:00:07. > :00:11.In a few minutes President Obama will appear before the American
:00:11. > :00:14.public to report on the State of the Union. He is pretty much bound
:00:14. > :00:17.to say it is strong, that's what tradition dictates, but with troops
:00:17. > :00:24.still at war, and the American economy still suffering, he has to
:00:24. > :00:26.lay out his plans for making it even stronger. Well joining me to
:00:27. > :00:36.take us through the proceedings is Alexis Simendiger, White House
:00:37. > :00:38.
:00:38. > :00:43.correspondent with Real Clear Politics. They key figure in my. --
:00:43. > :00:48.thank you for joining me. This will be a domestic base to speech.
:00:48. > :00:54.President wants to talk about jobs and the economy. A lot of what we
:00:54. > :01:04.are able sounds familiar. The international segment of the speech
:01:04. > :01:08.will focus on cyber security, north Korea, trade. Very much a domestic
:01:08. > :01:13.agenda in the speech. We're watching the pictures coming to us
:01:13. > :01:22.live from Capitol Hill. You're seeing at the moment, all the
:01:22. > :01:27.members of the cabin at -- cabin it's coming into the rotunda. This
:01:27. > :01:33.is very formalised. There we see the new chief of staff, the UN
:01:33. > :01:39.ambassador. John Kerry just came in, the Attorney General, they all
:01:39. > :01:44.shake hands. They are waiting for the President. In the US, because
:01:45. > :01:51.of the national security issues since the Cold War days, one
:01:51. > :01:58.Cabinet Secretary it is invited. This evening it will be the
:01:58. > :02:04.outgoing energy secretary. He will be missing in case something
:02:04. > :02:07.occurred and the government had to reform. There are so many important
:02:07. > :02:14.people there tonight. Members of Congress leaders saw, the Supreme
:02:14. > :02:19.Court justices. The Supreme Court justices, it is up to them whether
:02:19. > :02:25.they want to attend. They traditionally do. They sit right
:02:25. > :02:35.under the President. A lot of important people gathered. Very
:02:35. > :02:36.
:02:36. > :02:45.tense security. Standing room only. As protocol dictates, there is a
:02:45. > :02:49.lot of intense... Some people sitting on the sides of the picture,
:02:49. > :02:52.are waiting for the President, they hope to shake his hand. They have
:02:52. > :02:59.been sitting there for hours, waiting to shake the President's
:02:59. > :03:04.hand. There has been some interesting discussion over sitting
:03:04. > :03:09.there for hours. They do not drink a glass of order because they have
:03:09. > :03:15.to sit there for so long. A This is why we have the one, for these
:03:15. > :03:20.details. You have to hold your seat. You have to physically be there all
:03:20. > :03:26.day. Or someone else will take it. We now hear the vice-president's
:03:26. > :03:31.wife. She is up in the balcony with the First Lady. We saw her come in
:03:31. > :03:38.earlier. It has become a focus of attention, he was up in the First
:03:38. > :03:48.Lady's box. There is a tradition we sudsy sea after President Reagan.
:03:48. > :03:48.
:03:49. > :03:52.He had been an actor. He used to be first lady's box to great effect.
:03:52. > :03:57.They are the American people sitting there, the people but the
:03:57. > :04:01.President wants us to see. To the extent that the people in the First
:04:01. > :04:08.Lady's box are markers to what we may be hearing, what are you
:04:08. > :04:18.reading in these people? President may not. Acquire them,
:04:18. > :04:22.but it runs the gamut, from the head of Apple to a 102-year-old
:04:22. > :04:28.woman who had to wait in line to vote in October. She is the emblem
:04:28. > :04:36.of the President's desire to see election day reform. He has workers
:04:36. > :04:46.who got into manufacturing through retraining, he has a teacher from
:04:46. > :04:52.Newtown, Connecticut. The President has a range of folks who are
:04:52. > :05:01.pointing our attention to what it is he is talking about, whether it
:05:01. > :05:10.is construction workers antique is -- and teachers. He will point we
:05:10. > :05:14.unperson brought to the battered states by an undocumented parent.
:05:14. > :05:19.It all looks terribly jolly, looking at those pictures. They all
:05:19. > :05:24.look quite happy to be there. always interesting to see how
:05:24. > :05:31.people of both parties enjoy being part of history. They looked
:05:31. > :05:35.forward to being part of the evening. They actually like the
:05:35. > :05:45.elements of it. There is some mixing up, we have the senator from
:05:45. > :05:48.New York standing next to John McCain. They have been some
:05:49. > :05:58.attempts's the new Secretary of State standing after the Chief
:05:59. > :06:00.
:06:00. > :06:05.We would get a set of them fairly soon, we should point out that the
:06:06. > :06:14.members of Congress, some of them are wearing green ribbons in memory
:06:15. > :06:24.of be shooting at Sandy Hook. sure the President will look out at
:06:25. > :06:26.
:06:26. > :06:30.the by Paras and wearing those Some are wearing orange pins as
:06:30. > :06:38.well. There we have the joint chiefs. It is the entire US
:06:38. > :06:47.government. One member of the Cabinet will not be there tonight.
:06:47. > :06:56.He goes to a retreat in Virginia. I was told this by a member of the
:06:56. > :07:00.Cabinet. The Sears they got there and then at an emergency drill. He
:07:00. > :07:07.says they had to pretend that it was an emergency and they were
:07:07. > :07:11.taking over the government. They're called designated survivors. It is
:07:11. > :07:21.a grim title. For a few hours they are the most important person in
:07:21. > :07:21.
:07:21. > :07:30.the US. He said it was very strange. You had to tell people we have the
:07:30. > :07:36.job of taking over the government. These themes we have talked about,
:07:36. > :07:46.we have talked about gun-control, but having looked at the excerpts
:07:46. > :07:47.
:07:47. > :07:53.we were sent, a lot will be about economic focus. Trying to get
:07:53. > :07:55.growth and jobs for middle class Americans. The White House is very
:07:55. > :08:00.aware that the President's inaugural address was not about
:08:00. > :08:04.jobs and the economy, they are turning back to a theme that has
:08:04. > :08:07.been with the prison since he was inaugurated the first time. The
:08:07. > :08:13.American people are still mostly concerned about jobs and economic
:08:13. > :08:23.growth. The President has designed a speech to focus on the policy
:08:23. > :08:28.
:08:28. > :08:38.nuggets that he will try to end at. That he would try to explain that
:08:38. > :08:40.
:08:40. > :08:44.these are issues supported by the majority of US people. He will urge
:08:44. > :08:52.Congress to look at the political ramifications if they go against
:08:52. > :08:57.this. It was nice of you to point out the international audience, but
:08:57. > :09:01.I think the White House is nicely focused on middle class America. We
:09:01. > :09:11.have an image of the President in the doorway. He is just about to
:09:11. > :09:24.
:09:24. > :09:33.come in force of the President of This is President Obama's 6 State
:09:33. > :09:39.of the Union. It is his first address where he does not have to
:09:39. > :09:44.worry about whether he will be re- elected. In the US, the first
:09:44. > :09:54.address of a president is not considered a State of the Union.
:09:54. > :09:55.
:09:55. > :10:02.The first is considered a speech to a joint session of Congress.
:10:02. > :10:12.felt the same. It always fills the same. When the wire a new President
:10:12. > :10:20.
:10:20. > :10:25.to a responsible for the state of It always strikes me, this is our
:10:25. > :10:32.elected members of Congress, they have been sitting there for hours
:10:32. > :10:35.just to shake hands with the President. Some lawmakers have
:10:35. > :10:41.talked about really planning out what they will say to the President.
:10:41. > :10:46.They rehearse what they will say. They try to get his attention with
:10:46. > :10:52.some there may have to say. There was a congressman who wished
:10:52. > :11:02.President Bush to issue peace. He said, they do, I'd think you mean
:11:02. > :11:03.
:11:03. > :11:10.that. There is a small transaction Does he know in advance who he will
:11:10. > :11:14.be saying hello to as he comes down? He does not. There are some
:11:14. > :11:24.recurring faces because there are some members who love to sit on the
:11:24. > :11:27.
:11:27. > :11:37.Isle. Behind him we have the Democrat and Republican leaders.
:11:37. > :11:38.
:11:38. > :11:43.Senior members of Congress come in beside the President. Smiling very
:11:43. > :11:49.big behind the President is the majority Leader of the House. He
:11:50. > :11:59.just gave a speech trying to recast where the Republican Party is going.
:12:00. > :12:00.
:12:00. > :12:03.We will hear that in some of the rebuttals. It is always interesting
:12:03. > :12:09.to see him shaking hands with people he has had a political
:12:09. > :12:18.struggles with. We just saw a couple of Republicans he has been
:12:18. > :12:28.tussling with over the economy and immigration. There he is, the new
:12:28. > :12:31.
:12:31. > :12:36.Secretary of State, waiting to have his handshake with the President.
:12:36. > :12:41.These are all people the President knows so much better. He has
:12:41. > :12:45.interacted with them for four years. Just before the President starts it
:12:45. > :12:52.is worth three cabin that he will speak to this audience on Capitol
:12:52. > :12:56.Hill. This is his chance to lay out his priorities for his second term
:12:56. > :13:01.to the American people watching in their millions on television. He
:13:01. > :13:05.will try to rally support for his second term agenda. He is very much
:13:05. > :13:10.speaking to American voters, trying to get them to pressure their
:13:10. > :13:16.members of Congress to raise public awareness for his issues. He will
:13:16. > :13:21.try to sell his agenda and to buy support for it. An important speech
:13:21. > :13:27.he has to give at the beginning of his second term. The White House
:13:27. > :13:37.considers this an opportunity to speak unfilled third. He will
:13:37. > :13:40.
:13:40. > :13:50.continue to travel this week to re The President will now take the
:13:50. > :13:55.
:13:56. > :14:01.podium. He will shake a last a few hands. The vice-president, the
:14:01. > :14:06.Speaker of the house, the Republican Leader of the House.
:14:06. > :14:16.Although this is the tradition of Congress. The theatre and the stage
:14:16. > :14:16.
:14:17. > :14:26.craft of this sets a very clearly. We listen to the President gave his
:14:27. > :14:52.
:14:52. > :15:02.Members of Congress, I have the honour of presenting to you, the
:15:02. > :15:14.
:15:14. > :15:24.President of the night of states. Thank you. Thank you very much.
:15:24. > :15:33.
:15:33. > :15:41.Thank you so much. Mr Speaker, Mr vice-president, members of Congress,
:15:41. > :15:47.fellow Americans. The 51 years ago, John F Kennedy declared to this
:15:47. > :15:57.chamber that the constitution makes us not rivals for power, but
:15:57. > :16:01.
:16:01. > :16:10.partners for progress. It is my task, he said, to report the state
:16:10. > :16:14.of the Union. To improve it, is the task of assault. Tonight, thanks to
:16:14. > :16:21.the grit and determination of the American people, there is much
:16:21. > :16:31.progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and
:16:31. > :16:48.
:16:48. > :16:54.women in uniform are coming home. After years of gruelling recession,
:16:54. > :16:59.our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs. We buy more
:16:59. > :17:09.American cars that we have in five years. We were less foreign oil the
:17:09. > :17:22.
:17:22. > :17:28.Home owners enjoy stronger projections than ever before.
:17:28. > :17:38.Together, we have cleared a way the rubble of crisis. We can say with
:17:38. > :17:50.
:17:50. > :17:55.renewed confidence, that the state But, when we get here knowing that
:17:55. > :18:00.there are millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have
:18:00. > :18:05.been rewarded. Our economy it is adding jobs but to many people
:18:05. > :18:11.cannot find full-time employment. Corporate profits have skyrocketed
:18:11. > :18:17.to all-time highs. For more than a decade, wages and in comes have
:18:17. > :18:23.barely budged. It is our generation's task to reignite the
:18:23. > :18:33.true engine of America's economic growth. A rising, thriving middle
:18:33. > :18:42.
:18:42. > :18:47.class. It is hour unfinished task to restore basic Biden are built as
:18:47. > :18:53.country. The idea that if you work hard end meet responsibilities, you
:18:53. > :18:57.can get ahead, no matter where you come from and what she look like.
:18:57. > :19:03.It is our unfinished task to make sure this government worked on
:19:03. > :19:08.behalf of the many, not just the few. That it encourages free
:19:08. > :19:18.enterprise, rewards individual initiative and opens the doors of
:19:18. > :19:19.
:19:19. > :19:25.opportunity to every child across this great nation. The American
:19:25. > :19:29.people do not expect government to solve every problem. They do not
:19:29. > :19:39.expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. They do
:19:39. > :19:57.
:19:57. > :20:01.expect us to put the nation's They do expect asked to forge
:20:01. > :20:07.reasonable compromise where we can. Bano America moves forward only
:20:07. > :20:14.when we do so together. The responsibility of improving this
:20:14. > :20:18.union remains the task of us all. Our work must begin by making some
:20:18. > :20:23.basic decisions about our Budget. Decisions they will have a huge
:20:23. > :20:28.impact on the strength of our recovery. Over the last few years,
:20:28. > :20:33.both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than
:20:33. > :20:39.2.5 trillion dollars. Mostly through spending cuts but also by
:20:39. > :20:45.raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1% of Americans. As a result, we
:20:45. > :20:50.are more than halfway towards the goal of four trillion dollars of
:20:50. > :20:58.deficit reduction economists say we need to stabilise our finances. Now
:20:58. > :21:01.we need to finish the job. The question is, how. In 2011, Congress
:21:01. > :21:06.passed a law saying if both parties could not agree on a plan to reach
:21:06. > :21:15.the dips at goal, a trillion dollars worth of Budget cuts would
:21:15. > :21:20.automatically go into effect this year. These sudden, harsh arbitrary
:21:20. > :21:25.cuts would jeopardise our military readiness, they would devastate
:21:25. > :21:29.priorities like education, energy and medical research. They would
:21:29. > :21:34.certainly slow our recovery and cost us hundreds of thousands of
:21:35. > :21:40.jobs. That is why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders and
:21:40. > :21:49.economists have Rory said these cuts no in in Washington as the see
:21:49. > :21:55.Questor are a bad idea. Some in Congress have proposed preventing
:21:55. > :21:59.only the defence cuts. By making even bigger cuts to things like
:21:59. > :22:09.education and job training. Also to Medicare and social security
:22:09. > :22:24.
:22:25. > :22:29.The biggest drive of our long-term debt is the rising cost of
:22:29. > :22:35.healthcare for an ageing population. Those of us who care deeply about
:22:35. > :22:38.programmes like Medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms.
:22:38. > :22:43.Otherwise, our retirement programmes will crowd out the
:22:43. > :22:47.investments we need for our children and jeopardise the promise
:22:47. > :22:51.of a Secure Retirement for future generations. We cannot ask for
:22:51. > :22:54.senior citizens and working families to shoulder the entire
:22:54. > :23:04.burden of deficit reduction while asking nothing more from the
:23:04. > :23:05.
:23:05. > :23:09.wealthiest and most powerful. We will not grow the middle class by
:23:09. > :23:17.shifting the price of healthcare on to families already struggling for
:23:17. > :23:19.by forcing communities to lay out more cops and firefighters. Most
:23:19. > :23:25.Americans, democrats Republicans and independence understand we
:23:25. > :23:28.cannot just cut our way to prosperity. They know that broad-
:23:28. > :23:33.based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit
:23:33. > :23:40.reduction was spending cuts and revenue and with everybody doing a
:23:40. > :23:43.fair share. That is the approach I offer tonight. On Medicare, I am
:23:43. > :23:49.prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of
:23:49. > :23:55.healthcare savings by the beginning of next decade is the reforms
:23:55. > :24:02.proposed by the bipartisan commission. Already, the affordable
:24:02. > :24:07.care actors hopping to slow the growth of healthcare costing. The
:24:07. > :24:13.reforms I am proposing go even further. We will produce taxpayer
:24:13. > :24:17.subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from the
:24:17. > :24:22.wealthier seeds. We will bring down cost by changing the way the
:24:22. > :24:26.government pays for Medicare. They should not be based on the number
:24:26. > :24:36.of days spent in a hospital but on the quality of kier our seniors
:24:36. > :24:37.
:24:37. > :24:41.received. -- care. I am open to additional reforms from both
:24:41. > :24:46.parties. So long as they do not violate the guarantee of the Secure
:24:46. > :24:56.Retirement. Our government should not make promises we cannot keep,
:24:56. > :25:09.
:25:09. > :25:12.but we must keep the promises we To hit the rest of the deficit
:25:12. > :25:21.reduction target, we should do what leaders in both parties have
:25:21. > :25:25.already suggested and save hundreds rid of tax deductions for the up
:25:25. > :25:29.well off and well connected. Why would we choose to make deeper cuts
:25:29. > :25:37.to education and Medicare just to protect special interest tax
:25:37. > :25:42.breaks? How is that fear? Wise the deficit-reduction is a big
:25:42. > :25:51.emergency justifying making cuts in social security benefits but not
:25:52. > :25:56.closing some loopholes? How does that promote growth? Now is our
:25:56. > :26:05.best chance for by Patterson, comprehensive tax reform the entire
:26:05. > :26:15.carriages job creation and helped bring down the deficit. We can get
:26:15. > :26:16.
:26:16. > :26:20.this done. The American people deserve a tax code that help small
:26:20. > :26:25.businesses spend less time filling up complicated forms a more time
:26:25. > :26:30.expanding and hiring. The tax code that ensures billion --
:26:30. > :26:36.billionaires cannot work the system and pay a high of -- lower rate
:26:36. > :26:41.than their secretaries. A tax code that lowers tax rates for
:26:41. > :26:51.businesses and manufacturers creating jobs in the US. That's
:26:51. > :26:54.
:26:54. > :27:00.what tax reform can deliver. That is what we can do together. I
:27:00. > :27:05.realise that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy.
:27:05. > :27:12.The politics will be difficult for most sides. None of us will get a
:27:12. > :27:16.hundred % of what we want. The alternative will cost us jobs. It
:27:16. > :27:21.will hit the economy, there is at hardship on millions of hard-
:27:21. > :27:27.working Americans. Let us set party interests aside and worked to pass
:27:27. > :27:31.a Budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise
:27:31. > :27:37.investments in the future. It us to it without the brinkmanship that
:27:37. > :27:40.stresses consumers and skiers off investors. The greatest nation on
:27:40. > :27:50.earth, the greatest nation on it cannot keep conducting its business
:27:50. > :27:55.
:27:55. > :28:00.by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. We cannot do it.
:28:00. > :28:06.Let's agree, to keep the people's government open and pay the bills
:28:06. > :28:16.on time. Always uphold the full faith and credit of the United
:28:16. > :28:20.
:28:20. > :28:24.States of America. The American people have worked too hard for too
:28:24. > :28:33.long rebuilding from one crisis to see elected officials caused
:28:33. > :28:41.another. Most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be
:28:41. > :28:51.part of our agenda. Let us be clear, deficit-reduction alone is not an
:28:51. > :29:01.economic plan. A growing economy that creates good middle class jobs,
:29:01. > :29:03.
:29:03. > :29:07.that must be the North starred that guides our efforts. Every day, we
:29:07. > :29:11.should ask ourselves three questions as a nation. How do we
:29:11. > :29:17.attract more jobs? Harder we equip our people with the skills they
:29:17. > :29:24.need to get those jobs. How do we make sure that hard work leads to a
:29:24. > :29:27.decent living? The year and a half ago, I put forward an American jobs
:29:27. > :29:33.at that an independent economists said would create one million new
:29:33. > :29:38.jobs. I think the last Congress for passing some of that agenda. I
:29:38. > :29:43.encourage this Congress to pass the rest. Tonight I will lay out
:29:43. > :29:53.additional proposals that are fully paid for inconsistent with the
:29:53. > :30:16.
:30:16. > :30:20.Budget framework both parties We need to invest in growth. Our
:30:20. > :30:28.first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and
:30:28. > :30:34.manufacturing. Our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs in
:30:34. > :30:44.the past three years. We're bringing jobs back from Japan. Back
:30:44. > :30:45.
:30:45. > :30:49.from Mexico, this year, Apple will start making computers in America.
:30:49. > :30:58.There are things we can do right now to accelerated this trend. Last
:30:58. > :31:04.year we created our first manufacturing innovation is a cheat.
:31:04. > :31:08.It is a state-of-the-art lab when EU -- when you work is a revolution
:31:08. > :31:13.in the All -- revolutionising where we make everything. There is no
:31:13. > :31:16.reason we cannot do this elsewhere. Tonight I am announcing three more
:31:16. > :31:25.of these manufacturing hard sweat businesses will partner with the
:31:25. > :31:30.Department of Defence and energy to repair regions left behind. I asked
:31:30. > :31:40.the Congress to create a network of 15 of these hubs. It will guarantee
:31:40. > :31:47.
:31:47. > :31:52.that the next revolution in manufacturing is here in America.
:31:52. > :32:00.If we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in
:32:00. > :32:09.the best ideas. Every dollar we invest to map the human genome
:32:09. > :32:15.returned $140. Today, our scientists are mapping teaching and
:32:15. > :32:20.brain. They are developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs, devising
:32:20. > :32:23.new materials to make batteries ten times more powerful. Now is not the
:32:23. > :32:28.time to get these job-creating investments in science and
:32:28. > :32:32.innovation. Now at a time to reach a level of research and development
:32:32. > :32:42.not seen since the height of the space race. We need to make those
:32:42. > :32:46.
:32:46. > :32:52.investments. Today, no area holds more promise than our investments
:32:52. > :32:57.in American energy. After years of talking about it, we're finally
:32:57. > :33:04.poised to control Aran Energy Future. We produce more at home
:33:04. > :33:09.than we have been 15 years. We have doubled the distance our cars will
:33:09. > :33:18.go on a gallon of gas, and the matter of an -- renewable energy we
:33:18. > :33:28.produce. We produce more natural gas than ever before. Nearly
:33:28. > :33:30.
:33:30. > :33:34.everyone's Ng Bill is law because of it. -- Energy Bill. For the sake
:33:34. > :33:44.of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate
:33:44. > :33:58.
:33:58. > :34:07.It is true that no single event makes a trend. The fact is that the
:34:07. > :34:13.12 hottest years on record have all come in the past 50. Heat waves,
:34:13. > :34:19.droughts, wild fires, floods, they are all more frequent and more
:34:19. > :34:24.intense. We can choose to believe that horror came Sandy and the most
:34:24. > :34:29.severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires we have seen a
:34:29. > :34:34.relay coincidence, or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming
:34:34. > :34:43.judgement of science, and act towards it is too late. -- before
:34:43. > :34:50.it is too late. The good news is that we can make progress on this
:34:50. > :35:00.issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to get
:35:00. > :35:01.
:35:01. > :35:11.together. If Congress will not act soon to prove it does make protect
:35:11. > :35:15.
:35:15. > :35:24.future generations, I will. -- protect future generations. We will
:35:24. > :35:29.produce plans to prepare for climate change. Four years ago,
:35:29. > :35:39.other countries dominated the clean energy movement. We have begun to
:35:39. > :35:41.
:35:41. > :35:46.change that. Last year, wind energy to generate more. Solar energy gets
:35:46. > :35:51.cheaper every year. We will drive down the costs further. As long as
:35:51. > :35:56.countries like China go all in on clean energy, we need to do with as
:35:56. > :36:06.well. The natural gas boom has led to cleaner power. We need to
:36:06. > :36:07.
:36:07. > :36:14.encourage that. That is why the administration will speed up new
:36:14. > :36:18.gas plants. We will also encourage the research and technology that
:36:18. > :36:23.helps us to burn cleaner and protect our air and water. What
:36:24. > :36:32.about new-found energy is drawn for land and water that we, the public,
:36:32. > :36:40.owned together. Tonight I propose that we use these revenues to fund
:36:40. > :36:50.-- fund and energy security trust. If a non-partisan coalition of C
:36:50. > :36:50.
:36:50. > :36:55.iOS can get behind the idea, so can we. -- CEOs. We will free ourselves
:36:55. > :37:05.from the painful prices we have put up with for too long. A new goal
:37:05. > :37:07.
:37:07. > :37:17.for America, will cut in half the energy wasted in the next 20 years.
:37:17. > :37:21.
:37:21. > :37:26.We will work with the states to do buildings. America's energy sector
:37:26. > :37:35.is just one part of an ageing infrastructure, badly in need of
:37:35. > :37:42.repair. Ask anyone where they would rather locate and higher, one with
:37:42. > :37:52.deteriorating road, or one with hi- tech schools and internet? The head
:37:52. > :38:10.
:38:10. > :38:15.of CNN's -- Siemens. Said that they Tonight, I propose a programme to
:38:15. > :38:17.put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs,
:38:18. > :38:27.like the 70,000 struck fully deficient bridges across the
:38:28. > :38:36.
:38:37. > :38:43.country. -- structurally. (APPLAUSE) To make sure taxpayers
:38:44. > :38:51.do not shoulder the whole Bernard, we will attract private capital to
:38:51. > :38:58.upgrade Would businesses need most - modern ports, modern pipelines,
:38:58. > :39:04.modern schools. We will prove there is no better place to do business
:39:04. > :39:10.them here in the US. We can get this done. Part of the effort must
:39:10. > :39:16.also involve the housing sector. The good news is the housing market
:39:16. > :39:22.is healing from the collapse of 2007. Home prices are rising at the
:39:22. > :39:29.fastest pace in six years. Purchases are up 50%. Construction
:39:29. > :39:33.is expanding again. Even with rates near a 50-year low, too many
:39:33. > :39:39.families with solid credit, who want to buy a home, are being
:39:40. > :39:47.rejected. To many families who never missed a payment are being
:39:47. > :39:50.told no. That is holding the entire economy back. We need to fix it.
:39:50. > :39:56.Right now, there was a bill in Congress that will give every
:39:56. > :40:01.responsible homeowner or the chance to save $3,000 a year by
:40:01. > :40:06.refinancing at Today's race. Democrats and Republicans have
:40:06. > :40:16.supported it before. What are we waiting for? Take a vote and send
:40:16. > :40:22.
:40:22. > :40:30.me the bill me the billld we be against that? Why would that be an
:40:30. > :40:35.issue? Right now, overlapping regulations keep responsible young
:40:35. > :40:41.families from buying a first time. It is holding us back. We need to
:40:41. > :40:47.streamline the process and help the economy grow. These initiatives in
:40:47. > :40:52.manufacturing, edgy, infrastructure, housing, there will help
:40:52. > :40:56.entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs.
:40:56. > :41:06.None of it all matter unless we also equip citizens with the skills
:41:06. > :41:06.
:41:06. > :41:13.and training to build those jobs. - - to fill those jobs. That has to
:41:13. > :41:23.start at the earliest possible age. Study after study shows that the
:41:23. > :41:24.
:41:24. > :41:27.sooner a child begins work, the better he or she does. Fewer than
:41:27. > :41:35.three in 104-year-olds are involved in a pre-school programme. Most
:41:35. > :41:39.middle class parents cannot afford the costs. For the kids who need
:41:39. > :41:45.help the most, this lack of education can shatter them for the
:41:45. > :41:53.last of their lives. I propose to work with states to make high-
:41:53. > :42:03.quality pre-school in available to every child and America. There is
:42:03. > :42:11.
:42:11. > :42:16.something we should be able to do. Every dollar we invest in high
:42:16. > :42:22.quality education can save more than $7 later on. It will boost
:42:22. > :42:30.graduation rates, reduce teen pregnancy, it or even reduce
:42:31. > :42:35.violent crime. States that make it a priority to educate the young Mr
:42:35. > :42:41.children -- and the youngest children, those students grow up
:42:41. > :42:48.more likely to read and graduate high-school. There will form a more
:42:48. > :42:55.stable families of their own. We know that this works. We need to do
:42:55. > :43:05.what works. Make sure children do not start t not start tehind. Give
:43:05. > :43:10.
:43:10. > :43:14.We will also make sure a high- school diploma or puts our kids on
:43:14. > :43:17.a path to a good job. Right now, countries like Germany focus on
:43:17. > :43:22.graduating students with the equivalent of a technical degree
:43:22. > :43:28.from one of our community colleges. Those German kids are ready for a
:43:28. > :43:38.job when they graduate Heysel. They have been trained. -- when they
:43:38. > :43:39.
:43:39. > :43:43.graduate high school. Students will graduate with a high-school diploma,
:43:43. > :43:51.and an associate degree in computers or engineering. We need
:43:51. > :43:55.to give every American student opportunities like this. Four years
:43:55. > :44:04.ago we started race to the top, a competition to convince almost
:44:04. > :44:09.every state to develop smarter curriculum and higher standards.
:44:09. > :44:13.Tonight, I am announcing a new challenge, to redesign America's
:44:13. > :44:20.high schools so they are better equipped for the demands of a hi-
:44:20. > :44:26.tech economy. We will reward schools. They will create classes
:44:26. > :44:33.that focus on science, technology, engineering and Mathew. Those are
:44:33. > :44:36.the skills that employers are looking for to fill jobs. Even with
:44:36. > :44:42.better high schools, most young people will need some higher
:44:42. > :44:51.education. It is a simple fact, the more dedication you have got, the
:44:51. > :44:57.more likely you are to have a good job. Today's sky Ruthin's sky
:44:57. > :45:01.rocketing costs put too many people out of an education. Through tax
:45:01. > :45:09.credits, grants and better loans, we have made college more
:45:09. > :45:16.affordable for millions of students and families. Taxpayers cannot keep
:45:16. > :45:26.subsidising higher costs. Colleges must do their part to keep costs
:45:26. > :45:41.
:45:41. > :45:47.down. It is our job to make sure Tomorrow, my administration will
:45:47. > :45:51.release a new college scorecard that parents and students can use
:45:51. > :45:56.to compare schools based on a simple criteria, will you can get
:45:56. > :46:00.the most bang for your educational bark. To grow the middle class, our
:46:00. > :46:05.citizens have to have access to the education and training that the
:46:05. > :46:12.jobs of today need. We need to make sure America remains a place where
:46:12. > :46:17.everybody is willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead. Our
:46:17. > :46:26.economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of
:46:26. > :46:29.striving hopeful immigrants. Right now, leaders from the business,
:46:29. > :46:39.labour law enforcement and faith communities agree that the time has
:46:39. > :46:54.
:46:54. > :46:59.come to pass comprehensive Now is the time to get it done.
:46:59. > :47:03.Real reform means stronger border security and we can build on the
:47:03. > :47:06.progress my administration has already made, putting more broods
:47:06. > :47:12.on the southern border than in any time in our history and reducing
:47:12. > :47:17.illegal crossings to the lowest levels in 40 years. Real reform
:47:17. > :47:22.means establishing a responsible pathway to in citizenship. That
:47:22. > :47:26.includes passing a background check, playing taxes, learning English and
:47:26. > :47:35.going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come
:47:35. > :47:39.here legally. End, real reform means fixing the legal immigration
:47:39. > :47:42.system to cut waiting periods and attract a highly skilled
:47:42. > :47:52.entrepreneurs and engineers they will help create jobs and grow the
:47:52. > :48:04.
:48:04. > :48:09.We no-one needs to be done. As we speak, by parties and groups in
:48:09. > :48:15.both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill. I
:48:15. > :48:19.applaud their efforts. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform in
:48:19. > :48:29.the next few months and I will sign a writer way and America will be
:48:29. > :48:34.
:48:34. > :48:38.better for it. Let us get it done. We cannot stop there. We know our
:48:38. > :48:42.economy is stronger when our wives and mothers and daughters can live
:48:42. > :48:48.their lives free from discrimination in the workplace and
:48:48. > :48:52.free from the fear of domestic violence. Today the Senate passed a
:48:52. > :49:02.violence against women is at that Joe Biden originally wrote 20 years
:49:02. > :49:10.
:49:10. > :49:16.ago and I encourage the house to do I ask is Congress to declare that
:49:16. > :49:26.women should earn a living equal to their efforts and finally passed
:49:26. > :49:31.
:49:31. > :49:38.the page it fairness Act this year. We know that our economy is
:49:38. > :49:46.stronger when we reward an honest a's work with honest wages. Today
:49:46. > :49:51.for a full-time worker making the minimum wage burns $14,000 a year.
:49:51. > :49:55.Even with the tax relief report in place. A family with two children
:49:55. > :50:01.that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That
:50:01. > :50:07.is wrong. That is why since the last time Congress raised to the
:50:07. > :50:11.minimum wage, 19 states have chosen to pump these higher. Tonight, let
:50:11. > :50:15.stickier it in the wealthiest nation on earth, no-one who works
:50:15. > :50:25.full-time should have to live in poverty and raise the federal
:50:25. > :50:29.
:50:29. > :50:33.minimum wage to $9 an hour. We should be able to get that down.
:50:33. > :50:37.This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working
:50:37. > :50:42.families. It could mean the difference between groceries or the
:50:42. > :50:47.food bank. Rent or eviction, scraping by or finally getting
:50:47. > :50:54.ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers
:50:54. > :50:58.with more money. Many folks would lead less help from government.
:50:58. > :51:07.Working folks do not have to wait a year after year for the minimum
:51:07. > :51:11.wage to go up while C E okays never been higher. This is an idea that
:51:11. > :51:15.Governor Romney and I agreed on last year. We should tie the
:51:15. > :51:25.minimum wage to the cost of living so it becomes a wager you can live
:51:25. > :51:27.
:51:27. > :51:32.Tonight let's recognise the right communities in this country where
:51:32. > :51:37.it no matter how hard you work it is almost impossible to get ahead.
:51:37. > :51:43.Factory towns demurs decimated from years of plants picking up,
:51:43. > :51:50.inescapable pockets of poverty. We are young adults are fighting for
:51:50. > :51:54.their first job. American jobs -- America is not a place where
:51:54. > :52:01.circumstance should decide our destiny. We need to build new
:52:01. > :52:05.ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Let us offer
:52:06. > :52:10.incentives to companies that hire Americans to people who have been
:52:10. > :52:14.out of work sown long that no-one will give them a chance any more.
:52:14. > :52:19.It does give people work building homes in run-down neighbourhoods.
:52:19. > :52:23.We will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest-hit towns in America to
:52:23. > :52:27.get the communities back on their feet. We will work with local
:52:27. > :52:32.leaders to target resources in public soapie and education. We
:52:32. > :52:39.will give tax credits to businesses that higher and invest and we will
:52:39. > :52:46.work to strengthen families by removing the deterrents for
:52:46. > :52:56.marriage for low-income couples. A man must have the courage to raise
:52:56. > :53:06.
:53:06. > :53:13.a child and we want to encourage Stronger families, stronger
:53:13. > :53:18.communities, be stronger America. It is this kind of prosperity,
:53:18. > :53:24.broad, shed, built on a thriving middle class that has always been
:53:24. > :53:29.the source of progress at time. It is the foundation of our power and
:53:29. > :53:34.influence throughout the world. Tonight we stand united in saluting
:53:34. > :53:38.the troops and civilians to sacrifice every day to protect us.
:53:38. > :53:43.Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will
:53:43. > :53:53.complete its mission in Afghanistan and achieve our objective of
:53:53. > :54:08.
:54:08. > :54:12.Already, we have bought home 33,000 of our servicemen and women. This
:54:12. > :54:19.spring forces will move to a support role while Afghan security
:54:19. > :54:23.forces take the lead. Tomorrow I can announce over the next year,
:54:23. > :54:28.34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. The draw
:54:28. > :54:38.down will continue and by the end of next year, the war in
:54:38. > :54:50.
:54:50. > :54:55.Afghanistan will be over. The on 2014, America's commitment to a
:54:55. > :54:59.unified Afghanistan will endure. The nature of our commitment will
:54:59. > :55:03.change. We are negotiating an agreement with Afghan government
:55:03. > :55:08.which focuses on two missions, training and equipping Afghan
:55:08. > :55:12.forces so the country does not slip into chaos and counter-terrorism
:55:12. > :55:18.efforts that a loss to pursue the remnants of al-Qaeda and their
:55:18. > :55:28.affiliate. Today the organisation that attacked us on 9/11 is a
:55:28. > :55:28.
:55:28. > :55:32.shambles of its former self. It is true different al-Qaeda filly is
:55:32. > :55:38.sand extremist groups have emerged from the Arabian peninsula to
:55:38. > :55:44.Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving. To me this threat
:55:44. > :55:48.we do not need to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters
:55:48. > :55:58.of Roar to occupy other nations, we need to help countries like Yemen
:55:58. > :56:01.and Libya and Somali fight for their own security. And when
:56:01. > :56:05.necessary, through a range of capabilities we will continue to
:56:05. > :56:15.take direct action against those Terrace to pose the gravest threat
:56:15. > :56:22.
:56:22. > :56:26.As we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. That is why my
:56:26. > :56:31.administration has worked tirelessly to forge a verbal, legal
:56:31. > :56:36.and policy framework to guide our counter-terrorism effort.
:56:36. > :56:40.Throughout we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts. I
:56:40. > :56:45.recognise that in our democracy none should just take my word for
:56:45. > :56:50.it that we are doing things the right way. In the mum said I will
:56:50. > :56:54.continue to engage Congress to insure that the prosecution of
:56:54. > :56:59.terrorists many minds consistent with our laws and system of checks
:56:59. > :57:07.and balances. So our efforts up even more transparent to the
:57:07. > :57:11.American people and the world. Our challenge is to not the end with
:57:11. > :57:16.al-Qaeda. America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the
:57:16. > :57:23.spread of the world's most dangerous weapons. Regime in North
:57:23. > :57:26.Korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity by
:57:26. > :57:31.meeting international obligations. The provocations we saw last night
:57:31. > :57:35.will only further isolate them. As we strengthen our muscle defence
:57:35. > :57:40.and the bewildered in taking firm action in response to these threats.
:57:40. > :57:44.The leaders of Iran must recognise that now's the time for a double
:57:44. > :57:47.and it solution because the Coalition stands united in
:57:47. > :57:57.demanding that they meet their obligations. We will do what is
:57:57. > :58:08.
:58:08. > :58:13.necessary to prevent them from If at the same time, we will engage
:58:13. > :58:18.Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals and
:58:18. > :58:23.continue to lead the club will it fit to secure a nuclear materials
:58:23. > :58:28.they could fall into the wrong hands. Our ability to influence
:58:28. > :58:38.others depends on our ability to meet our own obligations. America
:58:38. > :58:57.
:58:57. > :59:01.must face the rapidly growing We can't look back tears from now
:59:01. > :59:07.and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our
:59:07. > :59:11.security and economy. That is why earlier today, I signed a new
:59:11. > :59:15.executive order that will strengthen our side the defences by
:59:15. > :59:25.developing standards to protect our national security, jobs and privacy.
:59:25. > :59:26.
:59:26. > :59:31.APPLAUSE. But now Congress must act as well. By passing legislation to
:59:31. > :59:35.give our government a greater capacity to secure and networks and
:59:35. > :59:45.deter attacks. This is something we should be able to get down on a
:59:45. > :59:48.
:59:48. > :59:54.bipartisan basis. APPLAUSE. -- done. Even as we protect our people, we
:59:54. > :59:58.should remember that today's world presents not just threats but
:59:58. > :00:02.opportunities. To boost American exports, support American jobs and
:00:02. > :00:06.level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia. We intend
:00:06. > :00:10.to complete negotiations on a trans-Pacific partnership. Tonight
:00:10. > :00:13.I announce that we will launch talks on a comprehensive
:00:13. > :00:19.transatlantic trade partnership with the European Union because
:00:20. > :00:29.trade that is fair and free across the Atlantic supports billions.
:00:29. > :00:34.APPLAUSE. We also know that progress in the most impoverished
:00:34. > :00:42.parts of our world in which has us all. Not only because it creates
:00:42. > :00:49.new markets, more stable order in regions of the world, but because
:00:49. > :00:52.it is the right thing to do. In many places, people live on little
:00:52. > :00:57.more than $1 a day. The US will join without allies to eradicate
:00:57. > :01:01.such extreme poverty in the next two decades by connecting more
:01:01. > :01:04.people to the bloke -- global economy, by empowering women and
:01:04. > :01:09.giving young minds new opportunities to serve and helping
:01:09. > :01:14.communities to feed and educate themselves. By saving the world's
:01:14. > :01:24.children from preventable deaths and five realising the promise of
:01:24. > :01:29.
:01:29. > :01:34.an Aids free generation, which is within our reach. -- AIDS. APPLAUSE.
:01:34. > :01:42.America must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period
:01:42. > :01:46.of historic change. I saw the power of hope last year in Rangoon in
:01:46. > :01:50.Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed an American President into the home
:01:50. > :01:55.where she had been oppressive -- prisoner for years. Thousands of
:01:55. > :01:59.people lined the streets waving American flags. Including a man who
:01:59. > :02:07.said, there is justice and war in the United States. I want this
:02:07. > :02:14.country to be like that. -- law. Defence of freedom will be the
:02:14. > :02:18.anchor of alliances to -- from America to Africa, the Middle East.
:02:18. > :02:28.We will stand with citizens as they demand their rights and support
:02:28. > :02:31.
:02:31. > :02:35.stable transitions to democracy. We know the process will be messy.
:02:35. > :02:40.We can't presume to dictate the course of changing countries like
:02:40. > :02:44.Egypt. But we can and will insist on respect for the fundamental
:02:44. > :02:49.rights of all people. We will keep the pressure on the Syrian regime
:02:49. > :02:53.that has murdered its own people and support opposition leaders that
:02:53. > :03:03.respect the rights of every Syrian. We will stand stead fast with
:03:03. > :03:13.
:03:13. > :03:18.Israel in pursuit of security and lasting peace. APPLAUSE. These are
:03:18. > :03:23.the messages I will deliver when I travel to the Middle East next
:03:23. > :03:29.month. And all of this work depends on the courage and sacrifice of
:03:29. > :03:36.those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk. Our
:03:36. > :03:40.diplomats, intelligence officers and the men and women of the United
:03:40. > :03:43.States armed forces. As long as I am Commander In Chief, we will do
:03:43. > :03:46.whatever we were asked to protect those who serve their country
:03:46. > :03:56.abroad and we will maintain the best military the world has ever
:03:56. > :04:08.
:04:08. > :04:13.known. APPLAUSE. We will invest in new capabilities. Even as we reduce
:04:13. > :04:23.wartime spending. We will increase treatment for servicemen and their
:04:23. > :04:25.
:04:25. > :04:30.families, gay and straight. APPLAUSE. We will draw upon the
:04:30. > :04:34.courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and mothers because
:04:34. > :04:39.women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. We will
:04:39. > :04:49.keep faith with our veterans, investing in world-class care,
:04:49. > :05:00.
:05:00. > :05:03.including mental healthcare, four Supporting a military families,
:05:03. > :05:10.giving veterans the benefit of education and job opportunities
:05:10. > :05:20.that they have earned. I want to thank my wife and Jill Biden for
:05:20. > :05:30.
:05:30. > :05:34.their continued support for those families. Thank you. APPLAUSE.
:05:34. > :05:39.Defending our freedom, though, is not just the job of our military a
:05:39. > :05:44.loan. We must all do our part to make sure our God-given rights are
:05:44. > :05:54.protected here at home. That includes one of the most
:05:54. > :06:04.
:06:04. > :06:10.fundamental rights of democracy - the right to vote. APPLAUSE. When
:06:10. > :06:15.any American, no matter where they live or what their party, I have
:06:15. > :06:20.denied that right, because they can't afford to wait for five or
:06:20. > :06:30.six or seven hours just to cast their ballot, we are betraying our
:06:30. > :06:32.
:06:32. > :06:36.ideals. APPLAUSE. So it... Tonight, I am announcing a non by -- non-
:06:36. > :06:43.partisan commission to improve the boating experience in America. And
:06:43. > :06:47.it definitely needs improvement. -- voting. I am asking two experts,
:06:47. > :06:56.who recently served as the top attorney's for my campaign and for
:06:56. > :07:06.governor Romney's campaign, to lead it. And we will fix it. The
:07:06. > :07:12.
:07:12. > :07:17.American people demand it and so does our democracy. Of course, what
:07:17. > :07:26.I have said tonight matters little. If we do not come together to
:07:26. > :07:32.protect our most precious resources. Our children. It has been two
:07:32. > :07:39.months since Newtown. This is not the first time the country has
:07:39. > :07:43.debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time it is different.
:07:43. > :07:47.Overwhelming majorities of Americans, Americans who believe in
:07:47. > :07:51.the second amendment, have come together around common sense reform.
:07:51. > :08:00.Like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get
:08:00. > :08:04.their hand on a gun. APPLAUSE. Senators of both parties are
:08:04. > :08:09.working together on tough new laws to prevent anybody from buying guns
:08:09. > :08:13.for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get
:08:13. > :08:19.weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off the
:08:19. > :08:24.streets because these police chiefs are tired of seeing girls and guys
:08:24. > :08:34.been outgunned. Each of these proposals deserves a vote in
:08:34. > :08:45.
:08:45. > :08:51.Congress. APPLAUSE. If you want to vote no, that is your choice. But
:08:51. > :08:58.these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since
:08:58. > :09:06.Newtown, more than 1,000 birthdays, graduation, anniversaries have been
:09:06. > :09:16.stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun. More than 1,000. One of
:09:16. > :09:23.
:09:23. > :09:28.those we lost was a young girl. She was 15 years old. She loved life.
:09:29. > :09:34.She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best
:09:34. > :09:39.friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here in Washington with her
:09:39. > :09:44.classmates. Performing for her country at my inauguration. One
:09:44. > :09:53.week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school.
:09:53. > :09:57.Just one mile away from my house. Her parents are in this Chamber
:09:57. > :10:07.tonight, along with more than 24 Americans whose lives have been
:10:07. > :10:08.
:10:08. > :10:18.warned apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. -- torn apart.
:10:18. > :10:30.
:10:30. > :10:36.APPLAUSE. They deserve a vote. APPLAUSE. Debbie Giffords deserves
:10:36. > :10:46.the vote. -- Gabrielle Giffords. The families of Newtown deserve a
:10:46. > :10:47.
:10:47. > :10:57.vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The countless other
:10:57. > :11:01.
:11:01. > :11:07.communities deserve a simple vote. APPLAUSE. They deserve a single
:11:07. > :11:16.vote. Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in
:11:16. > :11:21.this country. In fact, no laws or initiatives, no administrative acts
:11:21. > :11:27.will perfectly sold all of the challenges I have outlined tonight.
:11:27. > :11:32.-- perfectly sold. But we never said we would be perfect. We were
:11:32. > :11:37.sent here to make what difference we can to secured this nation,
:11:37. > :11:45.expand opportunity, uphold ideals through the hard often frustrating
:11:45. > :11:49.but absolutely necessary work of self government. We were sent here
:11:49. > :11:55.to look out for our fellow Americans. The same way they look
:11:55. > :12:01.out for one another. Every single day. Usually without fanfare, all
:12:01. > :12:11.across this country. We should follow their example. We should
:12:11. > :12:16.
:12:16. > :12:21.follow the example of the New York City nurse who, when Hurricane
:12:21. > :12:31.Sandy plunged her home into darkness, she devised a rescue plan
:12:31. > :12:33.
:12:33. > :12:37.to say if the children in a hospital. A woman from north Miami.
:12:37. > :12:42.When she arrived at her polling place, she was told to wait for up
:12:43. > :12:48.to six hours. As time ticked by, her concern was not her tired body
:12:48. > :12:54.or aching feet, or whether folks like her would get to have her say,
:12:54. > :12:58.hour after hour, people stayed in line to support her because she is
:12:58. > :13:08.102 years old and they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a
:13:08. > :13:35.
:13:35. > :13:43.sticker that read, I voted. APPLAUSE. We should follow the
:13:43. > :13:48.example of one police officer. When a gunman opened fire on a temple in
:13:48. > :13:54.Wisconsin, he was the first to arrive and he did not consider his
:13:54. > :14:00.own safety, he fought back until help arrived. In order to protect
:14:00. > :14:08.the safety of the fellow Americans worshipping inside. Even as he lay
:14:08. > :14:18.bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. When asked how he do that, he said,
:14:18. > :14:19.
:14:19. > :14:22."that is just the way we are made". We may do different jobs and with
:14:22. > :14:32.different uniforms and hold different views than the person
:14:32. > :14:32.
:14:32. > :14:41.beside us. -- wear. But as Americans we all share the same
:14:41. > :14:45.proud title. We are citizens. A word that not just -- does not just
:14:45. > :14:50.describe and nationality, it describes how we are made and what
:14:50. > :14:53.we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country
:14:53. > :14:59.only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and
:14:59. > :15:03.future generations. That our rights are wrapped up in the rights of
:15:03. > :15:11.others and that well into our food century as a nation it remains the
:15:11. > :15:15.task of us all. -- third century. To be the authors of the next great
:15:15. > :15:25.chapter of our American story. Thank you. God bless you and God
:15:25. > :15:29.
:15:29. > :15:34.bless the United States of America. There we have President Obama
:15:34. > :15:39.wrapping up his stage of the Union address. One hour, he spoke for.
:15:39. > :15:44.With a long list speaking about his agenda. The main focus of his
:15:44. > :15:50.speech was the economy. The state of the middle class, how to get it
:15:50. > :15:54.jobs growing again. He also touched on immigration, foreign policy, the
:15:54. > :16:01.need for investment and manufacturing and ended on what was
:16:01. > :16:08.a fairly workmanlike list of what he wants to do with a rousing
:16:08. > :16:13.appeal for gun control in the country. I am joined by the White
:16:13. > :16:18.House correspondent for real clear politics. You're listening to that
:16:18. > :16:23.speech with me. What were your first impressions of it? For the
:16:23. > :16:32.kick-off of his second term, one of the things I was listening to was
:16:32. > :16:38.the dramatic differences from the first turn. -- idiomatic. Did he
:16:38. > :16:46.evolve for a loan? In some ways, it was the a bummer we have heard from
:16:46. > :16:52.the beginning. -- Obama. The economy and jobs has been the
:16:52. > :16:56.anchor, in some ways, to his presidency if all the way it from
:16:56. > :17:04.the beginning. It was inescapable tonight. He tried to talk up new
:17:04. > :17:07.programmes. This is not an era of spending more money. He is working
:17:07. > :17:13.with a divided government, Congress, that is not interested in spending
:17:13. > :17:17.more money. He did a lot of evoking the private sector or encouraging
:17:17. > :17:27.the business community or putting together commissions or the kinds
:17:27. > :17:35.of things that would inspire. That is what he President does. It was
:17:35. > :17:42.very slim on the big new government. We were expecting to hear Florida
:17:42. > :17:47.Senator speech in response. He wants to pass to the President as a
:17:47. > :17:52.big government kind of precedent in his second term. He was trying to
:17:52. > :17:57.restrain some of that. He was making a fairly unapologetic case
:17:57. > :18:02.for the need for investment in America. As well as spending cuts.
:18:02. > :18:07.He said America has a long-term spending problem. He talked a lot
:18:07. > :18:13.about Medicare and the proposals he has put forward. He also said that
:18:13. > :18:16.you cannot cut your way to growth in the country. This was not in
:18:16. > :18:22.response to the immediate crisis, this is what he thinks is the long-
:18:22. > :18:26.term strategy. The President has the belief like many before him
:18:26. > :18:33.that government is a wonderful instigator of good things in the
:18:33. > :18:38.economy. He tried to provide that fuel for economic growth. We have
:18:38. > :18:46.had such a slow growth. He was also trying to sound like a President
:18:46. > :18:50.who is finished with healthcare. He is talking about a much more
:18:50. > :18:59.balanced way, thinking about adjusting Medicare. He talked about
:19:00. > :19:04.that. Leaving the chamber, he is now shaking hands with everybody.
:19:04. > :19:11.He is shaking hands with both Democrats and Republicans. Members
:19:11. > :19:15.of Congress as well before he takes the journey. There is the
:19:15. > :19:20.Democratic leader of the Senate. There is an old friend of Obama's
:19:21. > :19:25.from Illinois. He says good night to them all before getting back to
:19:25. > :19:29.the White House. He is probably hoping that it is not just the
:19:29. > :19:35.people in this room he is saying good might to, but Americans around
:19:35. > :19:40.the country. Who will have stuck with him through an entire hour of
:19:40. > :19:44.policies. What are the chances that Americans watched, in their
:19:44. > :19:49.millions, and stayed with this speech? We will find out soon
:19:50. > :19:53.enough. One of the King's the President has learnt from the first
:19:53. > :19:58.term and we will see him do, he adjusted during his campaign to
:19:58. > :20:02.figure out how to campaign on the outside. To pressure Congress on
:20:02. > :20:08.the outside. He is telling the American people, I will be calling
:20:08. > :20:16.on you. I will be asking you to do this. He kept using phrases in his
:20:16. > :20:21.speech of a certain urgency. We can do this, let us do this. They are
:20:22. > :20:26.very quick to concede that he has about a year to get Major's
:20:26. > :20:30.legislation like immigration reform done. -- major legislation.
:20:30. > :20:34.Republicans were hoping for a conciliatory tone. I think they
:20:35. > :20:41.will have been disappointed. This was a President who was calling out
:20:41. > :20:45.Congress and effectively calling out Republicans for blocking things.
:20:45. > :20:49.And we noticed that the President, in that way of attacking them, was
:20:49. > :20:56.also saying that Mitt Romney, who was his opponent in the election,
:20:56. > :21:00.he agreed with me on this. On minimum wage. He agreed with me on
:21:00. > :21:05.some of the election reform. He is trying to talk about sweeping them
:21:05. > :21:14.into his circle. Encouraging the American people to think that he is
:21:14. > :21:18.arguing for common sense solutions. Let us too quickly about a couple
:21:18. > :21:25.of the things that he raced in the coast to gun control. It was, in a
:21:25. > :21:32.way, it was the most emotional part of the speech. He left it at the
:21:32. > :21:37.end. Members of the audience were holding photographs of relatives
:21:37. > :21:43.who had died. This was when he went to the heart of the American public
:21:43. > :21:48.to make his case. He understands what a tough sell this is going to
:21:48. > :21:51.be on everything he wants in terms of legislation. He emphasised the
:21:51. > :22:00.kinds of things that he wants and thinks that the Congress might go
:22:00. > :22:05.for. He was also talking about it right after this very emotional
:22:05. > :22:08.recitation of the horrors that have come from gun massacres. He was
:22:09. > :22:15.really trying to encourage the American people to think that he is
:22:15. > :22:20.with them, with these families, with these teachers and schools.
:22:20. > :22:27.And that Congress should be as well. Does it help his agenda? Gun-
:22:27. > :22:31.control was this poignant moment in his speech, with families who, God
:22:31. > :22:36.knows how they do it, the parents of the little girl who was killed
:22:36. > :22:42.last week, they were listening to what. Incredible fortitude and
:22:42. > :22:48.courage to stand there are national television. Do you think the way
:22:48. > :22:53.that the President says, even then they deserve a vote, get this done,
:22:53. > :22:58.does that help is agenda? It helps his agenda in terms of who he is
:22:58. > :23:06.speaking to. He is speaking to the House Republicans there. The Africa
:23:06. > :23:11.get legislation passed starts in the Senate. IT is also calling them
:23:11. > :23:15.out and saying, listen to the American people. If we have let
:23:15. > :23:22.this go, we have led the American people down. We have let the
:23:22. > :23:26.families and children down. He came back to that. We can fix this. We
:23:26. > :23:36.can get this done. A very emotional at the end, compared to the rest of
:23:36. > :23:36.
:23:36. > :23:41.the speech. It was a list of things. And there we see President Obama
:23:41. > :23:51.weaving the rotunda on Capitol Hill. Seeing his final farewells. Getting
:23:51. > :23:55.
:23:55. > :24:00.back to the White House. Take a last look at that. He has several
:24:00. > :24:09.more of these to give in his turn. He will be back. President Obama on
:24:09. > :24:12.his way back from his fourth stage of the Union. -- stage of the Union.
:24:12. > :24:18.What are the chances are for the legislation of the policy agenda
:24:18. > :24:23.that he laid out? The bits he has a chance of seeing turned into
:24:24. > :24:28.legislation? He will get background checks for guns. I fear she will do
:24:28. > :24:37.well on trying to ban the implication of weapons. -- I think
:24:37. > :24:42.he will do. Also, high-capacity clips and ammunition. That will be
:24:42. > :24:46.a much tougher sell. Immigration reform, the White House is very
:24:46. > :24:52.optimistic that this is too well this year in the Senate and the
:24:52. > :24:55.house. -- possible. They have a good ground game going with
:24:55. > :25:01.bipartisan support and legislation writing involving the Senate and
:25:01. > :25:06.the house. We have seen immigration reform stumble and fall and get
:25:06. > :25:11.blocked before. It will take a lot of pressure on the President's Park.
:25:11. > :25:17.He will have to wrestle with the fiscal budget issues. He will have
:25:17. > :25:22.a succession of hurdles that he has to get through. He is concerned
:25:22. > :25:27.that the frustration he had to explain to people, that is already
:25:27. > :25:35.in the law. He expected will go into effect. The White House says
:25:35. > :25:39.they will tie that around the Republican's Mac. -- neck. He is
:25:39. > :25:46.already laying the predicate for that. He has got a few more
:25:46. > :25:50.deadlines. That is in terms of the fiscal situation. He was trying to
:25:51. > :25:58.put forward this deficit-reduction deal that has escaped him for years.
:25:58. > :26:04.It looks that is not going to happen any time soon. But looking
:26:04. > :26:07.at the number of pages and words, he really did focus so much on the
:26:07. > :26:12.manufacturing, investment, education and the need to prepare
:26:12. > :26:16.the American workforce. He kept insisting this will not cost us a
:26:16. > :26:20.dime. At the same time he is talking about investment strategies.
:26:20. > :26:28.He is talking about investments in partnership. He is talking about
:26:28. > :26:33.adding some new money and paying for it in the Budget. but we have
:26:33. > :26:37.not seen any details. Very few numbers. It is interesting who the
:26:37. > :26:44.senator we will hear from is actually trying to set a growth
:26:44. > :26:48.target. He is talking about seeing the American economy to 4% gross.
:26:48. > :26:53.The American President did not set targets for unemployment. He did
:26:53. > :27:02.not talk about where to show gross. He is trying to go away from
:27:02. > :27:07.numbers he does not control. It is a very nebulous kind of Howard
:27:07. > :27:11.comes together. On foreign policy it seemed pretty nebulous as well.
:27:11. > :27:17.He said we stand by our allies in the Middle East. They are going to
:27:17. > :27:21.engage Russia to see production of nuclear arsenals. The regime in
:27:21. > :27:25.North Korea must know that they will only achieve security and
:27:25. > :27:30.prosperity by meeting international obligations. But he did not lay out
:27:30. > :27:36.how he is going to do it. This has eluded him for the last four years.
:27:36. > :27:40.We were led to believe that perhaps the President might be more
:27:40. > :27:44.specific about nuclear reduction. The White House was clear to say
:27:44. > :27:54.today that he was not going to get too specific about that. He is
:27:54. > :27:58.leaving himself a lot of room. With Congress and with allies abroad.
:27:58. > :28:03.Also, with any of our opponents. The Administration was asked what
:28:03. > :28:09.they would do in the UN to try and deal with the North Korean
:28:09. > :28:14.situation, and his ambassador to the UN was pretty vague about that.
:28:14. > :28:20.This is not life. We are not starting the State of the Union
:28:20. > :28:25.again. That would be another hour. This is just 10 as he came in to
:28:25. > :28:29.deliver this very long State of the Union address. Every area of
:28:29. > :28:34.American policy was touched on. I was looking to see if he left out