compromise. i think the system worked. that gives me some optimism that next year on a narrow set of issues we can get some more. as david said, it s an election year. obviously, a lot of the legislative process is going to be skewed by people looking over their shoulders worrying a bt primary trying to position themselves relative to the presidential candidates. so that makes it harder. but i think there are going to be a handful of areas we can make real progress. one of them you already mentioned. transpacific partnership, which now has been out. congress has had a chance to review. and it meets the bar that i set. it is consistent with what i promised, which is the most pro labor, pro environment trade
table and last week in paris nearly 200 nations forged an historic agreement that was only possible because of american leadership. around the world from reaching the deal to prevent iran from developing a nuclear weapon to reestablishing diplomatic relations with cuba to concluding a a landmark trade agreement that will make sure that american workers and american businesses are operating on a level playing field and that we rather than china or other countries are setting the rules for global trade, we have shone what is possible when america leads. and after decades of dedicated advocacy, marriage quality became a reality. i just want to point out i said at the beginning of this it year that interesting stuff happens in the fourth quarter and we are only half way through. i do want to thank congress for ending the year on a high note. i got to sign an education bill
congress. he gave kudos to the new house speaker for working with him. he talked about the trade partnership until the pacific. he talked about the nuclear deal with iran. cuba and other things that he achieved. but he couldn t get past the issues of isis and he did say he wanted to underline that even though he pointed out that 40% of the land u.s.i iis seized ha been driven away from, they are going to continue to be very dangerous. he noted that the reason he was saying that is because he s gotten in some hot water with the public before saying that there s an achievement and then isis went on to do other unspeakable acts of horror whether in france or sbrd. as you note, he did point out and argue that, and it s a sad reality, that lone wolf attacks are going to be very difficult to prevent and he compared them
said no to a olympian with numbers attached to it before we say anything definitive about my exec futive authority here. i think it s far preferable, if i can get stuff done with congress. you have seen me on immigration, i m not going to be forward leaning on what i can do without congress before i have tested what i can do with congress. every once in awhile they will surprise you. and this may be one of those places because we can make a strong argument. guantanamo continues to be one of the key magnets for jihadi recruitment. to the question earlier about how do they convince somebody
families. it includes some wins like strengthening america s leadership at the imf and because it eliminates the possibility of a shutdown for the first nine months of next year congress and i have a long way to get important things done on be. half of the american people. there s still a lot of work to do. for example, there s still a lot more that congress can do to promote job growth and increase wages in this country. i still want to work with congress, both democrats and republicans, to reform our criminal justice system. and earlier today i commuted the sentences of 95 men and women who had served their debt to society and another step forward in upholding our ideals of justice and fairness. and of course, our most important job is to keep americans safe. i have had a lot to say about that this week, but let me reiterate. the united states continues to