PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Remarks as prepared for delivery
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the First Lady of the United States, and Citizens of America:
Tonight,
as we mark the conclusion of our celebration of Black History Month, we
are reminded of our Nation's path toward civil rights and the work that
still remains. Recent threats targeting Jewish Community Centers
and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in
Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a Nation divided on
policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and
evil in all its forms.
Each
American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice –- in
an unbroken chain all the way down to the present.
That
torch is now in our hands. And we will use it to light up the world. I
am here tonight to deliver a message of unity and strength, and it is a
message deeply delivered from my heart.
A new chapter of American Greatness is now beginning.
A new national pride is sweeping across our Nation.
And a new surge of optimism is placing impossible dreams firmly within our grasp.
What we are witnessing today is the Renewal of the American Spirit.
Our allies will find that America is once again ready to lead.
All the nations of the world -- friend or foe -- will find that America is strong, America is proud, and America is free.
In 9
years, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our
founding -- 250 years since the day we declared our Independence.
It will be one of the great milestones in the history of the world.
But what will America look like as we reach our 250th year? What kind of country will we leave for our children?
I will not allow the mistakes of recent decades past to define the course of our future.
For too long, we've watched our middle class shrink as we've exported our jobs and wealth to foreign countries.
We've
financed and built one global project after another, but ignored the
fates of our children in the inner cities of Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit
-- and so many other places throughout our land.
We've defended the borders of other nations, while
leaving our own borders wide open, for anyone to cross -- and for drugs
to pour in at a now unprecedented rate.
And we've spent trillions of dollars overseas, while our infrastructure at home has so badly crumbled.
Then, in 2016, the earth shifted beneath our feet.
The rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all
colors and creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their
children, and a fair hearing
for their concerns.
But then
the quiet voices became a loud chorus -- as thousands of citizens now
spoke out together, from cities small and large, all across our country.
Finally, the chorus became an earthquake – and the
people turned out by the tens of millions, and they were all united by
one very simple, but crucial demand, that America must put its own
citizens first ... because
only then, can we truly MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
Dying industries will come roaring back to life. Heroic veterans will get the care they so desperately need.
Our military will be given the resources its brave warriors so richly deserve.
Crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new
roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our
beautiful land.
Our terrible drug epidemic will slow down and ultimately, stop.
And our neglected inner cities will see a rebirth of hope, safety, and opportunity.
Above all else, we will keep our promises to the American people.
It's been a little over a month since my
inauguration, and I want to take this moment to update the Nation on the
progress I've made in keeping those promises.
Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General
Motors, Sprint, Softbank, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others,
have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in the United
States and will create tens
of thousands of new American jobs.
The stock
market has gained almost three trillion dollars in value since the
election on November 8th, a record. We've saved taxpayers hundreds of
millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the fantastic
new F-35 jet fighter, and will be saving billions more dollars on
contracts all across our Government. We have placed a hiring freeze on
non-military and non-essential Federal workers.
We have
begun to drain the swamp of government corruption by imposing a 5 year
ban on lobbying by executive branch officials –- and a lifetime ban on
becoming lobbyists for a foreign government.
We have
undertaken a historic effort to massively reduce job‑crushing
regulations, creating a deregulation task force inside of every
Government agency; imposing a new rule which mandates that for every 1
new regulation,
2 old regulations must be eliminated; and stopping a regulation that
threatens the future and livelihoods of our great coal miners.
We have
cleared the way for the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access
Pipelines -- thereby creating tens of thousands of jobs -- and I've
issued a new directive that new American pipelines be made with American
steel.
We have withdrawn the United States from the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership.
With the
help of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we have formed a Council with our
neighbors in Canada to help ensure that women entrepreneurs have access
to the networks, markets and capital they need to start a
business and live out their financial dreams.
To protect our citizens, I have directed the Department of Justice to form a Task Force on Reducing Violent Crime.
I have further ordered the Departments of Homeland
Security and Justice, along with the Department of State and the
Director of National Intelligence, to coordinate an aggressive strategy
to dismantle the criminal
cartels that have spread across our Nation.
We will
stop the drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth --
and we will expand treatment for those who have become so badly
addicted.
At the
same time, my Administration has answered the pleas of the American
people for immigration enforcement and border security. By finally
enforcing our immigration laws, we will raise wages, help the
unemployed,
save billions of dollars, and make our communities safer for everyone.
We want all Americans to succeed –- but that can't happen in an
environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of
law to our borders.
For that reason, we will soon begin the construction
of a great wall along our southern border. It will be started ahead of
schedule and, when finished, it will be a very effective weapon against
drugs and crime.
As we speak, we are removing gang members, drug
dealers and criminals that threaten our communities and prey on our
citizens. Bad ones are going out as I speak tonight and as I have
promised.
To any in Congress who do not believe we should
enforce our laws, I would ask you this question: what would you say to
the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved one,
because America refused
to uphold its laws and defend its borders?
Our obligation is to serve, protect, and defend the
citizens of the United States. We are also taking strong measures to
protect our Nation from Radical Islamic Terrorism.
According to data provided by the Department of
Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted for
terrorism-related offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of our
country. We have seen the attacks at home
-– from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon and yes, even the
World Trade Center.
We have seen the attacks in France, in Belgium, in Germany and all over the world.
It is not
compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places
where proper vetting cannot occur. Those given the high honor of
admission to the United States should support this country and love
its people and its values.
We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form
inside America -- we cannot allow our Nation to become a sanctuary for
extremists.
That is why my Administration has been working on
improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep
our Nation safe -- and to keep out those who would do us harm.
As promised, I directed the Department of Defense to
develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS -- a network of lawless
savages that have slaughtered Muslims and Christians, and men, women,
and children of all faiths
and beliefs. We will work with our allies, including our friends and
allies in the Muslim world, to extinguish this vile enemy from our
planet.
I have also imposed new sanctions on entities and
individuals who support Iran's ballistic missile program, and reaffirmed
our unbreakable alliance with the State of Israel.
Finally, I have kept my promise to appoint a Justice
to the United States Supreme Court -- from my list of 20 judges -- who
will defend our Constitution. I am honored to have Maureen Scalia with
us in the gallery
tonight. Her late, great husband, Antonin Scalia, will forever be a
symbol of American justice. To fill his seat, we have chosen Judge Neil
Gorsuch, a man of incredible skill, and deep devotion to the law. He
was confirmed unanimously to the Court of Appeals,
and I am asking the Senate to swiftly approve his nomination.
Tonight, as I outline the next steps we must take as
a country, we must honestly acknowledge the circumstances we inherited.
Ninety-four million Americans are out of the labor force.
Over 43 million people are now living in poverty, and over 43 million Americans are on food stamps.
More than 1 in 5 people in their prime working years are not working.
We have the worst financial recovery in 65 years.
In the last 8 years, the past Administration has put on more new debt than nearly all other Presidents combined.
We've lost more than one-fourth of our manufacturing
jobs since NAFTA was approved, and we've lost 60,000 factories since
China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
Our trade deficit in goods with the world last year was nearly $800 billion dollars.
And overseas, we have inherited a series of tragic foreign policy disasters.
Solving these, and so many other pressing problems,
will require us to work past the differences of party. It will require
us to tap into the American spirit that has overcome every challenge
throughout our long
and storied history.
But to accomplish our goals at home and abroad, we
must restart the engine of the American economy -- making it easier for
companies to do business in the United States, and much harder for
companies to leave.
Right now, American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world.
My economic team is developing historic tax reform
that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and
thrive anywhere and with anyone. At the same time, we will provide
massive tax relief for
the middle class.
We must create a level playing field for American companies and workers.
Currently, when we ship products out of America,
many other countries make us pay very high tariffs and taxes -- but when
foreign companies ship their products into America, we charge them
almost nothing.
I just met with officials and workers from a great
American company, Harley-Davidson. In fact, they proudly displayed five
of their magnificent motorcycles, made in the USA, on the front lawn of
the White House.
At our meeting, I asked them, how are you doing, how
is business? They said that it's good. I asked them further how they
are doing with other countries, mainly international sales. They told
me -- without even
complaining because they have been mistreated for so long that they
have become used to it -- that it is very hard to do business with other
countries because they tax our goods at such a high rate. They said
that in one case another country taxed their motorcycles
at 100 percent.
They weren't even asking for change. But I am.
I believe strongly in free trade but it also has to be FAIR TRADE.
The first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln,
warned that the "abandonment of the protective policy by the American
Government [will] produce want and ruin among our people."
Lincoln was right -- and it is time we heeded his
words. I am not going to let America and its great companies and
workers, be taken advantage of anymore.
I am going to bring back millions of jobs.
Protecting our workers also means reforming our system of legal
immigration. The current, outdated system depresses wages for our
poorest workers, and puts great pressure
on taxpayers.
Nations around the world, like Canada, Australia and
many others –- have a merit-based immigration system. It is a basic
principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to
support themselves financially.
Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule, straining the very public
resources that our poorest citizens rely upon. According to the
National Academy of Sciences, our current immigration system costs
America's taxpayers many billions of dollars a year.
Switching away from this current system of
lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system,
will have many benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise workers'
wages, and help struggling
families –- including immigrant families –- enter the middle class.
I believe that real and positive immigration reform is
possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs
and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to
restore respect for our
laws.
If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens
then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an
outcome that has eluded our country for decades.
Another Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower,
initiated the last truly great national infrastructure program –- the
building of the interstate highway system. The time has come for a new
program of national
rebuilding.
America has spent approximately six trillion dollars
in the Middle East, all this while our infrastructure at home is
crumbling. With this six trillion dollars we could have rebuilt our
country –- twice. And maybe
even three times if we had people who had the ability to negotiate.
To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking
the Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion
investment in the infrastructure of the United States -- financed
through both public and private
capital –- creating millions of new jobs.
This effort will be guided by two core principles: Buy American, and Hire American.
Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to
repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase
access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better Healthcare.
Mandating every American to buy government-approved
health insurance was never the right solution for America. The way to
make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of
health insurance, and
that is what we will do.
Obamacare premiums nationwide have increased by
double and triple digits. As an example, Arizona went up 116 percent
last year alone. Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky just said Obamacare is
failing in his State
-- it is unsustainable and collapsing.
One third of counties have only one insurer on the exchanges –- leaving many Americans with no choice at all.
Remember when you were told that you could keep your doctor, and keep your plan?
We now know that all of those promises have been broken.
Obamacare is collapsing –- and we must act
decisively to protect all Americans. Action is not a choice –- it is a
necessity.
So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in
the Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding
Obamacare disaster.
Here are the principles that should guide the Congress as we move to create a better healthcare system for all Americans:
First, we should ensure that Americans with
pre-existing conditions have access to coverage, and that we have a
stable transition for Americans currently enrolled in the healthcare
exchanges.
Secondly, we should help Americans purchase their
own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health Savings
Accounts –- but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on
them by the Government.
Thirdly, we should give our great State Governors
the resources and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no
one is left out.
Fourthly, we should implement legal reforms that
protect patients and doctors from unnecessary costs that drive up the
price of insurance – and work to bring down the artificially high price
of drugs and bring them
down immediately.
Finally, the time has come to give Americans the
freedom to purchase health insurance across State lines –- creating a
truly competitive national marketplace that will bring cost way down and
provide far better care.
Everything that is broken in our country can be
fixed. Every problem can be solved. And every hurting family can find
healing, and hope.
Our citizens deserve this, and so much more –- so
why not join forces to finally get it done? On this and so many other
things, Democrats and Republicans should get together and unite for the
good of our country,
and for the good of the American people.
My administration wants to work with members in both
parties to make childcare accessible and affordable, to help ensure new
parents have paid family leave, to invest in women's health, and to
promote clean air and
clear water, and to rebuild our military and our infrastructure.
True love for our people requires us to find common
ground, to advance the common good, and to cooperate on behalf of every
American child who deserves a brighter future.
An incredible young woman is with us this evening who should serve as an inspiration to us all.
Today is Rare Disease day, and joining us in the
gallery is a Rare Disease Survivor, Megan Crowley. Megan was diagnosed
with Pompe Disease, a rare and serious illness, when she was 15 months
old. She was not expected
to live past 5.
On receiving this news, Megan's dad, John, fought
with everything he had to save the life of his precious child. He
founded a company to look for a cure, and helped develop the drug that
saved Megan's life. Today
she is 20 years old -- and a sophomore at Notre Dame.
Megan's story is about the unbounded power of a father's love for a daughter.
But our slow and burdensome approval process at the
Food and Drug Administration keeps too many advances, like the one that
saved Megan's life, from reaching those in need.
If we slash the restraints, not just at the FDA but
across our Government, then we will be blessed with far more miracles
like Megan.
In fact, our children will grow up in a Nation of miracles.
But to achieve this future, we must enrich the mind –- and the souls –- of every American child.
Education is the civil rights issue of our time.
I am calling upon Members of both parties to pass an
education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth,
including millions of African-American and Latino children. These
families should be free to
choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school
that is right for them.
Joining us tonight in the gallery is a remarkable
woman, Denisha Merriweather. As a young girl, Denisha struggled in
school and failed third grade twice. But then she was able to enroll in
a private center for
learning, with the help of a tax credit scholarship program. Today,
she is the first in her family to graduate, not just from high school,
but from college. Later this year she will get her masters degree in
social work.
We want all children to be able to break the cycle of poverty just like Denisha.
But to break the cycle of poverty, we must also break the cycle of violence.
The murder rate in 2015 experienced its largest single-year increase in nearly half a century.
In Chicago, more than 4,000 people were shot last year alone –- and the murder rate so far this year has been even higher.
This is not acceptable in our society.
Every American child should be able to grow up in a
safe community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a
high-paying job.
But to create this future, we must work with –- not against -– the men and women of law enforcement.
We must build bridges of cooperation and trust –- not drive the wedge of disunity and division.
Police and sheriffs are members of our community.
They are friends and neighbors, they are mothers and fathers, sons and
daughters – and they leave behind loved ones every day who worry whether
or not they'll come
home safe and sound.
We must support the incredible men and women of law enforcement.
And we must support the victims of crime.
I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security
to create an office to serve American Victims. The office is called
VOICE –- Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement. We are providing a
voice to those who have
been ignored by our media, and silenced by special interests.
Joining us in the audience tonight are four very brave Americans whose government failed them.
Their names are Jamiel Shaw, Susan Oliver, Jenna Oliver, and Jessica Davis.
Jamiel's
17-year-old son was viciously murdered by an illegal immigrant gang
member, who had just been released from prison. Jamiel Shaw Jr. was an
incredible young man, with unlimited potential who was getting
ready to go to college where he would have excelled as a great
quarterback. But he never got the chance. His father, who is in the
audience tonight, has become a good friend of mine.
Also with
us are Susan Oliver and Jessica Davis. Their husbands –- Deputy
Sheriff Danny Oliver and Detective Michael Davis –- were slain in the
line of duty in California. They were pillars of their community.
These brave men were viciously gunned down by an illegal immigrant with
a criminal record and two prior deportations.
Sitting
with Susan is her daughter, Jenna. Jenna: I want you to know that your
father was a hero, and that tonight you have the love of an entire
country supporting you and praying for you.
To
Jamiel, Jenna, Susan and Jessica: I want you to know –- we will never
stop fighting for justice. Your loved ones will never be forgotten, we
will always honor their memory.
Finally,
to keep America Safe we must provide the men and women of the United
States military with the tools they need to prevent war and –- if they
must –- to fight and to win.
I am
sending the Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the
Defense sequester, and calls for one of the largest increases in
national defense spending in American history.
My budget will also increase funding for our veterans.
Our veterans have delivered for this Nation –- and now we must deliver for them.
The challenges we face as a Nation are great. But our people are even greater.
And none are greater or braver than those who fight for America in uniform.
We are
blessed to be joined tonight by Carryn Owens, the widow of a U.S. Navy
Special Operator, Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens. Ryan died as he
lived: a warrior, and a hero –- battling against terrorism and
securing our Nation.
I just
spoke to General Mattis, who reconfirmed that, and I quote, "Ryan was a
part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital
intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future
against our enemies." Ryan's legacy is etched into eternity. For as
the Bible teaches us, there is no greater act of love than to lay down
one's life for one's friends. Ryan laid down his life for his friends,
for his country, and for our freedom –- we
will never forget him.
To those allies who wonder what kind of friend America will be, look no further than the heroes who wear our uniform.
Our
foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and meaningful engagement with
the world. It is American leadership based on vital security interests
that we share with our allies across the globe.
We
strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World
Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism.
But our partners must meet their financial obligations.
And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.
We expect
our partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle East, or the Pacific –- to
take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military
operations, and pay their fair share of the cost.
We will respect historic institutions, but we will also respect the sovereign rights of nations.
Free nations are the best vehicle for expressing the
will of the people –- and America respects the right of all nations to
chart their own path. My job is not to represent the world. My job is
to represent the
United States of America. But we know that America is better off, when
there is less conflict -- not more.
We must learn from the mistakes of the past –- we have seen the war and destruction that have raged across our world.
The only long-term solution for these humanitarian
disasters is to create the conditions where displaced persons can safely
return home and begin the long process of rebuilding.
America
is willing to find new friends, and to forge new partnerships, where
shared interests align. We want harmony and stability, not war and
conflict.
We want peace, wherever peace can be found. America
is friends today with former enemies. Some of our closest allies,
decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars. This
history should give us all
faith in the possibilities for a better world.
Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free.
On our 100th anniversary, in 1876, citizens from
across our Nation came to Philadelphia to celebrate America's
centennial. At that celebration, the country's builders and artists and
inventors showed off their creations.
Alexander Graham Bell displayed his telephone for the first time.
Remington unveiled the first typewriter. An early attempt was made at electric light.
Thomas Edison showed an automatic telegraph and an electric pen.
Imagine the wonders our country could know in America's 250th year.
Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people.
Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope.
American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream.
Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect.
And
streets where mothers are safe from fear -- schools where children learn
in peace -- and jobs where Americans prosper and grow -- are not too
much to ask.
When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. For all Americans.
This is our vision. This is our mission.
But we can only get there together.
We are one people, with one destiny.
We all bleed the same blood.
We all salute the same flag.
And we are all made by the same God.
And when
we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious
freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of
American Greatness began.
The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us.
We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.
The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.
And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.
From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears –-
inspired by the future, not bound by the failures of the past –-
and guided by our vision, not blinded by our doubts.
I am
asking all citizens to embrace this Renewal of the American Spirit. I
am asking all members of Congress to join me in dreaming big, and bold
and daring things for our country. And I am asking everyone watching
tonight to seize this moment and --
Believe in yourselves.
Believe in your future.
And believe, once more, in America.
Thank you, God bless you, and God Bless these United States.