Biden tells rich to ‘pay their share’ with tax hikes in speech to Congress

Biden tells rich to ‘pay their share’ with tax hikes and asks Kamala to help push his $2.3T ‘blue-collar blueprint’ jobs plan in address to Congress slammed by Republicans as a ‘boring, socialist dream’

  • President Joe Biden delivered his first speech to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday night 
  • He entered the House chamber wearing a black face mask with cheers from the crowd of just 200 lawmakers 
  • It was also the first time two women, Vice President Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi, sat behind the president 
  • Biden started by calling the Capitol riot the ‘worst attack on our Democracy since the Civil War’ 
  • He promised that America is ‘on the move again’ and laid out his sweeping tax hikes and infrastructure plan 
  • Biden claimed credit for the vaccine rollout and said he would turn ‘peril into possibility’ while in office 
  • He also vowed to get tough on China, attacked Wall Street and laid out a list of demands for Congress
  • It included police reform, gun legislation, more to be done at the border and changes in healthcare  
  • First lady Dr. Jill Biden attended, but had ‘virtual’ guests instead of of the normal box of attendees   
  • He pitched tax hikes for those making over $400,000, said ‘trickle-down economics has never worked’ and said the word ‘jobs’ 43 times

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President Joe Biden launched his sweeping tax hikes, attacked Wall Street, said he inherited a country in ‘peril’ and laid out a list of legislative demands in his first address to Congress.

Walking into a chamber with just 200 lawmakers he pitched his $2.3trillion ‘blue-collar blueprint’ American Jobs Plan, pushed his $1.8trillion investment into ‘human infrastructure’ and spoke about how he will try and deal with the border, China, guns and police reform. 

He also handed over more responsibility to Vice President Kamala Harris by asking her to push his investment in ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ and insisted she would ‘get it done’, a month after directing her to deal with the border.    

He opened his speech standing in front of Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi by calling the Capitol riot the ‘worst attack on our Democracy since the Civil War’ and said ‘America’s house was on fire’ when he took office – but he didn’t mention Donald Trump.

Republicans widely panned the speech as ‘boring’ and a list of ‘socialist dreams’. GOP Senator Tim Scott said in his party’s rebuttal that the president was ‘pulling the country apart’ instead of promoting unity and his remarks were ‘full of empty platitudes’.

In his one hour and six minute address, Biden set out to redefine the role of government in the everyday lives of Americans, touting his vision for a vast social program that includes expanded family leave, child care, health care, and free preschool and college education. 

And he laid out his plan to finance it by raising taxes on the top 0.3 percent of American income earners. ‘Look, I’m not out to punish anyone. But I will not add to the tax burden of the middle class of this country,’ Biden said.

Biden said there were ‘good guys and women on Wall Street – but Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built the country. And unions built the middle class.’

Biden insisted he would help end the ‘exhaustive war’ on immigration by giving 11 million migrants a path to citizenship and urging Congress to pass legislation to make the border more secure.

President Joe Biden delivered his first speech to a joint meeting of Congress. He pitched his jobs plan as 'a blue-collar blueprint to build America'

President Joe Biden delivered his first speech to a joint meeting of Congress. He pitched his jobs plan as 'a blue-collar blueprint to build America'

President Joe Biden delivered his first speech to a joint meeting of Congress. He pitched his jobs plan as ‘a blue-collar blueprint to build America’

Only 200 guests were in the chamber, compared to the 1,600 at past speeches, due to the coronavirus pandemic

Only 200 guests were in the chamber, compared to the 1,600 at past speeches, due to the coronavirus pandemic

Only 200 guests were in the chamber, compared to the 1,600 at past speeches, due to the coronavirus pandemic

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff (L) and U.S. first lady Dr. Jill Biden (R) arrive before a speech by President Joe Biden to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol April 28, 2021

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff (L) and U.S. first lady Dr. Jill Biden (R) arrive before a speech by President Joe Biden to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol April 28, 2021

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff (L) and U.S. first lady Dr. Jill Biden (R) arrive before a speech by President Joe Biden to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol April 28, 2021

For the first time, two women sat behind the president on the House rostrum with Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi flanking Biden during his remarks

For the first time, two women sat behind the president on the House rostrum with Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi flanking Biden during his remarks

For the first time, two women sat behind the president on the House rostrum with Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi flanking Biden during his remarks

‘America is NOT racist’: Tim Scott’s rebuttal to Joe Biden 

Republican Sen. Tim Scott declared that America is ‘not a racist country’ as he delivered the GOP rebuttal to President Joe Biden‘s first speech before Congress. 

Scott, the only black Republican in the U.S. Senate, used a large part of his speech to talk about race – detailing racism he’s personally experienced, but making the argument that it’s just as racist to teach white kids that they’re ‘an oppressor.’  

He gave his party and its former leader, ex-President Donald Trump, credit for the COVID response – saying Biden had ‘inherited a tide that had already turned’ – while blasting Democrats for prolonged closures of schools and churches. 

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott delivered his party's response to President Joe Biden's first address before Congress

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott delivered his party's response to President Joe Biden's first address before Congress

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott delivered his party’s response to President Joe Biden’s first address before Congress

Scott also defended the GOP-backed Georgia voting bill, blasting Democrats for lying about the controversial legislation and labeling it ‘mainstream.’ 

The South Carolina Republican started out his remarks, delivered elsewhere in the U.S. Capitol, by saying Biden ‘seems like a good man,’ and adding that his ‘speech was full of good words.’   

‘But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership. He promised to unite a nation. To lower the temperature. To govern for all Americans, no matter how we voted. That was the pitch. You just heard it again,’ Scott said. ‘But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes.’ 

Scott blasted Biden and the Democrats for ‘pulling us further apart.’  

He talked about how his grandfather would sit at the table every morning ‘reading’ the newspaper, only for the senator to later find out he was illiterate. ‘He just wanted to set the right example,’ Scott said. 

‘I’ve also experienced a different kind of intolerance,’ he continued. ‘I get called “Uncle Tom” and the N-word by progressives, by liberals!’ 

 

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Selling his plans to spend $2.3 trillion on infrastructure and another $1.8 trillion for his ‘American Families Plan,’ Biden said the American system of government was at stake. 

‘We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works and we can deliver for our people,’ he said. 

Having beat back progressive primary challengers and pushed major government interventions in the economy through taxes and spending, Biden put a focus on the wealthy and demanded measures to bring more economic equality.

The president said 650 billionaires in the nation saw their net worth increase by a collective $1 trillion during the pandemic and made the point that money didn’t move down the chain.

‘My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has never worked. It’s time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle-out,’ he said.

Biden pitched his plan to raise the top income tax bracket to 39.6 per cent for those making more than $400,000 a year.

‘That’s where it was when George W. Bush became president,’ he said, after bashing the ‘big tax cut of 2017’ enacted under Trump.

‘It was supposed to pay for itself and generate vast economic growth. Instead it added $2 trillion to the deficit,’ he said.

‘We’re going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make more than $1 million a year pay a lower rate on their capital gains than working Americans pay on their work,’ Biden said. 

‘This will only affect three tenths of 1% of all Americans. And the IRS will crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes,’ he added.

It’s tradition for a president to make a joint address to Congress – as opposed to a more formal State of the Union speech – in his first few months in office to lay out his agenda for his presidency.

But Biden’s speech was different from the start. 

The president entered the chamber wearing a black face mask – in yet another demonstration of the coronavirus and its impact on his term. 

And when his speech ended, Biden lingered on the House floor to catch up with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, just as he once did with selfie-grabbing voters on the campaign trail. 

Speaking just before his 100th day in office in a tenure upended by the coronavirus, Biden pointed to his efforts on the coronavirus vaccine and declared the nation ‘on the move.’ 

Drawing from some of his emotional and homespun campaign rhetoric, Biden called for ‘choosing hope over fear, truth over lies and light over darkness.’ 

‘We all know life can knock us down. But in America, we never ever stay down,’ Biden said. 

‘America is ready for a takeoff,’ Biden said – reeling out metaphors having witnessed multiple presidential speeches to Congress in his four decades in the Senate. 

‘Good to be back,’ he said as he began his remarks, seeking to establish a bond with his audience. ‘Good to be almost home – down the hall,’ in reference to his old stomping ground. 

Despite the diminished crowd, Biden was applauded for about a minute.  

The event had many of the trappings of a typical State of the Union Speech – although the far smaller group of lawmakers were spaced four seats apart. The lawmakers gathered in the same House chamber penetrated during the Capitol riot. 

There were historic firsts – such as having the nation’s first female vice president seated next to the first female speaker of the House – although Speaker Nancy Pelosi has presided over plenty of historic speeches, including when she ripped up Donald Trump’s address. Also on display were cliches associated with past State of the Union speeches, including lawmakers glad-handing, and pre-canned rebuttal statements.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is spearheading Biden’s push to try to head off an immigration crisis, was a frequent presence in the camera shot. Her husband, first gentleman Douglas Emhoff, blew kisses to her while wearing a mask.

Acknowledging the historic pair of Harris and Pelosi, who wore masks throughout his speech, Biden said: ‘No president has ever said those words from this podium … and it’s about time. Madam speaker, madam vice president,’ in a line that drew applause.

Joe Biden’s tax hikes targeting the rich: Who will have to pay

Capital gains tax on investment sales for those earning more than $1million a year:

Current law: 20%

Proposal: 39.6%

With an effective rate of 43.4% when the Medicare surcharge is added.

Investors currently pay 23.8% as the top capital gains rate along with the 3.8% net investment income tax, known as the Medicare surtax. 

Around 500,000 people in the US, or 0.32% of the population, have recorded a gross income of over $1million.

For those earning more than $1 million in high-tax states, the total rate will be even higher given the combined federal and state tax capital gains.

In New York it could be as high as 52.22% and for Californians it could be 56.7%

Wealthy residents pay Capital Gains on the growth in value of investments when they are sold. They are mainly placed on profitable stock trades and real estate deals. They can also apply to sales of collectible cars, art, businesses, gold.

Investors are taxed on the difference between what they paid for the asset and what they sold it for. 

Investments held for at least one year tops out at 20% and those held under a year are taxed the same as salaries and wages. An additional 3.8% tax applies to those earning at least $200,000.

The US rate ranks in the middle of countries around the world. 

Investors generally support lower capital gains tax because they say it rewards entrepreneurship and encourages people to sell what they own. 

Corporate taxes

Current top rate: 21%

Proposed top rate: 28% 

These hikes have already been proposed in the first part of his infrastructure plan. 

He is also targeting US firms’ profits overseas and companies who use offshore businesses. 

Biden has still vowed that no one earning under $400,000 a year will pay more taxes in his administration. 

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First lady Dr. Jill Biden attended and was applauded when she entered the gallery, but without having traditional box of guests to spotlight pet causes. She met with some earlier in the day.

From the cabinet, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended. 

Calls Capitol riot ‘worst attack on democracy’ since Civil War 

Biden called the January 6th MAGA riot ‘the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War,’ as he sought to rally the nation, reach out to those whose lives have been upended by dislocation, and rally Americans to stick with measures to battle the coronavirus.

 He called it an ‘insurrection,’ and told lawmakers: ‘As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol—desecrating our democracy—remain vivid in our minds.’

‘Lives were put at risk. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was summoned. The insurrection was an existential crisis—a test of whether our democracy could survive,’ Biden said.

Crowd breaks barriers on gender with audience of only 200 because of coronavirus 

Seated inside were many of the power brokers who will determine the fate of his multi-trillion agenda: West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin; longtime Biden friend minority leader Mitch McConnell; and liberal firebrands Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Also there were senators who backed Trump’s effort to overturn election results, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a vocal Biden critic who said in advance of the speech it would be ‘radical’ and ‘boring.’ 

The dean of the diplomatic corps, from the nation of Palau, was there – but other diplomats stayed home. 

As in past years, an official escort committee received applause and a warm welcome as they entered the chamber. Among them were feuding House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and GOP Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, who backed Trump’s second impeachment. 

Biden didn’t mention Trump by name but mentioned what he inherited from his predecessor in the Oval Office. 

‘As I stand here tonight, we are just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. One hundred days since I took the oath of office—lifted my hand off our family Bible—and inherited a nation in crisis,’ he said.

‘The worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,’ he continued. 

But after citing the historic challenges, Biden included plenty of optimism.

‘Now—after just 100 days—I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength,’ he said. 

Tells Americans to get vaccinated and touts his coronavirus efforts

 Biden spoke with emotion about Americans lined up for food aid amid the pandemic.  

‘One of the defining images of this crisis has been cars lined up for miles waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk,’ he said.

‘Did you ever think you’d see that in America?’ he asked.

He touted the 220 million shots delivered to Americans in his first 100 days.  

‘Everyone over the age of 16, everyone – is now eligible and can get vaccinated right away,’ Biden said. ‘So get vaccinated now.’ 

'No president has ever said those words from this podium. … and it’s about time. Madam speaker, madam vice president,' Biden said in reference to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris

'No president has ever said those words from this podium. … and it’s about time. Madam speaker, madam vice president,' Biden said in reference to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris

‘No president has ever said those words from this podium. … and it’s about time. Madam speaker, madam vice president,’ Biden said in reference to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris

Biden exchanged fist bumps with lawmakers before and after his speech

Biden exchanged fist bumps with lawmakers before and after his speech

Biden exchanged fist bumps with lawmakers before and after his speech

Biden called the Jan. 6th riot 'the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War'

Biden called the Jan. 6th riot 'the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War'

Biden called the Jan. 6th riot ‘the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War’

U.S. military personal stage outside the Capitol as President Joe Biden speaks during a joint session of congress

U.S. military personal stage outside the Capitol as President Joe Biden speaks during a joint session of congress

U.S. military personal stage outside the Capitol as President Joe Biden speaks during a joint session of congress

Military personal stage outside the US Capitol before President Joe Biden's speech

Military personal stage outside the US Capitol before President Joe Biden's speech

Military personal stage outside the US Capitol before President Joe Biden’s speech

Security barriers were in place once again for the speech

Security barriers were in place once again for the speech

Security barriers were in place once again for the speech

National Guard forces have been protecting the Capitol since the Jan. 6th riot

National Guard forces have been protecting the Capitol since the Jan. 6th riot

National Guard forces have been protecting the Capitol since the Jan. 6th riot

Biden is expected to unveil Wednesday a massive capital gains increase. California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon would have the highest top capital gains rates

Biden is expected to unveil Wednesday a massive capital gains increase. California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon would have the highest top capital gains rates

Biden is expected to unveil Wednesday a massive capital gains increase. California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Oregon would have the highest top capital gains rates

Push for ‘blue-collar’ jobs plan 

Biden’s remarks also included outreach to Americans who may feel ‘left behind’ – outreach to millions who remain unemployed, as well as to potential Donald Trump supporters who have registered complaints about the economic system and job disruptions.

‘Now, I know some of you at home wonder whether these jobs are for you. You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that’s rapidly changing. Let me speak directly to you,’ Biden will say – pivoting to his multi-trillion proposals.

‘Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. These are good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan don’t require a college degree. 75% don’t require an associate’s degree,’ he will say.

He called his plan ‘a blue-collar blueprint to build America.’

And in outreach to his party’s progressive left, Biden ‘And, it recognizes something I’ve always said: Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class.’ 

New role for VP Kamala Harris 

During his talk about the jobs plan – Biden’s next big legislative effort, he said he was giving Kamala Harris special responsibility. He mentioned the plan’s focus on replacing old water pipes that may contain lead, as well as upgrading the national broadband network. But it was not entirely clear which part Harris would oversee.  

‘The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines so every American, so every child – can turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water. It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of rural Americans who still don’t have it. This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21st Century economy. And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort,’ said Biden.

‘Because I know it will get done,’ he said, turning to look at her – and trolling critics who have noted she has yet to visit the border while focusing on root causes of migration. 

Call for path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants

Biden called on Congress to pass the comprehensive immigration plan he proposed, which includes an eight-year path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, eliminates restrictions on family-based immigration, expands worker visas, and includes funding for security updates at the border.

‘Let’s end our exhausting war over immigration,’ he said.

He appealed to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle with his pitch.

‘If you believe we need a secure border – pass it,’ he said, addressing GOP concerns.

‘If you believe in a pathway to citizenship – pass it,’ he said, directed to Democrats.

‘If you actually want to solve the problem – I have sent you a bill, now pass it,’ he said.

Republicans have criticized Biden for rolling back Donald Trump’s stricter immigration policies, claiming it has led to a surge of migrants across the border. March saw record numbers of immigrants enter the country and a large number were unaccompanied children. The president will need GOP support to pass any immigration proposal given the narrow Democratic majority in the House and the 10 Republican votes he’ll need to advance any legislation in the Senate.

Given the legislative difficulties, Biden pushed for more targeted measures, one that would guarantee a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers, migrants brought to the US as young children by their parents; allow farmworkers already in the country to earn legal status; and ease restrictions on visas for seasonal agricultural workers.

Those proposals passed the House with bipartisan support.

‘If Congress won’t pass my plan – let’s at least pass what we agree on,’ the president said.

Democrats gave him a standing ovation and there was some applause among Republicans, who largely remained seated.

Biden also praised Vice President Kamala Harris, who he put in charge of diplomatic efforts on the Southern border.

‘I have absolute confidence she will get the job done,’ he said.

There was applause in the chamber to his praise of his vice president but it’s unclear if that was from just Democrats or if Republicans joined in.

Republicans have criticized Harris for not yet visiting the Southern border.

Harris does plan to visit Central America in June. Additionally, she held a virtual meeting on Monday with the president of Guatemala and meet virtually with community groups from the country on Tuesday.

Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Secretary of State Antony Blinken pose for a selfie photo on the House floor after President Joe Biden's address

Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Secretary of State Antony Blinken pose for a selfie photo on the House floor after President Joe Biden's address

Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Secretary of State Antony Blinken pose for a selfie photo on the House floor after President Joe Biden’s address

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talk as they arrive ahead of Biden's speech

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talk as they arrive ahead of Biden's speech

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talk as they arrive ahead of Biden’s speech

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., checks her phone during Biden's speech

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., checks her phone during Biden's speech

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., checks her phone during Biden’s speech

Call for bipartisanship – within limits

Biden touted his infrastructure plan – which is funded by tax hikes – and acknowledged a group of Republican senators who put out an alternative proposal to his $2.3 trillion effort. Democratic lawmakers blasted it as insufficient but the White House welcomed the plan.

‘Vice President Harris and I meet regularly in the Oval Office with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the American Jobs Plan. And I applaud a group of Republican Senators who just put forward their proposal,’ he said.

‘So, let’s get to work. We welcome ideas. But, the rest of the world isn’t waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option,’ he said – dangling an implied threat to find ways to overcome Republican opposition. That could include using special budget rules to enact his passage on a simple majority vote. 

He also called for Republicans to join Democrats on gun control measures. 

‘I don’t want to become confrontational but we need more Senate Republicans to join the overwhelming majority of democrat colleagues to close the loopholes required a background check [for]purchases of guns,’ Biden said.  

Push for action on George Floyd Act

Biden called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by next month. And he said Americans must act to ‘root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system.’

‘By the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death,’ the president said.

The act is currently stuck in the Senate with Sen. Tim Scott, tasked with rebutting Biden tonight for the Republican Party, leading negotiations for the GOP. Sen. Cory Booker is negotiating on behalf of the Democrats.

‘I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in productive discussions with Democrats,’ Biden said.

But he told his audience, ‘Now is our opportunity to make real progress.’

‘My fellow Americans, we have to come together. To rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in George Floyd’s name that passed the House already,’ Biden encouraged.

He recalled meeting Floyd’s daughter Gianna while campaigning for president last year.

‘As I knelt down to talk to her so we could talk eye—to—eye, she said to me, ‘Daddy changed the world,” he said. ‘After the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act.’

Biden plans organized his speech in broad strokes. 

‘We have to prove democracy still works. That our government still works—and can deliver for the people. In our first 100 days together, we have acted to restore the people’s faith in our democracy to deliver,’ he said in remarks released by the White House.

And pushed his main focus: beating back the virus through vaccine and other means.

‘We’re vaccinating the nation. We’re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. We’re delivering real results people can see and feel in their own lives. Opening the doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing fairness and justice.’ 

‘There’s still more work to do to beat this virus. We can’t let our guard down,’ he said. 

Democratic lawmakers crowded around President Biden after his remarks

Democratic lawmakers crowded around President Biden after his remarks

Democratic lawmakers crowded around President Biden after his remarks

President Joe Biden fist bumps U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) looks on after Biden concluded his first address to a joint session of Congress

President Joe Biden fist bumps U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) looks on after Biden concluded his first address to a joint session of Congress

President Joe Biden fist bumps U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) as Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) looks on after Biden concluded his first address to a joint session of Congress

Ending ‘forever wars’ and contending with Russia

Biden defended his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11th.

‘And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And I’m the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to have had a child serving in a warzone,’ he said, referencing his late son, Beau Biden.

‘Today we have service members serving in the same war as their parents once did. We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11. War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi—generational undertaking of nation—building,’ he said.

‘After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it’s time to bring our troops home,’ he added.

He defended his administration’s decision to slap sanctions on Russia in response to election interference and other actions.

‘With regard to Russia, I made very clear to President Putin that while we don’t seek escalation, their actions have consequences. I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia’s interference in our elections and cyber—attacks on our government and businesses – and they did both of those things and I did respond,’ he said.

‘But we can also cooperate when it’s in our mutual interests,’ he added. 

He also referenced U.S. competitor China multiple times. 

‘We’re in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st Century. We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better,’ he said, using his campaign slogan.

‘China and other countries are closing in fast,’ he warned. 

He brought up a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping and referenced years of complaints about Chinese trade practices – which helped prompt a trade war under President Trump.

‘That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China,’ Biden said. ‘In my discussion with President Xi, I told him that we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict. But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board.’ 

Battle for credit over vaccine rollout

Biden took opportunities to salute his own administration’s vaccine rollout, with more than 220 million shots delivered.

But South Carolina Republican Tim Scott, in the official GOP response, noted that Trump’s ‘Operation Warp Speed’ helped fuel vaccine production by dedicating billions to vaccine purchases before the remedies were yet proven.

Scott also thanked Trump, giving him credit for the development of the COVID vaccines.  

‘This Administration inherited a tide that had already turned. The coronavirus is on the run!’ Scott said. 

‘Thanks to Operation Warp Speed and the Trump Administration, our country is flooded with safe and effective vaccines,’ he continued. ‘Thanks to our bipartisan work last year, job openings are rebounding.’ 

In a sign of the complicated interplay between Republicans and Trump, Scott’s advanced remarks praising Trump on vaccines were sent out by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office – despite McConnell not speaking to Trump and saying he ‘provoked’ the Jan. 6th riot.

Jobs, the case for big government and NO mention of Trump: The key takeaways from Biden’s speech 

President Joe Biden on Wednesday returned to the U.S. Capitol, his home for more than three decades, and used his first address to Congress to make the case that the era of big government is back.

He said the U.S. is ‘on the move again’ after struggling through a devastating pandemic that killed more than 570,000 Americans, disrupted the economy and shook daily life. And he pitched an expansive – and expensive – vision to rebuild the nation´s roads, bridges, water pipes and other infrastructure, bolster public education and extend a wide swath of other benefits.

Here are some key takeaways from the president´s address:

BIDEN’S FOUR-LETTER WORD: JOBS

Biden uttered the word ‘jobs’ a whopping 43 times.

It´s perhaps no surprise for an administration that has made beating back the pandemic and getting Americans back to work the central guideposts for success.

Biden noted that the economy has gained some 1.3 million new jobs in the first few months of his administration – more than any in the first 100 days of any presidency. But he quickly pivoted to the need to pass his American Jobs Plan if the country is going to sustain momentum and get back to the historic low levels of unemployment before the pandemic.

He also aimed to frame his push for the U.S. to meet its international obligations to slow the impact of climate change as, ultimately, a jobs plan.

‘For too long, we have failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis,’ Biden said. ‘Jobs. Jobs. For me, when I think about climate change, I think jobs.’

WHO TURNED THE TIDE?

Biden said ‘America’s house was on fire’ when he took office, citing the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, its damaging economic impact and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

‘Now – after just 100 days – I can report to the nation: America is on the move again,’ Biden said, adding that the U.S. is now ‘turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength.’

It´s a tried and true strategy by the president to take credit for the more hopeful moment, as the coronavirus vaccines have provided a path out of the pandemic.

Republicans, meanwhile, made it clear they see things differently, with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., implicitly crediting former President Donald Trump for Biden´s good fortune.

‘This administration inherited a tide that had already turned,’ he said in the official GOP response to Biden´s address.

From polling, it´s clear Biden´s view is winning the day – at least so far – with more Americans approving of his job performance than ever did of Trump, with strong marks even from Republicans for handling the pandemic.

MAKING THE CASE FOR BIG GOVERNMENT

In the past, presidents from both parties used similar speeches to talk about the limits of government. Biden went in the opposite direction, offering a resounding embrace of the role Washington can play in improving lives.

The president ticked off details of some of his plan for $1.8 trillion in spending to expand preschool, create a national family and medical leave program, distribute child care subsidies and more.

The plan comes on top of his proposal for $2.3 trillion in spending to rebuild roads and bridges, expand broadband access and launch other infrastructure projects.

Republicans have shown little interest in Biden´s spending plan. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has argued that Biden´s plans are a ‘Trojan horse’ that will lead to middle-class tax hikes.

But Biden and his aides say all of this new spending is a wise investment in Americans – and doable at a time of low interest rates. Much of it can be paid through raising taxes on the wealthy and would go a long way toward addressing the frailties of life for the middle class and working poor exposed by the pandemic, Biden argues.

‘I’m not out to punish anyone,’ Biden said. ‘But I will not add to the tax burden of the middle class of this country.’

While achieving bipartisan backing for the proposals is a long shot, Biden seems to be betting he can win support across the electorate.

He even made a thinly veiled pitch to blue-collar and non-college-educated white men who voted for Trump in November, noting that 90% of the infrastructure jobs that will be created by his spending plans don´t require a college degree and 75% don´t require an associate´s degree.

‘The Americans Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America,’ Biden said. ‘And it recognizes something I´ve always said: Wall Street didn´t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class.’

‘REAL´ RACIAL JUSTICE

A week after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in the killing of George Floyd, and as the nation continues to grapple with a disproportionate number of Black men being killed by police, Biden called on Congress to meet the moment.

‘We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America,’ Biden said, referencing Floyd´s death under Chauvin’s knee. ‘Now is our opportunity to make real progress.’

Biden, who won the presidency with strong support from Black voters, called on Congress to send him a police reform bill named after Floyd by the anniversary of his death, May 25. But he also went further, saying he aimed to root out systemic racism in housing, education and public health.

‘We have a giant opportunity to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice,’ said Biden. ‘Real justice.’

PRESSING GOP ON GUNS, IMMIGRATION AND VOTING RIGHTS

Biden was elected on the promise of delivering action on gun control, immigration reform and voting rights protections, but even he seemed muted about the prospects for action on these priorities.

Biden spoke in emotional terms about gun violence and appealed to Republicans who have expressed support for providing a path to citizenship for people brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

‘The country supports it,’ Biden said repeatedly. ‘Congress should act.’

The issues were too important to the Democratic base to leave out. But they face stiff opposition among the GOP in the Senate, where 10 Republicans would have to join with Democrats to overcome a filibuster.

`WE HAVE TO PROVE DEMOCRACY STILL WORKS´

Biden said that while the nation´s democracy survived the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol meant to block the certification of his election, leaders in Washington must do more to boost the resilience of the nation´s system of government.

Biden argued that the nation´s adversaries ‘look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy.’

‘We have to prove them wrong,’ he said. ‘We have to prove democracy still works. That our government still works – and can deliver for the people.’

It was a familiar refrain for Biden, who has sounded an alarm about the nation´s divisions for years, but the urgency spiked after Jan 6.

Still, the appeal for unity appeared unlikely to sway many minds in Congress. Republicans have already lined up in opposition to Biden’s agenda, and the push for a bipartisan commission to probe the insurrection has struggled to gain support.

TRUMP WHO?

Biden campaigned on a promise to substantively and stylistically move the country past Trump, and in keeping with that tone, he made no direct mention of the 45th president.

Instead, he spoke only of the ‘last administration,’ blaming Trump and his team for abandoning an effort made by his old boss – Barack Obama – to financially assist the Northern Triangle nations in Central America. Migrants are now fleeing from those countries – El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – and arriving at the U.S. border.

In some ways, the absence of talk about Trump, who still falsely claims the election was stolen from him, isn´t surprising. Biden grumbled at a CNN town hall in February that he´s ‘tired of talking about Trump’ and he wants to make the next four years about the American people.

His omission made clear he´s determined to move on.

– Associated Press 

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‘100 days ago, America’s house was on fire’: Read Biden’s speech touting recovery since the ‘worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War’ in full 

Madame Speaker. Madame Vice President. No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it´s about time.

The First Lady. The Second Gentleman. Mr. Chief Justice. Members of the United States Congress and the Cabinet – and distinguished guests.

My fellow Americans.

While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very different – a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in.

Throughout our history, Presidents have come to this chamber to speak to the Congress, to the nation, and to the world. To declare war. To celebrate peace. To announce new plans and possibilities.

Tonight, I come to talk about crisis – and opportunity. About rebuilding our nation – and revitalizing our democracy. And winning the future for America.

As I stand here tonight – just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. 100 days since I took the oath of office, lifted my hand off our family Bible, and inherited a nation in crisis. The worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength. Life can knock us down. But in America, we never stay down. In America, we always get up.

And today, that´s what we´re doing: America is rising anew. Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness.

After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America. 100 days ago, America´s house was on fire. We had to act.

President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress, Wednesday, April 28, 2021, in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)

President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress, Wednesday, April 28, 2021, in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)

President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress, Wednesday, April 28, 2021, in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)

And thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer – and with the overwhelming support of the American people – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – we did act. Together – we passed the American Rescue Plan. One of the most consequential rescue packages in American history.

We´re already seeing the results. After I promised 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days – we will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in 100 days. We´re marshalling every federal resource. We´ve gotten the vaccine to nearly 40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers. We´re setting up community vaccination sites, and are deploying mobile units into hard-to-reach areas.

Today, 90% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a vaccination site. Everyone over the age of 16, everyone – is now eligible and can get vaccinated right away. So get vaccinated now.

When I was sworn in, less than 1% of seniors were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 100 days later, nearly 70% of seniors are fully protected. Senior deaths from COVID-19 are down 80% since January. Down 80%. And, more than half of all adults in America have gotten at least one shot.

At a mass vaccination center in Glendale, Arizona, I asked a nurse what it´s like. She looked and said every shot feels like a dose of hope. A dose of hope for the educator in Florida who has a child who suffers from an auto-immune disease. She wrote to me that she was worried about bringing the virus home. When she got vaccinated, she sat in her car and just cried. Cried out of joy, cried out of relief.

Parents are seeing smiles on their kids´ faces as they go back to school because teachers and school bus drivers, cafeteria workers have been vaccinated. Grandparents hugging their children and grandchildren instead of pressing their hands against a window to say goodbye It means everything to both of them.

There´s still more work to do to beat this virus. We can´t let our guard down now.

But tonight, I can say because of you – the American people – our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has ever seen.

What else have we done these first 100 days? We kept our commitment and we are sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85% of all American households. We´ve already sent more than 160 million checks out the door. It´s making a difference.

For many people, it´s making all the difference in the world. A single mom in Texas wrote to me. She said when she couldn´t work, this relief check put food on the table and saved her and her son from eviction.

A grandmother in Virginia told me she immediately took her granddaughter to the eye doctor – something she put off for months because she didn´t have the money.

One of the defining images of this crisis has been cars lined up for miles waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk. Did you ever think you´d see that in America?

That´s why the American Rescue Plan is delivering food and nutrition assistance to millions of Americans facing hunger – and hunger is down sharply already.

We´re also providing: Rental assistance to keep people from being evicted from their homes. Providing loans to keep small businesses open and their employees on the job. During these 100 days, an additional 800,000 Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act because I established a special sign up period to do that.

We´re making one of the largest one-time investments ever in improving health care for veterans. Critical investments to address the opioid crisis. And, maybe most importantly, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we are on track to cut child poverty in America in half this year.

In the process, the economy created more than 1.3 million new jobs in 100 days. More new jobs in the first 100 days than any president on record.

The International Monetary Fund is now estimating our economy will grow at a rate of more than 6% this year. That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in nearly four decades.

America is moving. Moving forward. And we can´t stop now. We´re in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st Century. We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better.

Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have transformed America. The transcontinental railroad and interstate highways united two oceans and brought us into a totally new age of progress. Universal public school and college aid opened wide the doors of opportunity. Scientific breakthroughs took us to the Moon and now to Mars, discovered vaccines, and gave us the Internet and so much more.

These are the investments we make together, as one country, and that only government can make. Time and again, they propel us into the future.

That´s why I proposed The American Jobs Plan – a once-in-a-generation investment in America itself. The largest jobs plan since World War II. It creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. Jobs modernizing roads, bridges and highways. Jobs building ports and airports, rail corridors and transit lines. It´s clean water.

Today, up to 10 million homes and more than 400,000 schools and child care centers have pipes with lead in them, including for drinking water. A clear and present danger to our children´s health. The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation´s lead pipes and service lines so every American, so every child can turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water.

It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of rural Americans who still don´t have it. This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21st Century economy. And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort.

It creates jobs by building a modern power grid. Our grids are vulnerable to storms, hacks, and catastrophic failures – with tragic results as we saw in Texas and elsewhere during winter storms. The American Jobs Plan will create jobs to lay thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid.

The American Jobs Plan will help millions of people get back to their jobs and their careers. 2 million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic, too often because they couldn´t get the care they need for their family, their children. 800,000 families are on a Medicaid waiting list right now to get homecare for their aging parent or loved one with a disability. This plan will help these families and create jobs for our caregivers with better wages and better benefits.

For too long, we have failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis. Jobs. Jobs. For me, when I think about climate change, I think jobs.

The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes. Electrical workers installing 500,000 charging stations along our highways. Farmers planting cover crops, so they can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it.

There´s no reason the blades for wind turbines can´t be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing. No reason why American workers can´t lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries.

The American Jobs Plan will create millions of good paying jobs – jobs Americans can raise their families on. And all the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by one principle: “Buy American.” American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products made in America that create American jobs. The way it should be.

Now – I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you. You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that´s rapidly changing. Let me speak directly to you. Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. These are good-paying jobs that can´t be outsourced. Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan do not require a college degree. 75% do not require an associate´s degree.

The American Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America. And, it recognizes something I´ve always said. Wall Street didn´t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class.

And that´s why I´m calling on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act – the PRO Act – and send it to my desk to support the right to unionize.

By the way – let´s also pass the $15 minimum wage. No one should work 40 hours a week and still live below the poverty line.

And we need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women. Let´s get the Paycheck Fairness Act to my desk for equal pay. It´s long past time.

Finally, the American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in non-defense research and development on record. We will see more technological change in the next 10 years – than we saw in the last 50 years.

And we´re falling behind in that competition. Decades ago we used to invest 2% of our GDP on research and development. Today, we spend less than 1%. China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future: advanced batteries, biotechnology, computer chips, and clean energy.

The Defense Department has an agency called DARPA – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – that´s there to develop breakthroughs to enhance our national security – which led to the internet and GPS and so much more. The National Institutes of Health, the NIH – should create a similar Advanced Research Projects Agency for health. To develop breakthroughs – to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like Alzheimer´s, diabetes, and cancer.

This is personal to so many of us. I can think of no more worthy investment. And I know of nothing that is more bipartisan. Let´s end cancer as we know it. It´s within our power

Investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we´re talking about have often had bipartisan support. Vice President Harris and I meet regularly in the Oval Office with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the American Jobs Plan. And I applaud a group of Republican Senators who just put forward their proposal.

So, let´s get to work. We welcome ideas. But, the rest of the world isn´t waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option. We can´t be so busy competing with each other that we forget the competition is with the rest of the world to win the 21st Century.

To win that competition for the future, we also need to make a once-in-a-generation investment in our families – in our children. That´s why I´m introducing the American Families Plan tonight, which addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families today.

First, access to a good education. When this nation made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in the world. But the world is catching up. They are not waiting. 12 years is no longer enough today to compete in the 21st Century.

That´s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America – starting as early as we can. We add two years of universal high-quality pre-school for every 3- and 4- year-old in America. The research shows that when a young child goes to school – not day care – they are far more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college.

And then we add two years of free community college. And we will increase Pell Grants and investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions.

Jill is a community college professor who teaches today as First Lady. She has long said any country that out-educates us is going to outcompete us – and she´ll be leading this effort.

Second, the American Families plan will provide access to quality, affordable child care. We guarantee that low- to middle-income families will pay no more than 7% of their income for high-quality care for children up to the age of 5. The most hard-pressed working families won´t have to spend a dime.

Third, the American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. No one should have to choose between a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one – a parent, spouse, or child.

And fourth, the American Families Plan puts money directly into the pockets of millions of families. In March we expanded a tax credit for every child in a family. Up to a $3,000 Child Tax Credit for children over 6 – and $3,600 for children under 6. With two parents, two kids, that´s up to $7,200 in your pocket to help take care of your family. This will help more than 65 million children and help cut child poverty in half this year. Together, let´s extend the Child Tax Credit at least through the end of 2025.

The American Rescue Plan lowered health care premiums for 9 million Americans who buy their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Let´s make that provision permanent so their premiums don´t go back up.

In addition to my Families Plan, I will work with Congress to address – this year – other critical priorities for America´s families.

The Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of Americans – protecting people with pre-existing conditions, protecting women´s health. And the pandemic has demonstrated how badly it is needed.

Let´s lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable Care Act, and let´s lower prescription drug costs. We all know how outrageously expensive they are. In fact, we pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world right here in America – nearly three times as much as other countries.

We can change that. Let´s do what we´ve always talked about. Let´s give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs. That won´t just help people on Medicare – it will lower prescription drug costs for everyone.

The money we save can go to strengthen the Affordable Care Act – expand Medicare coverage and benefits – without costing taxpayers one additional penny. We´ve talked about it long enough – Democrats and Republicans. Let´s get it done this year. This is all about a simple premise: Health care should be a right, not a privilege in America.

So how do we pay for my Jobs and Family Plans? I´ve made clear that we can do it without increasing deficits.

Let´s start with what I will not do. I will not impose any tax increases on people making less than $400,000 a year. It´s time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to pay their fair share. Just pay their fair share.

A recent study shows that 55 of the nation´s biggest corporations paid zero in federal income tax last year. No federal taxes on more than $40 billion in profits. A lot of companies evade taxes through tax havens from Switzerland to Bermuda to the Cayman Islands. And they benefit from tax loopholes and deductions that allow for offshoring jobs and shifting profits overseas. That´s not right.

We´re going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share – and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from.

And, we´re going to reward work, not wealth. We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans – those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%.

We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans – those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%. That´s where it was when George W. Bush became president.

We´re going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make more than $1 million a year pay a lower rate on their capital gains than working Americans pay on their work. This will only affect three tenths of 1% of all Americans.

And the IRS will crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes. That´s estimated to be billions of dollars.

Look, I´m not out to punish anyone. But I will not add to the tax burden of the middle class of this country. They´re already paying enough. What I´ve proposed is fair. It´s fiscally responsible. It raises the revenue to pay for the plans I´ve proposed that will create millions of jobs and grow the economy.

When you hear someone say that they don´t want to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and on corporate America – ask them: whose taxes are you going to raise instead, and whose are you going to cut?

Look at the big tax cut in 2017. It was supposed to pay for itself and generate vast economic growth. Instead it added $2 trillion to the deficit. It was a huge windfall for corporate America and those at the very top. Instead of using the tax savings to raise wages and invest in research and development – it poured billions of dollars into the pockets of CEOs.

In fact, the pay gap between CEOs and their workers is now among the largest in history. According to one study, CEOs make 320 times what their average workers make.

The pandemic has only made things worse. 20 million Americans lost their jobs in the pandemic – working- and middle-class Americans. At the same time, the roughly 650 Billionaires in America saw their net worth increase by more than $1 Trillion. Let me say that again. Just 650 people increased their wealth by more than $1 Trillion during this pandemic. They are now worth more than $4 Trillion.

My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has never worked. It´s time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle-out. A broad consensus of economists – left, right, center – agree that what I´m proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic economic growth.

These are among the highest value investments we can make as a nation. I´ve often said that our greatest strength is the power of our example – not just the example of our power. And in my conversations with world leaders – many I´ve known for a long time – the comment I hear most often is: we see that America is back – but for how long?

My fellow Americans, we have to show not just that we are back, but that we are here to stay. And that we aren´t going it alone – we´re going to be leading with our allies.

No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time alone – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to mass migration, cybersecurity, climate change – and as we´re experiencing now, pandemics.

There´s no wall high enough to keep any virus away. As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs – and we are meeting them – we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries – just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War 2.

The climate crisis is not our fight alone, either. It´s a global fight. The United States accounts for less than 15% of carbon emissions. The rest of the world accounts for 85%. That´s why – I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office.

And I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in America, with all of the major economies of the world – from China and Russia to India and the European Union in my first 100 days. I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an inflection point in history. And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet – and we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living for everyone in the world.

The investments I´ve proposed tonight also advance a foreign policy that benefits the middle class. That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China. In my discussion with President Xi, I told him that we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict.

But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board. America will stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual property.

I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe – not to start conflict – but to prevent conflict. And, I told him what I´ve said to many world leaders – that America won´t back away from our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms. No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country.

America is an idea – unique in the world. We are all created equal. It´s who we are. We cannot walk away from that principle.

With regard to Russia, I made very clear to President Putin that while we don´t seek escalation, their actions have consequences. I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia´s interference in our elections and cyberattacks on our government and businesses – and they did both of those things and I did respond. But we can also cooperate when it´s in our mutual interests. As we did when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms – and as we´re working to do on the climate crisis.

On Iran and North Korea´s nuclear programs that present a serious threat to America´s security and world security – we will be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy and stern deterrence.

And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan. We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And I´m the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to have had a child serving in a warzone. Today we have service members serving in the same war as their parents once did. We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11.

War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi-generational undertaking of nation-building. We went to Afghanistan to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. We delivered justice to Osama Bin Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it´s time to bring our troops home. Even as we do, we will maintain an over-the-horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland.

But make no mistake – the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from. Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in Africa and the Middle East and beyond.

And, we won´t ignore what our own intelligence agencies have determined – the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from white supremacist terrorism. And my fellow Americans, we must come together to heal the soul of this nation.

It was nearly a year ago before her father´s funeral, when I spoke with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd´s young daughter. As I knelt down to talk to her so we could talk eye-to-eye, she said to me, “Daddy changed the world.” After the conviction of George Floyd´s murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act.

We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America. Now is our opportunity to make real progress. Most men and women in uniform wear their badge and serve their communities honorably. I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well.

My fellow Americans, we have to come together. To rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in George Floyd´s name that passed the House already.

I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in productive discussions with Democrats. We need to work together to find a consensus. Let´s get it done next month, by the first anniversary of George Floyd´s death. The country supports this reform. Congress should act.

We have a giant opportunity to bend to the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Real justice. And with the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways. A chance to deliver real equity. Good jobs and good schools. Affordable housing. Clean air and clean water. Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations. Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans – Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American.

I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94-1 to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the vicious hate crimes we´ve seen this past year – and for too long. I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk as soon as possible.

I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans. To all the transgender Americans watching at home – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know that your president has your back.

And another thing. Let´s reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which has been law in this country for 27 years since I first wrote it. It will close the so-called “boyfriend” loophole to keep guns out of the hands of abusers. It´s estimated that more than 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner – every month in America. Pass it and save lives.

And I need not tell anyone this, but gun violence is an epidemic in America. Our flag at the White House was still flying at half-staff for the 8 victims of the mass shooting in Georgia, when 10 more lives were taken in a mass shooting in Colorado. In the week between those mass shootings, more than 250 other Americans were shot dead. 250 shot dead.

I know how hard it is to make progress on this issue. In the 1990s, we passed universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that hold 100 rounds that can be fired in seconds. We beat the NRA. Mass shootings and gun violence declined. But in the early 2000´s, that law expired and we´ve seen the daily bloodshed since.

More than two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, surrounded by some of the bravest people I know – the survivors and families who lost loved ones to gun violence – I laid out several steps the Department of Justice is taking to end this epidemic.

One of them is banning so-called “ghost guns.” They are homemade guns built from a kit that includes the directions on how to finish the firearm. The parts have no serial numbers, so when they show up at a crime scene, they can´t be traced. The buyers of ghost gun kits aren´t required to pass a background check. Anyone from a criminal to a terrorist could buy this kit and, in as little as 30 minutes, put together a lethal weapon. But not anymore.

I will do everything in my power to protect the American people from this epidemic of gun violence. But it´s time for Congress to act as well. We need more Senate Republicans to join with the overwhelming majority of their Democratic colleagues, and close loopholes and require background checks to purchase a gun. And we need a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines again.

Don´t tell me it can´t be done. We´ve done it before … and it worked. Talk to most responsible gun owners, most hunters – they´ll tell you there´s no possible justification for having 100 rounds – 100 bullets – in a weapon. They will tell you that there are too many people today who are able to buy a gun, but who shouldn´t be able to.

These kinds of reasonable reforms have the overwhelming support of the American people – including many gun owners. The country supports reform, and the Congress should act. This shouldn´t be a Red vs. Blue issue. It´s an American issue.

And here´s what else we can do. Immigration has always been essential to America. Let´s end our exhausting war over immigration. For more than 30 years, politicians have talked about immigration reform and done nothing about it. It´s time to fix it.

On day one of my Presidency, I kept my commitment and I sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress. If you believe we need a secure border – pass it. If you believe in a pathway to citizenship – pass it. If you actually want to solve the problem – I have sent you a bill, now pass it.

We also have to get at the root of the problem of why people are fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. The violence. The corruption. The gangs. The political instability. Hunger. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. When I was Vice President, I focused on providing the help needed to address these root causes of migration. It helped keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave.

Our plan worked. But the last administration shut it down. I´m restoring the program and asked Vice President Harris to lead our diplomatic efforts. I have absolute confidence she will get the job done.

Now, if Congress won´t pass my plan – let´s at least pass what we agree on. Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for the Dreamers – the young people who have only known America as their home. And, permanent protections for immigrants on temporary protected status who come from countries beset by man-made and natural made violence and disaster. As well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers who put food on our tables.

Immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic – as they have throughout our history. The country supports immigration reform. Congress should act.

And if we are to truly restore the soul of America – we need to protect the sacred right to vote. More people voted in the last presidential election than ever before in our history – in the middle of one of the worst pandemics ever. That should be celebrated. Instead it´s being attacked.

Congress should pass H.R. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and send them to my desk right away. The country supports it. Congress should act.

As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol – desecrating our democracy – remain vivid in our minds. Lives were put at risk. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was summoned.

The insurrection was an existential crisis – a test of whether our democracy could survive. It did. But the struggle is far from over. The question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent. As old as our Republic. Still vital today.

Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us – created equal in the image of God – have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility? Can our democracy deliver on the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart?

America´s adversaries – the autocrats of the world – are betting it can´t. They believe we are too full of anger and division and rage. They look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy.

They are wrong. And we have to prove them wrong. We have to prove democracy still works. That our government still works – and can deliver for the people.

In our first 100 Days together, we have acted to restore the people´s faith in our democracy to deliver. We´re vaccinating the nation. We´re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. We´re delivering real results people can see and feel in their own lives. Opening the doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing fairness and justice.

That´s the essence of America. That´s democracy in action. Our Constitution opens with the words, “We the People”. It´s time we remembered that We the People are the government. You and I. Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we have no control over. It´s us. It´s “We the people.”

In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt reminded us-In America: we do our part. That´s all I´m asking. That we all do our part. And if we do, then we will meet the central challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong. The autocrats will not win the future. America will. The future will belong to America.

I stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour in the life of our democracy and our nation. And I can say with absolute confidence: I have never been more confident or more optimistic about America.

We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy – of pandemic and pain – and “We the People” did not flinch. At the very moment our adversaries were certain we would pull apart and fail. We came together. United. With light and hope, we summoned new strength and new resolve. To position us to win the competition for the 21st Century. On our way forward to a Union more perfect. More prosperous. More just. As one people. One nation. One America.

It´s never been a good bet to bet against America. And it still isn´t. We are the United States of America. There is nothing – nothing – beyond our capacity – nothing we can´t do – if we do it together.

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

 

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