State of the Union 2022: Watch President Biden’s speech

WASHINGTON — Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, and our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of Congress and the Cabinet. Justices of the Supreme Court. My fellow Americans.

Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart. This year we’re finally together again. Tonight, we meet as Democrats, Republicans and Independents. But most importantly as Americans.

With a duty to one another to America, to the American people, to the Constitution. And an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.

Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated.

He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined.

He met the Ukrainian people. From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, literally inspires the world.

Groups of citizens blocking tanks with their bodies. Everyone from students to retirees to teachers turned soldiers defending their homeland. And in this struggle as President Zelenskyy said in his speech to the European Parliament, “Light will win over darkness.”

The Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States is here tonight. Sitting with the first lady. Let each of us, if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to the world, to Ukraine. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. She’s bright, she’s strong and she’s resolved. Yes, we the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people.

Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they cause more chaos. They keep moving, and the costs, the threats to the America and America, to the world keeps rising. That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2.

The United States is a member along with 29 other nations. It matters. American diplomacy matters. American resolve matters. Putin’s latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked.

He rejected repeated – repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this chamber, in this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united and that’s what we did, we stayed united. We prepared extensively and carefully. We spent months building coalitions of other freedom-loving nations in Europe and the Americas to – from America to the Asian and African continents to confront Putin.

Like many of you, I spent countless hours unifying our European allies. We shared with the world in advance what we knew Putin was planning and precisely how he would try to falsely and justify his aggression. We countered Russia’s lies with the truth. And now, now that he’s acted, the three world – free world is holding him accountable. Along with 27 members of the European Union including France, Germany, Italy, as well as countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, and many others, even Switzerland, are inflicting pain on Russia and supporting the people of Ukraine.

Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been.

Together, along with our allies, we are right now enforcing powerful economic sanctions. We are cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system, preventing Russia’s central bank from defending the Russian Ruble — ruble, making Putin’s $630 Billion “war fund” worthless. We’re choking Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.

Tonight I say to the Russian oligarchs and the corrupt leaders who have bilked billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more. The United States – I mean it. The United States Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of the Russian oligarchs. We are joining with European allies to find and seize their yachts, their luxury apartments, their private jets. We’re coming for your ill-begotten gains.

And tonight I’m announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia, and adding an additional squeeze on their economy. He has no idea what’s coming. The Ruble has already lost 30% of its value.

The Russian stock market has lost 40% of its value and trading remains suspended. The Russian economy is reeling and Putin alone is the one to blame. Together with our allies we are providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom. Military assistance. Economic assistance. Humanitarian assistance. We are giving more than $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine. And we will continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and to help ease their suffering.

But let me be clear, our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine. Our forces are not going to Europe to fight Ukraine, but to defend our NATO Allies in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west.

For that purpose we’ve mobilized American ground forces, air squadrons, ship deployments to protect NATO countries including Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. And as I have made crystal clear, the United States and our Allies will defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power. Every single inch.

And we are clear-eyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days, weeks, and months, will be hard on them. Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run. And a pound of Ukrainian people – the proud, proud people, pound for pound ready to fight with every inch of energy they have, they have known 30 years of independence, have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards.

To all Americans, I will be honest with you, as I’ve always promised I would be. A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world. And I’m taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russia’s economy. And I will use every tool at our disposal to protect American businesses and consumers.

Tonight, I can announce the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around the world. America will lead that effort, releasing 30 million barrels of our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And we stand ready to do more if necessary, united with our allies.

These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. But I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming to all Americans. But I want you to know that we are going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.

When the history of this era is written, Putin’s war in Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. While it shouldn’t have taken something so terrible for people around the world to see what’s at stake, now everyone sees it clearly.

We see the unity among leaders of nations. A more unified Europe, a more unified West. We see unity among the people who are gathering in cities in large crowds around the world even in Russia to demonstrate their support for the people of Ukraine. And the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.

This is the real test. And it’s going to take time. So let us continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. To our fellow Ukrainian Americans who forge a deep bond that connects our two nations we stand with you. We stand with you.

Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people. He will never – he will never extinguish their love of freedom. And he will never, never weaken the resolve of the free world.

We meet tonight in an America that has lived through two of the hardest years this nation has ever faced. The pandemic has been punishing. And so many families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and so much more. I understand like many of you did. My dad had to leave his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania to find work. So like many of you, I grew up in a family where if the price of food went up, it was felt throughout the family. It had an impact.

That’s why one of the first things I did as president was fight to pass the American Rescue Plan. Because people were hurting. We needed to act, and we did. Few pieces of legislation have done more at a critical moment in our history to lift us out of crisis.

It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the nation and combat COVID-19. It delivered immediate economic relief to tens of millions of Americans. It helped put food on their table. Remember those long lines of cars waiting for hours just to get a box of food put into their trunk? It cut the cost of healthcare insurance, and as my dad used to say, it gave the people just a little bit of breathing room.

Unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1% of Americans, the American Rescue Plan, helped working people and left no one behind . Folks, and it worked. It worked. It worked. It created jobs. Lots of jobs.

In fact – our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs created in one year than ever before in the history of the United States of America.

The economy grew at a rate of 5.7% last year, the strongest growth rate in 40 years, and the first step in bringing fundamental change to our economy that hasn’t worked for working people in this nation for too long. For the past 40 years we were told that tax breaks for those at the top, and benefits would trickle down and everyone would benefit.

But that trickle-down theory led to a weaker economic growth, lower wages, bigger deficits, and a widening gap between the top and everyone else in nearly a century. Look, Vice President Harris and I ran for office, and I realize we have fundamental disagreements on this, but ran for office with a new economic vision for America. Invest in America. Educate Americans. Grow the workforce. Build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down.

Because we know, because we when the middle class grows, when the middle class grows, the poor have a way up and the wealthy do very well. America used to have the best roads, bridges, and airports on Earth. And now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world.

We won’t be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st Century if we don’t fix it. That’s why it was so important to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I thank my Republican friends who joined to invest and rebuild America. The single biggest investment in history. It was a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank the members of both parties who worked to make it happen.

We’re done talking about infrastructure weeks. We’re now talking about an infrastructure decade. And look, it is going to – it’s going to transform America to put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st Century that we face with the rest of the world – particularly China.

I’ve told Xi Jinping, it is never a good bet to bet against the American people. We’ll create good jobs for millions of Americans, modernizing roads, airports, ports, waterways all across America. And we’ll do it to withstand the devastating effects of climate crisis and promote environmental justice.

We’ll build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, begin to replace the poisonous lead pipes so every child, every American has clean water to drink at home and at school. We’re going to provide, provide affordable high-speed internet for every American – rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities.

4,000 projects have already been announced. Many of you have announced them in your districts. And tonight, I’m announcing that this year we will start fixing over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair. And folks, when we use taxpayers’ dollars to rebuild America, we are going to do it by buying American. Buy American products, support American jobs.

The federal government spends about $600 billion a year to keep the country safe and secure.

There’s been a law on the books for almost a century to make sure taxpayers’ dollars support American jobs and businesses. Every Administration, Democrat or Republican, says they’ll do it, but we’re – actually doing it.

We’ll buy American to make sure every – everything from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end, all of it. All of it.

But folks, to compete for the jobs of the future, we also need to level the playing field with China and other competitors. That’s why it is so important to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act sitting in Congress that will make record investments in emerging technologies and American manufacturing. We used to invest almost 2% of our GDP in research and development. We don’t now – can’t, China is.

Let me give you one example of why it’s so important to pass it. If you travel 20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio, you’ll find 1,000 empty acres of land. It won’t look like much, but if you stop and look closely, you’ll see a “Field of dreams,” the ground on which America’s future will be built. That’s where Intel, the American company that helped build Silicon Valley, is going to build a $20 billion semiconductor “mega site.”

Up to eight state-of-the-art factories in one place. 10,000 new jobs. And in those factories the average job will be $135 – $135,000 a year. Some of the most sophisticated manufacturing in the world to make – computer chips the size of a fingertip that power the world and everyday lives, from smartphones, technology, the Internet, we have yet to invent.

But that’s just the beginning. Intel’s CEO, Pat Gelsinger, who is here tonight, I don’t know where Pat is, Pat, there you go. Pat, stand up. Pat. Pat came to see me and he told me they are ready to increase their investment from $20 billion to $100 billion. That would be the biggest investment in manufacturing in American history.

And all they’re waiting for is for you to pass this bill. So let’s not wait any longer. Send it to my desk. I’ll sign it. And we will really take off in a big way. And folks, Intel is not alone. There’s something happening in America. Just look around and you’ll see an amazing story. The rebirth of the pride that comes from stamping products “Made In America.” The revitalization of American manufacturing.

Companies are choosing to build new factories here, when just a few years ago, they would have gone overseas. That’s what’s happening. Ford is investing $11 billion in electric vehicles, creating 11,000 jobs across the country. GM is making the largest investment in its history – $7 billion to build electric vehicles, creating 4,000 jobs in Michigan.

All told, 369,000 new manufacturing jobs were created in America last year alone. Folks — Powered by people I’ve met like JoJo Burgess, from — generations of union steelworkers in Pittsburgh, who’s here with us tonight. Where are you, JoJo? There you go, thanks, buddy.

And as Ohio — as Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown says, As Sherrod Brown says, “It’s time to bury the label “Rust Belt.” It’s time to see the – the, what used to be called the Rust Belt become the, the home of significant resurgence of manufacturing.

And with all the bright spots in our economy, record job growth, higher wages, too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills. Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel. I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control.

Look, our economy roared back faster than almost anyone predicted, but the pandemic meant that businesses had a hard time hiring enough people because of the pandemic to keep up production in their factories. So you didn’t have people making those beams that went into buildings because they were out. The factory was closed. The panic also disrupted the global supply chain.

Factories close, when that happens it takes longer to make goods and get them to the warehouses to the store, and prices go up. Look at cars last year. One third of all of the inflation was because of automobile sales. There weren’t enough semiconductors to make all the cars that people wanted to buy. And guess what, prices of automobiles went way up. Especially used vehicles as well.

And so we have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I think I have a better idea to fight inflation. Lower your costs, not your wages. And folks, that means make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America.

More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let’s make it in America. Look, economists, economists call this “increasing the productive capacity of our economy.” I call it building a better America.

My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit.

17 Nobel laureates in economics said my plan will ease long-term inflationary pressures. Top business leaders and I believe most Americans support the plan. And here’s the plan: First – cut the cost of prescription drugs.We pay more for the same drug, produced by the same company in America than any other country in the world. Just look at insulin. One in ten Americans has diabetes. In Virginia, I met a 13-year-old boy, the handsome young man standing up there, Joshua Davis.

He and his Dad both have Type 1 diabetes, which means they need insulin every single day. Insulin costs about $10 a vial to make. That’s what it cost the pharmaceutical company. But drug companies charge families like Joshua and his Dad up to 30 times that amount. I spoke with Joshua’s mom. Imagine what it’s like to look at your child who needs insulin to stay healthy and have no idea how in God’s name you’re going to pay for it. What it does to your family but what it does to your dignity, your ability to look your child in the eye, to be the parent you expect yourself to be. I really mean it. Think about that. That’s what I think about. You know, yesterday, Joshua is here tonight but yesterday was his birthday. Happy birthday buddy, by the way.

For Joshua, and 200,000 other young people with Type 1 diabetes, let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month so everyone can afford it.

And drug companies will do very, very well, their profit margins. And while we’re at it, I know we have great disagreements on this floor with this, let’s let Medicare negotiate the price of prescription drugs. They already set the price for VA drugs.

Look, the American Rescue Plan is helping millions of families on Affordable Care Act plans to save them $2,400 a year on their health care premiums. Let’s close the coverage gap and make these savings permanent. And second – let’s cut energy costs for families an average of $500 a year by combatting climate change.

Let’s provide an investment tax credits to weatherize your home and your business to be energy efficient and get a tax credit for it. Double America’s clean energy production in solar, wind, and so much more; lower the price of electric vehicles, saving another $80 a month that you’re not gonna have to pay at the pump. Folks, third –

The third thing we can do to change the standard of living for hard working folks is cut the cost of child care. Cut the cost of childcare. Folks, if you live in a major city in America, you can pay up to $14,000 a year for child care per child. I was a single dad for five years, raising two kids, I had a lot of help though.

Middle-class and working families shouldn’t have to pay more than 7% of their income for care of young children.

My plan will cut the cost in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women, who left the workforce during the pandemic because they couldn’t afford child care, to be able to get back to work.

My plan doesn’t stop there. It also includes home and long-term care. More affordable housing. And Pre-K for every 3- and 4-year-old.

All of these will lower costs.

And under my plan, nobody – let me say this again, nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes. Not a single penny.

I may be wrong, but my guess is if we took a secret ballot in this floor, that we’d all agree that the present tax system ain’t fair. We have to fix it.

I’m not looking to punish anybody. But let’s make corporations and wealthiest Americans start paying their fair share. Look, last year, last year, like Chris Cooms and Tom Carper, and my distinguished congresswoman, we come from the land of Corporate America. There are more corporations incorporated in America than in every other state in America combined.

And I still won 36 years in a row. The point is, even they understand 55 Fortune 500 corporations earned $40 billion in profits and paid zero dollars in federal income tax.

That’s simply not fair. That’s why I’ve proposed a 15% minimum tax rate for corporations.

We got more than 130 countries to agree on a global minimum tax rate so companies can’t get out of paying their taxes at home by shipping jobs and factories overseas.

That’s why I’ve proposed closing loopholes so the very wealthy don’t pay a lower tax rate than a teacher or a firefighter.

So that’s my plan. It will grow the economy and lower costs for families.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get this done. And while you’re at it, confirm my nominees to the Federal Reserve, which plays a critical role in fighting inflation.

My plan will not only lower costs to give families a fair shot, it will lower the deficit.

The previous Administration not only ballooned the deficit with tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations, it undermined the watchdogs whose job was to keep pandemic relief funds from being wasted.

But in my administration, the watchdogs have been welcomed back.

We’re going after the criminals who stole billions in relief money meant for small businesses and millions of Americans.

And tonight, I’m announcing that the Justice Department will soon name a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud. Look, I think we all agree – thank you. By the end of this year, the deficit will be down to less than half of what it was before I took office.

The only president ever to cut the deficit by more than one trillion dollars in a single year.

Lowering your costs also means demanding more competition.

I’m a capitalist, but capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism.

It’s exploitation – and it drives up prices.

When corporations don’t have to compete, their profits go up, your prices go up, and small businesses and family farmers and ranchers go under.

We see it happening with ocean carriers moving goods in and out of America.

During the pandemic, these foreign-owned companies raised prices by as much as 1,000% and made record profits.

Tonight, I’m announcing a crackdown on these companies overcharging American businesses and consumers.

And as Wall Street firms take over more nursing homes, quality in those homes has gone down and costs have gone up.

That ends on my watch.

Medicare is going to set higher standards for nursing homes and make sure your loved ones get the care they deserve and expect.

We’ll also cut costs and keep the economy going strong by giving workers a fair shot, provide more training and apprenticeships, hire them based on their skills not degrees.

Let’s pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and paid leave. Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and extend the Child Tax Credit, so no one has to raise a family in poverty.

Let’s increase Pell Grants and increase our historic support of HBCUs, and invest in what Jill – our First Lady who teaches full-time – calls America’s best-kept secret: community colleges.

And let’s pass the PRO Act when a majority of workers want to form a union – they shouldn’t be stopped.

When we invest in our workers, when we build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out together, we can do something we haven’t done in a long time: build a better America.

For more than two years, COVID-19 has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of the nation.

And I know you’re tired, frustrated, and exhausted.

But I also know this.

Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools that we have been provided by this Congress, tonight I can say we’re moving forward safely, back to a – more normal routines. We’ve reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, where severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year.

Just a few days ago, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new mask guidelines. Under these new guidelines, most Americans in most of the country can now go mask free. And based on projections – and based on projections, more of the country will reach a point across that point in the next couple of weeks. And thanks to the progress we’ve made in this past year, COVID-19 no longer need control our lives.

I know some are talking about “living with COVID-19.” But tonight, I say that we never will just accept living with COVID-19. We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this virus mutates and spreads, we have to stay on guard.

And here are four common sense steps as we move forward safely, in my view.

First, stay protected with vaccines and treatments. We know how incredibly effective vaccines are. If you’re vaccinated and boosted you have the highest degree of protection.

We will never give up on vaccinating more Americans. Now, I know parents with kids under 5 are eager to see a vaccine authorized for their children.

The scientists are working hard to get that done and we’ll be ready with plenty of vaccines when they do.

We’re also ready with anti-viral treatments. If you get COVID-19, the Pfizer pill reduces your chances of ending up in the hospital by 90%.

We’ve ordered more of these pills than anyone in the world. And Pfizer is working overtime to get us 1 million pills this month and more than double that next month.

And we’re launching the “Test to Treat” initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they prove positive, receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost. Folks, if you’re immunocompromised or have some other vulnerability, we have treatments and free high-quality masks.

We’re leaving no one behind or ignoring anyone’s needs as we move forward.

And on testing, we have made hundreds of millions of tests available for you to order for free.

And we’ve already ordered free tests – if you already ordered free tests tonight, I am announcing – you can order another group of tests COVID test – go to covidtests.gov starting next week, and you can get more tests.

Second – we must prepare for new variants. Over the past year, we’ve gotten much better at detecting new variants.

If necessary, we’ll be able to deploy new vaccines within 100 days instead of many more months or years.

And, if Congress provides the funds we need, we’ll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, and pills ready if needed.

I cannot promise a new variant won’t come. But I can promise you we’ll do everything within our power to be ready if it does.

Third – we can end the shutdown of schools and businesses. We have the tools we need. It’s time for America to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again with people. People working from home can feel safe and begin to return to their offices. We’re doing that here in the federal government.

The vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person. Our schools are open. Let’s keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school. 75% – 75% of adult Americans fully vaccinated and hospitalizations down by 77%, most Americans can remove their masks and stay in the classroom and move forward safely.

We achieved this because we provided free vaccines, treatments, tests and masks. Of course, continuing this costs money. So I’ll not surprise ya’ll, I’ll be back to see y’all. I’m going to soon send a request to Congress. The vast majority of Americans have used these tools and may want to again, we may need them again so I expect Congress, and I hope you’ll pass that quickly.

Fourth, we’ll continue vaccinating the world. We’ve sent 475 Million vaccine doses to 112 countries, more than any nation on earth. And we won’t stop. Because you can’t build a wall high enough to keep out- a vaccine, the vaccine can stop the spread of these decisions. You know, we’ve lost so much in COVID-19. Time with one another. And worst of all, the much loss of life.

Let’s use this moment to reset. So stop looking at COVID as a partisan dividing line. See it for what it is: A God-awful disease. Let’s stop sending – seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we are: Fellow Americans.

We can’t change how divided we’ve been. It was a long time in coming. But we can change how to move forward on COVID-19 and other issues that we must face together.

I recently visited New York City Police Department days after the funerals of Officer Wilbert Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera. They were responding to a 9-1-1 call when a man shot and killed them with a stolen gun. Officer Mora was 27 years old. Officer Rivera was 22 years ago. Both Dominican Americans who grew up on the same streets that they later chose to parol – to patrol as police officers.

I spoke with their families and I told them that we’re forever in debt for their sacrifices, and we’ll carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety in every community deserves. Like some of you that’ve been around a while, I’ve worked with you on these issues for a long time. I know what works: Investigating crime prevention and community policing, cops who walk the beat, who know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety.

Let’s not abandon our streets. Or choose between safety and equal justice. Let’s come together and protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable. That’s why the Justice Department has required body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers.

That’s why the American Rescue Plan that you all – provided $350 Billion that cities, states, and counties can use to hire more police, invest in more proven strategies – proven strategies like – proven strategies like community violence interruption – trusted messengers breaking the cycle of violence and trauma and giving young people some hope.

We should all agree: The answer is not to Defund the police, it’s to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with resources and training, resources and training they need to protect our communities.

I ask Democrats and Republicans alike to pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe. And we’ll do everything in my power to crack down on gun trafficking, on ghost guns that you can buy online, assemble at home, no serial numbers, can’t be traced. I ask Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence. Pass universal background checks.

Why should anyone on the terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon? Why? Why? And folks, ban assault weapons with high-capacity magazines that hold up to 100 rounds. You think the deer are wearing kevlar vests? Look, repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that can’t be sued. The only one.

Imagine had we done that with tobacco manufacturers. These laws don’t infringe on the Second Amendment. They save lives. The most fundamental right in America is the right to vote – and have it counted. And look, it’s under assault.

In state after state, new laws have been passed, not only to suppress the vote, we’ve been there before, but to subvert the entire election. We can’t let this happen. Tonight I call on the Senate to pass – pass the Freedom to Vote Act, pass the John Lewis Act – Voting Rights Act. And while you’re at it, pass the Disclose Act so Americans know who’s funding our elections.

Look, tonight, I’d – I like to honor someone who dedicated his life to serve this country: Justice Breyer – an Army veteran, Constitutional scholar, retiring Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Breyer, thank you for your service. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean it. Get up, stand up and see you. Thank you. And we all know, no matter what your ideology, we all know, one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

As I did 4 days ago, I’ve nominated a Circuit Court of Appeals Ketanji Brown Jackson. One of our nation’s top legal minds, who continue Justice — in Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence. A former top litigator in private practice. A former federal public defender.

From a family of public school educators and police officers. She’s a consensus builder. Since she’s been nominated, she’s received a broad range of support, including the Fraternal Order of Police and former judges supported by Democrats and Republicans.

Folks, if we are to advance liberty and justice, we need to secure our border and fix the immigration system.

And as you might guess, I think we can do both. At our border, we’ve installed new technology like cutting-edge scanners to better detect drug smuggling. We’ve set up joint patrols with Mexico and Guatemala to catch more human traffickers. We’re putting in place dedicated immigration judges in significant larger number so families fleeing persecution and violence can have their cases – cases heard faster and those who don’t legitimately here can be sent back.

We’re screening, we’re securing commitments and supporting partners in South and Central America to host more refugees and secure their own borders. We can do all this while keeping lit the torch of liberty that has led the generations of immigrants to this land – my forebearers and so many of yours.

Provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those with temporary status, farm workers, essential workers. Revise our laws so businesses have workers they need and families don’t wait decades to reunite. It’s not only the right thing to do – it’s economically smart thing to do. That’s why the immigration reform is supported by everyone from labor unions to religious leaders to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Let’s get it done once and for all. Folks, advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women. The constitutional right affirmed by Roe v. Wade, standing precedent for half a century, is under attack as never before. If you want to go forwards, not backwards, we must protect access to health care. Preserve a woman’s right to choose. And continue to advance maternal health care for all Americans.

And for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk. The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong.

As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your President, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential.

While it often appears that we never agree, that isn’t true. I signed 80 bipartisan bills into law last year. From preventing government shutdowns to protecting Asian-Americans from still-too-common hate crimes to reforming military justice.

And we’ll soon be strengthening the Violence Against Women Act that I first wrote three decades ago. It is important- it’s important for us to show, to show the nation that we can come together and do big things. So tonight I’m offering a Unity Agenda for the Nation. Four big things we can do together in my view.

First, beat the opioid epidemic. There is so much we can do. Increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. Get rid of outdated rules and – that stop doctors from prescribing treatments. And stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with state and local law enforcement to go after the traffickers. And if you’re suffering from addiction, you know you should know you are not alone. I believe in recovery, and I celebrate the 23 million – 23 million Americans in recovery.

Second, let’s take on mental health. Especially among our children, whose lives and education have been turned upside down. The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning. I urge every parent to make sure your school, your school does just that -to have the money. We can all play a part – sign up to be a tutor or a mentor. Children were also struggling before the pandemic. Bullying, violence, trauma, and the harms of social media.

As Frances Haugen, who is here with us tonight, has shown, we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they’re conducting on our children for profit.

It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.

And let’s get all Americans the mental health services they need. More people they can turn to for help, and full parity between physical and mental health care.

Third, support our veterans.

Veterans are the best of us.

I’ve always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip all those we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home.

My administration is providing assistance with job training and housing, and now helping lower-income veterans get VA care debt-free. And our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan face many dangers. One being stationed at bases breathing in toxic smoke from “burnpits” many of you have been there. I have been in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan over 40 times. These “burnpits” that incinerate wastes, the wastes of war – medical and hazard material, jet fuel, and so much more.

And they come home, many of the world’s fittest and best trained warriors in the world -never the same. Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. I know.

One of those soldiers was my son Major Beau Biden. We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops.

But I’m committed to finding out everything we can.

Committed to military families like Danielle Robinson from Ohio.

The widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson.

He was born a soldier. Army National Guard. Combat medic in Kosovo and Iraq.

Stationed near Baghdad, just yards from burn pits the size of football fields.

Heath’s widow Danielle is here with us tonight. They loved going to Ohio State football games. He loved building Legos with their daughter.

But cancer from prolonged exposure to burn pits ravaged Heath’s lungs and body.

Danielle says Heath was a fighter to the very end.

He didn’t know how to stop fighting, and neither did she.

Through her pain she found purpose to demand we do better.

Tonight, Danielle – we are.

The VA is pioneering new ways of linking toxic exposures to diseases, already helping more veterans get benefits.

And tonight, I’m announcing we’re expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers.

I’m also calling on Congress: to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and the comprehensive health care they deserve.

And fourth, let’s end cancer as we know it.

This is personal to me and Jill, to Kamala, and to so many of you.

Cancer is the #2 cause of death in America – second only to heart disease.

Last month, I announced our plan to supercharge the Cancer Moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead six years ago.

Our goal is to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years, turn more cancers from death sentences into treatable diseases.

More support for patients and families.

To get there, I call on Congress to fund ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

It’s based on DARPA – the Defense Department project that led to the Internet, GPS, and so much more.

ARPA-H will have a singular purpose – to drive breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and more.

A unity agenda for the nation. We can do these things. It’s within our power. And I don’t see a partisan edge to any one of those four things. My fellow Americans – tonight, we have gathered in this sacred space – the citadel of our democracy.

In this Capitol, generation after generation, Americans have debated great questions amid great strife, and have done great things.

We have fought for freedom, expanded liberty, defeated totalitarianism and terror.

And built the strongest, freest, and most prosperous nation the world has ever known.

Now is the hour.

Our moment of responsibility.

Our test of resolve and conscience, of history itself.

It is in this moment that our character is formed. Our purpose is found. Our future is forged.

Well I know this nation.

We will meet the test.

To protect freedom and liberty, to expand fairness and opportunity.

And we will save democracy. As hard as those times have been, I am more optimistic about America today than I have been my whole life. Because I see the future that is within our grasp. Because I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity. We are the only nation on Earth that has always turned every crisis we have faced into an opportunity.

The only nation that can be defined by a single word: possibilities. So on this night, on our 245th year as a nation, I have come to report on the State of the Nation – the State of the Union. And my report is this: the State of the Union is strong – because you, the American people, are strong.

We are stronger today, we are stronger today than we were a year ago. And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today. This is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. And we will, as one people. One America. The United States of America. God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you. Go get ’em.