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President
Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan
of Wis., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017, for his
address to a joint session of Congress. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image via AP)
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As released by the White
House, this is President Trump’s Feb. 28 speech to a joint session of Congress:
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
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