Finally what you reported tonight that he will call for withdrawing 34,000 troops out of afghanistan by the end of the year and, of course, were still scheduled to be in afghanistan until the end of 2014 to have some troops there. Pelley were waiting for president to enter the chamber here. We expect that in another minute or two. Nancy cordes is our capitol hill correspondent and nancy, after the president makes his remarks tonight, well be hearing the republican response from senator marco rubio of florida. Reporter thats right, scott. Hes expected to say he hopes the president will abandon his obsession with raising taxes and hell say president obama believes that Free Enterprise is the source of all of our problems. Mr. Rubio is really going to be focusing on the middle class were told, in his speech tonight. He is going to make the argument that the republican party, not the democrats are the party that is better situated to help the middleclass and to help more people get into the middle class. Hell be followed then scott by a tea Party Representative senator rand paul of kentucky is also going to be giving an address. The Republican Leadership says this is not a sign that the party is fractured but the tea party clearly wants to make its own mark and criticize both parties for what they call overspending. Pelley nancy, thank you very much. A lot of issues will be covered by the president s speech tonight. Were expecting to hear from the president on immigration. Also on gun control. You will notice that a lot of people in the Chamber Tonight are wearing green ribbons on their lapels and those are in commemoration of those students and educators who were lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School late last year. Major garrett is at the white house for us tonight, as usual. Major, what are you expecting from the president . Reporter well, scott, as you might well imagine theres a back store troy the way of state of the Union Address speech was put into motion. About two weeks ago some very prominent washingtonbased democrats, some who used to work in this building, some who just wished the president well, gave the president and his speech writers a wakeup call taeufplt said listen, mr. President , while laudable, your emphasis on gun control and education isnt where most of the American People are. Theyre still concerned about Economic Growth, jobs, and many of the initiative it is president will talk about and the campaignstyle rhetoric he will use to try to persuade congress and the american public. He is focusing back on the economy as a reflection of those very intense conversations that started about two weeks ago when democrats began to worry that, though important, gun control and immigration might be taking the president off his best issue to get his second term off to a good start, which is working on the economy and doing so in a vigorous and robust way. Thats the back story behind the address tonight. Of course, gun control and Immigration Reform will be mentioned but white house advisors tell us, scott, there will be no new ideas put forward there because the ideas the president has already laid before congress are controversial enough and that politics behind them grinding and time consuming already. Pelley major, thank you very much. This is the House Chamber in the capitol, the only room large enough to accommodate all of the members of the house of representatives and the president s cabinet and the members of the senate and their guests and the Supreme Court and the members of the joint chiefs of staff. All members of the all dignitaries who are always invited to the state of the Union Address every year bob schieffer, we were in a breakfast with speaker of the house john bane they are morning when he took a personal shot at the president that surprised me a little bit. He said that the president didnt have the guts to do what what needed to be done on the budget. It was an extraordinary session. Thats exactly what he said. As youll recall scott, i sort of said . So many words are you sure this is what you want to say . And he said it again. He said it twice and he said about three times the president simply does not have the courage to take on the liberal members of his own party and do what needs to be done to reform the entitlement programs, especially Social Security and medicare. And, you know, liberals loved the president s inaugural speech. Republicans didnt like it that much. They felt that at no time did the president reach out and ask for help. I think a lot of them are going to be wondering wonder will he ask for help from the other side or as he simply decided that whatever he gets done hes going to get done by just ramming it through as you would in a parliamentary system of government and has he given up on trying to compromise with the other side and they, too, the other side, is wondering the same thing. I think the partisan divide, if it was wide before the president s inaugural speech, i think it is even wider tonight. Pelley members of the joint chiefs of staff, the military leadership there. We saw a moment ago mrs. Obama in her box in the House Chamber. Norah odonnell were just a little over two weeks away from these enormous automatic acrosstheboard federal spending cuts that are known in washington parlance as sequestration. But its 1. 2 trillion in cuts over the next ten years. Theyre automatic. The idea behind this with the budget control act of 2011 was to make these cuts so ruinous that they would force the president and the congress to come together and find a better way and they havent. A little over two weeksing to go before those spending cuts take effect. How do you see this playing out . Odonnell a white house official told me tonight they are more optimistic this week than they were last week that they would get something done. But your conversation with Speaker Boehner goes right to the heart of it. When he said the president doesnt have the guts to take on his own party. Because what the issue is what the republicans want is the president to raise the medicare eligibility age. But, look, were facing job losses for many people in the defense industry. Were talking about head start money for mental illness. These are very see severe cuts if congress does not tackle that and youre right, its two weeks away. I think also scott it deserves mentions that one of the things i think going to hang over this state of the union is the issue of gun control. As you pointed out many of the people there especially democrats, wearing those green ribbons that signify sandy hook elementary. Theres a teacher from sandy hook who is in Michelle Obamas box there. The president has never mentioned gun control in any of his five state of the Union Addresses. It was in almost every one of president clintons. So its been ten years since weve had gun control talked about in a state of the Union Address. Things have changed now that the president is reelected and less scared of the n. R. A. And so im told by advisors he will talk about not only universal background checks but also an assault weapons ban which has virtually no chance of passing congress. Pelley when you think about these budget cuts to the federal government that take effect in about two weeks, were expecting the house sergeant at arms, paul irving, to come in. And theres paul irving now. He will be announcing the president. Lets listen in. Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States. cheers and applause schieffer laughs now the first of the standing ovations. Here it goes. And you know scott, these people, these members of congress that are along the aisle there, they have been there literally for four, six, seven hours to get those places because they want to be seen on television. I mean theres no other reason for this when the president comes down the aisle and you know they rehearse little speeches like theyre exchanging little Insider Information there and they have their moment. Pelley well, lets listen in as the president comes into the House Chamber. cheers and applause mr. President good to see you. How are you doing . Very good . Youve got a smudge there. laughter thank you good to see you. Great pledge pleasure. Good to see you. Hows your grand son . All right . Schieffer this is american politics. Somebody got some lipstick on me. Pelley and the house leadership is following the president in. Theres eric cantor, the majority leader, congressman of virginia. And nancy pelosi the minority leader, of course. Congresswoman of california. Mr. President. Good to see you again. How are folks doing back home . Pelley now, theres the first lady in her box. The woman standing to the left to the first ladys right but on your screen to the left of the first lady is cleopatra cowly. It was her 15yearold daughter Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed in chicago just a mile from the obamas home in chicago. The young lady was an honors student and was a victim of random violence in that city. The first lady inviting her to be here tonight to hear the president s remarks on gun safety and gun violence. Schieffer theres Lindsey Graham, scott, one of the president s toughest critics of late over the benghazi incident. But senator graham managed to get up there and shake hands with the president as he comes down the aisle. Pelley and theres the president with the chief justice of the United States john roberts jr. John roberts jr. Who cast the vote that saved the president s signature achievement of his first term the health care legislation. President greeting sonia sotomayor, one of the newest members of the Supreme Court. And elena kagan, the newest member. General martin dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Making his way to the podium now. And heres the president of the United States for his fifth state of the Union Address. cheers and applause thank you cheers and applause thank you. applause thank you. Thank you. Members of congress, i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States. cheers and applause thank you. Thank you. applause thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Please everybody have a seat. 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. applause 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 there is much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war our drive men and women in uniform are coming home. cheers and applause 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. applause our Housing Market is healing. Our stock market is rebounding. And consumers, patients and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. applause so together we have cleared away the rubble of crisis and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. applause 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 middleclass. applause it is our unfinished task to restore the basic bar 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, no matter 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 initiative and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. applause 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. applause they do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For 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. Now, 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 deficit 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 towards the goal of 4 trillion in deficit reductions that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. Now we need to finish the job. And the question is how . In 2011, Congress Passed a law saying that if both parties couldnt agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal about a trillion dollars worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. These sudden harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military readiness. Theyve devastate priorities like education and energy and medical research. 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. applause 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 reduction while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and the most powerful. applause we wont grow the middleclass simply by shifting the cost of health care or college on to families that are already struggling or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers and 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 balanced approach to deficit reduction with spending cuts and revenue. And with everybody doing their fair share. And 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 reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson Bowles commission. applause already, the Affordable Care act is helping to slow the growth of health care costs. applause and the reforms im proposing go even further. Well reduce taxpayer subsidies to Prescription Drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest. 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 it was be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive. applause 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 can not keep, but we must keep the promises weve already made. applause to hit the rest of our deficit reduction target, 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 the 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 . applause how does that promote growth . Now is our best chance for bipartisan comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit. applause we can get this done. applause the American People deserve a tax code that helps Small Businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms and more time expanding and hiring. A tax code that ensurings billionaires with highpowered accountants cant work the system and pay a lower rate than their hardworking secretaries. A tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that are creating jobs right here in the United States of america. applause thats what tax reform can deliver. cheers and applause 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. So lets set Party Interests aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and Wise Investments in our future and lets do it without the bringsmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors. The greatest nation on earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. cheers and applause we cant do it. cheers and applause 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. cheers and applause the American People have worked too hard for too long rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another. Now applause . Most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda. But lets be clear. Deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. applause a growing economy that creates good middleclass jobs that must be the north star that guides our efforts. applause everyday 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 a 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. applause 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. applause thats what we should be looking for. Our First Priority is making america a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing. After shedding jobs for more than ten years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Cat pillar is bringing jobs back from japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from mexico. And this year apple will start making macs in america again. applause there are things we can do right now to accelerate this trend. Last year we created our First ManufacturingInnovation Institute in youngtown, 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 high tech 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. applause 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 scientists are mapping the human brain to help alzehimers disease. Theyre devising new materials to make batteries ten times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job creating 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. applause today no area holds more promise in investments than 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 double 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 missions 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. applause now, its true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact that s the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 50. 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. applause 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. applause ly directly 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 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 all in 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 administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits. Thats got to be part of an all of the above plan. But i also want to work with this congress 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 in technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a Nonpartisan Coalition of c. E. O. S and retired generals and admiral cans 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 issuing a new goal for america. Lets cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years. applause 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 high tech schools, selfhealing power grids. The c. E. O. Of Siemens America 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 the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world. And i know you want these jobs creating projects in your district. Ive seen all those ribbon cuttings. laughter so tonight i propose a fix it 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. applause 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 withstand 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. And 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 home owner in america the chance to save 3,000 a year by refiennessing at todays refi nantzing at todays rates. Democrats and republicans are supported it before. So what are we waiting for . Take a vote and send me that bill. applause why would we be against that . applause 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. applause and that has to start at the earliest possible age. You know study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3in10 fouryearolds are enrolled in a quality program. Most middleclass parents can afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And 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. cheers and applause thats something we should be able to do. Every dollar we invest in high quality Early Childhood education could save more than 7 later on by boosting Graduation Rates reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. 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 great levels 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 that chance applause lets also make sure that a High School Diploma puts our kids on a path to a good job. Right now, countries like germany focus on graduating their High School Students with the equivalent of technical a technical degree from one of our community colleges. So those 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 with a High School Diploma and an Associates Degree in computers or engineering. We need to give every american student opportunities like this. applause and 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 of 1 of what we spent of 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 partnerships 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 thereby in the future. Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some Higher Education. Its a simple fact the more education youve got the more likely you are to have a good job and work your way into the middleclass. But todays skyrocketing costs price too many young people out of a Higher 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. But 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 that they do. applause so tonight i ask congress to change the Higher Education act so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. applause and tomorrow my administration will release a new College Score card that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria where you can get the most bang for your educational buck. Now, to grow our middleclass our citizens have to have access to the education and training that todays jobs require. We also have to make sure that america is a place where everyone whos willing to work, everybody whos willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead. Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants and right now leaders from the business, labor law enforcement, faith communities, they all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive Immigration Reform. cheers and applause nows the time to do it. Nows the time to get it done. cheers and applause nows the time to get it done. Real reform means stronger Border Security and we can build on the progress my administrations already made putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history. And reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years. Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earn 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. applause 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. cheers and applause in other words, we know what needs to be done. And as we speak bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill and i applaud their efforts. So lets get this done. Send me a comp hencive 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. applause but we cant stop there. We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers our daughters can live their lives free 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 now urge the house to do the same. applause good job joe. And ski this congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts and finally pass the paycheck fairness act this year. cheers and applause 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 states have 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. applause we should be able to get that done. This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. It could mean difference t 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 were more money in their pockets. And a whole lot of folks out there would probably need less help from government. In fact, working folks should havent to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while c. E. O. Pays have never been higher. So heres an idea that governor romney actually agreed on last year. Lets tie the minimum wage to the cost of living so that it finally become assuage you can live on. applause 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 americas not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. And thats why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middleclass for all who are willing to climb them. Lets offer incentives to companies that hire americans who got what it takes to fill that job opening but have been out of work so long that no one will give them a chance anymore. Lets put people back to work rebuilding vacant homes and rundown neighborhoods. And 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. Well work with local leaders to target resources at Public Safety and education and housing. Well give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest and well work to strengthen families by removing the financial deterrence to marriage for lowincome couples and do more to encourage father hood because what makes you a man isnt the ability to conceive a child, its having the courage to raise one. applause and we want to encourage that. We want to help that. applause stronger families. Stronger communities. Stronger america. It is this kind of prosperity broad, shared built on a thriving middleclass that has always been the source of our progress at home. Its also the foundation of our power an influence throughout the world. Tonight we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice everyday to protect us. Because of them, we can sway confidence that america will complete its mission in afghanistan and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al qaeda. applause already we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This string our forces will move into a support role while Afghan Security forces take the lead tonight i can announce that 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. cheers and applause 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 equipping Afghan Forces so that 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. applause 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 or occupy other nations. Instead, well need to help countries like yemen libya and somalia provide for their own security and help allies who take the fight to terrorists as we have in mali. And, where necessary, through a range of capabilities we will continue to take direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to americans. applause 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 efforts. I recognize that in our democracy no one should just take my word for it that were doing things the right way. So in the months aheadley continue to engage congress to ensuring not only that our targeting, detention 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 applause . 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 regime 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 own Missile Defense and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. Like wise, the leaders of iran must recognize that nows the time for a diplomatic solution because a Coalition Stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. applause at the same time well engage russia to seek further reductions in our Nuclear Arsenals and continue leading the global effort to secure Nuclear Materials that could fall into the wrong hands. Because our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. America must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber attacks. applause 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 can not 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 executive order that will strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our privacy. applause but now Congress Must act as well bypassing 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. applause now, 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 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. applause 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. You know, in many places people live on little more than a dollar 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. applause you see america must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historic change. I saw the power of hope last year in rangoon in burma when Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed an american president into the home where she had been in prison for years. When thousands of burmese lined the streets waving american flags, including a man who said there is justice and law in the United States. I want our country to be like that. In defense of freedom well remain the anchor of strong alliances from the americas to africa, from europe to asia. In the middle east, we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights and support stable transitions to democracy. applause we know the process will be messy and we can not presume to dictate the course of change in countries like egypt. But we can and will insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. Well keep the pressure on a Syrian Regime that has murdered its own people and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every syrian. And we will stand steadfast with israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace. applause these are the messages ill deliver when i travel to the middle east next month. And all this work depends on the courage and sacrifice of those who served in dangerous places at great personal risk. Our diplomats, our Intelligence Officers and the men and women of the United States armed forces. As long as im commanderinchief, we will do whatever we must to protect those who serve their country abroad and we will maintain the best military the world has ever known. applause well invest in new Capabilities Even as we reduce waste and wartime spending. We will ensuring equal treatment for all Service Members and equal benefits for their families, gay and straight. cheers and applause we will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms because women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. We will keep faith with our veterans, investing in worldclass care, including Mental Health care for our wounded warriors. applause supporting our military families, giving our veterans the benefits in education and Job Opportunities that they have earned. And i want to thank my wife michelle and dr. Jill biden for their continued dedication to serving our military families as well as they have served us. applause thank you, honey. Thank you jill. applause defending our freedom, though is not just the job of our military alone. We must all do our part to make sure our godgiven rights are protected here at home. That includes one of the most fundamental rights of a democracy the right to vote. applause cheers and applause when any american no matter where they live or what their party are denied that right hrouz they cant afford to wait for five or six or seven hours just to cast their ballot we are betraying our ideals. applause so tonight im announcing a nonpartisan commission to improve the voting experience in america and it definitely needs improvement. Im asking two longtime experts in the field who, by the way recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and for governor romneys campaign to lead it. We can fix this and we will. The American People demand it and so does our democracy. applause of course, what ive said tonight matters it will until we dont come together to protect our most Precious Resource our children. It has been two months since newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. Overwhelming majorities of americans americans who believe in the Second Amendment have come together around common sense reform. Like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. applause senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent anyone for from buying guns for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets because these Police Chiefs theyre tired of seeing their guys and gals be outgunned outgunned. Each of these proposals deserves a vote in congress. cheers and applause now, if you want to vote no thats your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since newtown more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, anniversaries have been stolen from our live by a bullet from a gun. More than a thousand. One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved fig new tons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago she was here in washington with her classmates performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later she was shot and killed in a chicago park after school. Just a mile away from my house. Hadiyas parents, nate and cleo, are in this Chamber Tonight along with more than two dozen americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. applause they deserve a vote. applause they deserve a vote. Gabrielle giffords deserves a vote. applause the families of newtown deserve a vote. The families of aurora deserve a vote. The families of oak creek and tucson and blacksburg and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence they deserve a simple vote. cheers and applause they deserve a simple vote. Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. In fact, no laws no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges ive outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can. To secure this nation. Expant opportunity, uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating but absolutely necessary work of selfgovernment. , we were sent out to look out for our fellow americans the same way they look out for one another every single day. Usually without fanfare all across this country. We should follow their example. We should follow the example of a new york city nurse named menchu sanchez. When Hurricane Sandy plunged her hospital dark into darkness she wasnt thinking about how her own home was faring, her mind was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. We should follow the example of a north miami woman named desaline victor. When desaline arrived at her polling place she was told the wait to vote might be six hours. As time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet but whether folks like her would get to have their say. And hour after hour a throng of people stayed in line to support her. Because desaline is 102 years old. And they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read i voted. cheers and applause theres desaline. We should follow the example of a Police Officer named brian murphy. When a gunman opened fire on a sic temple in wisconsin brian was the first to arrive and he did not consider his own safety he fought back until help arrived and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the fellow americans worshiping inside. Even as he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. And when asked how he did that brian said thats just the way were made. Thats just the way were made. We may do different jobs and where different yuan forms and hold different views than the person beside us but as americans we all share the same proud title we are citizens. Its a word that doesnt just describe our nationality or legal status it describes the way were made. It describe what is we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we except certain obligations to one another and a future generations. That our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others and that well into our third century as a nation it remains the task of us all as citizens of these United States to be the authors of the next great chapters of our american story. Thank you god bless you and god bless these United States of america. cheers and applause pelley the president s fifth state of the Union Address. The president leaving a podium after giving a hearty hand shake to the leader of the republican miss the house, speaker of the house john boehner. As the these state of the Union Speeches often do this speech covered a lot of ground. But some of the highlights included the president saying that by the end of next year our war in afghanistan will be over. The president called for an increase in the minimum wage to 9 and, once again repeated his call to cut spending and raise new tax revenue by closing loopholes something that the Republican Leadership did not want to hear this evening. A very different speech, bob schieffer, than the inaugural speech that we heard here just a few weeks ago. Schieffer well, this is one mans opinion but i also think it was a much better speech. I mean the president s inaugural address had sort of a partisan lecture, tone about it. This was a political speech but it was well written, it had a beginning, a middle and an end. The president didnt just give us a list of things he thought the nation would be better off if they did it he gave some reasons for it. I mean, you know, he came out hard for Climate Control but he said, look, if you want to choose to think that this Freak Weather were having is some sort of a coincidence, fine, but then he gave the reasons he didnt think thats what the reasons for it were. There were some things also in here that republicans can like. He talked about medicare cuts. He said he was ready to do what the simpsonbowles commission had said in the beginning. He talked about making it easier to drill for oil and gas, they will like that. And on immigration karl rove was tweeted out, i am told tonight, that this was could have much worse i think is the way he put it but he said now its time for the president to stand back. But all in all this was a speech that had some music to it as they used to say. He coined a few phrases in there, talk about the unfinished task before us, reminiscent of what lincoln said in the gettysburg address but all in all i thought this was a much better speech than we heard on his inauguration. Pelley and norah owe donnell, a much more conciliatory speech. Odonnell a much more conciliatory speech and there was sustained applause when he talked about Immigration Reform and we saw senator mccain, a republican and senator schumer, a democrat senator Lindsey Graham republican, harsh critic of the president there united trying to find a solution on Immigration Reform, sitting together. And the president said lets get it done. That was one of the monikers of the night. The other big one scott was they deserve a vote. He left the most emotional and perhaps the most controversial issue to the end of his speech which is on gun control something that has not been mentioned in any of his inaugural state of the Union Addresses, nor even in since president clinton has it been mentioned and personalizing it with all of the victims and saying Gabrielle Giffords deserves a vote, the 15yearold Hadiya Pendleton deserves a vote the families of newtown deserve a vote. And even john boehner the speaker of the house who opposes new gun control measures leapt to his feet to applaud on that. Pelley the president s been realistic about his chances of getting major gun control legislation through the Republican House. He has said in the past that hes willing to take anything that he can get but the important thing he says is that we try to save lives from gun violence. A number of people senator harry reid behind the president being one of them wearing green ribbons on their lapels tonight in solidarity with the victims from the newtown massacre in december. Major garrett at s at the white house for us tonight. Major, what are the president s prospects on gun control . What does he think he can get . Reporter scott its very important that the president said lets have a vote. In the rhetoric of legislative politics that means the president is not decidedly telling congress lets pass this, i know we can do it. It is an openfaced concession that the politics of gun control, particularly when it comes to an assault weapons ban, socalled, or banning ammunition clips with ten bullets or more very difficult politically not just in the Republican House but in the democratically controlled senate. When the president says have a vote he knows thats the best he can hope for in both chambers. Now, the House Republicans have made it very clear they are not going to do anything legislatively on the floor of the house until the senate acts itself and the white house today in the briefings leading up to the state of the Union Address were drawing intense attention to the fact that politically universal background checks has a very good chance of passing congress. Nobody in the administration was talking about the assault weapon ban or a ban on high ammunition magazine clips making it through. Pelley major, thank you. Lets listen in for just a moment on this night of American History as the president makes his way out of the House Chamber. Something about florida. And, by the way you know, those are some democratic counties that were having all those problems too. You know . So theres no excuse. Thank you very much. Pelley the president autographing copies of the speech. I thought it was awesome. Great, great speech. Pelley nancy cordes is our capitol hill correspondent. Nancy, a much more conciliatory speech but you have to wonder whether a number of items like the minimum wage like increasing revenue with closing of tax loopholes fell on deaf ears among many of the republicans in the Chamber Tonight. Reporter well, what republicans will say tomorrow scott is that democrats in the senate should go ahead and make the first move here theyre going to sit back and see whether democrats can pass Something Like this in the democratically controlled senate before they bring it up in the house and thats true of Immigration Reform and gun control as well. They know that some of these measures like gun control face a lot of opposition not just from the republicans but from democrats who come from rural states from southern states, from western states and so theyre not going to go out on a limb to help the president with his legislative agenda until the president can get his own party on board. Schieffer but you know, scott, the feeling of some republicans that the reason that some of these things did not come to a vote before is because the president was trying to protect the members of his own party from having to take tough votes before the election. Well, the election is now over and the president said i want to see some votes here. And i think thats a perfectly legitimate thing for a leader to say. So we may see a little bit of a change. But its going to be very tough. The republicans are going to start out with being against everything that costs any money. They want spending cuts. They say he has had his revenue so well see how the two sides will finally get together. That will be where the rubber hits the road. Pelley and theres a narrow window of time here because in another eight or 12 months these members will be worried about getting reelected. Yup. Pelley and theres the president leaving the chamber now. Coming up next, we will have the republican response to the president from senator marco rubio of florida. Well be right back with that. In America Today were running out of a vital resource we need to compete on the global stage. What we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. By 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough College Graduates to fill them. Thats why at Devry University were teaming up with Companies Like cisco to help make sure everyones is ready with the know how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure americas ready. Make sure youre ready. At devry. Edu. You know my heart burns for you. Im up next, but now im singing the heartburn blues. Hold on, prilosec isnt for fast relief. Cue up alkaseltzer. It stops heartburn fast. Oh what a relief it is had his say on the state of the union. Now its time for the republicans to respond and they have chosen one of their rising stars, freshman senator marco rubio of florida, a 41yearold son of cuban immigrants. Hes widely discussed as a possible contender for the g. O. P. President ial nomination in 2016. Senator rubio will be speaking tonight from the speakers Conference Room at the capital. I. Good evening, im marco rubio. Im blessed to represent florida in the United States senate. Let me begin by congratulating president obama on the start of his second term. Tonight, i have the honor of responding to a state of the Union Address on behalf of my fellow republicans. And im especially honored to be addressing our brave men and women serving in the armed forces and in diplomatic posts around the world. You may be thousands of miles away, but you are always in our prayers. The state of the Union Address is always a reminder of how unique america is. See, for much of Human History most people were trapped in stagnant societies where a tiny minority always stayed on top and no one else even had a chance. But americas exceptional because we believe that every life at every stage is precious and that everyone everywhere has a godgiven right to go as far as their talented and hard work will take them. Like most americans, for me this ideal is personal. My parents immigrated here in pursuit of the opportunity to improve their life and to give their children the chance at an even better one. They made it to the middleclass. My dad working as a bartender and my mother as a cashier and a maid. I didnt inherit any money from them, but i inherited something far better the real opportunity to accomplish my dreams. This opportunity to make it to the middleclass or beyond no matter where you start out in life it isnt bestowed on us from washington. It comes from a vibrant, free economy where people can risk their own money to open a business and when they succeed they hire more people who in turn invest or spend their money they make helping others start a business and create jobs. President s in both parties