奥巴马国情咨文演讲英文版.docx

奥巴马国情咨文演讲英文版.docx

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奥巴马国情咨文演讲英文版

Mr.Speaker,Mr.VicePresident,MembersofCongress,myfellowAmericans:

TonightmarkstheeighthyearI'vecomeheretoreportontheStateoftheUnion.Andforthisfinalone,I'mgoingtotrytomakeitshorter.IknowsomeofyouareantsytogetbacktoIowa.

Ialsounderstandthatbecauseit'sanelectionseason,expectationsforwhatwe'llachievethisyeararelow.Still,Mr.Speaker,Iappreciatetheconstructiveapproachyouandtheotherleaderstookattheendoflastyeartopassabudgetandmaketaxcutspermanentforworkingfamilies.SoIhopewecanworktogetherthisyearonbipartisanprioritieslikecriminaljusticereform,andhelpingpeoplewhoarebattlingprescriptiondrugabuse.Wejustmightsurprisethecynicsagain.

Buttonight,Iwanttogoeasyonthetraditionallistofproposalsfortheyearahead.Don'tworry,I'vegotplenty,fromhelpingstudentslearntowritecomputercodetopersonalizingmedicaltreatmentsforpatients.AndI'llkeeppushingforprogressontheworkthatstillneedsdoing.Fixingabrokenimmigrationsystem.Protectingourkidsfromgunviolence.Equalpayforequalwork,paidleave,raisingtheminimumwage.Allthesethingsstillmattertohardworkingfamilies;theyarestilltherightthingtodo;andIwillnotletupuntiltheygetdone.

Butformyfinaladdresstothischamber,Idon'twanttotalkjustaboutthenextyear.Iwanttofocusonthenextfiveyears,tenyears,andbeyond.

Iwanttofocusonourfuture.

Weliveinatimeofextraordinarychangethat'sreshapingthewaywelive,thewaywework,ourplanetandourplaceintheworld.It'schangethatpromisesamazingmedicalbreakthroughs,butalsoeconomicdisruptionsthatstrainworkingfamilies.Itpromiseseducationforgirlsinthemostremotevillages,butalsoconnectsterroristsplottinganoceanaway.It'schangethatcanbroadenopportunity,orwideninequality.Andwhetherwelikeitornot,thepaceofthischangewillonlyaccelerate.

Americahasbeenthroughbigchangesbeforewarsanddepression,theinfluxofimmigrants,workersfightingforafairdeal,andmovementstoexpandcivilrights.Eachtime,therehavebeenthosewhotoldustofearthefuture;whoclaimedwecouldslamthebrakesonchange,promisingtorestorepastgloryifwejustgotsomegrouporideathatwasthreateningAmericaundercontrol.Andeachtime,weovercamethosefears.Wedidnot,inthewordsofLincoln,adheretothe"dogmasofthequietpast."Insteadwethoughtanew,andactedanew.Wemadechangeworkforus,alwaysextendingAmerica'spromiseoutward,tothenextfrontier,tomoreandmorepeople.Andbecausewedidbecausewesawopportunitywhereotherssawonlyperilweemergedstrongerandbetterthanbefore.

Whatwastruethencanbetruenow.Ouruniquestrengthsasanationouroptimismandworkethic,ourspiritofdiscoveryandinnovation,ourdiversityandcommitmenttotheruleoflawthesethingsgiveuseverythingweneedtoensureprosperityandsecurityforgenerationstocome.

Infact,it'sthatspiritthatmadetheprogressofthesepastsevenyearspossible.It'showwerecoveredfromtheworsteconomiccrisisingenerations.It'showwereformedourhealthcaresystem,andreinventedourenergysector;howwedeliveredmorecareandbenefitstoourtroopsandveterans,andhowwesecuredthefreedomineverystatetomarrythepersonwelove.

Butsuchprogressisnotinevitable.Itistheresultofchoiceswemaketogether.Andwefacesuchchoicesrightnow.Willwerespondtothechangesofourtimewithfear,turninginwardasanation,andturningagainsteachotherasapeople?

Orwillwefacethefuturewithconfidenceinwhoweare,whatwestandfor,andtheincrediblethingswecandotogether?

Solet'stalkaboutthefuture,andfourbigquestionsthatweasacountryhavetoanswerregardlessofwhothenextPresidentis,orwhocontrolsthenextCongress.

First,howdowegiveeveryoneafairshotatopportunityandsecurityinthisneweconomy?

Second,howdowemaketechnologyworkforus,andnotagainstusespeciallywhenitcomestosolvingurgentchallengeslikeclimatechange?

Third,howdowekeepAmericasafeandleadtheworldwithoutbecomingitspoliceman?

Andfinally,howcanwemakeourpoliticsreflectwhat'sbestinus,andnotwhat'sworst?

Letmestartwiththeeconomy,andabasicfact:

theUnitedStatesofAmerica,rightnow,hasthestrongest,mostdurableeconomyintheworld.We'reinthemiddleofthelongeststreakofprivate-sectorjobcreationinhistory.Morethan14millionnewjobs;thestrongesttwoyearsofjobgrowthsincethe'90s;anunemploymentratecutinhalf.Ourautoindustryjusthaditsbestyearever.Manufacturinghascreatednearly900,000newjobsinthepastsixyears.Andwe'vedoneallthiswhilecuttingourdeficitsbyalmostthree-quarters.

AnyoneclaimingthatAmerica'seconomyisindeclineispeddlingfiction.WhatistrueandthereasonthatalotofAmericansfeelanxiousisthattheeconomyhasbeenchanginginprofoundways,changesthatstartedlongbeforetheGreatRecessionhitandhaven'tletup.Today,technologydoesn'tjustreplacejobsontheassemblyline,butanyjobwhereworkcanbeautomated.Companiesinaglobaleconomycanlocateanywhere,andfacetoughercompetition.Asaresult,workershavelessleverageforaraise.Companieshavelessloyaltytotheircommunities.Andmoreandmorewealthandincomeisconcentratedattheverytop.

Allthesetrendshavesqueezedworkers,evenwhentheyhavejobs;evenwhentheeconomyisgrowing.It'smadeitharderforahardworkingfamilytopullitselfoutofpoverty,harderforyoungpeopletostartontheircareers,andtougherforworkerstoretirewhentheywantto.AndalthoughnoneofthesetrendsareuniquetoAmerica,theydooffendouruniquelyAmericanbeliefthateverybodywhoworkshardshouldgetafairshot.

Forthepastsevenyears,ourgoalhasbeenagrowingeconomythatworksbetterforeverybody.We'vemadeprogress.Butweneedtomakemore.Anddespiteallthepoliticalargumentswe'vehadthesepastfewyears,therearesomeareaswhereAmericansbroadlyagree.

WeagreethatrealopportunityrequireseveryAmericantogettheeducationandtrainingtheyneedtolandagood-payingjob.ThebipartisanreformofNoChildLeftBehindwasanimportantstart,andtogether,we'veincreasedearlychildhoodeducation,liftedhighschoolgraduationratestonewhighs,andboostedgraduatesinfieldslikeengineering.Inthecomingyears,weshouldbuildonthatprogress,byprovidingPre-Kforall,offeringeverystudentthehands-oncomputerscienceandmathclassesthatmakethemjob-readyondayone,andweshouldrecruitandsupportmoregreatteachersforourkids.

AndwehavetomakecollegeaffordableforeveryAmerican.Becausenohardworkingstudentshouldbestuckinthered.We'vealreadyreducedstudentloanpaymentstotenpercentofaborrower'sincome.Now,we'veactuallygottocutthecostofcollege.Providingtwoyearsofcommunitycollegeatnocostforeveryresponsiblestudentisoneofthebestwaystodothat,andI'mgoingtokeepfightingtogetthatstartedthisyear.

Ofcourse,agreateducationisn'tallweneedinthisneweconomy.Wealsoneedbenefitsandprotectionsthatprovideabasicmeasureofsecurity.Afterall,it'snotmuchofastretchtosaythatsomeoftheonlypeopleinAmericawhoaregoingtoworkthesamejob,inthesameplace,withahealthandretirementpackage,for30years,aresittinginthischamber.Foreveryoneelse,especiallyfolksintheirfortiesandfifties,savingforretirementorbouncingbackfromjoblosshasgottenalottougher.Americansunderstandthatatsomepointintheircareers,theymayhavetoretoolandretrain.Buttheyshouldn'tlosewhatthey'vealreadyworkedsohardtobuild.

That'swhySocialSecurityandMedicarearemoreimportantthanever;weshouldn'tweakenthem,weshouldstrengthenthem.AndforAmericansshortofretirement,basicbenefitsshouldbejustasmobileaseverythingelseistoday.That'swhattheAffordableCareActisallabout.It'saboutfillingthegapsinemployer-basedcaresothatwhenweloseajob,orgobacktoschool,orstartthatnewbusiness,we'llstillhavecoverage.Nearlyeighteenmillionhavegainedcoveragesofar.Healthcareinflationhasslowed.Andourbusinesseshavecreatedjobseverysinglemonthsinceitbecamelaw.

Now,I'mguessingwewon'tagreeonhealthcareanytimesoon.Butthereshouldbeotherwaysbothpartiescanimproveeconomicsecurity.SayahardworkingAmericanloseshisjobweshouldn'tjustmakesurehecangetunemploymentinsurance;weshouldmakesurethatprogramencourageshimtoretrainforabusinessthat'sreadytohirehim.Ifthatnewjobdoesn'tpayasmuch,thereshouldbeasystemofwageinsuranceinplacesothathecanstillpayhisbills.Andevenifhe'sgoingfromjobtojob,heshouldstillbeabletosaveforretirementandtakehissavingswithhim.That'sthewaywemaketheneweconomyworkbetterforeveryone.

IalsoknowSpeakerRyanhastalkedabouthisinterestintacklingpoverty.Americaisaboutgivingeverybodywillingtoworkahandup,andI'dwelcomeaseriousdiscussionaboutstrategieswecanallsupport,likeexpandingtaxcutsforlow-incomeworkerswithoutkids.

Butthereareotherareaswhereit'sbeenmoredifficulttofindagreementoverthelastsevenyearsnamelywhatrolethegovernmentshouldplayinmakingsurethesystem'snotriggedinfavorofthewealthiestandbiggestcorporations.Andhere,theAmericanpeoplehaveachoicetomake.

Ibelieveathrivingprivatesectoristhelifebloodofoureconomy.Ithinkthereareoutdatedregulationsthatneedtobechanged,andthere'sred