[inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] the president of the United States. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] members of congress, by the high privilege and honor of presenting to the president of the United States. [applause] [applause] [applause] mr. Speaker, mr. Vice president , members of congress, the first lady of the United States, and my fellow americans, less than one year has passed since i first stood at this podium in this majestic chamber to speak on behalf of the American People and to address the concerns, the hopes, dreams. That night, our new administration had already taken very swift action. Im attentive optimism was already sweeping across our la land, each day since we have gone forward with a clear vision and a righteous mission. To make America Great again for all americans. [applause] [applause] over the last year we have made incredible progress and have achieved extraordinary success. We have face challenge we have expected and others we could have never imagined. We have shared in the heights of victory in the pains of hardship. We have endured floods and fir fires, and storms. Through it all, we have seen the beauty of america so in the steel and americas spine. Each test has forged new american heroes to remind us who we are and show us what we can be. We saw the volunteers of the cajun navy racing to the rescue with their fishing boats to say people in the aftermath of a totally devastating hurricane. We saw strangers shielding strangers from a hail of gunfire on the las vegas strip. We heard tales of americans, like coast guard petty officer, Ashley Leppert who is here tonight in the gallery with melania. [applause] [applause] ashley was aboard one of the first helicopters on the scene in houston during hurricane harvey. Through 18 hours of wind and rain, ashley braved live power lines in deep water to help save them 40 lives. Ashley, we all thank you. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] we heard about americans like Firefighter David dahlberg. He is here with us also. David face down walls of flame to rescue almost 60 children trapped in a california summer camp threatened by devastating wildfires. To everyone still recovering in texas, florida, louisiana, puerto rico, and the virgin islands, everywhere, we are with you, we love you, and we always will pull through together, always. [applause] [applause] thank you to david and the brave people of california. Thank you very much, david. Great job. Some trials over the past year touched this chamber very personally. With us tonight is one of the toughest people ever to serve in this house. A guy who took a bullet, almost died and was back to work three and a half months later, the legend from louisiana, congressman steve scalise. [applause] [applause] [applause] i think it they like you, steve. We are incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of the Capital Police officers, via alexandria police, and the doctors, nurses, and paramedics who saved his life and the lives of many others, some in this room. [applause] [applause] in the aftermath of that terrible shooting we came together not as republicans or democrats, but as representatives of the people. But, it is not enough to come together only in times of tragedy. Tonight, i call upon all of us to set aside our differences, to seek out common ground, and to summon the unity we need to deliver for the people. This is really the key. These are the people we were elected to serve. [applause] [applause] over the last year the world has seen what we always knew, that no people are so fearless, daring, or determined as americans. If there is a mountain, we climate. If there is a frontier, we cross it. If there is the challenge, we tame it. If there is an opportunity, we seize it. Lets begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our union is strong because our people are strong. [applause] [applause] and we are building a safe, as strong and proud america. Since the election we have created 2. 4 million new jobs. [applause] including 200,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone. [applause] after years and years of wage stagnation, were finally seeing rising wages. [applause] unemployment claims have hit a 45 year low. [applause] is something im very proud of, africanamerican unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded. [applause] [applause] and hispanic american unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history. [applause] Small Business confidence is at an alltime high. The stock market has smashed one record after another, gaining 8 trillion and more in value in just this short time. [applause] the great news for americans, 4o1k retirement pension and College Saving accounts have gone through the roof. Just as i promise, what i promise the American People 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in american history. [applause] [applause] our massive tax cuts provide tremendous relief for the middle class and Small Business. To lower tax rates for hardworking americans, we nearly doubled the standard deduction for everyone. [applause] now, the first 24000 earned by a married couple is completely taxfree. [applause] we also doubled the child tax credit. [applause] the typical family of four, making 75000 will see their tax bill reduced by 2000, slashing their tax bill and half. [applause] in april, this will be the last time youll ever file under the old and very broken system and millions of americans will have more takehome pay starting next month, a lot more. [applause] we eliminated an especially cruel tax that fell mostly on americans making less than 50000 a year, forcing them to pay tremendous penalties simply because they cannot afford government ordered health plans. We repealed the core of obama care, the individual mandate is now gone. [applause] [applause] we slashed the business tax rate. From 35 all the way down from 21 so American Companies can compete and win against anyone else anywhere in the world. [applause] these changes alone are estimated to increase average Family Income by more than 4000. A lot of money. [applause] Small Businesses have also received a massive tax cut and cannot deduct 20 of their business income. Here tonight are steve and sandy of stout manufacturing. A small beautiful business in ohio. They have just finished the best year in their 20 year history. [applause] [applause] because of tax reform they are handing out raises, hiring an additional 14 people, and expanding into the building next door. [applause] one of the employees, corey adams is also with us tonight. Corey is an allamerican worker. He supported himself through high school, lost his job during the 2008 recession and was later hired where he trained to become a welder. Like many hardworking americans, corey plans to invest his tax cut race into his new home and his two daughters education. Corey, please stand. [applause] [applause] and he is a great welder i was told that by the man who once that company that is doing so well. Congratulations corey. Since we passed tax cuts, roughly 3 million workers have already gotten taxcut bonuses. Many, thousands and thousands of dollars per worker, and it is getting more every month, every week. Apple has announced it plans to invest a total of 350 billion in america and hire another 20000 workers. [applause] just a little while ago, exxon mobil announced a 50 billiondollar investment in the United States. [applause] this, in fact, is our new american moment. There has never been in better time to start living the american dream. So, to every citizen watching at home tonight, no matter where you have been or where you have come from this is your time. If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in america, then you can dream anything, you can be anything and together we can achieve absolutely anything. [applause] tonight, i want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have and what kind of a nation we are going to be. All of us together as one team, one people, and one American Family can do anything. We all share the same home, the same heart, the same destiny, and the same Great American flag. [applause] together, we are rediscovering the american way. In america we know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of american life. The motto is, in god we trust. [applause] [applause] and we celebrate our police, our military, and our amazing veterans as heroes who deserve our total and unwavering support. [applause] here tonight is preston, a 12yearold boy from redding, california who noticed that better and scrapes were not marked with flags on veterans day. He decided all by himself to change that. He started a movement that has now placed 40000 flags at the graves of our great heroes. Preston, a job well done. [applause] [applause] young patriots like preston teach all of us about our civic duty as americans. I met preston a little while ago and he is something very special that i can tell you. A great future. Thank you very much for all you have done. [applause] prestons reverence for those who have served our nation reminds of us of why we salute our flight. Why we put our hands in our hearts for the pledge of allegiance, and while we probably stand for the national anthem. [applause] [applause] [applause] americans love their country and they deserve a government that shows them the same love and loyalty in return. For the last year we have sought to restore the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government. Working with the senates, we are appointing judges who will interpret the constitution as written. Including a great new Supreme Court justice mr Circuit Court judges than any new administration in the history of our country. [applause] we are totally defending our Second Amendment and have taken historic actions to protect religious liberty. [applause] [applause] we are serving our brave veterans, including giving our veterans choice in their health care decisions. [applause] [applause] last Year Congress also passed, and i signed up the landmark virginia accountability act. [applause] since its passage, my administration has already removed more than 1500 virginia employees who fail to give our veterans the care they deserve. We are hiring talented people who love our pets as much as we do. [applause] todd i will not stop until our veterans are properly taken care of. That has been my promise to them from the very beginning this great journey. [applause] all americans deserve accountability and respect. That is what we are giving to our wonderful heroes, our veterans. [applause] tonight, i call on congress to empower every cabinet secretary with the authority to reward good workers and to remove federal employees who undermined the public trust or fail the American People. [applause] hard drive to make washington accountable we have removed more regulations in the first year than any administration in the history of our country. [applause] we have ended the war on American Energy and we have ended the war on beautiful clean coal. [applause] we are now very proudly and exporter of energy to the world. [applause] in detroit, i halted government mandates that crippled americas great, beautiful autoworkers so that we can get motor city revving its engines again. That is what is happening. [applause] [applause] many Car Companies are now building and expanding plants in the United States, something we have not seen for decades. Chrysler is moving a major plant from mexico to michigan, toyota and mazda are open up a plant in alabama. A big one. We have not seen this in a long time. It is all coming back. [applause] [applause] very soon auto plants and other plants will be opening up all over our country. This is all news americans are totally unaccustomed to hearing. For many Years Companies and jobs were only leaving us. But now, they are coming back, they want to be where the action is. They want to be in the United States of america. [applause] [applause] exciting progress is happening every single day. To speed access to break through tears unaffordable generic dru drugs, last year the fda approved more new and generic drugs and medical devices than ever before in our countrys history. [applause] we also believe that patients with terminal illness should have access to experimental treatment immediately that could potentially save their lives. People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure. I want to give them a chance right here at home. It is time for congress to give these wonderful, incredible americans the right to try. [applause] [applause] one of my greatest priorities is to reduce the price of prescription drugs. [applause] [applause] in many countries these drugs cost far less than what we pay in the United States. It is very, very unfair. That is why i have directed my administration to make fixing the injustice of high drug prices one of my Top Priorities for the year. [applause] [applause] and prices will come down substantially, watch. America has also finally turn the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity shipped away our companies, our jobs, and our wealth. Our nation has lost its well but we are getting it back so fast. The air of economics surrender totally over. From now on we expect trading relationships to be fair and very importantly, reciprocal. [applause] [applause] we will work to fix bad trade deals and negotiate new ones. They will be good ones, but they will be fair. We will protect American Workers and American Intellectual property through strong enforcement of our trade rules. [applause] as we rebuild our industries it is time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. [applause] america is a nation builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isnt it to disgrace that it cannot take ten years just to get a minor permits approved for the building of a simple road. [applause] i am asking both parties to come together to give us safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure that our economy needs and our people deserve. [applause] tonight, i am calling on congress to produce a bill that generates at least 1. 5 trillion to the new Infrastructure Investment that our country so desperately needs. Every federal dollar should be leveraged by partnering with state and local governments, and where appropriate, tapping into privatesector investment to permanently fix the infrastructure deficit. And, we can do it. [applause] any bill must also streamline the permitting and approval process, getting it down to no more than two years and perhaps even one. Together, we can reclaim our great building heritage. [applause] we will build gleaming new roads, bridges, highways, railways, and waterways all across our land. We will do it with american hearts, american hands, and american grit. [applause] we want every american to note the dignity of a hard days work. We want every child to be safe in their home at night. We want every citizen to be proud of this land that we all love so much. We can lift our citizens from welfare to work, from dependence to independence, and from poverty to prosperity. [applause] as tax cuts create new jobs, lets invest in Workforce Development and lets invest in job training, which we need so badly. [applause] lets open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential. Lets it supports working families by supporting paid family leave. [applause] [applause] as america regains its strength, opportunity. Extended to all citizens. That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have served their time get a Second Chance at life. [applause] struggling communities, especially immigrant communities will also be helps by immigration policies that focus on the best interest of American Workers and american families. For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They have allowed millions of lowwage workers compete for jobs and wages against the poorest americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of more innocent lives. Here tonight or to bothers into mothers, evelyn, freddie, elizabeth, and robert, their two teenage daughter kayla and lisa were Close Friends on long island. In september 2016 on the eve of the 16th birthday, such a happy time it shouldve been, neither of them came home. These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown. Six members of the savage ms 13 gay have been charged with their murders. Many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as illegal, on a company alien minors. They wound up in the girls high school. Leveling, elizabeth, freddie and robert, tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you. Everyone in america is grieving for you. Please stand. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] i want you to know that 320 million hearts are breaking for you. We love you. Thank you. [applause] while we cannot imagine the depths of that kind of sorrow, we can make sure other families never have to endure this pain. Tonight, im calling on congress to close the deadly loopholes that have allowed ms 13 and other criminal gangs to break into our country. We are proposed new legislation that will fix our immigration laws and su