members of Congress I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States thank you so much mr. speaker mr. vice president members of Congress my fellow Americans we are 15 years into this new century 15 years that dawned with terror touching our shores that unfolded with a new generation fighting two long and costly Wars that saw a vicious recession spread across our nation and the world it has been and still is a hard time for many but tonight we turn the page tonight after a breakthrough year for America our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999 our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis more of our kids are graduating than ever before more of our people are insured than ever before and we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we've been in almost 30 years tonight for the first time since 9/11 our combat mission in Afghanistan is over six years ago nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan today fewer than 15,000 remain and we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 generation was served to keep us safe we are humbled and grateful America for all that we have endured for all the grit and hard work required to come back for all the tasks that lie ahead know this the shadow crisis has passed and the State of the Union is strong at this moment with the growing economy shrinking deficits bustling industry booming energy production we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on earth it's now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next 15 years and for decades to come well we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort we approach the world fearful and reactive dragged into costly conflicts that strain our military and setback our standing where will we lead wisely using all elements of our power to defeat new threats and protect our planet when we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one another where will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward in two weeks I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical not partisan and in the months ahead I'll crisscross the country making a case for those ideas so tonight I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals and focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us it begins with our economy seven years ago Rebecca and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds she waited tables he worked construction the first child Jack was on the way they were young and in love in America and it doesn't get much better than that if only we had known Rebekah wrote to me last spring what was about to happen to the housing and construction market as the crisis worsened Ben's business dried up so he took what jobs he could find even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of time Rebecca took out student loans and enrolled in Community College and retrained for a new career they sacrifice for each other and slowly it paid off they bought their first home they had a second son Henry Rebecca got a better job and then a raise Ben's back in construction and home for dinner every night it is amazing Rebecca wrote what you can bounce back from when you have two we are a strong tight-knit family who has made it through some very very hard times we are a strong tight-knit family who has made it through some very very hard times America Rebekah and Ben's story is our story they represent the millions who've worked hard and scrimped and sacrificed and retooled you are the reason that I ran for this office you are the people I was thinking of six years ago today in the darkest months of the crisis when I stood on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild our economy on a new foundation and it has been your resilience your effort that has made it possible for our country to emerge stronger we believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing and draw new jobs to our and over the past five years our businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs we believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet and today America is number one in oil and gas America is number one in wind power every three weeks we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008 and thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards the typical family this year should save about $750 at the pump we believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world and today our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high more Americans finished college than ever before we believe that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis shield families from ruin and encourage fair competition today we have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts and a new consumer watchdog to protect us from predatory lending and abuse of credit card practices and in the past year alone about ten million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage at every step we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious that we would crush jobs and explode deficits instead we've seen the fastest economic growth in over a decade our deficits cut by two-thirds a stock market that has doubled and health care inflation at its lowest rate in 50 years there's good news people so so so the verdict is clear middle-class economics works expanding opportunity works and these policies will continue to work as long as politics don't get in the way we can't slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns we can't put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street or refighting past battles on immigration when we've got to fix a broken system and if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things I will veto it it will have earned my veto today thanks to a growing economy the recovery is touching more and more lives wages are finally starting to rise again we know that more small business owners plan to raise their employees pay than at any time since 2007 but here's the thing those of us here tonight we need to set our sights higher than just making sure government doesn't screw things up the government doesn't halt the progress we're making we need to do more than just do no harm' tonight together let's do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American because families like Rebecca's still need our help she and Ben are working as hard as ever but they've had to forego vacations and a new car so that they can pay off student loans and save for retirement fried day-night pizza that's a big splurge basic childcare for jack and henry costs more than their mortgage and almost as much as a year at the University of Minnesota like millions of hardworking America Rebecca isn't asking for a handout but she is asking that we look for more ways to help families get ahead and in fact at every moment of economic change throughout our history this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot we set up worker protections Social Security Medicare Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity we gave our citizens schools and colleges infrastructure and the internet tools they needed to go as far as their efforts and their dreams will take them that's what middle-class economics is the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot everyone does their fair share everyone plays by the same set of rules we don't just want everyone to share in America's success we want everyone to contribute to our success so so what does middle-class economics require in our time first middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change it means helping folks afford childcare college health care a home retirement and my budget will address each of these issues lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year here's one example during World War two when men like my grandfather went off to war having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a national security priority so this country provided Universal childcare in today's economy when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families we need affordable high quality childcare more than ever it's not a nice-to-have it's a mustache so it's time we stopped treating child care as a side issue or as a women's issue and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us and that's why that's why my plan will make quality child care more available and more affordable for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child per year here's another example today we are the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers 43 million workers have no paid sick leave 43 million think about that and that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home so I'll be taking new action to help States adopt paid leave laws of their own and since paid sick leave one where it was on the ballot last November let's put it to a vote right here in Washington send me a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave it's the right thing to do the right thing to do of course nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages that's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work missed its 2015 it's time we still need to make sure employees get the overtime they've earned and and everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage I say this if you truly believe you could work full time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year try it if not both to give millions of the hardest-working people in America always well these ideas won't make everybody rich won't relieve every hardship that's not the job of government to give working families a fair shot we still need more employers to see beyond next quarters earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company's long-term interest we still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions and give American workers a voice but but you know things like child care and sick leave and equal pay things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage these ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families that's a fact and that's what all of us Republicans and Democrats alike were sent here to do in a second to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills now America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free send a generation of GIS to college trained the best workforce in the world we were ahead of the curve but other countries caught on and in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before we need up our game we need to do more by the end of this decade two in three job openings will require some higher education two and three and yet we still live in a country where too many bright striving Americans are priced out of the education they need it's not fair to them and it's sure not smart for our future that's why I'm sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of Community College to zero keep in mind 40% of our college students choose Community College some are young and starting out some are older and looking for a better job some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market whoever you are this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy without a load of debt understand you've got to earn it you got to keep your grades up and graduate on time Tennessee a state with Republican leadership and Chicago a city with Democratic leadership are showing that free Community College is possible I want to spread that idea all across America so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today let's stay ahead of the curve and I want to work with this Congress to make sure those already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams thanks to Vice President Biden's great work to update our job training system we're connecting community colleges with local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding and nursing and robotics tonight I'm also asking more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and ups and offer more educational benefits and paid apprenticeships opportunities that give workers the chance to earn higher paying jobs even if they don't have a higher education and as a new generation of veterans comes home we owe them every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend already we've made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the highest quality care we're slashing the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need and we're making it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into civilian jobs and joining forces the national campaign launched by Michelle and Jill Biden Thank You Michelle thank you jill has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military spouses get a new job so every CEO in America let me repeat if you want somebody who's going to get the job done and done right hire a veteran finally as we better train our workers we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to film since 2010 America has put more people back to work than Europe Japan and all advanced economies combined our manufacturers have added almost 800,000 new jobs some of our bedrock sectors like our auto industry are booming but they're also millions of Americans work in jobs that didn't even exist 10 or 20 years ago jobs companies like Google and eBay and Tesla so no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs of the future but we do know we want them here in America we know that and that's why the third part of middle-class economics is all about building the most competitive economy anywhere the place where businesses want to locate and hire 21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure modern ports and stronger bridges faster trains and the fastest internet Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this so let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plans that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year and make this country stronger for decades to come 21st century businesses including small businesses need to sell more American products overseas today our businesses export more than ever and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages but as we speak China wants to write the rules for the world's fastest-growing region that would put our workers and our businesses at a disadvantage why would we let that happen we should write those rules we should level the playing field that's why I'm asking both parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect American workers with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren't just free but are also fair it's the right thing to do look I'm I'm the first one to admit I'm the first one to admit that past trade deals haven't always lived up to the hype and that's why we've gone after countries that break the rules at our expense but 95% of the world's customers live outside our borders we can't close ourselves off from those opportunities more than half manufacturing executives have said they're at actively looking to bring jobs back from China so let's give them one more reason to get it done 21st century businesses will rely on American science and technology research and development I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine one that delivers the right treatment at the right time in some patients with cystic fibrosis this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable so tonight I'm launching a new precision medicine initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier we can do this I intend to protect a free and open Internet extend its reach to every classroom in every community and help folks build the fastest networks so that the next generation of digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs converting sunlight into liquid fuel creating revolutionary prosthetic so that the veteran who gave his arms for his country can play catch with his kids again pushing out into the solar system not just to visit but to stay last month we launched a new spacecraft as part of a reenergized space program that will send American astronauts to Mars and in two months to prepare us for those missions Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space so good luck captain make sure to Instagram it now the truth is when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic research I know there's bipartisan support in this chamber members of both parties have told me so we're we too often run onto the rocks is how to pay for these investments as Americans we don't mind paying our fair share of taxes as long as everybody else does - but for far too long lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight they've riddled it with giveaways that the super-rich don't need while denying a break to middle-class families who knew this year we have an opportunity to change that let's close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad and reward those that invest here in America let's use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and to make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs home let's simplify the system and let a small business owner file based on her actual bank statement and said the number of accountants she can afford and let's close the loopholes that lead to inequality by allowing the top 1% to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated wealth we can use that money to help more families pay for childcare and send their kids to college we need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy and we can achieve that together we're gonna cheat it together helping hard-working families make ends meet giving them the tools they need for good-paying jobs in this new economy maintaining the conditions of growth and competitiveness this is where America needs to go I believe it's where the American people want to go it'll make our economy stronger a year from now 15 years from now and deep into the century ahead of course if there's one thing this new century has taught us is that we cannot separate our work here at home from challenges beyond our shores my first duty as commander-in-chief is to defend the United States of America and in doing so the question is not in doing so the question is not whether America leads in the world but how when we make rash decisions reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer more prosperous world that's what our enemies want us to do I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership we lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy when we leverage our power with coalition building when we don't let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents that's exactly what we're doing right now and around the globe it is making a difference first we stand united with people around the world who have been targeted by terrorists from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris we will continue to hunt down terrorists and networks and we reserve the right to act unilaterally as we have done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us in our era at the same time we've learned some costly lessons over the last 13 years instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan we've trained their security forces who have now taken the lead and we've honored our troops sacrifice by supporting that country's first democratic transition instead of sending large ground forces overseas we're partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America in Iraq and Syria American leadership including our military power is stopping isil's advance instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East we are leading a broad coalition including Arab nations to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group we're also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism now this effort will take time it will require focus but we will succeed and tonight I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL we need that authority second we're demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy we're upholding the principle the bigger nations can't bully the small by opposing Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine's democracy and reassuring our NATO allies last year as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies as we were reinforcing our presence with the frontline states mr. Putin's aggression it was suggested was a masterful display of strategy and strength that's what I heard from some folks well today it is America that stands strong and United with our allies while Russia is isolated with its economy in tatters that's how America leads not with bluster but with persistent steady resolve and on Cuba we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date well what you're doing doesn't work for 50 years it's time to try something new and our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere it removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba stands up for democratic values and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people and this year Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo as as his Holiness Pope Francis is said diplomacy is the work of small steps these small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba and after years in prison we are overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs welcome home Alan the guy our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran where for the first time in a decade we've halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material which we now in this spring we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran secures America and our allies including Israel while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict there are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran but new sanctions passed by this Congress at this moment in time will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails alienating America from its allies making it harder to maintain sanctions and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again it doesn't make sense and that's why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress the American people expect us only to go to war as a last resort and I intend to stay true to that wisdom third we're looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the past to shape the coming century no foreign nation no hacker should be able to shut down our networks steal our trade secrets or invade the privacy of American families especially our kids so we're making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats just as we have done to combat terrorism tonight I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber attacks combat identity theft and protect our children's information that should be a bipartisan effort well if we don't act we'll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable if we do we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe in West Africa our troops our scientists our doctors our nurses our health care workers are rolling back Ebola saving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease I could not be proud of them and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts but the job is not yet done and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future pandemics invest in smart development and eradicate extreme poverty in the asia-pacific we are modernizing alliances while making sure that other nations play by the rules and how they trade how they resolve maritime disputes how they participate in meeting common international challenges like non-proliferation and disaster relief and no challenge no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change 2014 was the planets warmest year on record now one year doesn't make a trend but this does 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century I've heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they're not scientists but we don't have enough information act well I'm not a scientist either but you know what I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA and at NOAA and at our major universities and the best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate and if we don't act forcefully we'll continue to see rising oceans longer hotter heat waves dangerous droughts and floods and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration and conflict and hunger around the globe the Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security we should act like it and that's why that's why over the past six years we've done more than ever to combat climate change from the way we produce energy to the way we use it that's why we've set aside more public lands and waters than any Administration in history that's why I will not let this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our efforts I am determined to make sure that American leadership drives international action in Beijing we made a historic announcement the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution and China committed for the first time to limiting their emissions and because the world's two largest economies came together other nations are now stepping up and offering hope that this year the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we've got and there's one last pillar of our leadership and that's the example of our values as Americans we respect human dignity even when we're threatened which is why I have prohibited torture and work to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained it's why we speak out against the deplorable anti-semitism that is resurfaced in certain parts of the world it's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace that's why we defend free speech and advocate for political prisoners and condemn the persecution of women or religious minorities or people who are lesbian gay bisexual or transgender we do these things not only because they are the right thing to do but because ultimately they will make us safer as Americans we have a profound commitment to justice so it makes no sense to spend 3 million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists used to recruit since I've been president we've worked responsibly to cut the population of Gitmo in half now it is time to finish the job and I will not relent in my determination to shut it down it is not who we are it's time to close Gitmo as Americans we cherish our civil liberties and we need to uphold that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries and industry in our fight against terrorist networks so while some have moved on from the debates over our surveillance programs I have not as promised our intelligence agencies have worked hard with the recommendations of privacy advocates to increase transparency and build more safeguards against potential abuse and next month will issue a report on how we're keeping our promise to keep our country safe law strengthening privacy looking to the future instead of the past making sure we match our power with diplomacy and use force wisely building coalitions to meet new challenges and opportunities leading always with the example of our values that's what makes us exceptional that's what keeps us strong that's why we have to keep striving to hold ourselves to the highest of standards our own you know just over a decade ago I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn't a liberal America or a conservative America a black America or white America but a United States of America I said this because I had seen it in my own life in a nation that gave someone like me it changed because I grew up in Hawaii a melting pot of races and customs because I made Illinois my home the state of small towns rich farmland one of the world's great cities a microcosm of the country where Democrats and Republicans and independents good people of every ethnicity in every faith share certain bedrock values over the past six years the pundits have pointed out more than once my presidency hasn't delivered on this vision how ironic they say that our politics seems more divided than ever it's held up as proof not just of my own flaws of which there are many but also as proof that the vision itself is misguided naïve that there are too many people in this town who actually benefit from partisanship and gridlock for us to ever do anything about it I know how tempting such cynicism may be but I still think the cynics are wrong I still believe that we are one people I still believe that together we can do great things even when the odds are long I believe this because over and over in my six years in office I have seen America at its best I've seen the hopeful faces of young graduates from New York to California our newest officers at West Point Annapolis Colorado Springs New London I've mourned with grieving families in Tucson in Newtown in Boston in West Texas and West Virginia I've watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains from Midwest assembly lines to the mid-atlantic seaboard I've seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country a civil right now legal in states that seven in ten Americans call home so so I know the good and optimistic and big-hearted generosity of the American people who everyday live the idea that we are our brother's keeper and our Sister's Keeper and I know they expect those of us who serve here to set a better example so the question for those of us here tonight is how we all of us can better reflect America's hopes I've served in Congress with many of you I know many of you will a lot of good people here on both sides of the aisle and many of you have told me that this isn't what you signed up for arguing past each other on cable shows a constant fundraising always looking over your shoulder and how the base will react to every decision imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns imagine if we did something different understand a better politics isn't one where Democrats abandon their agenda a Republicans simply embrace mine a better politics is one where we appeal to each other's basic decency instead of our basest ears a better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other where we talk issues and values and principles and facts rather than gotcha moments or trivial gasps or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people's daily lives a politics a better politics is one where we spend less time drowning and dark money for ads that pull us into the gutter and spend more time lifting young people up with a sense of purpose and possibility asking them to join in the great mission of building America if we're going to have arguments let's have arguments but let's make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country we still may not agree on a woman's right to choose but surely we can agree it's a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows and that every woman should have access to the health care that she needs yes passions still fly on immigration but surely we can all see something of ourselves in the striving young student and agree that no one benefits when a hard-working mom is snatched from her child and then it's possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants I've talked to Republicans and Democrats about that that's something that we can share we may go at it in campaign season but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred that it's being denied to too many and then on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act we can come together Democrats and Republicans to make voting easier for every single American we may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York but surely we can understand a father who fears his son can't walk home without being harassed and surely we can understand the wife who won't rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift and surely we can agree that it's a good thing that for the first time in 40 years the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans community leaders and law enforcement to reform America's criminal justice system so that it protects and serves all of us that's a better politics that's how we start rebuilding trust that's how we move this country forward that's what the American people want that's what they deserve I have no more campaigns to run my only agenda and no because I won both of yeah my only agenda for the next two years is the same as the one I've had since the day I sworn oath on the steps of this Capitol to do what I believe is best for America if you share the broad vision I outlined tonight I ask you to join me in the work at hand if you disagree with parts of it I hope you'll at least work with me where you do agree and I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger because because I want this chamber I want this city to reflect the truth that for all our blind spots and shortcomings we are people with the strength and generosity of spirit to bridge divides to unite in common effort to help our neighbors whether down the street or on the other side of the world I want our actions to tell every child in every neighborhood your life matters and we are committed to improving your life chances as committed as we are to working on behalf of our own kids I want future generations to know that we are people we see our differences as a great gift there were people who value the dignity and worth of every citizen man and woman young and old black and white Latino Asian immigrant Native American gay straight Americans with mental illness physical disability everybody matters I want I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still know to be true that we are still more than a collection of red states and blue states that we are the United States of America I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom can sit down and write a letter to a president with a story that sums up these past six years it's amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to we are a strong tight-knit family who's made it through some very very hard times my fellow Americans we too are a strong tight-knit family we too have made it through some hard times fifteen years into this new century we have picked ourselves up dusted ourselves off and begun again the work of remaking America we have laid a new foundation a brighter future is ours to write let's begin this new chapter together and let's start the work right now thank you god bless you god bless this country good luck