Transcripts For CSPAN State Of The Union Address 20130213

Represented here tonight. We will watch as the house and senate devil into session. We will watch the senators make their way to the House Chamber, where they were joined by the cabinet, the diplomatic corps, and the Supreme Court justices, all assembled to listen to the speech. As we set the stage for the tradition and politics of tonight, and preview the president s agenda for the next year, we want to talk to you as well. We will be opening our phone lines to ask you what you think the top issue is, facing the nation right now. Here are our phone lines. You can also join the conversation on our facebook page, and find us on twitter. We will be taking your calls in just a few minutes, as the program progresses. For this preview program, we are joining you from one of the Senate Office buildings, the russell building, just across the street from the capital. We are surrounded by many other television crews. We will give you some of the sense, at least from an audio perspective, of the hustle and bustle. There is quite a lot of the activity on capitol hill. At about 8 20 eastern time, the senate will devil into session. They will make a formal procession over to the House Chamber, across statuary hall. We will watch that. At 8 35, the house devils in the, awaiting the arrival. The president addresses the joint session at 9 00 p. M. Eastern. Somewhere around 10 00 eastern time, senator marco rubio of florida will be delivering the gop response. You will see all of that on this network, followed by your phone call reactions to the speech tonight. Will ticket to the capital, to members of the house and senate who are here in their official capacity for the first time tonight center and disking of maine served two terms as maines governor. Senator angus king served two terms as maines governor. I think you for being with us. Senator king, he want to start with you. You have some washington routes. Is this your first day of the Union Address . It is. I worked here as a step for many years ago in the senate. But i never got to a state of the union. To be able to walk onto the floor is an amazing and somewhat surreal experience. I keep pinching myself. The honor and opportunity to serve in this place is kind of overwhelming. I am sure look feels the same way a parent sure luke feels the same way. The town has been divided, in partisan terms. Is this a night when partisan politics are set aside . I hope it is. There are some little green shoots of bipartisanship going on. In the senate, there was a negotiated change in the filibuster rule, the first in about 35 years. It came to bipartisan discussions. A few days later, there was a Bipartisan Group coming forward with a proposal for Immigration Reform. I do not think that what happened a few years ago. I am not ready to declare kumbaya around here. I think there is progress. Everybody realizes we have Serious Problems to work on. The only way to solve them is to Work Together. Is this your state of the union your first state of the union . I was press secretary about 13 years ago and had a chance to be out in the hustle of the media. This is my first opportunity to be on the floor. It is a quintessential american moment. You cannot help but feel a great honor and responsibility, representing your area of the country as part of this effort tonight. Like most americans, i want to see our country move forward. I am optimistic we will hear a positive message from this president. I hope the focus is on spending and the economy, and jobs. Those are the elephants in the room right now. We need leadership on all those topics. In fact, here party have prepared talking points for the evening to give their perspective on the president s major agenda items, as you anticipate them. Also, you have an opportunity to give an official response. Talk to me a little bit about the need to counterbalance the president s agenda tonight. I think it is early in the session. There are opportunities to Work Together. There are opportunities with immigration, on tax reform, on spending reform. Most folks i talk to on both sides of the aisle recognize we have a spending problem in the country. You have heard quotes from a few members of the house to the contrary. I hope that is what the president will focus on tonight. I think there will be issues like the second amendment, tax increases, and the like. He will have a harder time buying folks together. Stay with that thought. The white house this afternoon released a statement from the president and his proposals would not add any new debt, and would not increase the deficit. The key here is not the president s rhetoric. If the president put forward proposals that do not add to the debt we have a spending problem in the nation. I think that is the ever you will see a lot of republicans, moving forward to put forward an agenda that makes sure we quit spending more money than we take in. Senator mccain, we are going to put the preview of the new congress senator king, we are going to preview the new congress. Six of the new senators come from the house of representatives. As you have gotten down to work, what have these new members brought to the process . I want to compliment you for having a phone number for independence. Independents. That is real progress. It is a Diverse Group from across the country. A large group of women and men from different walks of life and the rounds. I have already seen, in the committees i am working on, the new members are not shrinking violets. Ma, you have joe donnelly from indiana, and heidi. Wheat is a really impressive group. There are people here from both parties, and me, who are here to make a difference, and try to find a way out of this. As bill clinton said in the summer, it is about arithmetic. If you have a Republican House but a democratic senate, and republicans with substantial power, there is no way we cant solve these problems of the working together. It just cannot happen. The house to be compromised. There has to be compromise. I want to see a respectful exchange of opinions. I am sure there are going to be differences. A i am mildly optimistic about where we go. We have tough issues. The sequester, which takes place on march 1, which is arbitrary acrosstheboard budget cuts in discretionary areas, including defense, the is going to be a disaster, unless we find a way to fix that, at least for this year. I was in a hearing of the Armed Services committee this morning. I will not give you the depressing figures. Thousands of jobs are being cut, and programs. It will end up costing us more money. We have real work to do. We got ourselves into this. We ought to be able to get ourselves out. I do think the sequestered trumps all . With this deadline ahead, does that really frame the effort of everyone on capitol until that is resolved . I think that will dominate the next couple of weeks. There are substantial defense cuts in discretionary cuts as well. I think from the republican perspective, particularly in the house, we think the spending reductions can be given back. We need to figure out a better way to bring those reductions, but not give them away by agreeing tax increases to the table. The folks i talk to backcourt i live in indiana, believe it is immoral to continue to pile debt on future generations, to rob them of their opportunity to live the american dream. I think there is an awareness in both parties that this is about more than arithmetic and doing our math homework correctly. It is about, over the last few years, too many parents have had to come home and tell their families they have lost their jobs. Seniors have had to worry about whether they will have Social Security and medicare. I have a single parent mother who raised me at home. She is 63, nearing retirement. She needs to know that during the course of her retirement we will have a secure Social Security and medicare. All of those things are at risk if we do not stop spending money we do not have. I think that is the big debate we will have in the next couple of weeks. I believe we want to find a resolution that makes sense for our country. Let us show the audience what the house looks like in 2013. Nine of the members are returning to the house from previous 10 years there. Tenures there. Republican conference has already had its retreat. Have you talked as a group about how to be more effective . Perhaps some of the efforts in the Previous Congress to give us a preview of what you see your tactics, going forward, without giving away the farm . Let me say a word about that class. It is not because there has been a sweet of 80 new members. That has happened before. But it is a diverse class provided by both parties. There are efforts to Work Together, reach out to the other side, and get to know each other better. With the retreat, you have to understand when you did not win. The last election, the president won. We have a democratic senate. Republicans have to reevaluate how we communicate. Most of our caucus believe it is not about presenting new principles. The principles of limited government, freedom, opportunity they have served the nation well for decades, if not a couple hundred years. All we need to think about how to market that message and how people understand how these principles give them better opportunities in their life. For both of you, the hard work continues. Until then, enjoy your first state of the union. Thank you for joining us to set the stage for the evening tonight. We appreciate it. Senator and is king of maine is independent, caucusing with the hamas democrats. Time for some of your phone calls. We are going to hear from the president tonight, and later on from marco rubio, about their agenda for the new year. We want to hear what you think the top priority for this nation is. Let us begin with a phone call from jeremy, in maryland, a democrat. Jeremy, you are on. Jeremy, go ahead, please. Guest caller tonight, the Biggest Issue is gun control. I use guns. I do not think we need to have automatic assault weapons in our homes. I go hunt in western maryland, which is only about an hour from d. C. I do not need that kind of weapon to kill a beaver or kill a bear. I think the president needs to say that we do not want to take peoples guns away, but we need to make sure that we spend money in mental health. I think that is a major issue, especially with what is happening in california. Something other than him being fired had to upset the officer of his shooting spree. Host let us hear next from pamela, who is watching us in connecticut, a republican. Caller i would like to know from these people i am in Small Business. I am an interior designer. I am a Third Generation Small Business owner. Dwight is that the administration and senators have not paid more attention to Small Businesses . We are trying to save the jobs of people with young children. We are trying to get tax breaks and incentives. Why is it we are struggling so far to save Small Businesses, and we are failing at it . We are not going to survive to the next generation. How can this administration and the senators, who are so enthusiastic how can they help us . Host we are beginning to hear, at least in this town, talks of green shoots in the economy. Things are trending better. Are you seeing any of that . Caller i have seen a little of that. I see the difficulties of families who have reduced incomes. They have higher taxes. There was an increase in connecticut in state sales tax. We are a bricks and mortar store, so i see the problems of being a company where everybody counts on our taxes. I see a little bit here and there, but it is sporadic. We will have a week that is busy, and another week that is very slow. The government has to pay closer attention to how they can help Small Businesses. Any of the people since the election how can that be better . Host harry is watching us from virginia, an independent. Caller we think there are three Top Priorities to the state of the union, and one basic solution. They need to be focused on the economy, reining in the deficit, and improving employment with new jobs and higher income. Incomes have stagnated. There is really only one solution. If we want to accomplish our goals, we really need to and partisanship. This was promised four years ago, when president obama ran for office the first time. We have to get our country back on track. The president s job is to lead our country, to unite our country, to bring both sides of the aisle, all three sides of the aisle by an independent together. He won the election by 3 , not a huge margin. He represents the other 48 who did not vote for him. I would like to truly see him embrace the other half. Host thanks for your call. We will continue to take your calls throughout the hour, and will preview the state of the union, a thing you the most important agenda item for this country. Had we hear the president laid out his firstyear agenda for a second term. Following that, the republicans and their response speech, given by marco rubio. One organization is the gallup organization. The editor in chief is on the line with us, mr. Newport. We understand you time this whole leading into the state of the union, asking people the most important problem. What did you find out . Guest we have been asking that question since the depression here at a gallop. We have a lot of measures on it. We just finished the of state sunday, so we clearly know what is on the minds of americans. What is the most important problem . Five come up in double digits. This is an openended spontaneous question that we code. The top of the list is the economy in general. Second is unemployment and jobs. Put those together, you have 45 of americans who spontaneously Say Something about those issues. Third, dysfunction in government. That has been rising in its measurement, by our question of most important problem. A considerable number of american spontaneously say the most important problem we face is their dissatisfaction with government and the way it operates. Fourth on the list is the deficit, and finally health care, which rose a little this week when this month. That is not the fifth problem mentioned by americans. There is the top five. And get government working again, the deficit, and health care. Host a few issues we have heard from the white house in their preview, likely to talk about what is immigration . Where did that ball . Guest it barely shows up spontaneously. Very few americans on instantaneous basis, 3 , mention emigration as the tough half who problem. As the top problem. Asked americans if they would vote for a series of things the president put forward in the next several weeks, including more money spent on border patrols and a pathway to citizenship, easing pieces for people with scientific skills. All of them passed by a majority. Americans favor the ideas, but the issue is not a priority. It is a low priority right now. Host based on the white house and the guest list, the president has invited in the balcony to watch the speech he will be emphasizing gun measures. How important is that to the americans . Guest issue with immigration. We tested a series of proposals the president put forward. Everyone of those, even parents on assault weapons, past, passed. Majority of americans said they would vote for those. Americans favor the issues. But your question is the german one, and that is pirated. It has risen. Is germane, and that is priority. In december, we were in the field just after the newtown shootings, and it went to 4 . This month, it has gone to 6 , he guncontrol and gun violence. That makes it the sixth most frequently mentioned problem, so it is rising some. But as you can tell, it is still not at the top of the list. Host on dissatisfaction with government, 16 spontaneously telling you that was the most important problem in washington, can you give us a sense that the president s overall Approval Rating and congresss Approval Rating . Guest will be a huge disparity in the hall tonight. The person at the podium has all of the positive numbers. The people in the seats, congress, have the low numbers. Obama his approved at 52 , higher than he ever did in his first term. He is on his way up. The members of Congress Sitting in the col. Were at last half february, and are up to 15 . The members of Congress Sitting in the hall were at 10 last february, and are up to 15 . For the federal government in general, americans are very negative. They think it is dysfunctional. They think there is too much partisanship. Americans would say to their elected representatives they send to washington, get your act together and get something done. Host on your top list, we do not see anything about the war. We hear the president is going to announce more troops coming home this time next year. Where are the wars in the middle east and Foreign Policy in the minds of the American Public . Guest they are very low. I mentioned we have been asking this question for decades. In the early 1950s, the korean war was at the top of the scale. In the early 70s early 1970s, the vietnam war was at the top of the scale. The iraq war rose very high in the mid part of the last decade. At the moment, few americans spontaneously mentioned Foreign Policy, or specifically the wars in afghanistan, conflicts in the middle east, or even things like Nuclear Weapons in korea. Anything having to do with Foreign Policy or overseas activity is not top of mind for the average american at this point. We just measured obama on Approval Rating. His number one issue was national defence. It is a strength for this president. He is perceived as doing well on that part of his portfolio. But it is not a party for americans. Host very interesting information. The cspan audience is getting a first look at it with you. Thank you for giving us a preview on americas most important problems, as we look at the state of the Union Address. Thanks so much. We are going to go back to our phone calls, asking you the same question. What is taught on your mind, in problems facing the country . Aha caller caller a relief of the president stresses the importance of both sides putting aside their own political interests in the sake of moving the country forward. There are way too many issues on the table, and too many people are suffering at the hands of partisan politics, you know . Host kyle is up next in woodbridge, california, as a republican. Caller i am an active duty marine. I think one of the most important issues that people are looking at is guncontrol. I am a weapons to the expert for my office in the marine corps. Everyone asks me, what do you think the president is going to say . What you think is best for the country . What you think about gun control . It is not gun control it is human control. We need to stress how people get control of weapons, how people get access to weapons. It needs to be so much stress on, not what these weapons are doing, but the people behind the trigger. That is the most important topic the president needs to focus on tonight. There are a lot of issues on the table. But the one that is most important in my world is about one. Host tina is our next caller, in tulsa, oklahoma, and a republican. Caller i think we need tighter laws on government aid, due to the fact that it is being abused. People are working under the counter and living on the government. They are not working when they can. Host what would you Like Washington to do about that . Caller i think they need to put tighter guidelines, or make it so they have to go through education and try to get a job before who can get their aid. Host thank you for your call. We will be back to calls in a few minutes, but let us introduce you to our next, yes, joining us from inside statutory hall. She is a Huffington Post managing editor,. He is the National Editor for the national review. Let us start with you, robert costa. From a conservative point of view, what is this might about . What does it frame in washington . Conservative guest 0 interested in what the president has to say in the economy. The president laid out a progressive vision for his second term. We heard the poetry in the inaugural. What about the pros . We are looking for details not only on the economy, but on immigration and fiscal issues. This is an opportunity for the president to offer an olive branch to his opposition. Guest how do you think the president could best use tonight . The inaugural address laid out a progressive vision. He talked about the rights, womens rights, civil rights. We get into the specifics. Present plans to focus on the middleclass and lay out policies focusing on education, infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing, which will help the middle class. I think progressives are hoping he will put forward policies in line with his inaugural vision progressive, aggressive, and inspirational. That is what they are hoping to hear tonight. How host about the selection of marco roby roma hamas host host how about the selection of marco rubio . Guest he has only been in the senate a couple of years. Republicans are also looking past mitt romneys defeat. They are looking forward to someone who will deliver an address in both english and spanish. The republicans are losing hispanics, young voters, and women. Rubio only has tea party appeal, but mass appeal. That is why his speech is so important, what he represents about the partys future. Host the tea party is also being represented in a separate response by senator rand paul. What does that suggest about the tea party influence in washington, and who speaks for them . Guest a great question. Unlike a lot of things in the Republican Party right now, a lot of disarray, a lot of confusion. Rimpau and marco rubio are not necessarily competitors. They consider themselves allies. Rand paul is another potential 2016 contender. He is trying to take his fathers mantle with the libertarian movement. He wants to speak to those voters tonight, not Just Tea Party voters. He has a message for them. Host a number of stories over the past week about the challenge of delivering a rebuttal speech. The format has changed from year to year. The venue sometimes has not been a careerenhancing move. And what is involved with taking on this assignment for any politician . Guest i want to jump on what robert was saying about the rebuttal. I think it was a smart choice by republicans, and can make or break a can of it. We saw governor bobby jindal is deliver a response that was widely panned. He was mocked, compared to kenneth the page fro 30 rock. We are getting embargoed responses to the rebuttal from marco rubio. It has sort of become this whole everyone is anticipating what everyone is going to say, before it officially happens. Host we heard from our congressional guests hthat nothing will get done in the town until the politics of the sequester let us hear the president talking about a sequester. The proposals i put forward during fiscal cliff negotiations, in discussions with Speaker Boehner and others, are still very much on the table. I just want to repeat it the deals i put forward, the balanced approach of spending cuts and entitlement reform and tax reform and i put forward, are still on the table. I have offered sensible reforms to medicare and other entitlements. When Health Care Proposals to achieve the same amount of savings by the beginning of the next decade as the reforms that have been proposed by the bipartisan bowlessimpson fiscal commission. Host who has the leverage, as we get closer to this march deadline for the sequestered . For the sequester . Guest it will be tough to come to a deal. You have democrats saying you need to raise revenue through closing tax loopholes. The House Minority leader, nancy pelosi, wants to and give away to oil companies. You have House Republicans saying had we did revenues in the last deal and need to focus on cut in spending. Republicans think they have the upper hand, because the president already had increases in revenue. The president is feeling emboldened after his inaugural address, saying i have a mandate, and this is what the American Republic wants. Host he is leaving the white house with the first lady. A short ride to capitol hill. That is the president ial motorcade leaving the white house for the ride to capitol hill. The president s address begins a halfhour from now. Live coverage on this network. We will also be streaming live on the internet. Lots of opportunities to react. Back to the politics of sequestration. Where is the republican leverage . Guest republicans feel they have real leverage in the sequestered fight. Both parties do not want to sequester to happen. Neither it these are automatic defense cuts than both crafted. Republicans have been publicly willing to say, let the cuts happen. They are not open to any revenue or tax increase. Republicans are drawing a big red line on the ground. The are saying, we are not going to move on taxes. They are willing to listen on other issues. But they have told the conservative base they are willing to let the defense cuts happen. That is a big step for the Republican Party. For decades, republicans have been very averse to defense cuts. Now, leaders are saying they are ok with pentagon cuts. Host we have been asking people, as you know, what is the most important question on your mind for washington right now. What is your message to washington . What is most important . Caller from listening for a few minutes, the gentleman from gallup is totally off. I do not know where they get their information. The general public, i think, is very interested in gun control. I am for the second amendment. I think people can get around controls. Also, infrastructure in the United States is very important for the average person. If we are going to give money to other countries, about giving us half of what we are going to give them . Instead of 100 million to some country for some sewage system, how about 50 million . How about cutting everybodys money we are going to give them in half, and put the money into this country . Host thank you. Next is a call from new mexico. What is your most important issue . Caller a lot of these issues are important and have been looming in washington for some time. One of the most pressing issues, obviously, is the gun control debate. I just had a statement. President obama campaigned on the fact that he was going to try to make the government the most transparent government we have ever seen. When it comes to the gun control issue, he is contrary to his word. I heard a gentleman when your Program First started, talking about automatic weapons in peoples homes. I think that issue needs to make clear. Without a nearly impossible to get, very expensive level 3 license, nobody can have an automatic weapon in their home, as of may 1986. Those are optimistic weapons or machine guns. Automatic weapons, or machine guns. They are banned. The replacement is lightweight and accurate, and designed that way. People need to know that these cosmetic features on these firearms have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on how the weapon functions. Host thank you for your call. Two callers in a row said gun control is the most important issue. Quite a number of folks on capitol phil have talked about the sandy hook massacre. What did you think the politics of this is . What can the president do . What are the politics on capitol hill . Guest republicans are hesitant to meddle with the second amendment. Because of tragedies in connecticut and elsewhere, they are open to discussion. You will hear the president way on the issue. You may hear talk about assault weapons. He will specifically talk about background checks. Republicans have talked about getting the mentally ill to where they are not as easily able to buy a weapon. Listen closely to the president s tone on gun control. , most of the areas republicans have talked about are areas where they can work with the president. Guest i do not think it is a coincidence that both callers mentioned gun control. Right now, here is a lot of bipartisan support for background checks. The nra has resisted any new legislation. Every day members are open to more background checks. They do not want guns getting into the hands of people who will go out and shoot a school full of children. Tonight, you will hear about the assault weapons ban, something Many Democrats would like to see. But many republicans are resisting it. Some democrats are too. It has less to is to get through congress at this point. Host looking at live pictures from statuary hall, and the president s motorcade making its way to capitol hill. A beautiful, clear night tonight. A few short days ago in minnesota, the president talked about this. This is a 22 second clip. We may not be able to prevent any massacre or random shooting every massacre or a random shooting. No law or set of laws can keep our children completely safe. But if there is even one thing we can do, if there is just one life we can save, we have an obligation to try. Host that is the president in minnesota on the fourth of this month, talking about reducing gun violence in this country. One of the things that has become a tradition in this speech it began with Ronald Reagan in 1982. It was the practice of inviting special guests in the gallery to help the messages the president is delivering tonight. Something that has grown over the years we receive the guest list from the white house that is quite wrong, with people from all sorts of walks of life. Tim cook, the apple ceo. A smallbusiness owner by the name of deb kerry. And a machinist. On the guncontrol issue, three invited guests. Lt. Brian murphy is with the oak creek, Wisconsin Police department. And one of the teachers from sandy hook. How effective is filling the gallery with celebrities . Host guest reporters roll their eyes, but from a political perspective, it is smart. The president to send for an hour to watch his attire, agenda. The president wants to not just preach with text, but to tell a story through people. Reagan was an expert. Obama is doing a great job as well. He is making a narrative. Host the senators have made their way across statuary hall. They are coming into the House Chamber right now. There is a dick durbin on the screen. You get a chance of the bicameral, but partisan nature of the night in the state of the union. Let me pick up on another issue, which we hear the president will be talking about tonight. That is Immigration Reform. A. Wellhow noted speech, just recently was eric cantor, in a speech that laid out his vision for the future of his party. Pick up on the issue of Immigration Reform . There is no secret there are more than 11 Million People here illegally, many of whom have become part of the third of our country. They, like us, our families and dreams. While we are a nation that allows anyone to start anew, he are also a nation of laws. That is what makes cackling Immigration Reform so difficult here. In looking to solve this problem soon, we have to balance respect for the rule of law and respect for those waiting to enter this country legally and with care for the people and families, most of whom are want to make a better life and contribute to america. One of the great foundations of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It was time to provide an opportunity for legal residents and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children, and who know no other home. I am pleased that many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have begun work in good faith to address these issues. I am pleased to make employment verification, and making a guest worker program, immediate priorities. It is the right thing to do for our families, for our security, and for our economy. There are some who would rather avoid fixing the problem in order to say this is a political issue. I reject this motion. I call on our president to help lead us toward a bipartisan solution, he rather than encourage the political divisions of the past. Host are the politics of this changing before our eyes . You always see who lawmakers stand up stonefaced. Immigration is an area where you might see bipartisan clapping tonight. Right now, democrats are insisting there is a path to citizenship all undocumented immigrants, and Immigration Reform. That is not something all republicans are behind. You do find agreement with the socalled and dreamers called reamers, young people brought here by their parents through no fault of their own, completely and documented. That is something democrats have said, we need to provide a path to citizenship. Host our time is running short, because we are getting lots of pictures from inside the House Chamber. Look for your reporting on the state of the union speech in your respective publications. Thank you for joining us. A few things about the history of this place. There have been many technological changes over the years. The first radiobroadcast was in 1923. The first evening speech was in 1965, with lyndon johnson. The first live web cast was in 2002. It was first televised in hd in 2004. Tonight, in addition to internet streaming, both the white house and the republicans have put out Second Screen experiences, with lots of information. The shortest speech, was president washington. The longest was William Howard taft, 27,651 words. We are going to stop talking right now and let you get the sense of inside the house of Representatives Chamber as the event unfolds. There is always one missing cabinet member. Secretary chu is the first in of succession, waiting in a closed location in the line of succession, waiting in a close location who elsewhere. After the speech, we will be here immediately by a republican response. The next of the night is devoted to you, what you have heard from washington tonight. Leman from oregon, mr. Walden. The gentleman from oklahoma, mr. Lankford. The gentlewoman from kansas, mrs. Jenkins. The gentlewoman from california, ms. Foxx. The gentlewoman from california, ms. Pelosi. The gentleman from maryland, mr. Hoyer. The gentleman from south carolina, mr. Clyburn. The gentleman from california, mr. Becerra. The gentleman from new york, mr. Crowley. The gentleman from new york, mr. Israel. And the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Duckworth. The Vice President the president of the senate at the direction of that body appoints the following members to escort the president of the United States into the chamber. The senator from nevada, mr. Reid, the senator from vermont, mr. Lay hay, mr. Durbin, mr. Schumer, the senator from washington, mr. Murray, the senator from colorado, mr. Bennett, the senator from michigan, ms. Stabenow, the senator from texas, mr. Cornyn, the senator from south dakota, mr. Thune, the senator from wyoming, mr. Berasso, and the senator mr. Moran. The speaker the members will escort through the chamber doors to the lobby. The sergeant at arms mr. Speaker, the dean of the diplomatic corps. Mr. Speaker, the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court. Mr. Speaker, the president s cabinet. The sergeant at arms mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. The president thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The speaker members of congress i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States. The president thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, mr. Vice president , members of congress, fellow americans. 51 years ago, john f. Kennedy declared to this chamber that the constitution makes us not rivals for power, but partners for progress. It is my task, he said, to report the state of the union. To improve it is the task of us all. Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American People trks there is much progress to report. Of the American People, there is much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs. We buy more american cars than we have in five years, and less foreign oil than we have in 20. Our Housing Market is healing. Our stock market is rebounding. And consumers, patients and homeowners enjoy stronger protection than ever before. So together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis. We can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. But we gather here knowing that there are millions of americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. Our economy is adding jobs, but too many people still cant find fulltime employment. Corporate profits have skyrocketed to alltime highs, but for more than a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged. It is our generations task, then, to reignite the true engine of americas Economic Growth. A rising, thriving middle class. It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country. The idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love. It is our unfinished task to make sure that this Government Works on behalf of the many, not just the few. That it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiatives, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. The American People dont expect government to solve every problem. They dont expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nations interests before party. They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. They know that america moves forward only when we do so together. And that the responsibility of improving this Union Remains the task of us all. Our work must begin by making some basic decisions about our budget. Decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficits by more than 2. 5 trillion. Mostly through spending cuts but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 of americans. As a result, we are more than halfway toward the goal of 4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. Now we need to finish the job. The question is, how . In 2011, Congress Passed a law saying if both parties couldnt agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal, about 1 trillion worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military read iness readiness, devastate education, and emergency and medical research, and they would certainly slow our recovery and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. Thats why democrats, republicans, Business Leaders and economists have already said that these cuts, known here in washington as the sequester, are a really bad idea. Now, some in congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts by making even bigger cuts to things like education and job training, medicare, and Social Security benefits. That idea is even worse. Yes, the biggest driver of our longterm debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population. And those of us who care deeply about programs like medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms. Otherwise, our retirement programs will crowd out the investments we need for our children and jeopardize the promise of a secure retirement for future generations. But we cant ask Senior Citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit rediction reduction while asking nothing more if the wealthiest and most powerful. We wont grow the middle class simply by shifting the cost of health care or college onto families that are already struggling or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers, more cops and more firefighters. Most americans, democrats, republicans, and independents, understand that we cant just cut our way to prosperity. They know that broadbased Economic Growth requires a blangsed approach to deficit a balanced approach to deficit reduction. With spending cuts and revenue and with everybody doing their fair share. Thats the approach i offer tonight. On medicare, im prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of Health Care Savings by the beginning of the next decade as the as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson Bowles commission. Already the Affordable Care act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs. And the reforms im proposing go even further. Well reduce taxpayer subsidies to Prescription Drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors. Well bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for medicare because our medical bills shouldnt be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital but on the quality of care that our seniors receive. And i am open to additional reforms from both parties, so long as they dont violate the guarantee of a secure retirement. Our government shouldnt make promises we cannot keep but we must keep the promises weve already made. To hit the rest of our deficit reduction targets, we should do what leaders in both parties have already suggested and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well off and well connected. After all, why would we choose to make deeper cuts to education and medicare just to protect special interest tax breaks . How is that fair . Why is it that deficit reduction is a big emergency justifying making cuts in Social Security benefits but not closing some loopholes . How does that promote growth . Now is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation an helps bring down the deficit. We can get this done. The American People deserve a tax code that helps Small Businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms and more time expanding and hiring. The tax code that ensures billionaires with high powered accountants cant work the system and pay a lower rate than their hard working secretaries. A tax code that lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that are creating jobs right here in the United States of america. Thats what tax reform can deliver. Thats what we can do together. I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy. The politics will be hard for both sides. None of us will get 100 of what we want. But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, visit hardship on millions of hardworking americans. Lets set Party Interests aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and Wise Investments in our future an lets do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors. The greatest nation on earth the great etc. Nation on earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. We cant do it. Lets agree, lets agree right here, right now, to keep the peoples government open and pay our bills on time and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of america. The American People have worked too hard for too long rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another. Now most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda. Lets be clear. Deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. A growing economy that creates good middle class jobs, that must be the north star that guides our efforts. Every day we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation. How do we attract more jobs to our shores, how do we equip our people with the skills they need to get those jobs and how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living . A year and half ago i put forward an american jobs act that independent economists said would create more than one million new jobs. And i thank the last congress for passing some of that agenda. I urge this congress to pass the rest. But tonight ill lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with the budget framework both parties agreed to just 18 months ago. Let me repeat. Nothing im proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime. It is not a bigger government we need but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broadbased growth. Thats what we should be looking for. Our First Priority is making america a magnet for new jobs in manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from mexico. And this year apple will start making macs in america again. There are things we can do right now to accelerate this trend. Last year we created our First Manufacturing Innovation Institute in youngstown, ohio. A once shuttered warehouse is now a stateoftheart lab where new workers are mastering the 3d printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. Theres no reason this cant happen in other towns. So tonight im announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs where businesses will partner with the department of defense and energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into Global Centers of hightech jobs. And i ask this congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in america. We can get that done. Now, if we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas. Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned 140 to our economy. Every dollar. Today our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to alzheimers. Theyre developing drugs to regenerate damaged or begans organs, making batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these jobcreating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the space race. We need to make those investments. Today no area holds more promise than our investments in american energy. After years of talking about it , were finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years. We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas and the amount of Renewable Energy we generate from sources like wind and solar, with tens of thousands of Good American jobs to show for it. We produce more natural gas than ever before and nearly everyones energy bill is lower because of it. And over the last four years, our omissions of the dangerous Carbon Pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen. But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat Climate Change. Now, now, its true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is that the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods, all are now more frequent and more intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy and the most severe drought in decades and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science. And act before its too late. Now the good news is we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong Economic Growth. I urge this congress to get together, pursue a bipartisan marketbased solution to Climate Change. Like the one john mccain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But, if Congress Wont act soon to protect future generations, i will. I will direct i will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take now and in the future to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of Climate Change and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy. And four years ago other countries dominated the Clean Energy Market and the jobs that came with it. Weve begun to change that. Last year wind energy added nearly half of all new Power Capacity in america. So lets generate even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year. Lets drive down costs even further. As long as countries like china keep going allin on clean energy, so must we. In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and Greater Energy independence. We need to encourage that. Thats why my at administration will keep cutting my administration will keep cutting red tape and keep speeding up new oil and gasper mitts. Thats got oil and gas permits. I also want to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and our water. In fact, much of our Newfound Energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together. So tonight i propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a Nonpartisan Coalition of c. E. O. s and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we. Lets take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices weve put up with for far too long. Im also issues a issuing a new goal for america. Lets cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years. Well work with the states to do it. Those states with the best ideas to create jobs and Lower Energy Bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make that happen. Americas Energy Sector is just one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. Ask any c. E. O. Where theyd rather locate and hire. A country with deteriorating roads and bridges or one with highspeed rail and internet, hightech schools, selfheeling power grids selfhealing power grids. A company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina said that if we upgrade our infrastructure theyll bring even more jobs and thats at tude of a lot of companies thats at tude of a lot of company the attitude of a lot of companies around the world. So, tonight i propose a fixit First Program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. And to make sure taxpayers dont shoulder the whole burden im also proposing a partnership to rebuild america that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most. Modern ports to move our goods, modern pipelines to with stand a storm, modern schools worthy of our children. Lets prove theres no better place to do business than here in the United States of america and lets start right away. We can get this done. An part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector. The good news is our Housing Market is finally healing from the collapse of 2007. Home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years. Home purchases are up nearly 50 . And construction is expanding again. But even with Mortgage Rates near a 50year low, too many families with solid credit who want to buy a home are being rejected. Too many families who never missed a payment and want to refinance are being told no. Thats holding our entire economy back. We need to fix it. Right now theres a bill in this congress that would give every responsible homeowner in america the chance to save 3,000 a year by refinancing at todays rates. Democrats and republicans have supported it before. So what are we waiting for . Take a vote and send me that bill. Why would we be against that . Why would that be a partisan issue . Helping folks refinance . Right now overlapping regulations keep responsible young families from buying their first home. Whats holding us back . Lets streamline the process and help our economy grow. These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, housing, all these things will help entrepreneurs and Small Business owners expand and create new jobs. But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age. You know, study after study shows the sooner a child begins learning the better he or she does down the road. But today fewer than three in 104yearolds are enrolled in a high three in 10 4yearolds are enrolled in a preschool program. For poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. So tonight i propose working with states to make highquality preschool available to every single child in america. Thats something we failed to do. Every dollar we invest in highquality Early Childhood education can save more than 7 later on. By boosting graduation rates. Reducing teen pregnancies. Even reducing violent crimes. In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children like georgia or oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So lets do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Lets give our kids cha chance. Lets give our kids that chance. Lets also make sure that a high school paloma put diplomat puts our kid on a path to a good job. Right now countries like germany focus on graduating their High School Students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our Community Colleges. So though german kids, theyre ready for a job when they graduate high school. Theyve been trained for the jobs that are there. Now its schools like ptech in brooklyn, a collaboration between new York Public Schools and City University of new york and i. B. M. , students will graduate with a High School Diplomat and an Associates Degree in computers or engineering. We need to give every american student opportunities like this. And four years ago, four years ago we started race to the top, a competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, all for about 1 of what we spend on education each year. Tonight im announcing a new challenge, to redesign americas high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a hightech economy and well reward schools that develop new partners with colleges and employers and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering and math. The skills todays employers are looking for to fill the jobs that are there right now and will be there in the future. Even with better high schools, most young people will need some Higher Education. A simple fact, the more education youve got, for more likely you are to have a good job and work your way into the middle class. Todays skyrocketing costs price too many young people out of an education or saddle them with unsustainable debt. Through tax credits, grants, and better loans, weve made college more affordable for millions of students and families over the last few years. The taxpayers cant keep on subsidizing higher and higher and higher costs for Higher Education. Colleges must do their part to keep costs down and its our job to make sure they do. So tonight, i ask congress to change the Higher Education act so affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. And tomorrow, my administration will release a new College Scorecard that parents and students can use to exear schools based on a simple criteria, where you can get the most bang for your educational buck. To grow our middle class, our citizens have to have access to the education and training that todays jobs require. We also have to make sure that america remains a place where everyone is willing to work, everybody was willing to work hard and have a chance and everybody who is willing to work hard has a chance to get ahead. Our my is stronger when we harness the talent and ingenuity of striving, hopeful leaders. And right now leaders from business, labor, law enforcement, faith community, they all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform. Now is the time to do it. Now is the time to get it done. Real reform means stronger border security, and we can build on the progress my administration has already made, putting more boots on the southern border than any time in our history. And reducing illegal crossings to the lowest levels in 40 years. Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship, a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes in a meaningful penalty, learning english and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally. And real reform means fixing the Legal Immigration system, to cut waiting periods and attract the highly skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy. In other words, we know what needs to be done. As we speak, Bipartisan Groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill and i applaud their efforts. Lets get this done. Send me a comprehensive Immigration Reform bill in the next few months and i will sign it right away and america will be better for it. Lets get it done. Lets get it done. We cant stop there. We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters, can live their live frease from discrimination in the workplace and free from the fear of domestic violence. Today the Senate Passed the violence against womens act that joe biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago and i urge the house to do the same. Good job, joe. And i ask this congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts and finally pass the paycheck fairness act this year. We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest days work with honest wages. But today a fulltime worker making the minimum wage earns 14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. Thats wrong. Thats why since the last time this congress raised the minimum wage, 19 state vts chosen to bump theirs even higher. Tonight, lets declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth no one who works full time should have to live in poverty and raise the federal minimum wage to 9 an hour. We should be able to get that done. This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank, rent or eviction, scraping by or finally getting ahead. For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in pair pockets. In their pockets. And a lot of folks out there would need less help from government. Working folks shouldnt have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while c. E. O. Pay has never been higher. Heres an idea that governor and rom that governor romney and i agreed on last year. Lets tie the minimum wage to the cost of living so it finally becomes a wage you can live on. Tonight, lets also recognize that there are communities in this country where no matter how hard you work, it is virtually impossible to get ahead. Factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up, inescapable pockets of poverty, urban and rural, where young adults are still fighting for their first job. America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. Thats why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb them. Lets offer incentives to companies that hire americans whove got what it takes to fill that job opening but have been anymore. Lets put people become to work rebuilding vacant homes in rundown neighborhoods. This year, my administration will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest hit towns in america to get these communities back on their feet and well work with local leaders to target resources in public safety, education, and housing. Well give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest and well work to strengthen families by removing the financial deterrents to marriage for lowincome couples and do more to encourage fatherhood because what makes you a man isnt the ability to conceive a child, its having the courage to raise one. We want to encourage that. We want to help that. Stronger families, stronger communities, a stronger america. It is this kind of prosperity, broad, shared, built on a thriving middle class, that has always been the source of our progress at home. Its also the foundation of our power and influence throughout the world. Tonight we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them we can say with confidence that america will complete its mission in afghanistan and achieve our obbletive of defeating al qaeda. Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brafe servicespen and our Brave Service Men and women. This year our forces will move to a support role as Afghan Forces take the lead. Over the next year, another 34,000 american troops will come home from afghanistan. This drawdown will continue and by the end of next year, our war in afghanistan will be over. Beyond 2014, americas commitment to a unified and sovereign afghanistan will endure. But the nature of our commitment will change. Were negotiating an agreement with the Afghan Government that focuses on two missions, training and equiping Afghan Forces so the country does not again slip into chaos and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al qaeda and their affiliates. Today the organization that attacked us on 9 11 is a shadow of its former self. Its true, different al qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged from the Arabian Peninsula to africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving. But to meet this threat, we dont need to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad to occupy other nations. Instead we need to help countries like yemen, libya, somalia, provide for their own security and help allies take the fight to terrorists as we have in mali and where necessary to arrange through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direction action against those terrorists who pose the greatest threat the gravest threat to americans. Now, as we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. Thats why my administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism efforts. Throughout, we have kept congress fully informed of our work. I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word for it that im doing things the right way. I will continue to engage congress to ensure that not only our targeting and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American People and to the world. Of course, our challenges dont end with al qaeda. America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the worlds most dangerous weapons. The reyeem in north korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them as we stand by our allies, strengthen our missile testifies and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. Likewise the leaders of iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution because a Coalition Stands united in demanding they meet their obligations and we will do what is necessary to prevent them get agnew clear weapon. To get a prevent them getting a nuclear weapon. At the same time well engage russia to seek further reductions in our Nuclear Arsenal and continue leading the global effort to secure Nuclear Materials that could fall into the wrong hands. Our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. America must also face a rapidly growing threat from cyberattacks. Now we know hackers steal peoples identities and infiltrate private emails. We know Foreign Countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, our air Traffic Control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy. Thats why earlier today, i signed a new executived or that will strengthen our cyberdefenses by increasing information sharing and developing standards to protect our national security, jobs, and privacy. But now Congress Must act as well. By passing legislation to give our government a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks. This is something we should be able to get done on a bipartisan basis. Even as we protect our people, we should remember that todays world presents not just dangers, not just threats, it presents opportunities. To boost american exports, support american jobs and level the Playing Field in the growing markets of asia we intend to complete negotiations on a transpacific partnership. And tonight im announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive transatlantic trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union because trade that is fair and free across the atlantic supports millions of goodpaying american jobs. We also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all. Not only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, but also because its the right thing to do. In many places people live on little more than 1 a day. So the United States will join with our allies to eradicate such extreme poverty in the next two decades, by connecting more people to the global economy, by empowering women, by giving our young and brightest minds new opportunities to serve and helping communities to feed and power and educate themselves. By saving the worlds children from preventable deaths and by realizing the promise of an aidsfree generation which is within our reach. You see, you see, america must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historic change. God bless you and god bless the United States of america. [applause] the chair requires the joint session of two houses now resolved. The floor will come to order. The governor from virginia seeks recognition. Move the chair lays before the house the communication. The speak of the house of representatives situation, in claus of the roll of the house of representatives the clerk proceeds the following message of the secretary of the senate. That the Senate Passed appointment a longterm care signed karen. I move that the house be adjourned. Nose say aye those opposed say no. The ayes have it. We stay adjourned until 10 00 a. M. Tomorrow. House speaker john boehner. President obama delivered his fourth state of the Union Address before a joint session of congress on the house floor. We would like to hear your response. The numbers are on your screen. Corey joins us now from cleveland, ohio, on the democrats line. Craig i was just i thought it was interesting about that we change after we hear the proper leadership implemented from barack obama. It seems like he is sticking to u. S. Constitutions and a related documents so appreciated it. Thanks for calling in. Eric, ft. Lauderdale, florida. A republican. This changed mimi mind. We need to start with our youth as early as we can. We need to invest in our young to have a prosperous United States of america. This is what changed me from being a republican to a democrat. I hope my republican brothers and sisters can Work Together with the democrats in congress and produce, at least half of what the president has initiated here tonight. The future is with us all and it for us to Work Together. We need to reach for the highest as a people and Grow Together. This was amazing and i encourage all my other republican brothers and sisters to unite and embrace the democratic ideals and Work Together. What stood out to you . What did you particularly connect with . Craig i connected with caller we have teen pregnancy, we have gun violence, education is the answer. If we Grow Together and ib vest in our young we deserve the troubles. If we do invest in our people as early as from little kindergarten to the Early Education and we invest and keep our eye on the ball through high school and to Technical School and Community Colleges and beyond. If we can envest in our children invest in our children we can whip all issues. We all say that. We always say if we only had education, if we learned more about others and other people then we can Grow Together. Were taking your calls for a few moments. Were awaiting the g. O. P. s response from marco rubio. Youre looking at the members of congress doing interviews. Lets hear from the independent line. Caller number one, after listening to our president s speech it makes me proud to be an american. But very sad because united we stand, divided we fall. This is broadcast all over the world and i was disappointed with Speaker Boehner that he could not stand with respect to the office and, especiallyly our troops. Were going to leave trip and go to senator marco