She is a movable part and parcel of our country, a self-contained city at sea plying the international waters of the world in defense of our national interests. Whether her mission is one of defense, diplomacy, or humanity, the Nimitz will command awe and admiration from some, caution and circumspection from others, and respect from all. There is no need for me to dwell on the importance of aircraft carriers in today's and tomorrow's defense planning though as an old carrier man myself, I might like that role. During recent days, I think it is worthy to note, we have seen the most convincing demonstration of their readiness and their flexibility in the successful execution of national policy. Without the five aircraft carriers which served as the nucleus of our forces operating off South Vietnam, without the skill and the heroic performance of Marine Corps and naval aviation and support personnel, without the Air Force helicopter crews who operated from the carrier decks, we could not have rescued all of the remaining American citizens and thousands of endangered Vietnamese from Saigon within 20 hours. And I congratulate, on behalf of all of you, the work that was done on that occasion. The Nimitz joins the fleet at an auspicious moment when our determination to strengthen our tics with allies across both great oceans and to work for peace and stability around the world requires clear demonstration. Along with our other forces worldwide, the Nimitz will make critically important contributions in our continuing quest for a peaceful planet, a planet whose surface is more than 70 percent ocean. As I see the United States Ship Nimitz as a symbol of the vast power, the protective or productive skill and economic strength of America, so will others around the world. To all, this great ship is visible evidence of our commitment to friends and allies and our capability to maintain those commitments. But for Americans, especially, she is also a symbol of the man whose name she bears. The grandson of a seafaring German immigrant, who grew up in the great State of Texas and never lost his pride in his native State, Chester W. Nimitz started from the smoke of Pearl Harbor and carried the fight to the enemy. His superb leadership and the valor of more than 2 million American fighting men culminated on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri 4 years later, as he signed the Japanese surrender as commander in chief of the largest naval armada ever assembled.


Looking back on a period of my own life, one of the things of which I am the proudest is that I can say, I served under Admiral Nimitz in the Pacific. As a lowly lieutenant on the U.S.S. Monterey, a carrier you could probably stow on the hangar deck of the Nimitz, I saw very little of fleet admirals during World War II. But every watch officer could recognize the crisp CINCPAC dispatches that Admiral Nimitz obviously had written in his own hand. One biographer who did not know him or who, I should say, did know him Professor E. B. Potter of the Naval Academy, summed up Admiral Nimitz' qualities in simple words that well serve as a model for anyone who aspires to leadership in any line of endeavor. He surrounded himself with the ablest men he could find and sought their advice, but he made his own decisions. He was a keen strategist who never forgot that he was dealing with human beings, on both sides of the conflict. He was aggressive in war without hate, audacious while never failing to weigh the risks. Admiral Nimitz, of all the great American commanders of World War II, was one of the most self-effacing and, certainly, one of the most effective. He possessed great stamina, an abundance of common sense, and such immense inner strength that he felt no need to strut or to shout. Born near what today we would call the poverty level, he worked hard, he studied hard, and was a long, long time getting ahead. He spent his whole life training to serve his country in commanding men at sea, and when he was needed, he was prepared. He learned by his mistakes and was tolerant of others, but he was always in command. Those who had the good fortune to know Admiral Nimitz will say his fundamental honesty, intellectual honesty and integrity, enabled him to keep a steady course toward his ultimate objective without yielding to the tremendous pressures of his vast responsibilities. He did the job he was prepared to do, did it superbly, hung up his sword and filled his final years with quiet service to his country and to the cause of peace. Repeatedly urged to write his wartime memoirs, Admiral Nimitz just as repeatedly refused. To do so, he explained, would compel him either to hurt the reputations of some fine shipmates or tell some whopping lies.

Remarks at the U.S.S. Nimitz Commissioning Ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia.


Senator and Mrs. Kennedy, the Kennedy family, Senator Mitchell and Members of the Senate, Congressmen, Congressman-to-be Patrick Kennedy, and Marvin Rosen, and all those who made this night possible , I thank you so much for your help for our friend. Chevy Chase, thank you for making us laugh. I will tell you a story about Chevy Chase. I never told this story in public before. I had never met Chevy Chase in my entire life, except on a movie screen. And in 1988 or '89, I went up to Long Island in the summertime. Hillary and I were up there visiting our friend Liz Robins, who is here tonight. And they asked me if I would be an umpire in this game. And once I realized there were some members of the press there and I'd be able to give them grades instead of the other way around, I eagerly accepted. Now, at that time a lot of you will not remember this; I hope, at least, you will not remember it, and I hope you will forget after I tell you tonight. I had given a speech for Governor Dukakis at the Democratic Convention, which I intend to complete here this evening. Anyway I cannot believe I said that. The announcer for the ball game was Jim Brady, the guy that does that Brady's Bits in Parade magazine every Sunday, you know? He is a delightful man, but when he saw me out there on the mound about ready to call balls and strikes, he saidhe introduced mehe said, This is Governor ENTITY from Arkansas. He is up here visiting, and if he takes as long to make the calls today as he did to speak in Atlanta, we will never get out of here. I really appreciated that. Anyway, so the game starts, and the next time the sides change, I look up in the stands, and this tall guy stands up and walks down, comes out to the pitcher's mound, shakes my hand, and says, I am Chevy Chase. And he said, I may be the only person in America besides your mother who feels this way, but I liked that speech. That is verbatim what he said. You just applauded for the next ambassador to Great Britain. Ladies and gentlemen, you know we all do a lot of these events, and a lot of you are the backbone of our party.

Remarks at a Reception for Senator Edward M. Kennedy in McLean, Virginia


And sometimes we do them with great energy; sometimes we do them with interest; sometimes we do them because we know it is the right thing to do and we do them. I am here tonight because there is no place else in America I would rather be tonight than here in this cause for this good man. You know, before I got here I really did not understand how things so often came across in the country so different than they are up here. I was another alienated American, even though I was the Governor of my State. And I was terribly worried that this country was going in the wrong direction, that the people that were running our country were just telling the voters what they thought they wanted to hear and avoiding all the tough problemswe had had profound social problems building up for 30 years, we'd had serious economic problems building up for 20 yearsthat we had finally come to the end of the cold war, a time when we had an opportunity to take a fresh look at both the opportunities and the difficulties of this country at this time, and that we had a window here in which we could either secure the American dream for our children and our grandchildren and the strength of this country as we move into the 21st century, or we could walk away from the responsibilities of our generation. When I talked to Hillary about running for President, Iin a very personal way, I did not really want to do it. First of all, most of my friends thought it was a fool's errand because the incumbent President was at over 70 percent approval. Secondly, things were going pretty well for us at home, with our family, our friends, and our work. But I did it because I thought that we all have an obligation to try to make a difference and that we had to change the direction of the country. Tonight we come here to honor someone who has always fought to keep us going forward in the right direction, who has always fought for hope over fear, for reconciliation over division, to bring out the best in us instead of to bring out the worst in us. Well, when I came here I knew it would not be easy, but I was determined to see that we work together to move this country forward, to address our problems, to get things done for ordinary Americans. But you know, we have made a good start.


And now, as always happens in these midterm elections, with the issue hanging fire, the American people will have to decide whether we will continue this rigorous transition into tomorrow. Every time we reach a point in history where we are going through big changes and the future is not clear, we fight a battle within ourselves. In that sense, our Nation is very much like a person. If you think about your own life, whenever you did anything really different and took on a new challenge, it was always with a mixture of hope and fear, when you went to school the first day or first went off to college or had your first job or first sought elective office or married or had your first child. A delicate balance always has to be maintained between hope and fear. And every day we all get up and we see things that are happening that we do not like or we are unsure what will happen to us. And it is almost as if we have a scale inside us, with blind justice holding it, and hope is on one side and fear is on the other. And each day it may take a little different balance. The job we have between now and election day is to make sure that when people wake up on election day, they vote their hopes instead of their fears, they vote for tomorrow instead of yesterday, they vote to keep going forward, and they vote for Senator Ted Kennedy for reelection in Massachusetts. We still have a lot to do, but we have made a good start. And we have done some very important things by putting our economic house in order, giving the American people their first serious attack on crime in a long time, and beginning to make this Government work for ordinary citizens. If you look at the last 20 months, this CongressI might add, without one single, solitary vote from a member of the other partythe Democrats, who were so often attacked as being for big Government and spending, voted for a budget that cut $255 billion in Federal spending, that reduced the deficit by more than any plan ever adopted in the history of the country, that gave us 3 years of deficit reduction in a row for the first time since Harry Truman was President. I might add, they did it by raising tax rates on only the top 1.2 percent of Americans, including most of you in this room tonight. And we thank you for staying with us.


This administrationand it is a great rebuke to those who think people only vote their own short-term self-interests; all of you are. And I honor you for your presence here tonight and for caring about your country and the long-term health and discipline and economic direction of what we are trying to do. Our administration expanded trade by more than any in the comparable time period in the last 30 years. Exports are up, sales are up, and jobs are up in export-related areas. 4.3 million new jobs, 93 percent of them in the private sector, unlike the ratio in previous years when it is been mostly Government jobs created to try to help people deal with the problems of economic fallout. We have had 8 months of manufacturing job growth in a row for the first time in a decade. And just last week, at the annual vote of International Economists, for the first time in 9 years, it was the United States of America that was voted as having the most productive economy in the world. We have got a long way to go, but we have made a good beginning. And Senator Kennedy for years has been interested in this whole crime issue from his service on the Judiciary Committee. But Joe Biden will tell you they talked about crime around here for 6 years, but we finally passed the crime bill that is tough with punishment, tough in terms of putting 100,000 police on the street, but also smart in providing prevention and giving people a chance to turn away from lives of crime and giving our young people a chance to have something to say yes to. Also, for the first time in my memory we put together back-to-back victories with the Brady bill and the assault weapons ban, in spite of the ferocious opposition of the NRA. We have got a long way to go, but it is a pretty good beginning. If you look at what was done to make Government work for ordinary people, in the economic plan, we reformed the college loan program the Secretary of Education is here tonight making 20 million Americans, including over 840,000 in the State of Massachusetts, eligible for low-interest loans at longer repayment terms, a stunning benefit for middle class kids, not just poor kids, so that no one need ever walk away from the challenge of paying for a college education againyou can clap for that; Ted Kennedy was for it.


We have 200,000 more children in Head Start; hundreds of thousands of people in Massachusetts alone affected by the family leave law which says that if you have got a sick parent or you are about to have a child, you can take a little time off work without losing your job. We are going to have 2 million more children immunized by 1996, so that all the kids under 2 will be immunized and parents can go to work not worrying about whether their children are going to be safe from preventable childhood diseases. Fifteen million working people and their children are going to get income tax cuts because they work hard and they raise their kids but they are hovering just above the poverty line, and we do not want them to fall into the poverty line and quit working and go on welfare. This is a pro-work, pro-family administration making this Government work for ordinary citizens again. Finally, let me say to our friends in the other party, I sat out there in the heartland of America as the Governor for years and years and years, and I heard them talk about how terrible the Federal Government was and how big and bloated it was. But we, the Democrats, voted to reduce the size of the Federal Government by 272,000, to make it the smallest it is been since President Kennedy was in office. We have already done over 70,000 of those reductions. And every last red cent of reduction in the Federal Government is going to local government and to local communities to help them fight crime. That is the record of the Democrats in the last 2 years. Now, if you compare that to what our opponents have done and what they have said, it is a pretty big difference. In the name of partisanship, they tried to stop the crime bill. They voted entirely against the economic program, a program that gave college loan breaks to millions of kids, a program that made 90 percent of the small businesses in this country eligible for tax cuts and gave tax reductions to 15 million working families. They have done everything they could to keep us from addressing the health care reform issue in a serious way.


Congressman Grandy from Iowa saying that they had all been ordered not to cooperate and compromise on health care; a Republican Senator quoted in one of our big newspapers the other day saying, We killed health care, now if we can just not get our fingerprints on it ; their political adviser, Mr. Kristol, telling them the one thing they must not do is to cooperate to bring down health care costs, make health insurance secure for those who have it, and cover those who do not because that would be a political benefit for the other party. Now we know what they wish to do if they get the majority. They put out their Contract With America, and you know what they did? It looks like a contract; it looks like they took out a contract against the deficit, a contract against Medicare, a contract against paying for the crime bill, a contract against all the gains we have made for ordinary Americans in the last 2 years. They want to go back to the way they did it before, explode the deficit, tell people what they want to hear, and stick it to ordinary Americans. We can do better than that. We have to reelect the people and elect the people who want to keep going forward. If you just look at the things that Senator Kennedy has been involved in just since I have been Presidentthe Head Start program, 200,000 more children; reforming the education loans; working on changing the whole unemployment system to a reemployment system, something we have not finished yet; the Goals 2000 bill, which for the first time in the history of America commits us as a nation to world-class standards of educational excellence and commits the Federal Government not to have a bureaucracy but to give help to local grassroots efforts at reform; the national service program, which this year has 20,000 young Americans and 2 years from now will have 100,000 young Americans earning their way to a higher education by serving their communities at the grassroots level, not in a bureaucracy but in people power that can truly change the course of our country's futurehe led the way in all of those endeavors. And he deserves a lot of credit for it. But elections are about the future. If we do a good job, it is just what we were hired to do.


Because if you ever want this country to be able to bring the deficit down without breaking the backs of our senior citizens; if you ever want to see a time when working people will be secure in their insurance, instead of the situation which exists todaythis is the only advanced country in the world where working families are losing ground in insurance coverage. There are 5 million Americans in working families today who had health insurance 5 years ago who do not have it today, even though we spend 40 percent more of our income than any other country on health care. If you want to preserve the integrity of our great medical institutions of higher learning, if you want to see health insurance for all Americans and stability in our economy long-term and in our Federal budget long-term, we have got to address the health care issue. So what if we could not do it in a year. It took 7 years to pass the Brady bill, 7 years to pass family leave, 7 years to pass motor voter, 6 years to pass the crime bill. I signed a banking reform bill today that they have been working on longer than anybody can remember. We can do this. We will do this. The people of Massachusetts, I do not believe, want to send a signal to Washington, DC, that they have abandoned health care. I think they want to tell us to keep at it until we get it right. And the only way to do that is to say, Senator Kennedy, stay on the job; keep doing it until we get it right. My friends, you will see this election everywhere in America played out. He is running against someone who signed the contract, a contract against health care reform, for cutting Medicare, for exploding the deficit, for putting the Federal budget in a place where they will not even be able to fund the crime billthe same old promises, tell them what they want to hear, bad-mouth Government, bad-mouth the people who are the instruments of change, and hope you do not get caught. I think the American people are smarter than that. You know, Ted Kennedy said tonight that he was not the youngest man in the Senate race. He was once the youngest man in the Senate for quite a long time. Well, I was once the youngest Governor in America by 9 years. Time has a way of curing those problemsand of changing your perspective. But I would like to say something about Senator Kennedy and about the United States. He is made enemies in his life because he has fought for things.


But the things he has fought for are things that would help people who are very different from him. Ninety-five percent of the people that would have been given the things that he was given in life never would have spent their life trying to get all that for everybody else in the country. Most of us, given the opportunities he had, would have enjoyed them in a very different way. They would not have put themselves on the line day in and day out, year in and year out. This country is also very old as a democracy, but it is forever young. Why do you think the Israelis and the Arabs want to come here and have us work with them to end the decades of horrible fighting in the Middle East? Why do you think that after literally hundreds of years of fighting, the Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland, and the British and the Irish wish the Americans to be involved in the peace process? Why did Mr. Mandela and Mr. de Klerk want the United States to spend a few million dollars of our tax money to help them develop an election that would really work? Even in the 11th hour of our crisis in Haiti a little over a week ago, when the delegation was down there meeting with the military leaders and they realized finally that we meant business, one of them said, Well, if the President is determined to do this and the United Nations is determined to act, at least we want the United States here; we trust them, we know they can be trusted. We know what they represent. And I was sitting here looking at Ted Kennedy give that speech tonight, and I saw it literally moving his entire being. And I said to myself, let the people who disagree with him disagree. Let the people who say he is wrong on the issues say that. But let no one doubt that he may be the youngest person running for the Senate in any State this year, because he believes in things that are forever young. Thank you, and God bless you all.


Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second Gentleman good to see you guys up there members of Congress And, by the way, Chief Justice, I may need a court order. She gets to go to the game tomorr- next week. We got to work something out here. You know, I start tonight by congratulating the 118th Congress and the new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy. Speaker, I do not want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you. And I want to congratulate the new Leader of the House Democrats, the first African American Minority Leader in history, Hakeem Jeffries. He won despite the fact I campaigned for him. And congratulations to Chuck Schumer, another you know, another term as Senate Minority Leader. You know, I think you only this time you have a slightly bigger majority, Mr. Leader. Nancy Pelosi. Folks, the story of America is a story of progress and resilience, of always moving forward, of never, ever giving up. It is a story unique among all nations. We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis we have ever entered stronger than we got into it. Look, folks, that is what we are doing again. I stand here tonight, after we have created, with the help of many people in this room, 12 million new jobs more jobs created in two years than any President has created in four years because of you all, because of the American people. Two years ago and two years ago, ENTITY had shut down our businesses were closed, our schools were robbed of so much. And today, ENTITY no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. As we gather here tonight, we are writing the next chapter in the great American story a story of progress and resilience. possibilities. We do not think anything is beyond our capacity. But over the past two years, we proved the cynics and naysayers wrong. You came together to pass one in a gen- one-in-a-generation once-in-a-generation infrastructure law building bridges connecting our nation and our people. We came together to pass one the most significant law ever helping victims exposed to toxic burn pits. And, in fact it is important.

Michael Bennet` State of the Union address: Read the transcript


And, in fact, I signed over 300 bipartisan pieces of legislation since becoming President, from reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act to the Electoral Count Reform Act, the Respect for Marriage Act that protects the right to marry the person you love. And to my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we cannot work together and find consensus on important things in this Congress as well. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict gets us nowhere. to restore the soul of this nation; to rebuild the backbone of America, America's middle class; and to unite the country. We have been sent here to finish the job, in my view. For decades, the middle class has been hollowed out in more than and not in one administration, but for a long time. Once-thriving cities and towns that many of you represent became shadows of what they used to be. pride, our sense of self-worth. I ran for President to fundamentally change things. To make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel that pride in what we do. Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. I know a lot of you always kid me for always quoting my dad. But my dad used to say, Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. He really would say this. It is about a lot more than a paycheck. It is about your dignity. It is about respect. It is about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, 'Honey, it is going to be okay' and mean it. Well, folks, so let us look at the results. We are not finished yet, by any stretch of the imagination. But unemployment rate is at 3.4 percent -- a 50-year low. We have already created, with your help, 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs the fastest growth in 40 years. And where is it written where is it written that America cannot lead the world in manufacturing? For too many decades, we imported projects and exported jobs. Now, thanks to what you have all done, we are exporting American products and creating American jobs.


Folks, inflation inflation has been a global problem because the pandemic dirup- disrupted our supply chains, and Putin's unfair and brutal war in Ukraine disrupted ener- energy supplied as well as food supplies, blocking all that grain in Ukraine. But we are better positioned than any country on Earth right now. But we have more to do. But here at home, inflation is coming down. Here at home, gas prices are down $1.50 from their peak. Inflation has fallen every month for the last six months, while take-home pay has gone up. Additionally, over the last two years, a record 10 million Americans applied to start new businesses. And, by the way, every time every time someone starts a small business, it is an act of hope. And, Madam Vice President, I want to thank you for leading that effort to ensure that small businesses have access to capital and the historic laws we enacted that are going to just come into being. Standing here last year, I shared with you a story of American genius and possibilities. Semiconductors small computer chips the size of a fingerprint that power everything from cellphones to automobiles and so much more. These chips were invented in America. They were invented in America. And we used to make 40 percent of the world's chips. In the last several decades, we lost our edge. We are down to only producing 10 percent. We all saw what happened during the pandemic when chip factories shut down overseas. Today's automobiles need 3,000 chips each of those automobiles but American automobiles could not make enough cars because there were not enough chips. So did everything from refrigerators to cellphones. That is why that is why we came together to pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. Folks, I know I have been criticized for saying this, but I am not changing my view. We are going to make sure the supply chain for America begins in America the supply chain begins in America. And we have already created we have already created 800,000 new manufacturing jobs without this law, before the law kicks in. With this new law, we are going to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country. And I mean all across the country, throughout not just the coast, but through the middle of the country as well. That is going to come from companies that have announced more than $300 billion in investments in American manufacturing over the next few years.


Outside of Columbus, Ohio, Intel is building semiconductor factories on a thousand acres literally a field of dreams. It is going to create 10,000 jobs, that one investment; 7,000 construction jobs; 3,000 jobs in those factories once they are finished. They call them factors. Jobs paying an average of $130,000 a year, and many do not require a college degree. Jobs because we worked together, these jobs where people do not have to leave home to search for opportunity. So much more that is going to be needed to support those three thou- those 3,000 permanent jobs and the factories that are going to be built. Talk to mayors and governors, Democrats and Republicans, and they will tell you what this means for their communities. We are seeing these fields of dreams transform the Heartland. But to maintain the strongest economy in the world, we need the best infrastructure in the world. And, folks, as you all know, we used to be number one in the world in infrastructure. We have sunk to 13th in the world. The United States of America 13th in the world in infrastructure, modern infrastructure. But now we are coming back because we came together and passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law the largest investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System. Folks, already we have funded over 20,000 projects, including major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland projects that are going to put thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, our bridges, our railroads, our tunnels, ports, airports, clean water, high-speed Internet all across America urban, rural, Tribal. I want to thank my Republican friends who voted for the law. And my Republican friends who voted against it as well but I am still I still get asked to fund the projects in those districts as well, but do not worry. I promised I'd be a President for all Americans. We will fund these projects. And I will see you at the groundbreaking. Look, this law this law will further unite all of America. And, folks, we have been talking about fixing it for decades, but we are really finally going to get it done. I went there last month with Democrats and Republicans in from both states to deliver a commitment of $1.6 billion for this project. And while I was there, I met a young woman named Saria, who is here tonight. Is she up in the box?


Well, Saria for 30 years for 30 years I learned she told me she'd been a proud member of the Iron workers Local 44, known as known as the Cowboys in the Sky the folks who built who built Cincinnati's skyline. Saria said she cannot wait to be 10 stories above the Ohio River building that new bridge. God bless her. And that is what we are also building we are building back pride. Look, we are also replacing poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 million homes in America, 400,000 schools and childcare centers so every child in America every child in American can drink the water, instead of having permanent damage to their brain. Look, we are making sure we are making sure that every community every community in America has access to affordable, high-speed Internet. No parent should have to drive by a McDonald's parking lot to help their do their homework online with their kids, which many thousands were doing across the country. And when we do these projects and, again, I get criticized about this, but I make no excuses for it we are going to buy American. We are going to buy American. Folks and it is totally it is totally consistent with international trade rules. Buy American has been the law since 1933. But for too long, past administrations Democrat and Republican have fought to get around it. Tonight, I am also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infra- infrastructure projects to be made in America. I mean it. And on my watch, American roads, bridges, and American highways are going to be made with American products as well. Folks, my economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten. So many of you listening tonight, I know you feel it. So many of you felt like you have just simply been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind and treated like they are invisible. Maybe that is you, watching from home. You remember the jobs that went away. You remember them, do not you? The folks at home remember them. Well, that is why I get that. That is why we are building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of choices we made in the last several years. You know, this is, in my view, a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives at home.


For example, too many of you lay in bed at night, like my dad did, staring at the ceiling, wondering what in God's name happens if yo- if your spouse gets cancer or your child gets deadly ill or if something happens to you. What are you going are you going to have the money to pay for those medical bills? Are you going to have to sell the house or try to get a second mortgage on it? I get it. I get it. With the Inflation Reduction Act that I signed into law, we are taking on powerful interests to bring healthcare costs down so you can sleep better at night with more security. You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any nation in the world. We pay more for prescription drugs than any major nation on Earth. For example, 1 in 10 Americans has diabetes. Many of you in this chamber do and in the audience. But every day, millions need insulin to control their diabetes so they can literally stay alive. Insulin has been around for over 100 years. The guy who invented it did not even patent it because he wanted it to be available for everyone. It costs the drug companies roughly $10 a vial to make that insulin. Package it and all, you may get up to $13. But Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars $4- to $500 a month making rec- record profits. So so many things that we did are only now coming to fruition. We said we were doing this and we said we'd pass the law to do it, but people did not know because the law did not take effect until January 1 of this year. We capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare. I am sure you are getting the same calls I am getting. Look, there are millions of other Americans who do not are not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type 1 diabetes who need these insulin need this insulin to stay alive. Let us finish the job this time. Let us cap the cost of insulin for everybody at $35. Folks and Big Pharma is still going to do very well, I promise you all. I promise you they are going to do very well. This law also this law also caps and it will not even go into effect until 2025. It costs out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum of $2,000 a year.


You do not have to pay more than $2,000 a year, no matter how much your drug costs are. You all know it. Many of you, like many of my family, have cancer. You know the drugs can range from $10-, $11-, $14-, $15,000 for the cancer drugs. And if drug prices rise faster than inflation, drug companies are going to have to pay Medicare back the difference. And we are finally we are finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. Bringing down bringing down prescription drug costs does not just save seniors money, it cuts the federal deficit by billions of dollars by hundreds of billions of dollars because these prescription drugs are drugs purchased by Medicare to make keep their commitment to the seniors. Instead of paying 4- or 500 bucks a month, you are paying 15. That is a lot of savings for the federal government. And, by the way, why would not we want that? Now, some members here are threatening and I know it is not an official party position, so I am not going to exaggerate but threatening to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act. As my coach that is okay. As my football coach used to say, Lots of luck in your senior year. Make no mistake, if you try anything to raise the cost of prescription drugs, I will veto it. And, look, I am pleased to say that more Americans health have health insurance now than ever in history. A record 16 million people are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act. And thanks thanks to the law I signed last year, saving millions are saving $800 a year on their premiums. And, by the way, that law was written and the benefit expires in 2025. Let us finish the job and make those savings permanent. Look, the Inflation Reduction Act is also the most significant investment ever in climate change ever. I visited the devastating aftermath of record floods, droughts, storms, and wildfires from Arizona to New Mexico to all the way up to the Canadian border. More timber has been burned that I have observed from helicopters than the entire state of Missouri. And we do not have global warming? In addition to emergency recovery from Puerto Rico to Florida to Idaho, we are rebuilding for the long term. New electric grids that are able to weather major storms and not prevent those fire forest fires. We are going to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, installed across the country by tens of thousands of IBEW workers.


And we are helping families save more than $1,000 a year with tax credits to purchase of electric vehicles and efficient and efficient appliances energy-efficient appliances. Let us face reality. The climate crisis does not care if you are in a red or a blue state. We have an obligation not to ourselves, but to our children and grandchildren to confront it. I am proud of how the how America, at last, is stepping up to the challenge. We are still going to need oil and gas for a while, but guess what no, we do but there is so much more to do. We got to finish the job. And we pay for these investments in our future by finally making the wealthiest and biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share. The tax system is not fair. Look, the idea that in 2020, 55 of the largest corporations in America, the Fortune 500, made $40 billion in profits and paid zero in federal taxes? But now, because of the law I signed, billion-dollar companies have to pay a minimum of 15 percent. God love them. Under my plans, as long as I am President, nobody earning less than $400,000 will pay an additional penny in taxes. But let us finish the job. We have to reward work, not just wealth. You know, there is a thousand billionaires in America it is up from about 600 at the beginning of my term but no billionaire should be paying a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter. No, I mean it. I mean, look, I know you all are not enthusiastic about that, but think about it. Have you noticed Big Oil just reported its profits. Last year, they made $200 billion in the midst of a global energy crisis. They invested too little of that profit to increase domestic production. And when I talked to a couple of them, they say, We were afraid you were going to shut down all the oil wells and all the oil refineries anyway, so why should we invest in them? I said, We are going to need oil for at least another decade, and that is going to exceed and beyond that. We are going to need it. If they had, in fact, invested in the production to keep gas prices down instead they used the record profits to buy back their own stock, rewarding their CEOs and shareholders. Corporations ought to do the right thing.


That is why I propose we quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks and encourage long- long-term investments. They will still make considerable profit. Let us finish the job and close the loopholes that allow the very wealthy to avoid paying their taxes. Instead of cutting the number of audits for wealthy taxpayers, I just signed a law to reduce the deficit by $114 billion by cracking down on wealthy tax cheats. In the last two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion -- the largest deficit reduction in American history. Under the previous administration, the American deficit went up four years in a row. Because of those record deficits, no President added more to the national debt in any four years than my predecessor. Nearly 25 percent of the entire national debt that took over 200 years to accumulate was added by just one administration alone the last one. How did Congress respond to that debt? They did the right thing. They lifted the debt ceiling three times without preconditions or crisis. They paid the American bill to prevent an economic disaster of the country. So, tonight I am asking the Congress to follow suit. Let us commit here tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States of America will never, ever be questioned. So my many of some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage I get it unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should know what those plans are. Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I am not saying it is a majority Anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I will give you a copy. I will give you a copy of the proposal. Well, I am glad to see no, I tell you, I enjoy conversion. You know, it means if Congress does not keep the programs the way they are, they'd go away. Other Republicans say I am not saying it is a majority of you. but it is being proposed by individuals. I am not politely not naming them, but it is being proposed by some of you. Look, folks, the idea is that we are not going to be we are not going to be moved into being threatened to default on the debt if we do not respond. Folks so, folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the off the books now, right? We got unanimity!


Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors. Americans have to pay into them from the very first paycheck they have started. So, tonight, let us all agree and we apparently are let us stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare. Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned it. And if anyone tries to cut Social Security which apparently no one is going to do and if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them. I will veto it. Next month, when I offer my fiscal plan, I ask my Republican friends to lay down their plan as well. I really mean it. Let us sit down together and discuss our mutual plans together. Let us do that. I can tell you, the plan I am going to show you is going to cut the deficit by another $2 trillion. And it will not cut a single bit of Medicare or Social Security. how do we make keep it solvent. Well, I will not raise taxes on anyone making under 400 grand. by making sure that the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share. They are not just taking advantage of the tax code, they are taking advantage of you, the American consumer. I have your back. We are already preventing Americans who are receiving surprise medical bills, stopping 1 billion dollar surprise bills per month so far. We are protecting seniors' life savings by cracking down on nursing homes that commit fraud, endanger patient safety, or prescribe drugs that are not needed. Millions of Americans can now save thousands of dollars because they can finally get a hearing aid over the counter without a prescription. Look, capitalism without competition is not capitalism. Last year, I cracked down, with the help of many of you, on foreign shipping companies that were making you pay higher prices for every good coming into the country. I signed a bipartisan bill that cut shipping costs by 90 percent, helping American farmers, businessmen, and consumers. Let us finish the job. My administration is also taking on junk fees, those hidden surcharges too many companies use to make you pay more. For example, we are making airlines show you the full ticket price upfront, refund your money if your flight is cancelled or delayed. We have reduced exorbitant bank overdrafts by saving consumers more than $1 billion a year. We are cutting credit card late fees by 75 percent, from $30 to $8.


Look, junk fees may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most other folks in homes like the one I grew up in, like many of you did. They add up to hundreds of dollars a month. They make it harder for you to pay your bills or afford that family trip. I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and gets away with it. We have written a bill to stop it all. We are going to ban surprise resort fees that hotels charge on your bill. Those fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that are not even resorts. We the idea that cable, Internet, and cellphone companies can charge you $200 or more if you decide to switch to another provider. We can stop service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all the fees upfront. And we will prohibit airlines from charging $50 roundtrip for a family just to be able to sit together. Airlines cannot treat your child like a piece of baggage. Americans are tired of being we are tired of being played for suckers. So pass pass the Junk Fee Prevention Act so companies stop ripping us off. We are going to be we are beginning to restore the dignity of work. Thirty million workers have to sign non-compete agreements for the jobs they take. So a cashier at a burger place cannot walk across town and take the same job at another burger place and make a few bucks more. Well, they just changed it because we exposed it. That was part of the deal, guys. We are banning those agreements so companies have to compete for workers and pay them what they are worth. And I must tell you, this is bound to get a response from my friends on my left, with the right. I am so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing. Because businesses have a right workers have a right to form a union. And let us guarantee all workers have a living wage. Let us make sure working parents can afford to raise a family with sick days, paid family and medical leave, affordable childcare. That is going to enable millions of more people to go and stay at work. And let us restore the full Child Tax Credit which gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half to the lowest level in history. And, by the way, when we do all of these things, we increase productivity, we increase economic growth.


So let us finish the job and get more families access to affordable, quality housing. Let us get seniors who want to stay in their homes the care they need to do so. Let us give more breathing room to millions of family caregivers looking after their loved ones. Pass my plan so we get seniors and people with disabilities the home care services they need and support the workers who are doing God's work. These plans are fully paid for, and we can afford to do them. Restoring the dignity of work means making education an affordable ticket to the middle class. You know, when we made public education 12 years of it universal in the last century, we made the best-educated, best-paid we became the best-education, best-paid nation in the world. But the rest of the world has caught up. Jill, my wife, who teaches full-time, has an expression. Any nation that out-educates is going to out-compete us. Any nation that out-educates is going to out-compete us. Folks, we all know 12 years of education is not enough to win the economic competition of the 21st century. If we want to have the best-educated workforce, let us finish the job by providing access to preschool for three and four years old. Studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a two- or four-year degree, no matter their background they came from. Let us give public school teachers a raise. We are making progress by reducing student debt, increasing Pell Grants for working and middle-class families. Let us finish the job and connect students to career opportunities starting in high school, provide access to two years of community college the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree. Let us offer every American a path to a good career, whether they go to college or not. And, folks folks, in the midst of the ENTITY crisis, when schools were closed and we were shutting down everything, let us recognize how far we came in the fight against the pandemic itself. While the virus is not gone, thanks to the resilience of the American people and the ingenuity of medicine, we have broken the ENTITY grip on us. ENTITY deaths are down by 90 percent. We have saved millions of lives and opened up our country we opened our country back up. And soon, we will end the public health emergency.


But we will remember the toll and pain that is never going to go away. More than a million Americans lost their lives to ENTITY. Empty chairs at the dining room table constantly reminding you that she used to sit there. Remembering them, we remain vigilant. We still need to monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments. So Congress needs to fund these efforts and keep America safe. And as we emerge from this crisis stronger, we are also got to double down prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers and small businesses afloat. Before I came to office, you remember, during that campaign, the big issue was about inspector generals who would protect taxpayers' dollars, who were sidelined. Many people said, We do not need them. Last year, I told you the watchdogs are back. Since then since then, we have recovered billions of taxpayers' dollars. Now let us triple the anti-fraud strike force going after these criminals, double the statute of limitations on these crimes, and crack down on identity fraud by criminal syndicates stealing billions of dollars billions of dollars from the American people. And the data shows that for every dollar we put into fighting fraud, the taxpayer will get back at least 10 times as much. Look, ENTITY left its scars, like the spike in violent crime in 2020 the first year of the pandemic. We have an obligation to make sure all people are safe. Public safety depends on public trust, as all of us know. Joining us tonight are the parents of Tyre Nicholswelcome who had to bury Tyre last week. As many of you personally know, there is no words to describe the heartache or grief of losing a child. But imagine imagine if you lost that child at the hands of the law. Imagine having to worry whether your son or daughter came home from walking down the street or playing in the park or just driving a car. Most of us in here have never had to have the talk the talk that brown and Black parents have had to have with their children. Beau, Hunter, Ashley my children I never had to have the talk with them. I never had to tell them, If a police officer pulls you over, turn your interior lights on right away. Imagine having to worry like that every single time your kid got in a car. Here is what Tyre's mother shared with me when I spoke to her, when I asked her how she finds the courage to carry on and speak out.


With the faith of God, she said her son was, quote, a beautiful soul and something good will come of this. Imagine how much courage and character that takes. It is up to us, to all of us. neighborhoods free of violence, law enfircement law enforcement who earns the community's trust. Just as every cop, when they pin on that badge in the morning, has a right to be able to go home at night, so does everybody else out there. Our children have a right to come home safely. Equal protection under the law is a covenant we have with each other in America. We know police officers put their lives on the line every single night and day. And we know we ask them, in many cases, to do too much to be counselors, social workers, psychologists responding to drug overdoses, mental health crises, and so much more. In one sense, we ask much too much of them. And they risk and they risk their lives every time they put that shield on. But what happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. Give law enforcement the real training they need. Help them to succeed in keeping them safe. We also need more first responders and professionals to address the growing mental health, substance abuse challenges. All this can help prevent violence in the first place. And when police officers or police departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable. With the support with the support of families of victims, civil rights groups, and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal officers, banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act. Something good must come from this. All of us in the cha- in this chamber, we need to rise to this moment. Let us do what we know in our hearts that we need to do. Let us come together to finish the job on police reform. That was the plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde I met with every one of them Do something about gun violence. Thank God thank God we did, passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades. enhanced background checks for 18- to 21 years old, red-flag laws keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others. Joining us tonight is Brandon Tsay, a 26-year-old hero.


Brandon put his college dreams on hold to be at his mom's side his mom's side when she was dying from cancer. And Brandon Brandon now works at the dance studio started by his grandparents. And two weeks ago, during the Lunar New Year celebrations, he heard the studio door close, and he saw a man standing there pointing a semi-automatic pistol at him. He thought he was going to die, but he thought about the people inside. In that instant, he found the courage to act and wrestled the semi-automatic pistol away from the gunman who had already killed 11 people in another dance studio. He saved lives. It is time we do the same. I led the fight to do that in 1994. And in 10 years that ban was law, mass shootings went down. After we let it expire in a Republican administration, mass shootings tripled. Let us finish the job and ban these assault weapons. And let us also come together on immigration. We know we now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers, seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months. We have launched a new border plan last month. Unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97 percent as a consequence of that. If we do not pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border and a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, those on temporary status, farmworkers, essential workers. Here in the People's House, it is our duty to protect all the people's rights and freedoms. Congress must restore the right and Congress must restore the right that was taken away in Roe v. Wade and protect Roe v. Wade. The Vice President and I are doing everything to protect access to reproductive healthcare and safeguard patient safety. But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans. If Congress passes a national ban, I will veto it. But let us also pass let us also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LBG- LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity. Our strength our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example. I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal attack against Ukraine, a murderous assault, evoking images of death and destruction Europe suffered in World War Two.


Putin's invasion has been a test for the ages a test for America, a test for the world. Would we stand for the most basic of principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free of tyranny? Would we stand for the defense of democracy? For such defense matters to us because it keeps peace and prevents open season on would-be aggressors that threatens our prosperity. One year later, we know the answer. And together, we did what America always does at our best. We united NATO. We built a global coalition. We stood against Putin's aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people. Tonight, we are once again joined by Ukrainians' Ambassador to the United States. She represents not her just her nation but the courage of her people. Ambassador is our Ambassador is here, united in our we are united in our support of your country. Will you stand so we can all take a look at you? Because we are going to stand with you as long as it takes. Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, and more more peace, not just in Europe, but everywhere. Before I came to office, the story was about how the People's Republic of China was increasing its power and America was failing in the world. We made clear and I made clear in my personal conversations, which have been many, with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict. But I will make no apologies that we are investing and to make America stronger. Investing in American innovation and industries that will define the future that China intends to be dominating. Investing in our alliances and working with our allies to protect advanced technologies so they will not be used against us. Today, we are in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world. And I am committed I am committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world. As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. Winning the competition should unite all of us. We face serious challenges across the world. But in the past two years, democracies have become stronger, not weaker. Name me a world leader who'd change places with Xi Jinping. America is rallying the world to meet those challenges from climate to global health to food insecurity to terrorism to territorial aggression. Allies are stepping up, spending more, and doing more.


Look, the bridges we are forming between partners in the Pacific and those in the Atlantic. And those who bet against America are learning how wrong they are. It is never, ever been a good bet to bet against America. When I came to office, most assured that bipartisanship assumed was impossible. But I never believed it. That is why a year ago, I offered a Unity Agenda to the nation as I stood here. We made real progress together. We passed the law making it easier for doctors to prescribe effective treatments for opioid addiction. We passed the gun safety law, making historic investments in mental health. We launched the ARPA-H drive for breakthroughs in the fight against cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes, and so much more. We passed the Heath Robinson PACT Act, named after the late Iraq War veteran whose story about exposure to toxic burn pits I shared here last year. And I understand something about those burn pits. And we can do it together. Joining us tonight is a father named Doug from Newton, New Hampshire. He wrote Jill, my wife, a letter and me as well about his courageous daughter, Courtney. He shared a story all too familiar to millions of Americans and many of you in the audience. Courtney discovered pills in high school. It spiraled into addiction and eventually death from a fentanyl overdose. Describing the last eight years without her, Doug said, There is no worse pain. Yet, their family has turned pain into purpose, working to end the stigma and change laws. He told us he wants to start a journey towards American recovery. Doug, we are with you. Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year. Big Big you got it. So let us launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production and the sale and trafficking. Second, let us do more on mental health, especially for our children. When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at their schools. We must finally hold social media companies accountable for experimenting they are doing running children for profit. And it is time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data that companies collect on all of us. to equip those we send into harm's way and care for them and their families when they come home.


Job training, job placement for veterans and their spouses as they come to return to civilian life. Helping veterans to afford their rent, because no one should be homeless in America, especially someone who served the country. Denis McDonough is here, of the VA. We had our first real discussion when I asked him to take the job. We were losing up to 25 veterans a day on suicide. Now we are losing 17 a day to the silent scourge of suicide. Seventeen veterans a day are committing suicide, more than all the people being killed in the wars. Folks, VA VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screening, proven programs that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they are going through, get them the help they need. We got to do more. And fourth, last year, Jill and I reignited the Cancer Moonshot that I was able to start with, and President Obama asked me to lead our administration on this issue. Our goal is to cut the cancer death rates at least by 50 percent in the next 25 years, turn more cancers from death sentences to treatable diseases, provide more support for patients and their families. It is personal to so many of us so many of us in this audience. Joining us are Maurice and Kandice, an Irishman and a daughter of immigrants from Panama. They met and fell in love in New York City and got married in the same chapel as Jill and I got married in New York City. He wrote us a letter about his little daughter, Ava. And I saw her just before I came over. She was just a year old when she was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease cancer. After 26 blood transfusions, 11 rounds of radiation, 8 rounds of cheno chemo, 1 kidney removed, given a 5 percent survival rate. He wrote how, in the darkest moments, he thought, If she goes, I cannot stay. Many of you have been through that as well. Jill and I understand that, like so many of you. And he read Jill's book describing our family's cancer journey and how we tried to steal moments of joy where we could with Beau. For them, that glimmer of joy was the half-smile of their baby girl. It meant everything to them. They never gave up hope, and little Ava never gave up hope. They just found out Ava is beating the odds and is on her way to being cured of cancer.


And she is watching from the White House tonight, if she is not asleep already. For the lives we can save for the lives we can save and the lives we have lost, let this be a truly American moment that rallies the country and the world together and prove that we can still do big things. Twenty years ago, under the leadership of President Bush and countless advocates and champions, he undertook a bipartisan effort through PEPFAR to transform the global fight against ENTITY/ENTITY. I believe we can do the same thing with cancer. Let us end cancer as we know it and cure some cancers once and for all. our democracy itself. It is the most fundamental thing of all. With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is. Over the last few years, our democracy has been threatened and attacked, put at risk put to the test in this very room on January the 6th. And then, just a few months ago, an unhinged Big Lie assailant unleashed a political violence at the home of the then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, using the very same language the insurrectionists used as they stalked these halls and chanted on January 6th. my friend, Paul Pelosi. We have to protect the right to vote, not suppress the that fundamental right. We have to uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy. And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbor. Every generation of Americans have faced a moment where they have been called to protect our democracy, defend it, stand up for it. My fellow Americans, we meet tonight at an inflection point, one of those moments that only a few generations ever face, where the direction we now take is going to decide the course of this nation for decades to come. We are not bystanders of history. We are not powerless before the forces that confront us. It is within our power of We the People. We are facing the test of our time. optimistic, hopeful, forward-looking. A nation that embraces light over dark, hope over fear, unity over division, stability over chaos. We have to see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. The only nation in the world built on an idea the only one. Other nations are defined by geography, ethnicity, but we are the only nation based on an idea that all of us, every one of us, is created equal in the image of God.


I think you notice from the distinguished men and women on the steps with me the importance of the subject that we will be discussing this morning. We have had a briefing for interested persons from around the Nation on this new proposal which I am sure will be implemented without delay. Every American is concerned about crime and every American is a potential victim of crime. But that is only part of our concern. Crime destroys the essential fabric of our society in ways that go far beyond individual suffering and loss. In that sense, we are all victims. If our communities are to be vibrant and safe, our people cannot live in fear. We cannot let criminals control our lives. The primary responsibility for controlling crime rests with local and State officials, but the Federal Government can and does provide essential and effective support. Within the last year, we have made some progress in reducing crime. Crime rates in almost every category have gone down, but the rates are still too high and crime is still of grave concern to me and other Americans. There is clearly more that the Federal Government can and should do to solve this problem. Working in partnership with State and local governments, community organizations, and concerned citizens, we can make a safer America. Since its creation a decade ago, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, LEAA, has been the Federal Government's major tool to help local communities, local officials carry out this responsibility. But it has never yet realized its full potential, As part of our reorganization efforts, the Justice Department and the Office of Management and Budget have been working for the last 12 months, intensively reviewing LEAA. We have involved community leaders, public officials, and law enforcement specialists from throughout the Nation. We have also had valuable counsel and assistance from congressional leaders, such as Senator Kennedy and Congressman Rodino. The proposals that I am sending to Congress today will make the Federal Government a more effective and competent partner in the fight against crime. First, we will greatly simplify the grant process, eliminating 75 percent of the paperwork. For instance, cities now requiring 40 different applications per year will in the future only have to submit one application per year. Second, we will strengthen the partnership already enhanced by our urban policy between the Federal Government on the one hand and State and local communities on the other. For the first time hundreds of cities and counties will have the flexibility to decide how their LEAA funds can best be used to attack crime in their own communities and will receive fixed allocations of LEAA funds for that purpose.

Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Programs Remarks Announcing Reorganization Legislation and a Department of Housing and Urban Development Program.


In addition, we will target resources to those areas of the country with especially severe crime problems. Third, we will consolidate and strengthen research and statistics programs within the Department of Justice. A National Institute of Justice will be created to replace several different research units now located in the Department of Justice. It will be charged with conducting independent studies to determine how we can best solve our criminal and civil justice problems. A Bureau of Justice Statistics will be created to provide for the first time a central focus for the gathering and analysis of statistics concerning crime and concerning our justice system. The Federal effort to help State and local governments solve their crime programs cannot be limited, however, to just improving LEAA. A sensitivity to the crime problem must be part of other Federal programs which affect the daily lives of our citizens. Several of the Federal agencies which have been involved in our urban policy will be pooling $32 million over the next year to develop, for instance, an improved anticrime program for public housing projects. Funds will be provided by the CETA program for training and education to hire local residents for such important, preventive jobs as manning elevators and patrolling unguarded areas where the crime rate has been very high. Recreation facilities will be built by Interior Department funds for the men, women, children who reside in these projects. And LEAA funds will be provided for counseling and for other services for juveniles living in public housing projects who might be influenced or tempted to resort to a life of crime. The programs I have announced today will have a beneficial effect on our crime problem. But if we are to be successful, we also need the support of each of the distinguished leaders who are here today from State and local governments, from community and neighborhood groups. We have the knowledge, the ability, the determination, the commitment, and the influence, and using these more effective programs, our common effort can continue to reduce the excessive crime rate in our Nation. I'd like now to call on the Attorney General for further remarks, and then we will hear from distinguished Members of the Congress, and then from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. This is the third ceremony we have had in the Rose Garden that bears very heavily on our effort to do something about improving our criminal justice system. The first was a meeting just like this where we joined with the Senate and Home Judiciary Committees to sponsor the recodification of the criminal laws. That is now pending in the House, already passed the Senate


The second was to do something about bringing the court system into our foreign intelligence efforts-we call that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That has passed the Senate and is now pending in the House. We have been somewhat delayed on revamping and revising the LEAA because it is complex. And we started out, because of some of the things they'd done in the past, with the idea that maybe it should be abolished. We finally decided the thing to do was to refurbish it in a way to take out wasted overhead on local, State, and Federal levels, and on the Federal level we reduced the payroll by 15 percent since we have been here, number one. Number two, take the fat out, not spend any more money on boondoggles, but to be sure that the money goes to the process of deterring and eliminating crime. So, we are ending up with a three-pronged agency-research and development that will guarantee that our research is worthwhile and that it will produce something that can be developed; a Bureau of Justice Statistics, something badly needed. We oftentimes do not know what to do about the total system from police, courts, and corrections and prosecutions, without having some idea of what the statistical picture is in the country. We are bringing that together. And, of course, the grant part of the program will be a great deal better, became 70 percent of the money, as the President said, will go out almost as revenue-sharing, and the other 30 percent will be reserved for discretionary programs. I am quite pleased over the prospects, and I am more pleased than that by the fact that Senator Kennedy and Chairman Rodino and some of their colleagues will be sponsoring this legislation. We hope to have it in place by October of 1979, when the present authorization for the LEAA expires. At that time, we will be ready to move into the new system and, hopefully, both committees will agree with the President and me that we ought to go ahead and as much as possible put the new management concept in place now, because this is a managerial problem. And when I say that, I say serious managerial problem. And we need to go ahead and move to better management. I think that Mr. Gregg at the LEAA, who has been the Acting Administrator and is now, has done a wonderful job.


I am so grateful that many from the diplomatic corps are here. This is a historic year for America. It is a year of great consequence. It is a year in which we have an opportunity to work with others to shape the future of our globe. We have a chance to achieve peace. We have a chance to achieve a more compassionate world for every citizen. America believes deeply that everybody has worth, everybody matters, everybody was created by the Almighty, and we are going to act on that belief, and we will act on that passion. You know, the world looks at us and say, They are strong. We are strong militarily, but we have got a greater strength than that. We have got a strength in the universality of human rights and the human condition. It is in our country's history. It is ingrained in our soul. And today we are going to describe how we are going to act, not just talk, but act, on the basis of our firm beliefs. I want to thank Tommy; he is the new chairman of the board of the Global Fund. He is also the Secretary of Health and Human Services, doing a great job for our administration. I want to thank so very much the Ambassadors from Guyana and Uganda for standing up here with us today. I appreciate the other ambassadors from the continent of Africa and the Caribbean for being here. With us as well is Bill Frist, a United States Senator, majority leader, passionate advocate of good health care for every citizen on the globe, a man with whom this administration will work, along with Russ Feingold, from Wisconsin, to make sure that the proposal becomes real. There is no doubt in my mind that when you have got the majority leader and a distinguished Senator like Senator Feingold teaming up together, that this will get done. It is just a matter of time. I am honored that Mark Malloch is here Mark Malloch Brown is here, who is the U.N. administrator of the U.N. Development Program. I want to thank the U.S. Surgeon General Carmona is here with us. Zerhouni of the NIH is with us. Tony Fauci is here with us. Les Crawford is the deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Remarks on the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief


And of course, a man who is on my staff who is going to make an enormous difference here and abroad as a direct adviser to the President, and that is Dr. Joe O'Neill, who is the director of National ENTITY Policy. He cares deeply, and his care has had he is got a lot of influence, let me put it to you this way, because of his convictions. As I mentioned, we are a strong nation, but we are also a blessed nation, and it is important for our citizens to recognize it. Richness is one thing; recognizing that we are blessed gives a different perspective, I think. I think it enhances the fact that we have a responsibility. If you are blessed, there is a responsibility to recognize your blessings in a compassionate way. We have got to understand in this country that if you value life and say every life is equal, that includes a suffering child on the continent of Africa. If you are worried about freedom, that is just not freedom for your neighbor in America; that is freedom for people around the globe. As I said in my State of the Union, freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is God's gift to humanity. Freedom means freedom from a lot of things. And today, on the continent of Africa, freedom means freedom from the fear of a deadly pandemic. That is what we think in America, and we are going to act on that belief. Our founding belief in human dignity should be how we conduct ourselves around the world and will be how we conduct ourselves around the world. I want you all to remember, and our fellow citizens to remember, that this is nothing new for our country. Human dignity has been a part of our history for a long time. We fed the hungry after World War I. This country carried out the Marshall plan and the Berlin airlift. Today we provide 60 percent over 60 percent of all the international food aid. We are acting on our compassion. It is nothing new for our country. But there is a pandemic which we must address now, before it is too late. And that is why I took this message to our fellow citizens, that now is the time for this country to step up our efforts to save lives. After all, on the continent of Africa, 30 million people have the ENTITY virus 30 million people. Three million children under the age of 15 have the ENTITY virus. More than 4 million people require immediate drug treatment.


Yet, just about one percent of people receive drug treatment. I mean, there is a significant world problem that the United States of America can do something about. Tommy mentioned the images, the horrible images, that take place in Africa. It is important for our fellow citizens, as they listen to the dialog on this initiative, to understand that there are mass burials and unmarked graves on the continent of Africa. The pandemic is creating such havoc that there are mass burials, that there are wards of children that are dying because of ENTITY, not a ward, not some wards, but wards after wards full of dying children because of ENTITY, that there are millions of orphans, lonely children, because their mom or dad has died children left, in some cases, to fend for themselves. Because the ENTITY diagnosis is considered a death sentence, many folks do not seek treatment, and that is a reality. It is as if the ENTITY pandemic just continues to feed upon itself over and over and over again, because of hopelessness. This country needs to provide some hope, because this disease can be prevented and it can be treated. Anti-retroviral drugs are now dramatically more affordable in many nations, and these drugs are used to extend the lives of those with ENTITY. In other words, these drugs are really affordable. And when the treatment has come to Africa, it is also important for our citizens to understand the effect of that treatment. When one patient is rescued by medicine, as if back from the dead, many others with ENTITY seek testing and treatment, because it is the first sign of hope they have ever seen. We have the opportunity to bring that hope to millions. It is an opportunity for this Nation to affect millions and millions of lives. And so that is why I have laid out the Emergency Plan for ENTITY Relief. I called it in my State of the Union a work of mercy, and that is what I believe it is. With approval of Congress, we will devote $15 billion to the fight ENTITY abroad over the next 5 years, beginning with 2 billion in the year 2004. I have been asked whether or not we are committed to the Global ENTITY Fund. Well, first of all, I would not put Tommy as the head of it if we were not . And so we are still committed to the Global ENTITY Fund to fight disease. This program in no way diminishes our commitment to the fund. We will continue bilateral ENTITY programs in more than 50 countries.


We have already got bilateral relations with 50 countries with whom we are working on ENTITY, and we will continue that program. But this plan that I have laid out in front of the Congress, and will work with Members of the Senate and the House on, will dramatically focus our efforts. You notice I did not say, focus our efforts, I said, dramatically focus our efforts. And that is important for the American people to understand, because we want to bring a comprehensive system. It is more than money that we bring; we bring expertise and compassion and love and the desire to develop a comprehensive system, work with people in Africa to do so, for diagnosis and treatment and prevention. We are determined to turn the tide against ENTITY. And we are going to start in 14 African and Caribbean countries, where the disease is most heavily concentrated. We whip it in those 15 or 14 we will show what is possible in other countries. We are going to be involved with the fund. We will continue to have bilateral aid. We want to have intense focus where the need is most severe and show the world what is possible not just show our fellow citizens or show the folks on the continent of Africa, but the world needs to see what we can do together. The model has been applied with great success in Uganda. Anybody who knows the issue of ENTITY on the African Continent appreciates the efforts of Uganda. Even though we are on 14 countries initially with this major focus, we understand there is suffering elsewhere. We want to encourage others to join us as well. The funding will initially go toward expanding existing hospitals and, of course, drawing on the knowledge and the expertise of local physicians. That makes sense. You have got a doc in place, we want to encourage that doc to be able to continue his or her healing. We will build satellite facilities that can serve more people. Of course, we will provide antiretroviral drugs and as well work with folks on the ground for education and care. It is important for our citizens to know that the infrastructure is it is hard for many Americans to imagine the lack of infrastructure that we are working with on the continent of Africa. So we use motorcycles, trucks, bicycles. We use nurses and local healers to go to the farthest villages and farms to test for the disease and to deliver medications that will save lives. Facilities across Africa and the Caribbean will have now the medicine. And our fellow citizens must understand that the reason they do is because of your generosity, the taxpayers of the country.


I hope when our citizens absorb that knowledge the massive attempt to save lives that they feel proud of their country and proud of the compassion of America. We are going to work with other governments, of course, private groups there is all kinds of faith-based programs involved on the continent of Africa, and we welcome that, of course. And we encourage that. And we thank you for that. I thought you were Father Edward Phillips for a minute. He is in Kenya, works in Kenya. He is obviously followed his faith. He leads an organization that provides testing and treatment in Nairobi. He is helped thousands of people every year. He ought to be giving this speech, not me, because he knows what it must feel like to play a significant role in saving lives. And that is what we are here to talk about today, how best to save lives. that in this decade, we will prevent 7 million new infections; that we will treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs. We will provide humane care, of course, for those who suffer and, as importantly, for the orphans. To me, that is just the beginning. Most important thing is we are providing hope, which is immeasurable. How can you possibly measure the benefits of hope? There is no we cannot quantify that. But it certainly can be qualified by saying a hopeful society is a heck of a lot better society than what they found on the continent today. This project is urgent, and as we move forward on this program we will continue to call upon other nations to join. The United States does not mind leading, and we believe others have a responsibility as well, that we are not the only blessed nation. And we hope they join us. And as well we have got a lot of work to do here in America. It is important for our fellow citizens never to think that one initiative or a major initiative in Africa does not mean we are going to forget the 900,000 people living in America today who carry the ENTITY virus. Of course we will never do that. It is important for our citizens to understand that there is 40,000 new infections every year in this country. The ENTITY diagnosis still obviously brings tremendous grief and worries in parts of our society. And so the budget I have submitted and worked with Congress on will be a request for $16 billion for domestic ENTITY prevention and care and treatment; it is a 7 percent increase over '03. It is a $93 million increase for ENTITY research.


I do not know about you, but I am excited about the year 2008. I intend to finish strong with my head held high. And I intend to work to see to it that we keep the White House and elect John Boehner Speaker of the House of Representatives. Now, I thank you all for coming tonight. I send I bring greetings from First Lady Laura Bush. She is yes, thank you. She is wedding planning right now, so I appreciate the invitation to be here. You know, I was just thinking about how next year's dinner is going to be a little different from this one. First, you are going to be welcoming a new keynote speaker, President John McCain. And President McCain will start this dinner by saying, Thanks for the introduction, Mr. Speaker. And I will be watching it all on TV in Crawford. I do want to thank my friend John Boehner. He has been a great leader for the Republicans in the House of Representatives. I am proud to call him friend, and I thank you for your service. Roy Blunt, Adam Putnam, Darrell Issa. Issa, you did a heck of a job tonight. I want to recognize my friend Tom Cole. Tom Cole has the vision and determination to effect change, and that is, elect Republicans to be the Speaker and leaders of the House of Representatives. I want to thank Eric Cantor, David Dreier, Kay Granger, John Carter. I appreciate Sam * Hall, my fellow Texan, and Sam Johnson, my fellow Texan, and Ralph Regula for presenting the awards on all the veterans who are serving in Congress tonight. That'll happen after I leave, but nevertheless, I do want to extend my congratulations. I thank Trace Adkins for singing here tonight. I told him, no, I did not think I'd sing; I thought I'd just do a little tap-dance. And I also appreciate my friend, one of the great voices of all time, Sam Moore. I also want to welcome all the candidates who are running for office. You know, it is not an easy decision to make to run for the United States Congress, but it is a noble decision. And it is a tough decision for your families. And so I want to thank you for agreeing to run; I want to thank your families for agreeing to support you. My advice is, work hard, talk about what is in your heart, let the people know your values, and win.

Remarks at the National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner


I think 2008 is going to be a fabulous year for the Republican Party. And the reason why I believe that is because when the American people look at our ideals versus the ideals of the Democrats, when they look at what we believe versus what they believe, they are with us. We represent the values of the American people. Our ideas are the ones embraced by the folks. They may not be the ones that the pundits listen to, but they are the ones who are out working every single day to make America a great and hopeful place. We believe in strong national defense, and we will do what it takes to keep our Nation safe from a terrorist attack. We believe in limited government. We believe in the collective wisdom of the American people to make the decisions on behalf of the American Government. We would rather trust you than the people in government to make the decisions for what is best for you. I am optimistic about this year because I know John McCain. I have known him for many years. I have seen his character and his leadership up close. I have campaigned with him, and I have campaigned against him. He is a tough competitor. I have seen in every decision he makes that he is guided by the national interests of the United States, not by self-interest. I know John McCain to be a man who will make decisions based upon sound principles, not based upon the latest focus group or political poll. John McCain is running on a clear, consistent, and conservative agenda. He is a man of honor. He has the wisdom and the experience necessary to be the Commander in Chief of our United States military forces. He loves this country. He is ready to lead this country. And on Inauguration Day, I will proud to be say to John McCain, Congratulations, Mr. President. And I can assure you he does not want a lonely victory. He needs allies in the Congress to help enact his agenda. And he is going to work hard alongside these candidates and the incumbents to make sure we win. And I am confident I hope you go forth from this meeting with confidence because I am confident. I firmly believe that we can retake the House. I know we will hold the White House. And I know it is necessary for the United States of America that we do both. Let me talk about some of the issues and why I think we will win. We trust people. We Republicans believe you can make the best decisions for your life.


On health care, we trust patients to make decisions, not bureaucrats in Washington, DC. When it comes to education, we trust parents to make the right decisions for their children, and we believe in strong accountability in our public schools. We refuse to accept mediocrity. We refuse to accept the status quo when not every single child in America is learning to read and write and add and subtract. The American people need us because we will appoint judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not use the bench from which to write law, judges like John Roberts and Sam Alito. But I think the biggest issue in this campaign is going to be your taxes. I think the biggest issue in this campaign is which side of the political divide is going to let you keep your money and which side is going to raise your taxes. Now, we have got a record on which side will not raise your taxes. We have been through some tough economic times together. We have been through a recession and a terrorist attack and war and corporate scandal and natural disasters. We added jobs for 52 consecutive months. It is the longest uninterrupted job growth in the Nation's history. We trusted the American people, and we cut taxes on every American who pays taxes. We have hit a rough patch, but we took the lead. We anticipated the problems. And thanks to the leadership of John Boehner and Roy Blunt, they helped shepherd through over $160 billion of tax relief that will be reaching the mailboxes of the American people in the second week of May. Tax relief has worked in the past, and tax relief will work this time, when we get through this rough patch. Milk expires, taxes increase. And we know the difference. And so will the American people when they realize that 116 million households will see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800 if the Democrats get their way in the House of Representatives. We need a Republican President and a Republican Congress to prevent the Democrats from raising your taxes. It is the most solemn responsibility that those of us who have been honored to serve you have. We must do everything in our power to make sure the enemy does not strike us again. And I fully understood that after September the 11th, that the temptation would be to dismiss any threat; the temptation would be that, Oh, perhaps since we have not been attacked, the threat does not exist.


Well, the threat does exist, and it requires steadfast, strong, clear-eyed leadership here in Washington, DC. One of the things that we must do is to make sure that the hundreds of people that are out working for you every night to protect you have the tools they need. If the enemy, if the extremists who want to do America harm, if the radicals who want to kill again, like they did before on our homeland, are making phone calls into the United States of America, we need to know who they are calling, what they are saying, and what they are planning. The Congress came together last year and passed the Protect America Act to give our professionals the tools they need. But the threat to the United States of America has not expired. Unfortunately, Democratic leaders in the House are continuing to block bipartisan legislation that would give our intelligence officials the tools they need to quickly and effectively monitor terrorist communications. And they are doing so despite the fact that legislation, good legislation, to give our professionals the tools passed the United States Senate by an overwhelming majority of 68 to 29. Instead of holding a vote on this bill that would pass the House of Representatives, House leaders have introduced a highly partisan and deeply flawed bill of their own. Their bill would put in place a cumbersome court approval process that would make it harder to collect intelligence on foreign terrorists and could reopen dangerous intelligence gaps that we experienced last year. Their bill fails to provide liability protection to companies believed to have assisted in protecting our Nation after the 9/11 attacks. Instead, the House bill would make matters worse by extending litigation for years to come. In fact, House leaders simply adopted the position that class-action trial lawyers are taking in billions of dollars of lawsuits they have filed. We are under threat, ladies and gentlemen, and yet the House leaders blocked meaningful, substantial legislation that will help protect America for the sake of class-action trial lawyers. Companies that may have helped us save lives should be thanked for their patriotic service and should not be subjected to billion-dollar lawsuits. This bill would require the disclosure of state secrets during the litigation process. This could lead to the public release of highly classified information that our enemies could use against us. The Democrat version of protecting America is a bad bill; it is irresponsible. It casts aside the bipartisan consensus that was reached in the United States Senate in favor of a partisan approach that has no chance of becoming law.


House leaders know this, yet they are pursuing this anyway. This is bad public policy and another reason to elect Republicans to the House of Representatives. But the enemy only has to be right one time, and therefore, the best way to protect the American people from further harm is to defeat the enemy overseas so we do not have to face them here at home. And that is precisely the strategy that we are following. We are on the offense. Wherever we can find a terrorist who would harm the American people, we will bring him to justice. And this war against the extremists is now being played out on two major theaters. I laid out a doctrine that said, if you harbor a terrorist, you are equally as guilty as the terrorists. The Taliban and did not believe us, and so the United States of America, after giving the enemy due warning, unleashed the fury of a great military. And in so doing, we cleaned out the terrorist training camps from which they launched attacks on the United States and freed 25 million people from the clutches of a barbaric regime. This young democracy is struggling for its very existence against coldblooded killers, and it is in the interests of the United States that we stand strongly with these proud Afghan citizens, that we back them in their efforts, and that we make sure Al Qaida or any other extremist can no longer find a safe haven in the country of Afghanistan. And then, of course, the other theater is Iraq. Removing Saddam Hussein was the right decision early in my Presidency; it is the right decision now; and it will be the right decision ever. And the fight's been tough in Iraq. And for those of you here who are here who have served in that theater, I cannot thank you enough for your sacrifices and your service to the United States of America. After all, they wrote one of the most modern constitutions in the history of the Middle East. Iraqis braved the violence to vote. And yet nearly a year ago, the terrorists and extremists were succeeding in their efforts to plunge the country into chaos. So I had a tough decision to make. I reviewed our strategy. I fully understood that failure in Iraq would make America more vulnerable to attack, that failure in Iraq would create unbelievable chaos in a part of the world that has that produced suicide bombers in the first place.