Transcript: President Biden's Speech To Nation On Wednesday

On Wednesday night, President Biden spoke to the nation for the first time since dropping out of the presidential race. Here is what he said:

My fellow Americans, I’m speaking to you tonight from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. In this sacred space, I’m surrounded by portraits of extraordinary American presidents. Thomas Jefferson wrote the immortal words that guide this nation. George Washington, who showed us presidents are not kings. Abraham Lincoln, who implored us to reject malice. Franklin Roosevelt, who inspired us to reject fear.

I revere this office, but I love my country more.

It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title.

I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people, but this sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me. It’s about you, your families, your futures. It’s about we the people, and we can never forget that. And I never have.

I’ve made it clear that I believe America is at an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come.

America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We have to decide, do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice and democracy? In this moment, we can see those we disagree with not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. Can we do that? Does character in public life still matter?

I believe you know the answer to these questions because I know you, the American people, and I know this, we are a great nation because we are a good people.

When you elected me to this office, I promised to always level with you, to tell you the truth. And the truth, the sacred cause of this country, is larger than any one of us, and those of us who cherish that cause cherish it so much, a cause of American democracy itself must unite to protect it.

You know, in recent weeks it’s become clear to me that I needed to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future all merited a second term, but nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy, and that includes personal ambition.

So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation. I know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life, but there’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices, and that time and place is now.

Over the next six months, I’ll be focused on doing my job as president. That means I’ll continue to lower costs for hard-working families, grow our economy. I’ll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose. I’ll keep calling out hate and extremism, make it clear there is no place, no place in America for political violence or any violence ever, period. I’m going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence, our planet from climate crisis, is the existential threat.

And I will keep fighting for my for my cancer moonshot, so we can end cancer as we know it because we can do it. And I’m going to call for Supreme Court reform because this is critical to our democracy, Supreme Court reform. You know, I will keep working to ensure America remains strong and secure and the leader of the free world.

I’m the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world. We’ll keep rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage. We’ll keep NATO stronger, and I’ll make it more powerful and more united than at any time in all of our history. I’ll keep doing the same for allies in the Pacific.

You know, when I came to office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States. That’s not the case anymore. And I’m going to keep working to end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war.

We’re also working around the clock to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world. You know, we’ve come so far since my inauguration. On that day, I told you as I stood in that winter — we stood in a winter of peril and a winter of possibilities, peril and possibilities. We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in the century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War, but we came together as Americans, and we got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous and more secure.

Today, we have the strongest economy in the world, creating nearly 16 million new jobs — a record. Wages are up, inflation continues to come down, the racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years. We’re literally rebuilding our entire nation, urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities. Manufacturing has come back to America.

We’re leading the world again in chips and science and innovation. We finally beat Big Pharma after all these years, to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors, and I’m going to keep fighting to make sure we lower the cost for everyone, not just seniors.

More people have health care today in America than ever before. And I signed one of the most significant laws helping millions of veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic materials. You know, the most significant climate law ever, ever in the history of the world, the first major gun safety law in 30 years. And today, violent crime rate is at a 50-year low.

We’re also securing our border. Border crossings are lower today than when the previous administration left office. And I’ve kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. I also kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America and be a president for all Americans.

That’s what I’ve done. I ran for president four years ago because I believed, and still do, that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake and that’s still the case. America is an idea, an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant.

It’s the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident. We’re all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. We’ve never fully lived up to it, to this sacred idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either and I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now.

In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice. I made my views known. I would like to thank our great Vice President Kamala Harris. She’s experienced, she’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people.

When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin. It’s hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside the bust of Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. When Ben Franklin was asked as he emerged from the convention going on, whether the founders have given America a monarchy or republic, Franklin’s response was “a republic, if you can keep it.” A republic if you can keep it. Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands.

My fellow Americans, it’s been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States, but here I am. That’s what’s so special about America.

We are a nation of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I’ve given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others. I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you.

The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule, the people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. We just have to keep faith, keep the faith and remember who we are. We’re the United States of America and there’s simply nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

So let’s act together, preserve our democracy. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you.

Transcript Of President Biden's Speech In Poland (3/26/22)

President Biden made a powerful speech during his visit to Poland. Some said he made a mistake by saying Putin cannot remain in power. They are wrong. He was just stating the obvious. The world will be a much safer place when Putin is ousted, and hopefully, the Russian people will soon realize that.

Here is a transcript of the speech:

“Be not afraid.”  They were the first words at the first public address of the first Polish Pope after his election on October of 1978.  They were words that would come to define Pope John Paul II.  Words that would change the world.

John Paul brought the message here to Warsaw in his first trip back home as Pope in June of 1979.  It was a message about the power — the power of faith, the power of resilience, and the power of the people. 

In the face of a cruel and brutal system of government, it was a message that helped end the Soviet repression in the Central land and Eastern Europe 30 years ago.  It was a message that will overcome the cruelty and brutality of this unjust war. 

When Pope John Paul brought that message in 1979, the Soviet Union ruled with an iron fist behind an Iron Curtain.

Then a year later, the Solidarity movement took hold in Poland.  And while I know he couldn’t be here tonight, we’re all grateful in America and around the world for Lech Wałęsa.  (Applause.) 

It reminds me of that phrase of philosopher Kierkegaard: “[F]aith sees best in the dark.”  And there were dark moments.

Ten years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Poland and Central and Eastern Europe would soon be free.  Nothing about that battle for freedom was simple or easy.  It was a long, painful slog fought over not days and months, but years and decades.

But we emerged anew in the great battle for freedom: a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force.

In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed.  This battle will not be won in days or months either.  We need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead.

Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Mayor, members of the Parliament, distinguished guests, and the people of Poland, and I suspect some people of Ukraine that are here: We’re — (applause) — we are gathered here at the Royal Castle in this city that holds a sacred place in the history of not only of Europe, but humankind’s unending search for freedom.

For generations, Warsaw has stood where liberty has been challenged and liberty has prevailed.

In fact, it was here in Warsaw when a young refugee, who fled her home country from Czechoslovakia was under Soviet domination, came back to speak and stand in solidarity with dissidents.

Her name was Madeleine Korbel Albright.  She became — (applause) — one of the most ardent supporters of democracy in the world.  She was a friend with whom I served.  America’s first woman Secretary of State.  She passed away three days ago.

She fought her whole life for essential democratic principles.  And now, in the perennial struggle for democracy and freedom, Ukraine and its people are on the frontlines fighting to save their nation.

And their brave resistance is part of a larger fight for an essential democratic principles that unite all free people: the rule of law; free and fair elections; the freedom to speak, to write, and to assemble; the freedom to worship as one chooses; freedom of the press.

These principles are essential in a free society.  (Applause.)  But they have always — they have always been under siege.  They’ve always been embattled.  Every generation has had to defeat democracy’s mortal foes.  That’s the way of the world — for the world is imperfect, as we know.  Where the appetites and ambitions of a few forever seek to dominate the lives and liberties of many.

My message to the people of Ukraine is the message I delivered today to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister and Defense Minister, who I believe are here tonight: We stand with you.  Period.  (Applause.)

Today’s fighting in Kyiv and Mariupol and Kharkiv are the latest battle in a long struggle: Hungary, 1956; Poland, 1956 then again 1981; Czechoslovakia, 1968. 

Soviet tanks crushed democratic uprisings, but the resistance continued until finally, in 1989, the Berlin Wall and all of the walls of Soviet domination — they fell.  They fell.  And the people prevailed.  (Applause.)

But the battle for democracy could not conclude and did not conclude with the end of the Cold War.

Over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe.  Its hallmarks are familiar ones: contempt for the rule of law, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the truth itself.

Today, Russia has strangled democracy — has sought to do so elsewhere, not only in its homeland.  Under false claims of ethnic solidarity, it has invalidated [invaded] neighboring nations.

Putin has the gall to say he’s “de-Nazifying” Ukraine.  It’s a lie.  It’s just cynical.  He knows that.  And it’s also obscene.

President Zelenskyy was democratically elected.  He’s Jewish.  His father’s family was wiped out in the Nazi Holocaust.  And Putin has the audacity, like all autocrats before him, to believe that might will make right.

In my own country, a former president named Abraham Lincoln voiced the opposing spirit to save our Union in the midst of a civil war.  He said, “Let us have faith that right makes might.”  “Right makes might.”  (Applause.) 

Today, let us now have that faith again.  Let us resolve to put the strength of democracies into action to thwart the denigns [sic] of our — the designs of autocracy.  Let us remember that the test of this moment is the test of all time.

The Kremlin wants to portray NATO enlargement as an imperial project aimed at destabilizing Russia.  Nothing is further from the truth.  NATO is a defensive alliance.  It has never sought the demise of Russia.

In the lead-up to the current crisis, the United States and NATO worked for months to engage Russia to avert a war.  I met with him in person and talked to him many times on the phone. 

Time and again, we offered real diplomacy and concrete proposals to strengthen European security, enhance transparency, and build confidence on all sides.

But Putin and Russia met each of the proposals with disinterest in any negotiation, with lies and ultimatums.  Russia was bent on violence from the start.

I know not all of you believed me and us when we kept saying, “They are going to cross the border.  They are going to attack.” 

Repeatedly, he asserted, “We have no interest in war.”  Guaranteed he would not move. 

Repeatedly saying he would not invade Ukraine.

Repeatedly saying Russian troops along the border were there for “training” — all 180,000 of them. 

There is simply no justification or provocation for Russia’s choice of war.  It’s an example of one of the oldest of human impulses: using brute force and disinformation to satisfy a craving for absolute power and control.

It’s nothing less than a direct challenge to the rule-based international order established since the end of World War Two.

And it threatens to return to decades of war that ravaged Europe before the international rule-based order was put in place.  We cannot go back to that.  We cannot.   

The gravity of the threat is why the response of the West has been so swift and so powerful and so unified, unprecedented, and overwhelming.

Swift and punishing costs are the only things that are going to get Russia to change its course. 

Within days of its invasion, the West had moved jointly with sanctions to damage Russia’s economy.

Russia’s Central Bank is now blocked from the global financial systems, denying Kremlin’s access to the war fund it stashed around the globe.

We’ve aimed at the heart of Russia’s economy by stopping the imports of Russian energy to the United States.

To date, the United States has sanctioned 140 Russian oligarchs and their family members, seizing their ill-begotten gains: their yachts, their luxury apartments, their mansions.

We’ve sanctioned more than 400 Russian government officials, including key architects of this war.

These officials and oligarchs have reaped enormous benefit from the corruption connected to the Kremlin, and now they have to share in the pain. 

The private sector is acting as well.  Over 400 private multinational companies have pulled out of doing business in Russia — left Russia completely — from oil companies to McDonald’s.  

As a result of these unprecedented sanctions, the ruble almost is immediately reduced to rubble.  The Russian economy — (applause) — that’s true, by the way.  It takes about 200 rubles to equal one dollar. 

The economy is on track to be cut in half in the coming years.  It was ranked — Russia’s economy was ranked the 11th biggest economy in the world before this evasion [sic] — invasion.  It will soon not even rank among the top 20 in the world.  (Applause.) 

Taken together, these economic sanctions are a new kind of economic statecraft with the power to inflict damage that rivals military might.

These international sanctions are sapping Russian strength, its ability to replenish its military, and its ability — its ability to project power.  And it is Putin — it is Vladimir Putin who is to blame, period.   

At the same time, alongside these economic sanctions, the Western world has come together to provide for the people of Ukraine with incredible levels of military, economic, and humanitarian assistance.

In the years before the invasion, we, America, had sent over $650 million, before they crossed the border, in weapons to Ukraine, including anti-air and anti-armor equipment.

Since the invasion, America has committed another $1.35 billion in weapons and ammunition.

And thanks to the courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people — (applause) — the equipment we’ve sent and our colleagues have sent have been used to devastating effect to defend Ukrainian land and airspace.  Our Allies and partners have stepped up as well.

But as I’ve made clear: American forces are in Europe — not in Europe to engage in conflict with Russian forces.  American forces are here to defend NATO Allies.

Yesterday, I met with the troops that are serving alongside our Polish allies to bolster NATO’s frontline defenses.  The reason we wanted to make clear is their movement on Ukraine: Don’t even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory.

We have a sacred obligation — (applause) — we have a sacred obligation under Article 5 to defend each and every inch of NATO territory with the full force of our collective power.

And earlier today, I visited your National Stadium, where thousands of Ukrainian refugees are now trying to answer the toughest questions a human can ask: “My God, what’s going to happen to me?  What’s going to happen to my family?”

I saw tears in many of the mothers’ eyes as I embraced them; their young children — their young children not sure whether to smile or cry.  One little girl said, “Mr. President” — she spoke a little English — “is my brother and my daddy — are they going to be okay?  Will I see them again?”  Without their husbands, their fathers, in many cases, their brothers or sisters who stayed back to fight for their country.

I didn’t have to speak the language or understand the language to feel the emotion in their eyes, the way they gripped my hand, and little kids hung on to my leg, praying with a desperate hope that all this is temporary; apprehension that they may be perhaps forever away from their homes, almost with debilitating sadness that this is happening all over again.

But I was also struck by the generosity of the people of Warsaw — for that matter, all the Polish people — for the depths of their compassion, their willingness to reach out — (applause) — opening their hearts.

I was saying to the Mayor they’re preparing to open their hearts and their homes simply to help.  I also want to thank my friend, the great American chef, José Andrés, and his team who helped feeling [sic] those — (applause) — feeding those who are yearning to be free. 

But helping these refugees is not something Poland or any other nation should carry alone.  All the world democracies have a responsibility to help.  All of them.  And the people of Ukraine can count on the United States to meet its responsibility.

I’ve announced, two days ago, we will welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.  We already have 8,000 a week coming to the United States of other nat- — nationalities.

We’ll provide nearly $300 million of humanitarian assistance, providing tens of thousands of tons of food, water, medicine, and other basic supplies.

In Brussels, I announced the United States is prepared to provide more than $1 billion, in addition, in humanitarian aid.

The World Food Programme told us that despite significant obstacles, at least some relief is getting to major cities in Ukraine, but not Metropol [sic] — no, excuse me, Mar- — not Mariupol, because Russian forces are blocking relief supplies.

But we’ll not cease our efforts to get humanitarian relief wherever it is needed in Ukraine and for the people who’ve made it out of Ukraine.

Notwithstanding the brutality of Vladimir Putin, let there be no doubt that this war has already been a strategic failure for Russia already.  (Applause.)  Having lost children myself — I know that’s no solace to the people who’ve lost family.  

But he, Putin, thought Ukrainians would roll over and not fight.  Not much of a student of history.  Instead, Russian forces have met their match with brave and stiff Ukrainian resistance.

Rather than breaking Ukrainian resolve, Russia’s brutal tactics have strengthened the resolve.  (Applause.)

Rather than driving NATO apart, the West is now stronger and more united than it has ever been.  (Applause.)

Russia wanted less of a NATO presence on its border, but now he has [we have] a stronger presence, a larger presence, with over a hundred thousand American troops here, along with all the other members of NATO.

In fact — (applause) — Russia has managed to cause something I’m sure he never intended: The democracies of the world are revitalized with purpose and unity found in months that we’d once taken years to accomplish.

It’s not only Russia’s actions in Ukraine that are reminding us of democracy’s blessing.  It’s our own country — his own country, the Kremlin, is jailing protestors.  Two hundred thousand people have allegedly already left.  There’s a brain drain — leaving Russia.  Shutting down independent news.  State media is all propaganda, blocking the image of civilian targets, mass graves, starvation tactics of the Russian forces in Ukraine.  

Is it any wonder, as I said, that 200,000 Russians have all left their country in one month?  A remarkable brain drain in such a short period of time, which brings me to my message to the Russian people:

I’ve worked with Russian leaders for decades.  I sat across the negotiating table going all the way back to Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin to talk arms control at the height of the Cold War.

I’ve always spoken directly and honestly to you, the Russian people. 

Let me say this, if you’re able to listen: You, the Russian people, are not our enemy. 

I refuse to believe that you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards that, for God’s sake, are being pummeled with Russian missiles and bombs; or cities being surrounded so that civilians cannot flee; supplies cut off and attempting to starve Ukrainians into submission. 

Millions of families are being driven from their homes, including half of all Ukraine’s children.  These are not the actions of a great nation. 

Of all people, you, the Russian people, as well as all people across Europe, still have the memory of being in a similar situation in the late thirties and forties — the situation of World War Two — still fresh in the minds of many grandparents in the region.

What — whatever your generation experienced — whether it experienced the Siege of Leningrad or heard about it from your parents and grandparents — train stations overflowing with terrified families fleeing their homes; nights sheltering in basements and cellars; mornings sitting through the rubble in your homes — these are not memories of the past.  Not anymore.  Because it’s exactly what the Russian army is doing in Ukraine right now. 

March 26, 2022.  Just days before — we’re at the twenty-fir- — you were a 21st century nation with hopes and dreams that people all over the world have for themselves and their family. 

Now, Vladimir Putin’s aggression have cut you, the Russian people, off from the rest of the world, and it’s taking Russia back to the 19th century.

This is not who you are.  This is not the future reserve — you deserve for your families and your children.  I’m telling you the truth: This war is not worthy of you, the Russian people.

Putin can and must end this war.  The American people stand with you and the brave citizens of Ukraine who want peace.

And my message to the rest of Europe: This new battle for freedom has already made a few things crystal clear. 

First, Europe must end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.  And we, the United States, will help.  (Applause.)  That’s why just yesterday, in Brussels, I announced a plan with the President of the European Commission to get Europe through the immediate energy crisis.

Over the long term, as a matter of economic security and national security and for the survivability of the planet, we all need to move as quickly as possible to clean, renewable energy.  And we’ll work together to help get that done so that the days of any nation being subject to the whims of a tyrant for its energy needs are over.  They must end.  They must end.  

And second, we have to fight the corruption coming from the Kremlin to give the Russian people a fair chance.

And finally, and most urgently, we maintain absolute unity — we must — among the world’s democracies.

It’s not enough to speak with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling words of democracy, of freedom, equality, and liberty.  All of us, including here in Poland, must do the hard work of democracy each and every day.  My country as well.  

That’s why — (applause) — that’s why I came to Europe again this week with a clear and determined message for NATO, for the G7, for the European Union, for all freedom-loving nations: We must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul.  We must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after and for the years and decades to come.  (Applause.)

It will not be easy.  There will be costs.  But it’s a price we have to pay.  Because the darkness that drives autocracy is ultimately no match for the flame of liberty that lights the souls of free people everywhere.

Time and again, history shows that it’s from the darkest moments that the greatest progress follows.  And history shows this is the task of our time, the task of this generation.

Let’s remember: The hammer blow that brought down the Berlin Wall, the might that lifted the Iron Curtain were not the words of a single leader; it was the people of Europe who, for decades, fought to free themselves.

Their sheer bravery opened the border between Austria and Hungary for the Pan-European Picnic.  They joined hands for the Baltic Way.  They stood for Solidarity here in Poland.  And together, it was an unmistakable and undeniable force of the people that the Soviet Union could not withstand.

And we’re seeing it once again today with the brave Ukrainian people, showing that their power of many is greater than the will of any one dictator.  (Applause.)

So, in this hour, let the words of Pope John Paul burn as brightly today: “Never, ever give up hope, never doubt, never tire, never become discouraged.  Be not afraid.”  (Applause.) 

A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase a people’s love for liberty.  Brutality will never grind down their will to be free.  Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia — for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness.

We will have a different future — a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities. 

For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power. 

God bless you all.  And may God defend our freedom.  (Applause.)  And may God protect our troops.   Thank you for your patience.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  

Transcript Of President Zelensky's Speech To U.S. Congress

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Zelensky spoke to the United States Congress, After finishing, he was given a standing ovation from members of both parties. Here (from QZ.com) is a transcript of his speech:

Americans, friends. I am proud to greet you from Ukraine, from our capital city of Kyiv, the city under missile and airstrikes from Russians every day.

It does not give up. We have not even thought about it for a second. Just like many other cities and communities in our beautiful country which found themselves in the worst war since World War II. I have been honored to greet you on behalf of the Ukrainian people and freedom-loving people who for years have been resisting Russian aggression. Those who give their best sons and daughters to stop this full-scale Russian invasion.

Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided. The destiny of our people, whether Ukrainians will be free, whether they will be able to preserve their democracy. Russia has attacked not just us, not just our land, our cities. It went on a brutal offensive against our values. Basic human values. Against our freedom, our right to live freely, choosing our own future. Against our desire for happiness, against our national dreams.

Just like the same things you have, you Americans. Just like anyone else in the United States. I remember the national memorial Mount Rushmore. the faces of your prominent presidents, those who laid the foundation of the United States of America. Democracy, independence, freedom.

For every person who works diligently, who lives honestly, who respects the law, we in Ukraine want the same for our people. All that is a normal part of your own life.

Ladies and gentlemen, Americans, in your great history you would understand Ukrainians. Understand us now. We need you right now.

Remember Pearl Harbor. The morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Remember. Remember September 11. A terrible day in 2001 when people tried to turn your cities into battlefields. When innocent people were attacked attacked from the air. No one expected it. You couldn’t stop it.

Our country experiences the same every day. Right now, this moment, every night for three weeks, in various Ukrainian cities, Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people. Russian troops have fired 1000 missiles at Ukraine. They use drones to kill us with precision.

This is a terror Europe has not seen for 80 years and we are asking for an answer to this terror from the world. Is that a lot to ask? To create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people. Is this too much to ask? A no-fly zone. Russia would not be able to terrorize our cities.

If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need. You know how much depends on the ability to use aircraft to protect our people, our freedom. aircraft that can help Ukraine, help Europe. We know they exist and you have them. They are not in Ukrainian skies.

I have a dream. I have a need. I need to protect our skies. I need your help, which means the same you feel when you hear the words I have a dream. Ladies and gentlemen, friends. Ukraine is grateful to the United States for its overwhelming support. Everything your government and your people have done for us, for weapons and training, for leadership to pressure the aggressor economically.

I am grateful to president Biden for his sincere commitment to the defense of Ukraine and democracy all over the world. I am grateful to you for the resolution which recognizes all of those who commit crimes against Ukraine as war criminals. In the darkest times for our country I call on you to do more.

New sanctions are needed constantly every week until the Russian military machine stops. Restrictions are needed for everyone on whom this unjust regime is based: all politicians in the Russian Federation who remain in their offices and do not cut ties with those who are responsible for the aggression against Ukraine from the state duma members upwards.

All American companies must leave Russia from their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood. Ladies and gentlemen, members of Congress. If you have companies in your district who financed the Russian military machine, you should put pressure. I am asking to make sure the Russians do not receive a single penny they used to destroy people in Ukraine, the destruction of our country, the destruction of Europe. All American ports should be closed for Russian goods. Peace is more important than income, and we have to defend this principle in the whole world.

We have to defend the world. We already became part of the antiwar coalition, the big antiwar coalition that unites many countries, dozens of countries, those who reacted to president Putin’s decision to invade our country. We need to move on and do more. We need to create more tools to respond quickly and stop the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24. It would be fair if it ended in 24 hours, that people would be punished, that evil would be punished.

Today the people do not have such tools. Institutions should protect us from war but they unfortunately do not work. We need new alliances and we offer them. We propose to create an association, united for peace, a union of responsible countries to stop conflict immediately, provide all the necessary assistance in 24 hours, weapons if necessary, sanctions if necessary, humanitarian support, finances, everything you need to keep the peace and quickly to save the world, to save life.

Such associations would provide assistance to those who are experiencing natural disasters, who fell victim to humanitarian crisis or epidemics. Remember how difficult it was for the world to do the simplest things just to get a vaccine against covid to save lives, to prevent new strains. The world spent months, years doing things like that much faster to make sure there are no victims.

Ladies and gentlemen, if such an alliance would exist today we would be able to save thousands of lives in our country, in many countries around the world, those who need peace, those who suffer inhumane destruction. I ask you to watch one video. a video of what the Russian troops did in our country, in our land. We have to destroy every single aggressor who seeks to subjugate other nations. Please watch the video.

VIDEO PLAYS

In the end, to be the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Peace in your country does not depend only on you and your people. It depends on those next to you, on those who are strong. Strong does not mean weak. Strong is brave and ready to fight for his citizens as citizens of the world. For human rights. For freedom. The right to live decently and die when your time comes and not when decided by somebody else.

Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine. We are fighting for Europe and the world and our lives in the name of the future. That is why today the American people are helping not just Ukraine, but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive. To keep justice in history.

I am almost 45 years old. Today my age stopped when the hearts of more than 100 children stopped beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop the deaths. This is my mission as a leader of my people. and as a leader of my nation.

I’m addressing president Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Thank you. Glory to Ukraine.

Transcript Of President Biden's State Of The Union Speech

 

The following is a transcript of President Biden's State of the Union speech on 3/1/22:

 Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Justices of the Supreme Court. My fellow Americans.  

Last year COVID-19 kept us apart. This year we are finally together again. 

Tonight, we meet as Democrats Republicans and Independents. But most importantly as Americans. 

With a duty to one another to the American people to the Constitution. 

And with an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny. 

Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated. 

He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. 

He met the Ukrainian people. 

From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world. 

Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland. 

In this struggle as President Zelenskyy said in his speech to the European Parliament “Light will win over darkness.” The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight. 

Let each of us here tonight in this Chamber send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world. 

Please rise if you are able and show that, Yes, we the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people. 

Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they cause more chaos.   

They keep moving.   

And the costs and the threats to America and the world keep rising.   

That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. 

The United States is a member along with 29 other nations. 

It matters. American diplomacy matters. American resolve matters. 

Putin’s latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and unprovoked. 

He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy. 

He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. 

And he thought he could divide us at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.  Here is what we did.   

We prepared extensively and carefully. 

We spent months building a coalition of other freedom-loving nations from Europe and the Americas to Asia and Africa to confront Putin. 

I spent countless hours unifying our European allies. We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsely justify his aggression.  

We countered Russia’s lies with truth.   

And now that he has acted the free world is  

holding him accountable. 

Along with twenty-seven members of the European Union including France, Germany, Italy, as well as countries like  the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and many others, even Switzerland. 

We are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine. Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever. 

Together with our allies –we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. 

We are cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system.  

Preventing Russia’s central bank from defending the Russian Ruble making Putin’s $630 Billion “war fund” worthless.   

We are choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.  

Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime no more. 

The U.S. Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs.  

We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts your luxury apartments your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains. 

And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze –on their economy. The Ruble has lost 30% of its value. 

The Russian stock market has lost 40% of its value and trading remains suspended. Russia’s economy is reeling and Putin alone is to blame. 

Together with our allies we are providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom. Military assistance. Economic assistance. Humanitarian assistance. 

We are giving more than $1 Billion in direct assistance to Ukraine. 

And we will continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and to help ease their suffering.  

Let me be clear, our forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine.  

Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO Allies – in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west.  

For that purpose we’ve mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, and ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. 

As I have made crystal clear the United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory of NATO countries with the full force of our collective power.  

And we remain clear-eyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days weeks, months, will be hard on them.  

Putin has unleashed violence and chaos.  But while he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run. 

And a proud Ukrainian people, who have known 30 years  of independence, have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards.  

To all Americans, I will be honest with you, as I’ve always promised. A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world. 

And I’m taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions  is targeted at Russia’s economy. And I will use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers. 

Tonight, I can announce that the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 Million barrels of oil from reserves around the world.  

America will lead that effort, releasing 30 Million barrels from our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  And we stand ready to do more if necessary, unified with our allies.  

These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. And I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming. 

But I want you to know that we are going to be okay. 

When the history of this era is written Putin’s war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. 

While it shouldn’t have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what’s at stake now everyone sees it clearly. 

We see the unity among leaders of nations and a more unified Europe a more unified West. And we see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world even in Russia to demonstrate their support for Ukraine.  

In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. 

This is a real test. It’s going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. 

To our fellow Ukrainian Americans who forge a deep bond that connects our two nations we stand with you. 

Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people. 

He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world. 

We meet tonight in an America that has lived through two of the hardest years this nation has ever faced. 

The pandemic has been punishing. 

And so many families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and so much more. 

I understand. 

I remember when my Dad had to leave our home in Scranton, Pennsylvania to find work. 

I grew up in a family where if the price of food went up, you felt it. 

That’s why one of the first things I did as President was fight to pass the American Rescue Plan.  

Because people were hurting. We needed to act, and we did. 

Few pieces of legislation have done more in a critical moment in our history to lift us out of crisis. 

It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the nation and combat COVID-19. It delivered immediate economic relief for tens of millions of Americans.  

Helped put food on their table, keep a roof over their heads, and cut the cost of health insurance. 

And as my Dad used to say, it gave people a little breathing room. 

And unlike the $2 Trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1% of Americans, the American Rescue Plan helped working people—and left no one behind. 

And it worked. It created jobs. Lots of jobs. 

In fact—our economy created over 6.5 Million new jobs just last year, more jobs created in one year  

than ever before in the history of America. 

Our economy grew at a rate of 5.7% last year, the strongest growth in nearly 40 years, the first step in bringing fundamental change to an economy that hasn’t worked for the working people of this nation for too long.  

For the past 40 years we were told that if we gave tax breaks to those at the very top, the benefits would trickle down to everyone else. 

But that trickle-down theory led to weaker economic growth, lower wages, bigger deficits, and the widest gap between those at the top and everyone else in nearly a century. 

Vice President Harris and I ran for office with a new economic vision for America. 

Invest in America. Educate Americans. Grow the workforce. Build the economy from the bottom up  

and the middle out, not from the top down.  

Because we know that when the middle class grows, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy do very well. 

America used to have the best roads, bridges, and airports on Earth. 

Now our infrastructure is ranked 13^th in the world. 

We won’t be able to compete for the jobs of the 21^st Century if we don’t fix that. 

That’s why it was so important to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—the most sweeping investment to rebuild America in history. 

This was a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank  

the members of both parties who worked to make it happen. 

We’re done talking about infrastructure weeks. 

We’re going to have an infrastructure decade. 

It is going to transform America and put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st Century  

that we face with the rest of the world—particularly with China.  

As I’ve told Xi Jinping, it is never a good bet to bet against the American people. 

We’ll create good jobs for millions of Americans, modernizing roads, airports, ports, and waterways all across America. 

And we’ll do it all to withstand the devastating effects of the climate crisis and promote environmental justice. 

We’ll build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, begin to replace poisonous lead pipes—so every child—and every American—has clean water to drink at home and at school, provide affordable high-speed internet for every American—urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. 

4,000 projects have already been announced. 

And tonight, I’m announcing that this year we will start fixing over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair. 

When we use taxpayer dollars to rebuild America – we are going to Buy American: buy American products to support American jobs. 

The federal government spends about $600 Billion a year to keep the country safe and secure. 

There’s been a law on the books for almost a century 

to make sure taxpayers’ dollars support American jobs and businesses. 

Every Administration says they’ll do it, but we are actually doing it. 

We will buy American to make sure everything from  

the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on highway guardrails are made in America. 

But to compete for the best jobs of the future, we also need to level the playing field with China and other competitors. 

That’s why it is so important to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act sitting in Congress that will make record investments in emerging technologies and American manufacturing. 

Let me give you one example of why it’s so important to pass it. 

If you travel 20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, you’ll find 1,000 empty acres of land. 

It won’t look like much, but if you stop and look closely, you’ll see a “Field of dreams,” the ground on which America’s future will be built. 

This is where Intel, the American company that helped build Silicon Valley, is going to build its $20 billion semiconductor “mega site”. 

Up to eight state-of-the-art factories in one place. 10,000 new good-paying jobs. 

Some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and our everyday lives. 

Smartphones. The Internet. Technology we have yet to invent. 

But that’s just the beginning. 

Intel’s CEO, Pat Gelsinger, who is here tonight, told me they are ready to increase their investment from  

$20 billion to $100 billion. 

That would be one of the biggest investments in manufacturing in American history. 

And all they’re waiting for is for you to pass this bill. 

So let’s not wait any longer. Send it to my desk. I’ll sign it.  

And we will really take off. 

And Intel is not alone. 

There’s something happening in America. 

Just look around and you’ll see an amazing story. 

The rebirth of the pride that comes from stamping products “Made In America.” The revitalization of American manufacturing.   

Companies are choosing to build new factories here, when just a few years ago, they would have built them overseas. 

That’s what is happening. Ford is investing $11 billion to build electric vehicles, creating 11,000 jobs across the country. 

GM is making the largest investment in its history—$7 billion to build electric vehicles, creating 4,000 jobs in Michigan. 

All told, we created 369,000 new manufacturing jobs in America just last year. 

Powered by people I’ve met like JoJo Burgess, from generations of union steelworkers from Pittsburgh, who’s here with us tonight. 

As Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown says, “It’s time to bury the label “Rust Belt.” 

It’s time. 

But with all the bright spots in our economy, record job growth and higher wages, too many families are struggling to keep up with the bills.  

Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel. 

I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control. 

Look, our economy roared back faster than most predicted, but the pandemic meant that businesses had a hard time hiring enough workers to keep up production in their factories. 

The pandemic also disrupted global supply chains. 

When factories close, it takes longer to make goods  

and get them from the warehouse to the store, and prices go up. 

Look at cars. 

Last year, there weren’t enough semiconductors to make all the cars that people wanted to buy. 

And guess what, prices of automobiles went up. 

So—we have a choice. 

One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages  

and make Americans poorer.  

I have a better plan to fight inflation. 

Lower your costs, not your wages. 

Make more cars and semiconductors in America. 

More infrastructure and innovation in America. 

More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. 

More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. 

And instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let’s make it in America. 

Economists call it “increasing the productive capacity of our economy.” 

I call it building a better America. 

My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit. 

17 Nobel laureates in economics say my plan will ease long-term inflationary pressures. Top business leaders and most Americans support my plan. And here’s the plan: 

First – cut the cost of prescription drugs. Just look at insulin. One in ten Americans has diabetes. In Virginia, I met a 13-year-old boy named Joshua Davis.  

He and his Dad both have Type 1 diabetes, which means they need insulin every day. Insulin costs about $10 a vial to make.  

But drug companies charge families like Joshua and his Dad up to 30 times more. I spoke with Joshua’s mom. 

Imagine what it’s like to look at your child who needs insulin and have no idea how you’re going to pay for it.  

What it does to your dignity, your ability to look your child in the eye, to be the parent you expect to be. 

Joshua is here with us tonight. Yesterday was his birthday. Happy birthday, buddy.  

For Joshua, and for the 200,000 other young people with Type 1 diabetes, let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month so everyone can afford it.  

Drug companies will still do very well. And while we’re at it let Medicare negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, like the VA already does. 

Look, the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families on Affordable Care Act plans save $2,400 a year on their health care premiums. Let’s close the coverage gap and make those savings permanent. 

Second – cut energy costs for families an average of $500 a year by combatting climate change.  

Let’s provide investments and tax credits to weatherize your homes and businesses to be energy efficient and you get a tax credit;  

Double America’s clean energy production in solar, wind, and so much more;  

Lower the price of electric vehicles, saving you another $80 a month because you’ll never have to pay at the gas pump again. 

Third – cut the cost of child care. Many families pay up to $14,000 a year for child care per child.  

Middle-class and working families shouldn’t have to pay more than 7% of their income for care of young children.  

My plan will cut the cost in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women, who left the workforce during the pandemic because they couldn’t afford child care, to be able to get back to work. 

My plan doesn’t stop there. It also includes home and long-term care. More affordable housing. And Pre-K for every 3- and 4-year-old.  

All of these will lower costs. 

And under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes. Nobody.  

The one thing all Americans agree on is that the tax system is not fair. We have to fix it.  

I’m not looking to punish anyone. But let’s make sure corporations and the wealthiest Americans start paying their fair share. 

Just last year, 55 Fortune 500 corporations earned $40 billion in profits and paid zero dollars in federal income tax.  

That’s simply not fair. That’s why I’ve proposed a 15% minimum tax rate for corporations. 

We got more than 130 countries to agree on a global minimum tax rate so companies can’t get out of paying their taxes at home by shipping jobs and factories overseas. 

That’s why I’ve proposed closing loopholes so the very wealthy don’t pay a lower tax rate than a teacher or a firefighter.  

So that’s my plan. It will grow the economy and lower costs for families. 

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get this done. And while you’re at it, confirm my nominees to the Federal Reserve, which plays a critical role in fighting inflation.  

My plan will not only lower costs to give families a fair shot, it will lower the deficit. 

The previous Administration not only ballooned the deficit with tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations, it undermined the watchdogs whose job was to keep pandemic relief funds from being wasted. 

But in my administration, the watchdogs have been welcomed back. 

We’re going after the criminals who stole billions in relief money meant for small businesses and millions of Americans.  

And tonight, I’m announcing that the Justice Department will name a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud. 

By the end of this year, the deficit will be down to less than half what it was before I took office.  

The only president ever to cut the deficit by more than one trillion dollars in a single year. 

Lowering your costs also means demanding more competition. 

I’m a capitalist, but capitalism without competition  

isn’t capitalism. 

It’s exploitation—and it drives up prices. 

When corporations don’t have to compete, their profits go up, your prices go up, and small businesses and family farmers and ranchers go under. 

We see it happening with ocean carriers moving goods in and out of America. 

During the pandemic, these foreign-owned companies raised prices by as much as 1,000% and made record profits. 

Tonight, I’m announcing a crackdown on these companies overcharging American businesses and consumers. 

And as Wall Street firms take over more nursing homes, quality in those homes has gone down and costs have gone up.  

That ends on my watch. 

Medicare is going to set higher standards for nursing homes and make sure your loved ones get the care they deserve and expect. 

We’ll also cut costs and keep the economy going strong by giving workers a fair shot, provide more training and apprenticeships, hire them based on their skills not degrees. 

Let’s pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and paid leave.  

Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and extend the Child Tax Credit, so no one has to raise a family in poverty. 

Let’s increase Pell Grants and increase our historic support of HBCUs, and invest in what Jill—our First Lady who teaches full-time—calls America’s best-kept secret: community colleges. 

And let’s pass the PRO Act when a majority of workers want to form a union—they shouldn’t be stopped.  

When we invest in our workers, when we build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out together, we can do something we haven’t done in a long time: build a better America. 

For more than two years, COVID-19 has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of the nation. 

And I know you’re tired, frustrated, and exhausted. 

But I also know this. 

Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools we have, tonight I can say  

we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines.  

We’ve reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, with severe cases down to a level not seen since last July.  

Just a few days ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—the CDC—issued new mask guidelines. 

Under these new guidelines, most Americans in most of the country can now be mask free.   

And based on the projections, more of the country will reach that point across the next couple of weeks. 

Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, COVID-19 need no longer control our lives.  

I know some are talking about “living with COVID-19”. Tonight – I say that we will never just accept living with COVID-19. 

We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this is a virus that mutates and spreads, we will stay on guard. 

Here are four common sense steps as we move forward safely.  

First, stay protected with vaccines and treatments. We know how incredibly effective vaccines are. If you’re vaccinated and boosted you have the highest degree of protection. 

We will never give up on vaccinating more Americans. Now, I know parents with kids under 5 are eager to see a vaccine authorized for their children. 

The scientists are working hard to get that done and we’ll be ready with plenty of vaccines when they do. 

We’re also ready with anti-viral treatments. If you get COVID-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90%.  

We’ve ordered more of these pills than anyone in the world. And Pfizer is working overtime to get us 1 Million pills this month and more than double that next month.  

And we’re launching the “Test to Treat” initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.  

If you’re immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability, we have treatments and free high-quality masks. 

We’re leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone’s needs as we move forward. 

And on testing, we have made hundreds of millions of tests available for you to order for free.   

Even if you already ordered free tests tonight, I am announcing that you can order more from covidtests.gov starting next week. 

Second – we must prepare for new variants. Over the past year, we’ve gotten much better at detecting new variants. 

If necessary, we’ll be able to deploy new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years.  

And, if Congress provides the funds we need, we’ll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, and pills ready if needed. 

I cannot promise a new variant won’t come. But I can promise you we’ll do everything within our power to be ready if it does.  

Third – we can end the shutdown of schools and businesses. We have the tools we need. 

It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again.  People working from home can feel safe to begin to return to the office.   

We’re doing that here in the federal government. The vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person. 

Our schools are open. Let’s keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school. 

And with 75% of adult Americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77%, most Americans can remove their masks, return to work, stay in the classroom, and move forward safely. 

We achieved this because we provided free vaccines, treatments, tests, and masks. 

Of course, continuing this costs money. 

I will soon send Congress a request. 

The vast majority of Americans have used these tools and may want to again, so I expect Congress to pass it quickly.   

Fourth, we will continue vaccinating the world.     

We’ve sent 475 Million vaccine doses to 112 countries, more than any other nation. 

And we won’t stop. 

We have lost so much to COVID-19. Time with one another. And worst of all, so much loss of life. 

Let’s use this moment to reset. Let’s stop looking at COVID-19 as a partisan dividing line and see it for what it is: A God-awful disease.  

Let’s stop seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we really are: Fellow Americans.  

We can’t change how divided we’ve been. But we can change how we move forward—on COVID-19 and other issues we must face together. 

I recently visited the New York City Police Department days after the funerals of Officer Wilbert Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera. 

They were responding to a 9-1-1 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun. 

Officer Mora was 27 years old. 

Officer Rivera was 22. 

Both Dominican Americans who’d grown up on the same streets they later chose to patrol as police officers. 

I spoke with their families and told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifice, and we will carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety every community deserves. 

I’ve worked on these issues a long time. 

I know what works: Investing in crime prevention 

and community police officers who’ll walk the beat, who’ll know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety. 

So let’s not abandon our streets. Or choose between safety and equal justice. 

Let’s come together to protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable. 

That’s why the Justice Department required body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers. 

That’s why the American Rescue Plan provided $350 Billion that cities, states, and counties can use to hire more police and invest in proven strategies like community violence interruption—trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people hope.  

We should all agree: The answer is not to Defund the police. The answer is to FUND the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities. 

I ask Democrats and Republicans alike: Pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe.  

And I will keep doing everything in my power to crack down on gun trafficking and ghost guns you can buy online and make at home—they have no serial numbers and can’t be traced. 

And I ask Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence. Pass universal background checks. Why should anyone on a terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon? 

Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. 

Repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that can’t be sued. 

These laws don’t infringe on the Second Amendment. They save lives. 

The most fundamental right in America is the right to vote – and to have it counted. And it’s under assault. 

In state after state, new laws have been passed, not only to suppress the vote, but to subvert entire elections. 

We cannot let this happen. 

Tonight. I call on the Senate to: Pass the Freedom to Vote Act. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. And while you’re at it, pass the Disclose Act so Americans can know who is funding our elections. 

Tonight, I’d like to honor someone who has dedicated his life to serve this country: Justice Stephen Breyer—an Army veteran, Constitutional scholar, and retiring Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Breyer, thank you for your service. 

One of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court. 

And I did that 4 days ago, when I nominated Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. One of our nation’s top legal minds, who will continue Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence. 

A former top litigator in private practice. A former federal public defender. And from a family of public school educators and police officers. A consensus builder. Since she’s been nominated, she’s received a broad range of support—from the Fraternal Order of Police to former judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans. 

And if we are to advance liberty and justice, we need to secure the Border and fix the immigration system. 

We can do both. At our border, we’ve installed new technology like cutting-edge scanners to better detect drug smuggling.  

We’ve set up joint patrols with Mexico and Guatemala to catch more human traffickers.  

We’re putting in place dedicated immigration judges so families fleeing persecution and violence can have their cases heard faster. 

We’re securing commitments and supporting partners in South and Central America to host more refugees and secure their own borders. 

We can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led generations of immigrants to this land—my forefathers and so many of yours. 

Provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers. 

Revise our laws so businesses have the workers they need and families don’t wait decades to reunite. 

It’s not only the right thing to do—it’s the economically smart thing to do. 

That’s why immigration reform is supported by everyone from labor unions to religious leaders to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

Let’s get it done once and for all. 

Advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women. 

The constitutional right affirmed in Roe v. Wade—standing precedent for half a century—is under attack as never before. 

If we want to go forward—not backward—we must protect access to health care. Preserve a woman’s right to choose. And let’s continue to advance maternal health care in America. 

And for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong. 

As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your President, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential. 

While it often appears that we never agree, that isn’t true. I signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year. From preventing government shutdowns to protecting Asian-Americans from still-too-common hate crimes to reforming military justice. 

And soon, we’ll strengthen the Violence Against Women Act that I first wrote three decades ago. It is important for us to show the nation that we can come together and do big things. 

So tonight I’m offering a Unity Agenda for the Nation. Four big things we can do together.  

First, beat the opioid epidemic. 

There is so much we can do. Increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery.  

Get rid of outdated rules that stop doctors from prescribing treatments. And stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with state and local law enforcement to go after traffickers. 

If you’re suffering from addiction, know you are not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million Americans in recovery. 

Second, let’s take on mental health. Especially among our children, whose lives and education have been turned upside down.  

The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning.  

I urge every parent to make sure your school does just that. And we can all play a part—sign up to be a tutor or a mentor. 

Children were also struggling before the pandemic. Bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media. 

As Frances Haugen, who is here with us tonight, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit. 

It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children. 

And let’s get all Americans the mental health services they need. More people they can turn to for help, and full parity between physical and mental health care. 

Third, support our veterans. 

Veterans are the best of us. 

I’ve always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip all those we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home. 

My administration is providing assistance with job training and housing, and now helping lower-income veterans get VA care debt-free.  

Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan faced many dangers. 

One was stationed at bases and breathing in toxic smoke from “burn pits” that incinerated wastes of war—medical and hazard material, jet fuel, and more. 

When they came home, many of the world’s fittest  

and best trained warriors were never the same. 

Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. 

A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. 

I know. 

One of those soldiers was my son Major Beau Biden. 

We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops. 

But I’m committed to finding out everything we can. 

Committed to military families like Danielle Robinson from Ohio. 

The widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson.  

He was born a soldier. Army National Guard. Combat medic in Kosovo and Iraq. 

Stationed near Baghdad, just yards from burn pits the size of football fields. 

Heath’s widow Danielle is here with us tonight. They loved going to Ohio State football games. He loved building Legos with their daughter. 

But cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged Heath’s lungs and body. 

Danielle says Heath was a fighter to the very end. 

He didn’t know how to stop fighting, and neither did she. 

Through her pain she found purpose to demand we do better. 

Tonight, Danielle—we are. 

The VA is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to diseases, already helping more veterans get benefits. 

And tonight, I’m announcing we’re expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers. 

I’m also calling on Congress: pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve. 

And fourth, let’s end cancer as we know it. 

This is personal to me and Jill, to Kamala, and to so many of you. 

Cancer is the #2 cause of death in America – 

second only to heart disease. 

Last month, I announced our plan to supercharge  

the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead six years ago. 

Our goal is to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years, turn more cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases.  

More support for patients and families. 

To get there, I call on Congress to fund ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. 

It’s based on DARPA—the Defense Department project that led to the Internet, GPS, and so much more.  

ARPA-H will have a singular purpose—to drive breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and more. 

A unity agenda for the nation. 

We can do this. 

My fellow Americans—tonight , we have gathered in a sacred space—the citadel of our democracy. 

In this Capitol, generation after generation, Americans have debated great questions amid great strife, and have done great things. 

We have fought for freedom, expanded liberty, defeated totalitarianism and terror. 

And built the strongest, freest, and most prosperous nation the world has ever known. 

Now is the hour. 

Our moment of responsibility. 

Our test of resolve and conscience, of history itself. 

It is in this moment that our character is formed. Our purpose is found. Our future is forged. 

Well I know this nation.  

We will meet the test. 

To protect freedom and liberty, to expand fairness and opportunity. 

We will save democracy. 

As hard as these times have been, I am more optimistic about America today than I have been my whole life. 

Because I see the future that is within our grasp. 

Because I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity. 

We are the only nation on Earth that has always turned every crisis we have faced into an opportunity. 

The only nation that can be defined by a single word: 

possibilities. 

So on this night, in our 245^th year as a nation, I have come to report on the State of the Union. 

And my report is this: the State of the Union is strong—because you, the American people, are strong. 

We are stronger today than we were a year ago. 

And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today. 

Now is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. 

And we will, as one people. 

One America. 

The United States of America. 

May God bless you all. May God protect our troops.