't need them. (Applause.) We'll
eliminate -- we'll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted
billions in Iraq -- (applause) -- and reform -- and -- and reform our
defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold War-era weapons
systems we don't use. (Applause.) We will -- we will root
out -- we will root out the waste and fraud and abuse in our Medicare
program that doesn't make our seniors any healthier. We will
restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally
ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs
overseas. (Applause.)
In order to save our children from a future of
debt, we will also end the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2 percent of
Americans. (Applause.) Now, let me be clear -- let me be
absolutely clear, because I know you'll end up hearing some of the same
claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase
on the American people: If your family earns less than $250,000 a
year -- a quarter million dollars a year -- you will not see your taxes
increased a single dime. I repeat: Not one single
dime. (Applause.) Not a dime. In fact, the recovery
plan provides a tax cut -- that's right, a tax cut -- for 95 percent of
working families. And by the way, these checks are on the
way. (Applause.)
Now, to preserve our long-term fiscal health,
we must also address the growing costs in Medicare and Social
Security. Comprehensive health care reform is the best way to
strengthen Medicare for years to come. And we must also begin a
conversation on how to do the same for Social Security, while creating
tax-free universal savings accounts for all Americans.
(Applause.)
Finally, because we're also suffering from a
deficit of trust, I am committed to restoring a sense of honesty and
accountability to our budget. That is why this budget looks ahead
10 years and accounts for spending that was left out under the old
rules -- and for the first time, that includes the full cost of
fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Applause.) For seven
years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide its
price. (Applause.)
Along with our outstanding national security
team, I'm now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will
soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and
responsibly ends this war. (Applause.)
And with our friends and allies, we will forge
a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat
al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow
terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens halfway
around the world. We will not allow it. (Applause.)
As we meet here tonight, our men and women in
uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To
each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet
burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one
message: We honor your service, we are inspired by your
sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support. (Applause.)
To relieve the strain on our forces, my budget
increases the number of our soldiers and Marines. And to keep our
sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay, and give
our veterans the expanded health care and benefits that they have
earned. (Applause.)
To overcome extremism, we must also be
vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend -- because there is
no force in the world more powerful than the example of America.
And that is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at
Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured
terrorists. (Applause.) Because living our values doesn't
make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger.
(Applause.) And that is why I can stand here tonight and say
without exception or equivocation that the United States of America
does not torture. We can make that commitment here tonight.
(Applause.)
In words and deeds, we are showing the world
that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America
cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot
meet them without America. We cannot shun the negotiating table,
nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are
instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor
that serious times demand.
To seek progress towards a secure and lasting
peace between Israel and her neighbors, we have appointed an envoy to
sustain our effort. To meet the challenges of the 21st century --
from terrorism to nuclear proliferation; from pandemic disease to cyber
threats to crushing poverty -- we will strengthen old alliances, forge
new ones, and use all elements of our national power.
And to respond to an economic crisis that is
global in scope, we are working with the nations of the G20 to restore
confidence in our financial system, avoid the possibility of escalating
protectionism, and spur demand for American goods in markets across the
globe. For the world depends on us having a strong economy, just
as our economy depends on the strength of the world's.
As we stand at this crossroads of history, the
eyes of all people in all nations are once again upon us -- watching to
see what we do with this moment; waiting for us to lead.
Those of us gathered here tonight have been
called to govern in extraordinary times. It is a tremendous
burden, but also a great privilege -- one that has been entrusted to
few generations of Americans. For in our hands lies the ability
to shape our world for good or for ill.
I know that it's easy to lose sight of this
truth -- to become cynical and doubtful; consumed with the petty and
the trivial. But in my life, I have also learned that hope is
found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those
with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations
of Americans who are anything but ordinary.
I think of Leonard Abess, a bank president
from Miami who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million
bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus
another 72 who used to work for him. He didn't tell anyone, but
when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, "I knew some of
these people since I was seven years old. It didn't feel right
getting the money myself." (Applause.)
I think about -- I think about Greensburg --
Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado,
but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean
energy can power an entire community -- how it can bring jobs and
businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay.
"The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them
rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an
incredible opportunity."
I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl
from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina -- a place where
the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop
teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their
classroom. She had been told that her school is hopeless, but the
other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a
letter to the people sitting in this chamber. She even asked her
principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for
help, and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers,
doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can
make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the
world. We are not quitters." That's what she said. We
are not quitters. Applause.)
These words -- these words and these stories
tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us
here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the
most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a
decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take
responsibility for our future and for posterity.
Their resolve must be our inspiration.
Their concerns must be our cause. And we must show them and all
our people that we are equal to the task before us. (Applause.)
I know -- look, I know that we haven't agreed
on every issue thus far -- (laughter.) There are surely times in
the future where we will part ways. But I also know that every
American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to
succeed. I know that. (Applause.) That must be the
starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where
we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on
which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do -- if we come together and lift
this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back
to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront
without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit
of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our
children can tell their children that this was the time when we
performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber,
"something worthy to be remembered."
Thank you. God bless you, and may God
bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)
END
10:08 P.M. EST