总统乔·拜登周三晚上，就在他执政100天的前一天，他在国会联席会议上发表了第一次演讲。

不过，这种设置与典型的地址非常不同。由于大流行，门票有限，社交距离规则也很到位。

但拜登传达的信息是进步和从一年多的限制中恢复正常。

拜登讲话的文字记录如下:

回来真好。正如米奇(麦康奈尔)和查克(舒默)所理解的那样，快到家了就好，就在走廊尽头。

总之谢谢大家。议长女士，副总统女士。没有一位总统在这个讲台上说过这些话。从来没有总统说过这些话，现在是时候了。

第一夫人。我是她的丈夫。第二位先生，首席大法官，议员们美国国会内阁，尊贵的客人们，我的美国同胞们:虽然今晚的背景很熟悉，但这次聚会有一点不同，它提醒了我们所处的非凡时代。

纵观我们的历史，总统们来到这个会议厅向国会、向全国、向全世界发表讲话，宣布战争，庆祝和平，宣布新的计划和可能性。今晚，我来谈谈危机和机遇。关于重建一个国家，振兴我们的民主和为美国赢得未来。

奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂影像公司

乔·拜登总统作为副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和斯佩在国会联席会议上发表讲话

今晚我站在这里，距离我执政的第100天还有一天。自从我宣誓就职100天后，我把手从我们家的圣经上拿开，继承了一个国家，我们都继承了，这个国家正处于危机之中。一个世纪以来最严重的流行病，自大萧条以来最严重的经济危机，自内战以来对我们民主的最严重攻击。

现在，仅仅过了100天，我就可以向全国报告，美国又开始行动了。

化危险为可能，化危机为机遇，化挫折为力量。我们都知道生活会击倒我们，但在美国，我们永远不会倒下。美国人总是起床。今天，这就是我们正在做的。美国正在重新崛起，选择希望而不是恐惧，选择真理而不是谎言，选择光明而不是黑暗。

经过100天的救援和重建，在我看来，美国已经准备好起飞了。我们再次工作，再次梦想，再次发现，再次领导世界。我们已经向彼此和世界表明，美国没有退出，一个也没有。100天前，美国之家着火了。我们必须行动。感谢议长南希·佩洛西(Nancy Pelosi)、多数党领袖舒默(Schumer)的非凡领导，以及美国人民、民主党人、无党派人士和共和党人的压倒性支持，我们确实采取了行动。

我们一起通过了美国救援计划，这是美国历史上最重要的救援计划之一。我们已经看到结果了。

我们已经看到结果了。在我承诺我们将在100天内向人们提供1亿次新冠肺炎疫苗注射后，我们将在这100天内提供超过2.2亿次COVID注射。感谢你们所有人的帮助。在你的帮助下，在所有人的帮助下，我们正在整理所有的联邦资源。

我们已经向近40，000家药店和700多个社区卫生中心提供了疫苗，在这些地方可以接触到最贫穷的人。我们正在建立社区疫苗接种点，开发移动设备以到达难以到达的社区。如今，90%的美国人生活在疫苗接种点五英里以内。每个16岁以上的人，每个人，现在都有资格立即接种疫苗。[掌声]

去打疫苗吧，美国。去打疫苗。他们是可用的。你现在有资格了。当我在1月20日宣誓就职时，美国只有不到1%的老年人完全接种了新冠肺炎疫苗。一百天后，美国70%的65岁以上老人都受到保护，完全受到保护。自一月份以来，新冠肺炎的老年人死亡率下降了80%，因为你们所有人，下降了80%。

超过一半的美国成年人至少打了一针。亚利桑那州格伦代尔的一个大规模疫苗接种中心，我问护士，我说，“感觉怎么样?”她看着我，说，“就像每一针都给了我一线希望。”那是她的话，“一剂希望”

奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂影像公司

乔·拜登总统作为副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和斯佩在国会联席会议上发表讲话

一位佛罗里达州的教育工作者有一个患有自身免疫性疾病的孩子，她写信给我，说她担心——她担心把病毒带回家。她说她随后在她车里的一个大型场所接种了疫苗。她说她打疫苗的时候坐在车里就哭了，哭出了喜悦，哭出了解脱。

家长们看到孩子们脸上的笑容是因为那些能够回到学校的老师、校车司机和食堂工作人员已经接种了疫苗。

祖父母拥抱他们的孩子和孙子孙女，而不是把手压在窗户上说再见。它意味着一切。那些东西意味着一切。你知道，他们仍然——你们都知道，你们比任何一群美国人都知道。要战胜这种病毒，还有更多工作要做。我们不能放松警惕。

但今晚，我可以说，因为你们——美国人民——我们在过去100天里在应对历史上最严重的流行病之一方面取得的进展是后勤方面最大的成就之一——这个国家有史以来最大的后勤成就。头100天我们还做了什么?

民主党人和共和党人，我们信守承诺，向85%的美国家庭发送1400美元的救助支票。我们已经寄出了超过1.6亿张支票。这很重要。你们都知道，当你们回家的时候。对许多人来说，它正在改变世界。

德克萨斯州的一位单身母亲写信给我，她说她不能工作。但她说，救济支票把食物放在桌子上，救了她和她的儿子免于被赶出他们的公寓。弗吉尼亚的一位祖母告诉我，她立即带孙女去看眼科医生——她说她推迟了几个月，因为她没有钱。至少从我的角度来看，在这场危机中，一个决定性的形象是汽车排成一排——汽车排了几英里。

不是那些几乎不发动汽车的人。好车。排队数英里。等着一盒食物被放进他们的后备箱。我不知道你怎么样，但我从没想过我会在美国看到?

这就是为什么救援计划向数百万面临饥饿的美国人提供食物和营养援助——而饥饿已经急剧下降。我们还提供租金援助，你们都知道这一点，但美国人民，我想确保他们明白——防止人们被赶出自己的家园，向小企业提供贷款以重新开业，并让他们的员工继续工作。

在这100天里，又有800，000名美国人在《患者保护与平价医疗法案》注册，我为此设立了一个特殊的注册期——在此期间有800，000人。我们正在进行有史以来最大的一次性投资，以改善退伍军人的医疗保健。解决阿片类药物危机的关键投资。也许最重要的是，多亏了美国救援计划，我们有望在今年将美国的儿童贫困减少一半。

路透吉姆·沃森/普尔

第一夫人吉尔·拜登在第二绅士道格·埃姆霍夫旁边挥手致意，迎接总统的到来

在这个过程中，当这一切都在进行的时候，经济在100天内创造了130多万个新的就业机会。前100天的就业岗位比有记录以来的任何一位总统都多。

国际货币基金组织现在估计，今年我们的经济增长率将超过6%。这将是该国近40年来最快的经济增长速度。

美国在前进，前进。但是我们现在不能停下来。我们正在与中国和其他国家竞争，以赢得21世纪。我们正处于历史的转折点。我们必须做的不仅仅是重建得更好——重建得更好——我们必须重建得更好，我们必须比以往更加努力地竞争。

纵观我们的历史，如果你仔细想想，公共基础设施投资确实改变了美国。我们的态度以及我们的机会。横贯大陆的铁路、州际公路将两个大洋连接在一起，给美利坚合众国带来了一个全新的进步时代。

普及公立学校和大学资助敞开了机会之门。科学突破把我们带到了月球。现在我们在火星上，发现了疫苗，给了我们互联网等等。

这些是我们作为一个国家共同进行的投资，也是只有政府有能力进行的投资。一次又一次，它们将我们推向未来。这就是我提出美国就业计划的原因，这是美国一代人一次的投资。这是二战以来最大的就业计划。它创造就业机会来升级我们的交通基础设施，使我们的道路、桥梁和高速公路现代化。

建造港口和机场、铁路走廊、公交线路的工作。是干净的水。今天，美国多达1000万个家庭和40多万所学校和儿童保育中心都有铅管，包括饮用水——这显然是对我们儿童健康的当前威胁。美国就业计划创造就业机会，取代全国100%的主导管道和服务线路，这样每个美国人都可以喝干净的水。

奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂影像公司

乔·拜登总统在美国国会大厦的众议院两院联席会议上发表讲话

在这个过程中，我们将创造成千上万的高薪工作。它通过高速互联网为每个美国人创造就业机会，包括35%的美国农村地区仍然没有高速互联网。这将帮助我们的孩子和我们的企业在21世纪的经济中取得成功。如果副总统愿意，我会让她来领导这项工作，因为我知道这项工作会完成的。

它通过建设现代电网创造就业机会。我们的电网很容易受到风暴、黑客攻击、灾难性故障的影响，结果很悲惨，就像我们在德克萨斯州和其他地方冬天的风暴中看到的那样。美国就业计划将创造就业机会，铺设数千英里的输电线路，以建设一个有弹性和完全清洁的电网。我们能做到。

听着，美国就业计划将帮助数百万人重返工作岗位，重返职业生涯。在这场大流行中，有200万名妇女退出了劳动力大军——200万人。而且往往是因为他们无法得到照顾孩子或照顾需要帮助的年迈父母所需的照顾。

80万个家庭现在在医疗保险等候名单上，为他们年迈的父母或残疾的亲人获得家庭护理。如果你认为这不重要，去你自己的选区看看，民主党还是共和党。民主党或共和党选民，他们最关心的几乎和他们的孩子一样，是照顾一个不能被单独留下的老人。

医疗补助计划也考虑到了这一点，但该计划将帮助这些家庭，并为我们的护理人员创造更好的工资和福利，继续一个增长周期。

长期以来，我们在应对气候危机时没有使用最重要的词:工作，工作，工作。

对我来说，当我想到气候变化时，我想到了工作。美国就业计划将让工程师和建筑工人致力于建造更节能的建筑和房屋。电气工人，IBEW成员在我们的高速公路上安装了50万个充电站，这样我们就可以拥有电动汽车市场。农民种植覆盖作物，这样他们就可以减少空气中的二氧化碳，并为此获得报酬。

你看，好好想想。没有理由不能在匹兹堡而不是北京制造风力涡轮机的叶片。没有理由，没有。没理由。所以，伙计们，美国工人没有理由不能在电动汽车和电池的生产上领先世界。我是说，没有理由。我们有这个能力。我们有世界上最聪明、最训练有素的人。

美国就业计划将创造数百万份高薪工作，美国人可以依靠这些工作养家糊口——正如我父亲当时所说的——“有一点喘息的空间。”美国就业计划的所有投资都将遵循一个原则:购买美国货。买美国货。我可以顺便指出，这并不违反任何贸易协定。从30年代开始就是法律:买美国货。美国税收将用于购买美国制造的美国产品，以创造美国就业机会。这是理所应当的，本届政府也将如此。

吉姆·沃森/普尔通过美联社

2021年4月28日，乔·拜登总统抵达众议院，向国会联席会议发表讲话

我向所有内阁成员表明了这一点。他们给予豁免的能力受到了极大的限制。它将是美国产品。现在，我知道家里的一些人想知道这些工作是否适合你。你们中的许多人，许多和我一起长大的人都觉得自己被抛在了后面，被遗忘在一个变化如此迅速、令人恐惧的经济中。

我想直接跟你说，因为你想想。这就是人们最担心的:我能融入吗?独立专家估计，美国就业计划将在未来几年为经济增长增加数百万个就业岗位和数万亿美元。这是一个八年制的项目。这些都是高薪工作，不能外包。美国就业计划创造的基础设施工作岗位中，近90%不需要大学学历。75%的人不需要副学士学位。

美国就业计划是建设美国的蓝领蓝图。就是这样。它能识别我在这个房间和其他房间里一直说的话。华尔街的好人和女人，但华尔街没有建设这个国家。中产阶级建设国家，工会建设中产阶级。

这就是为什么我呼吁国会通过保护组织权法案，并把它送到我的办公桌上，这样我们就可以支持成立工会的权利。

顺便说一句，当你考虑把东西送到我桌子上的时候，让我们把最低工资提高到15美元。没有人——没有人每周工作40小时，没有人每周工作40小时应该生活在贫困线以下。

我们需要确保妇女享有更大的平等和机会。当我们这样做的时候，让我们也把《薪水公平法案》拿到我的办公桌上。同工同酬。太久了。

如果你想知道它是否太长，看看你的身后。

最后，美国就业计划将是有记录以来非国防研发的最大增长。我们将看到更多的技术变革，你们中的一些人比我更了解这一点。我们将在未来10年看到比过去50年更多的技术变革。这就是人工智能和更多东西变化的速度。

我们正落后于与世界其他国家的竞争。几十年前，我们曾将国内生产总值的2%投资于美国，2%用于研发。今天，部长先生，还不到1%。中国和其他国家正在快速逼近。我们必须开发和主导未来的产品和技术，先进的电池、生物技术、计算机芯片、清洁能源。

国防部长可以告诉你们，从事国家安全问题工作的人都知道，国防部有一个机构，叫做国防高级研究计划局。在我来到这里之前，人们就已经建立了，那是很久以前的事了，来发展突破，来加强我们的国家安全。那是他们唯一的工作。

安德鲁·哈尔尼克/普尔/法新社通过盖蒂图像

乔·拜登总统转而为副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和众议院议长鼓掌

这是一个半独立的机构。隶属于国防部。它导致了从互联网的发现到全球定位系统等等的一切。它增强了我们的安全性。我认为，国立卫生研究院应该为健康创建一个类似的高级研究项目机构。

这就是它的作用。它将有一个独特的目的:开发预防、检测和治疗阿尔茨海默氏症、糖尿病和癌症等疾病的突破。我仍然不会忘记去年我们通过癌症提案的时候，我是副总裁，将近900万美元捐给了国立卫生研究院。

如果你原谅我的个人特权，我永远不会忘记你站着，米奇，说，以我死去的儿子的名字命名。意义重大。但是我们很多人都有死于癌症的儿子、女儿和亲戚。我想不出更有价值的投资了。

我知道没有什么比两党合作更好的了，所以让我们结束我们所知的癌症吧。这是我们力所能及的。我们有能力做这件事。

像我们正在谈论的那样，对就业和基础设施的投资在过去经常得到两党的支持。哈里斯副总统和我定期在椭圆形办公室会见民主党人和共和党人，讨论就业计划。我为一群刚刚提出自己建议的共和党参议员鼓掌。所以我们开始工作吧。在我们进行深入讨论之前，我想在国会面前阐明我的计划。

我喜欢和那些有不同想法的人见面，他们认为这些想法更好。我欢迎这些想法。但世界其他地方并没有等着我们。我只想说清楚，在我看来，什么都不做不是选项。

听着，我们不能忙着相互竞争，以至于忘记了我们与世界其他地区在赢得21世纪方面的竞争。正如(国务卿安东尼)布林肯可以告诉你的，我花了很多时间和(中国)习主席(金平)在一起，和他一起旅行了17000多英里，花了24个多小时和他私下讨论。当他打电话祝贺我时，我们进行了两个小时的讨论。

他非常渴望成为世界上最重要、最重要的国家。他和其他独裁者认为，民主在21世纪无法与专制竞争，因为需要太长时间才能达成共识。在我看来，为了赢得未来的竞争，我们还需要对我们的家庭和孩子进行一代人一次的投资。

这就是为什么我今晚推出了美国家庭计划，该计划解决了美国家庭面临的四大挑战，反过来也解决了美国面临的四大挑战。首先是获得良好教育的机会。当这个国家在上个世纪普及了12年的公共教育时，它使我们成为世界上受教育程度最高、准备最充分的国家。我相信，这是将我们推向20世纪的压倒性原因。但世界已经赶上或正在赶上。他们没在等。

奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂影像公司

乔·拜登总统作为副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和斯佩在国会联席会议上发表讲话

我想附带说一下，如果我们坐下来，我们把一个两党委员会放在一起说，好吧，我们将决定我们在政府提供免费教育方面做什么。我想知道我们是否会像20世纪那样认为12年在21世纪足够了。我很怀疑。12年已经不足以在21世纪与世界其他地区竞争。

这就是为什么美国家庭计划保证美国每个人都有四年额外的公共教育——尽早开始。

我们为每一个3岁和4岁的孩子增加两年的普及优质学前教育，不管他们来自什么背景，这使他们能够在12年内一直竞争，并成倍增加他们毕业和毕业后继续下去的前景。

研究表明，当一个年幼的孩子去上学，而不是日托时，他们更有可能从高中毕业并上大学，或者在高中毕业后做些什么。当你在此基础上再加上两年的免费社区大学，你就开始改变这种动态。我们能做到。

我们将增加佩尔助学金，并投资于历史悠久的黑人学院和大学、部落学院以及为少数民族服务的机构。原因是他们没有天赋，但他们的学生同样有能力学习网络安全，同样有能力学习冶金，所有正在进行的提供未来工作的事情。吉尔是一名社区大学教授，现在以第一夫人的身份教书。

她早就说过——如果我听过一遍，我已经听过一千遍了:“乔，任何一个教育我们的国家都会打败我们。”她将深入参与领导这项工作。谢谢你，吉尔。我们需要的第二件事是，美国家庭计划将提供高质量、负担得起的儿童保健。

我在立法中提议的是——我们保证低收入和中等收入家庭将支付不超过其收入的7%来为5岁以下的儿童提供高质量的护理。压力最大的工薪家庭不用花一分钱。第三，美国家庭计划最终将提供长达12周的带薪休假和医疗假，即家庭医疗假。

任何人都不应该在工作和薪水之间或者照顾自己和他们所爱的人、父母、配偶或孩子之间做出选择。第四，美国家庭计划直接进入数百万美国人的口袋。今年3月，我们扩大了家庭中每个孩子的税收抵免，如果每个孩子超过6岁，税收抵免最高可达3000美元。

6岁以上的儿童为3600美元。有两个父母，两个孩子，口袋里有7200美元，可以帮助照顾你的家人。这将帮助超过6500万儿童，并将儿童保育贫困减半。

我们负担得起。所以我们在我们通过的最后一项立法中这么做了。但让我们至少在2025年底之前延长儿童保育税收抵免。美国救援计划降低了900万购买《患者保护与平价医疗法案》医保的美国人的医疗保险费。

我知道这在过道的这一边很受欢迎。[笑声]但是，让我们将这一条款永久化，这样他们的保费就不会回升。

除了我的家庭计划，我将与国会合作，解决今年美国家庭的其他关键优先事项。《平价医疗法案》已经成为数百万美国人的生命线，保护了原有疾病患者，保护了妇女健康。这场大流行已经证明了这是多么的迫切，多么的需要。在《患者保护与平价医疗法案》，让我们降低工薪家庭的免赔额。让我们降低处方药成本。

我们知道怎么做。上届总统以此为目标。我们都知道美国的毒品有多贵。事实上，我们支付的处方药价格是世界上最高的，就在美国。同一种药物的近三倍，是其他国家的近三倍。

我们必须改变这一点。我们可以。让我们做这些年来我们一直在谈论的事情，我在这个机构，在国会。让我们通过谈判降低处方药价格，赋予医疗保险节省数千亿美元的权力。

顺便说一句，它不仅仅是——它不仅仅是帮助那些有医疗保险的人。这会降低每个人的处方药费用。我们省下的数十亿美元可以用于巩固《患者保护与平价医疗法案》和扩大医疗保险福利，而不会让纳税人多花一分钱。我们有能力做这件事。现在就开始吧。

奇普·索莫德维拉/盖蒂影像公司

乔·拜登总统在美国国会大厦的众议院两院联席会议上发表讲话

民主党人和共和党人，我们已经谈得够久了。让我们今年完成它。这是一个简单的前提:在美国，医疗保健应该是一种权利，而不是特权。

那么，我们如何支付我的工作和家庭计划?我说得很清楚，我们可以不增加赤字。先说我不会做的事。我不会对收入低于40万美元的人加税。但现在是美国企业和最富有的1%美国人开始支付他们应得份额的时候了。只是他们应得的一份。

有时候会和民主党的朋友发生争执。我认为你应该能够成为亿万富翁和百万富翁，但要付出你应得的一份。最近的一项研究显示，美国55家最大的公司去年缴纳了零联邦税。这55家公司的利润超过400亿美元。

许多公司还通过瑞士、百慕大和开曼群岛的避税天堂逃税。他们还受益于税收漏洞和税收减免，将工作转移到海外，并将利润转移到海外。这是不对的。我们将改革公司税，让他们支付公平的份额，并帮助支付公共投资，他们的企业也将从中受益。

我们要奖励工作，而不仅仅是财富。我们把最富有的1%的美国人，那些年收入超过40万美元或更多的人的最高税级，追溯到乔治·布什担任总统时的39.6%。

那是小布什当总统的时候。我们将消除允许美国人一年挣100多万美元的漏洞，并对收到薪水的美国人的资本收益支付更低的税率。这一行动只会影响十分之三的美国人。十分之三的1%。

国税局将打击逃税的百万富翁和亿万富翁。左、右、中的智库估计有数十亿美元。我不想惩罚任何人。但我不会给这个国家的中产阶级增加税收负担。他们已经付够了。

我相信我的提议是公平的。财政上负责。它将增加收入，为我提出的计划买单，并将创造数百万个就业机会，从而促进经济增长，提高我们在美国的金融地位。当你听到有人说他们不想提高最富有的1%或美国公司的税收时，问他们，你想提高谁的税收?相反，我们要砍谁的?

听着，2017年的大减税，你记得它应该自己支付。这就是它的销售方式。并产生巨大的经济增长。相反，它增加了2万亿美元的赤字。这对美国企业界和最高层来说是一笔巨大的横财。

它没有利用节税来提高工资和投资研发，而是向首席执行官的口袋里注入了数十亿美元。事实上，首席执行官和他们的员工之间的薪酬差距现在是历史上最大的。根据一项研究，首席执行官的收入是他们公司普通员工的320倍，以前是100倍以下。这场流行病只会让事情变得更糟。2000万美国人在这场流行病中失去了工作，其中包括工薪阶层和中产阶级。

与此同时，在同一时期，美国大约650名亿万富翁的净资产增加了1万多亿美元。让我再说一遍:在这场流行病期间，650人的财富增加了1万多亿美元。它们现在价值超过4万亿美元。

我的美国同胞们，涓滴经济学从来没有奏效过，现在是时候从底层和中层开始发展经济了。

你知道，左翼、右翼和中间派经济学家有着广泛的共识，他们同意我的提议将有助于创造数百万个就业机会，并带来历史性的经济增长。这些是我们作为一个国家所能进行的最有价值的投资。我经常说，我们最大的力量是我们榜样的力量，而不仅仅是我们力量的榜样。

梅琳娜·玛拉/华盛顿邮报

2021年4月28日，美国总统乔·拜登抵达白宫，在国会两院联席会议上发表讲话

我和世界领导人的对话，我现在已经和他们中的38 - 40个人谈过了。我已经公开了。我已经让大家知道美国回来了。你知道他们说什么吗?我从他们那里听到最多的评论?所以他们说，“我们看到美国回来了。但是多久呢?但是要多久?”

我的美国同胞们，我们不仅要证明我们回来了，还要证明我们回来了，我们不会一个人走。

我们将通过与我们的盟友一起领导来做到这一点。没有一个国家能够应对我们时代的所有危机，从恐怖主义到核扩散、大规模移民、网络安全、气候变化以及经历我们现在正在经历的流行病。

没有足够高的墙来阻挡任何病毒。随着我们自己的疫苗供应增长以满足我们的需求——我们正在满足这些需求——我们将成为其他国家的疫苗库——就像美国在第二次世界大战中是民主的武器库一样。

气候危机也不仅仅是我们的战斗。这是一场全球性的战斗。众所周知，美国的碳排放量不到15%。世界其他地区占85%。

这就是为什么我在上任的第一天就信守了重新加入巴黎气候协议的承诺。

我信守承诺，在美国召开气候峰会，与会者包括世界上所有主要经济体——从中国、俄罗斯到印度和欧盟。而且我说我头100天就做。我想对此直言不讳。

我的尝试是确保世界能够看到一个共识，那就是我们正处于历史的转折点。共识是，如果我们采取行动拯救地球，我们可以创造数百万个就业机会和经济增长，并有机会提高世界各地几乎每个人的生活水平。如果你看了其中的任何一部，而且你们都很忙，我肯定你们没有太多时间，这是几乎每个国家都在说的话，即使是那些没有做好自己份内的事情的国家。

在我看来，我今晚提议的投资也推进了惠及中产阶级的外交政策。这意味着确保包括中国在内的每个国家在全球经济中遵循同样的规则。我的讨论——在我和习主席的讨论中，我告诉他，我们欢迎比赛。我们不是在寻找冲突。

梅利纳·马拉/普尔/法新社通过盖蒂图像

乔·拜登总统在华盛顿特区美国国会大厦的国会联席会议上发表讲话

但我绝对明确地表示，我们将全面捍卫美国的利益。美国将抵制不公平的贸易做法，这些做法削弱了美国工人和美国工业，如国家对国有企业和企业的补贴，以及对美国技术和知识产权的盗窃。

我还告诉习主席，我们将在印度-太平洋地区保持强大的军事存在，就像我们对北约和欧洲所做的那样。不是为了引发冲突，而是为了防止冲突。

我告诉他我对许多世界领导人说过的话，美国不会背弃我们的承诺，我们对人权和基本自由的承诺，以及我们的联盟。我向他指出，当基本人权遭到如此公然的侵犯时，任何负责任的美国总统都不能保持沉默。一位美国总统必须代表我们国家的本质。

美国是一种理念，历史上最独特的理念:我们生来平等，我们所有人都是平等的。这就是我们，我们不能背离这个原则。事实上，说“我们在处理美国的想法。”

至于俄罗斯，我知道这关系到你们中的一些人，但我向(俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京)非常清楚地表明，我们不会寻求升级，但如果他们的行动被证明是真的，他们的行动将会产生后果。事实证明这是真的，所以我对俄罗斯干涉我们的选举，以及对我们的政府和企业的网络攻击做出了直接和相称的回应。

他们做了这两件事，我告诉他们我们会回应，我们已经回应了。但如果符合我们的共同利益，我们也可以合作。我们在延长《新裁武条约》时做到了这一点，我们也在努力应对气候变化。但他知道我们会回应的。

在伊朗和朝鲜这两个对美国安全和世界安全构成严重威胁的核项目上，我们将与我们的盟友密切合作，通过外交和严厉的威慑来应对这两个国家构成的威胁。美国的领导意味着永远结束阿富汗战争。

毫不夸张地说，我们拥有世界历史上最强大的战斗力量。我是40年来第一位知道儿子在战区服役意味着什么的总统。今天，我们有服役人员和他们的父母在同一个战区服役。我们在阿富汗有尚未在9/11出生的服役人员。

我们记得这里的辩论，阿富汗战争从来就不是几代人的建国事业。我们去阿富汗抓恐怖分子——911袭击我们的恐怖分子。我们说我们会跟随奥萨马·本·拉登到地狱之门去做这件事。如果你去过库纳尔山谷的上游，你会看到地狱之门。

我们为本拉登伸张了正义。我们降低了基地组织和阿富汗的恐怖威胁。经过20年的价值、勇气和牺牲，是时候让这些部队回家了。

即使我们这样做了，我们也将保持未来压制对国土威胁的能力。毫无疑问，20年来，恐怖主义已经转移。这种威胁已经远远超出了阿富汗。情报委员会、外交关系部门、国防部门的人，你们都很清楚。我们必须对来自任何地方的对美国的威胁保持警惕。基地组织和伊斯兰国在也门、叙利亚、索马里、非洲其他地方、中东和其他地方。

我们不会忽视我们情报机构认定的当今对国土最致命的恐怖威胁:白人至上的恐怖主义。

我们也不会忽视这一点。我的美国同胞们，看，我们必须团结起来治愈这个国家的灵魂。那是将近一年前，在她父亲的葬礼之前，我和乔治·弗洛伊德的小女儿吉安娜·弗洛伊德交谈过。她是一个小淘气，所以我跪下来和她说话，这样我就可以看着她的眼睛。她看着我，说，“我爸爸改变了世界。”

在谋杀乔治·弗洛伊德的凶手被定罪后，我们可以看到如果我们有勇气以国会的身份行事，她是多么正确。我们都见过美国黑人脖子上的不公正的膝盖。现在是我们取得一些真正进展的机会。绝大多数穿着制服、佩戴徽章的男女为我们的社区服务，他们光荣地为社区服务。

我认识他们。我知道他们也想帮助迎接这一刻。我的美国同胞们，我们必须团结起来，重建执法部门和他们所服务的人民之间的信任，根除我们刑事司法系统中的系统性种族主义，并以乔治·弗洛伊德的名义实施已经获得众议院通过的警察改革。我知道共和党人有他们自己的想法，并在参议院与民主党人进行了富有成效的讨论。我们需要共同努力找到共识，但让我们在下个月乔治·弗洛伊德逝世一周年之际完成这项工作。

国家支持这项改革，国会应该采取行动——应该采取行动。我们有巨大的机会将道德宇宙的方舟转向正义，真正的正义。有了今晚概述的计划，我们就有真正的机会根除以其他方式困扰美国和美国人生活的系统性种族主义。

一个实现真正平等的机会，好的工作，好的学校，负担得起的住房，干净的空气，干净的水，能够创造财富并传递给后代，因为你有机会购买房子。更多美国人生活中的真正机会，黑人、白人、拉丁美洲人、亚裔美国人、土著美国人。

听着，我还要感谢美国参议院以94票对1票通过了保护亚裔美国人和太平洋岛民的新冠肺炎仇恨犯罪法案。你果断行动。

你可以在电视上看到我们在过去一年和太长时间里看到的仇恨犯罪的邪恶。我敦促众议院也这样做，并将该法案送到我的办公桌上，我将高兴地、焦虑地签署该法案。我也希望国会能把《平等法案》拿到我的办公桌上，以保护同性恋、双性恋和变性者。

对于所有在家观看的跨性别美国人，尤其是年轻人，他们非常勇敢，我想让你知道你的总统支持你。另一件事:让我们授权《防止对妇女施暴法》，它已经成为法律27年了。二十七年前，我写的。

它将关闭——现在必须授权的行为，它将关闭男朋友的漏洞，以防止枪支落入滥用者手中。法院命令说“这是虐待者”，你不能拥有枪。是为了堵住那个存在的漏洞。要知道，美国每个月估计有50个女人被亲密伴侣开枪打死，一个月50个。

让我们通过它，拯救一些生命。我不需要告诉任何人这些，但是枪支暴力在美国已经成为一种流行病。佐治亚州大规模枪击事件的八名受害者的白宫国旗仍在降半旗，而在科罗拉多州的大规模枪击事件中，又有10人丧生。

在这两起事件之间的一周里，又有250名美国人在美国街头被枪杀。250.中枪身亡。我知道在这个问题上取得进展有多难。在90年代，我们通过了普遍的背景调查，禁止突击步枪和大容量弹夹，这些弹夹可以在几秒钟内发射100发子弹。我们打败了NRA。大规模枪击和枪支暴力有所下降。

梅利纳·马拉/普尔/法新社通过盖蒂图像

副总统卡玛拉•哈里斯和众议院议长南希·佩洛西聆听总统乔·拜登讲话

看看这份超过十年的报告。但是在21世纪初，这项法律到期了。从那以后，我们每天都看到流血事件。我不是说如果法律继续下去，我们就不会看到流血。两个多星期前，在玫瑰园，在我认识的一些最勇敢的人、幸存者和因枪支暴力而失去亲人的家庭的包围下，我列出了司法部正在采取的几项行动，以影响这场流行病。

其中之一就是禁止所谓的鬼枪。这些是自制的枪，由一个工具包组成，其中包括如何完成火器的说明。零件没有序列号。所以他们出现在犯罪现场，无法追踪。这些幽灵枪套件的买家不需要通过任何背景调查。

任何人，无论是罪犯还是恐怖分子，都可以购买这套装备，并在30分钟内拥有致命武器，但仅此而已。我将尽我所能保护美国人民免受枪支暴力的侵害，但现在也是国会采取行动的时候了。

我不想变得对抗，但我们需要更多的参议院共和党人加入绝大多数民主党同事的行列，并填补背景调查中购买枪支所需的漏洞。我们需要禁止攻击性武器和大容量弹夹。别告诉我这不可能。我们以前做过，而且成功了。

与最负责任的枪支拥有者和猎人交谈，他们会告诉你一件武器拥有100发子弹是没有任何正当理由的。你觉得呢，鹿穿着凯夫拉尔背心?[笑声]他们会告诉你，今天有太多的人有能力买枪，但不应该买枪。

这些合理的改革得到了包括许多枪支拥有者在内的美国人民的压倒性支持。国家支持改革，这是国会应该采取的行动。这不应该是一个红色或蓝色的问题，没有任何宪法修正案是绝对的。你不能在拥挤的剧院里大喊“着火了”。从一开始就有某些枪支，这些武器不是美国人拥有的。

某些人永远不能拥有这些武器。我们没有改变宪法。我们在讲道理。我认为这不是民主党或共和党的问题。我认为这是美国的问题。这是我们还能做的。移民对美国来说一直是至关重要的。让我们结束在移民问题上令人精疲力竭的战争。

30多年来，政治家们一直在谈论移民改革，而我们对此却无动于衷。是时候修复了。在我担任总统的第一天，我信守承诺，向美国国会提交了一份全面的移民法案。如果你认为我们需要确保边境安全，那就通过它，因为它有很多钱用于高科技边境安全。如果你相信通往公民身份的道路，那就通过它。有超过1100万的非法移民，大部分都是签证过期的人，通过吧。

我们实际上可以——如果你真的想解决这个问题，我已经发了一份账单来仔细看看。我们还必须解决人们为什么逃离的根本问题，特别是逃到我们的南部边境危地马拉、洪都拉斯和萨尔瓦多。暴力、腐败、帮派、政治不稳定、饥饿、飓风、地震、自然灾害。当我还是总统的时候，我的总统——当我还是副总统的时候，总统要求我集中精力提供解决移民根源所需的帮助。

这有助于人们留在自己的国家，而不是被迫离开。该计划正在实施，但上届政府认为不值得。我正在恢复这个项目，我请副总统[卡玛拉]哈里斯领导我们的外交努力来解决这个问题。我绝对相信她会完成这项工作。

现在听着，如果你不喜欢我的计划，至少让我们通过我们都同意的。国会需要在今年通过立法，最终确保对梦想家的保护。那些只知道美国是他们家的年轻人。以及对移民的永久保护，这些移民是以临时保护身份来到这里的，他们来自受到人为和自然暴力和灾难困扰的国家。

也是那些给我们提供食物的外国工人获得公民身份的途径。看，移民在这场流行病期间和我们的整个历史中为美国做了这么多。该国支持移民改革。我们应该行动。让我们争论一下。让我们辩论一下，但让我们行动起来。如果我们真的想要恢复美国的灵魂，我们需要保护神圣的投票权。

在上一次总统选举中，在有史以来最严重的流行病肆虐期间，投票的人比美国历史上任何时候都多。应该庆祝一下。相反，它被攻击了。国会应该通过HR-1和约翰·刘易斯投票权法案，并立即提交给我。

国家支持，国会现在就应该行动。[掌声，续。]总之，当我们今晚聚集在这里时，暴力暴徒袭击这座国会大厦、亵渎我们民主的画面仍然历历在目。很多人的生命都处于危险之中。有人丧生了。

非凡的勇气被召唤出来。这场叛乱是一场生存危机，是对我们的民主能否生存的考验，它确实存在。但斗争远未结束。我们的民主能否长久存在的问题既古老又紧迫，就像我们的共和国一样古老，今天仍然至关重要。

我们的民主能否兑现它的承诺，即我们所有人按照上帝的形象平等地生活，有机会过上有尊严、受尊重和有可能的生活?我们的民主能够满足我们人民最迫切的需求吗?我们的民主能够战胜将我们分开的谎言、愤怒、仇恨和恐惧吗?美国的对手，世界的独裁者，打赌我们不能。我向你保证他们打赌我们不能。

他们认为我们充满了愤怒、分裂和愤怒。他们把袭击国会大厦的暴民的照片视为美国民主正在日落的证据。但是他们错了。你知道的。我知道。但我们必须证明他们是错的。我们必须证明民主仍然有效，我们的政府仍然有效，我们能够为我们的人民服务。

在我们在一起的第一个100天里，我们采取行动恢复人们对民主的信念。我们正在给全国接种疫苗，我们正在创造数十万个新的就业机会，我们正在给人们带来真正的成果。他们可以看到它，在自己的生活中感受到它，打开机会之门，保证更多的公平和正义。这就是美国的本质。这就是民主在起作用。我们的宪法以“我们人民”这样的陈词滥调开始

是时候记住我们，人民，是政府。你和我。不是遥远的首都的某种力量。不是我们无法控制的强大力量。是我们!我们是人民。富兰克林·罗斯福提醒我们，在另一个民主经受考验的时代，在美国，我们尽自己的一份力量，我们都尽自己的一份力量。我就问这么多。我们尽自己的一份力量，我们所有人。如果我们做到了这一点，我们将通过证明民主是持久和强大的来迎接时代的中心挑战。

独裁者不会赢得未来，我们会。美国会的。未来属于美国。今晚，当我站在这里，在我们国家生活和民主的一个新的、至关重要的时刻站在你们面前时，我可以绝对自信地说，我对美国从未像现在这样充满信心和乐观，这并不是因为我是总统。因为美国人民正在发生的事情。

我们凝视着暴动、独裁、流行病和痛苦的深渊。我们人民没有退缩。就在我们的对手确信我们会分裂并失败的那一刻，我们走到了一起。我们团结一致。带着光明和希望，我们召唤出新的力量，新的决心，让我们在21世纪的竞争中胜出。

在我们迈向一个更完美、更繁荣、更公正的联邦的道路上，作为一个民族、一个国家和一个美国。伙计们，正如我多年来告诉每一个我见过的世界领导人的那样，与美国打赌从来都不是一个好主意，现在也不是。

我们是美利坚合众国。

没有一件事，没有什么，没有什么超出我们的能力。如果我们一起做，我们可以做任何我们下定决心要做的事情。所以让我们开始聚一聚。愿上帝保佑你们，愿上帝保护我们的军队。谢谢你的耐心。

Full transcript: President Joe Biden delivers speech to joint session of Congress

PresidentJoe Bidendelivered his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, just one day prior to 100 days in office.

The setting was very different from a typical address, though. Due to the pandemic, tickets were limited and social distancing rules were in place.

But the message from Biden was one of progress and a return to normalcy from more than a year under limitations.

The transcript of Biden's speech was as follows:

It's good to be back. As Mitch [McConnell] and Chuck [Schumer] will understand, it is good to be almost home, down the hall.

Anyway, thank you all. Madam speaker, madam vice president. No president has ever said those words from this podium. No president has ever said those words, and it's about time.

The first lady. I'm her husband. Second gentleman, chief justice, members of theUnited States Congressand the Cabinet, distinguished guests, my fellow Americans: while the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is just a little bit different, a reminder of the extraordinary times we're in.

Throughout our history, presidents have come to this chamber to speak to Congress, to the nation, and to the world to declare war, to celebrate peace, to announce new plans and possibilities. Tonight, I come to talk about crisis and opportunity. About rebuilding a nation, revitalizing our democracy and winning the future for America.

I stand here tonight one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. One hundred days since I took the oath of office and lifted my hand off our family Bible and inherited a nation, we all did, that was in crisis. The worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation America is on the move again.

Turning peril into possibility, crisis to opportunity, setbacks into strength. We all know life can knock us down, but in America, we never, ever, ever stay down. Americans always get up. Today, that's what we're doing. America is rising anew, choosing hope over fear, truth over lies, and light over darkness.

After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for a take-off, in my view. We're working again, dreaming again, discovering again, and leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world that there is no quit in America, none. 100 days ago, America's House was on fire. We had to act. And thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, and the overwhelming support of the American people, Democrats, independents and Republicans, we did act.

Together, we passed the American Rescue Plan, one of the most consequential rescue packages in American history. We're already seeing the results.

We're already seeing the results. After I promised we'd get 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots into people's arms in 100 days, we will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in those 100 days. Thanks to all the help of all of you. We're marshaling, with your help, everyone's help, we're marshaling every federal resource.

We have gotten vaccines to nearly 40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers where the poorest of the poor can be reached. We're setting up community vaccination sites, developing mobile units to get to hard-to-reach communities. Today, 90% of Americans now live within five miles of a vaccination site. Everyone over the age of 16, everyone, is now eligible to get vaccinated right now, right away. [applause]

Go get vaccinated, America. Go and get the vaccination. They're available. You're eligible now. When I was sworn in on Jan. 20, less than 1% of the seniors in America were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. One hundred days later, 70% of seniors in America over 65 are protected, fully protected. Senior deaths from COVID-19 are down 80% since January, down 80% because of all of you.

And more than half of all the adults in America have gotten at least one shot. A mass vaccination center in Glendale, Arizona, I asked the nurse, I said, "What's it like?" She looked at me, and she said, "It's like every shot is giving a dose of hope." That was her phrase, "a dose of hope."

A dose of hope for an educator in Florida who has a child suffering from an autoimmune disease wrote to me, said she's worried -- that she was worried about bringing the virus home. She said she then got vaccinated at a -- at a large site in her car. She said she sat in her car when she got vaccinated and just cried, cried out of joy and cried out of relief.

Parents seeing the smiles on their kids faces for those who are able to go back to school because the teachers and school bus drivers and cafeteria workers have been vaccinated.

Grandparents hugging their children and grandchildren instead of pressing hands against the window to say good-bye. It means everything. Those things mean everything. You know, they're still -- you all know it, you know it better than any group of Americans. There is still more work to do to beat this virus. We can't let our guard down.

But tonight, I can say because of you -- the American people -- our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history has been one of the greatest logistical achievements -- logistical achievements this country has ever seen. What else have we done those first 100 days?

We kept our commitment, Democrats and Republicans, of sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85% of American households. We've already sent more than 160 million checks out the door. It's making a difference. You all know it, when you go home. For many people, it's making all the difference in the world.

A single mom in Texas who wrote me, she said she couldn't work. But she said the relief check put food on the table and saved her and her son from eviction from their apartment. A grandmother in Virginia who told me she immediately took her granddaughter to the eye doctor -- something she said she put off for months because she didn't have the money. One of the defining images, at least from my perspective in this this crisis has been cars lined up -- cars lined up for miles.

And not -- not people who just barely ever start those cars. Nice cars. Lined up for miles. Waiting for a box of food to be put in their trunk. I don't know about you, but I didn't ever think I'd see that in America?

That's why the rescue plan is delivering food and nutrition assistance to millions of Americans facing hunger -- and hunger is down sharply already. We're also providing rental assistance, you all know this but the American people, I want to make sure they understand -- keeping people from being evicted from their homes, providing loans to small businesses to reopen and keep their employees on the job.

During these 100 days, an additional 800,000 Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act when I established a special sign-up period to do that -- 800,000 in that period. We're making one of the largest one-time ever investments, ever, in improving health care for veterans. Critical investments to address the opioid crisis. And maybe most importantly, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we're on track to put child poverty in America in half this year.

And in the process, while this is all going on, the economy created more than 1,300,000 new jobs in 100 days. More jobs than the first 100 days than any president on record.

The International Monetary Fund is now estimating our economy will grow at a rate of more than 6% this year. That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in nearly four decades.

America is moving, moving forward. But we can't stop now. We're in competition with China and other countries to win the 21st century. We're at a great inflection point in history. We have to do more than just build back better -- to build back -- we have to build back better, we have to compete more strenuously than we have.

Throughout our history, if you think about it, public investment in infrastructure has literally transformed America. Our attitudes as well as our opportunities. The transcontinental railroad, the interstate highways, united two oceans and brought a totally new age of progress to the United States of America.

Universal public schools and college aid opened wide the doors of opportunity. Scientific breakthroughs took us to the moon. Now we're on Mars, discovering vaccines, gave us the internet and so much more.

These are investments we made together, as one country, and investments that only the government was in a position to make. Time and again, they propel us into the future. That's why I propose the American Jobs Plan, a once-in-a-generation investment in America itself. This is the largest jobs plan since World War II. It creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure, jobs modernizing our roads, bridges, highways.

Jobs building ports and airports, rail corridors, transit lines. It's clean water. And today, up to 10 million homes in America and more than 400,000 schools and child care centers have pipes with lead in them, including drinking water -- a clear and present danger to our children's health. The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation's lead pipes and service lines so every American can drink clean water.

In the process, we'll create thousands and thousands of good paying jobs. It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of the rural America that still doesn't have it. This is going to help our kids and our businesses succeed in the 21st-century economy. And I'm asking the vice president to lead this effort, if she would, because I know it will get done.

It creates jobs building a modern power grid. Our grids are vulnerable to storms, hacks, catastrophic failures with tragic results, as we saw in Texas and elsewhere during the winter storms. The American Jobs Plan will create jobs that will lay thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid. We can do that.

Look, the American Jobs Plan will help millions of people get back to their jobs and back to their careers. Two million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic -- 2 million. And too often because they couldn't get the care they needed to care for their child or care for an elderly parent who needs help.

Eight-hundred thousand families are on the Medicare waiting list right now to get home care for their aging parent or loved one with disability. If you think it's not important, check out in your own district, Democrat or Republican. Democrat or Republican voters, their great concern -- almost as much as their children, is taking care of an elderly loved one who can't be left alone.

Medicaid contemplated it, but this plan is going to help those families and create jobs for our caregivers with better wages and better benefits, continuing a cycle of growth.

For too long, we failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis: jobs, jobs, jobs.

For me, when I think climate change, I think jobs. The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes. Electrical workers, IBEW members installing 500,000 charges stations along our highways so we can own the electric car market. Farmers planting cover crops so they can reduce the carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it.

Look, think about it. There is simply no reason why the blades for wind turbines can't be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing. No reason, none. No reason. So, folks, there is no reason why American workers can't lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries. I mean, there is no reason. We have this capacity. We have the brightest, best trained people in the world.

The American Jobs Plan is going to create millions of good paying jobs, jobs Americans can raise a family on -- as my dad would then say -- "with a little breathing room." And all the investments in the American Job Plan will be guided by one principle: Buy American. Buy American. And I might note parenthetically, that does not violate any trade agreement. It's been the law since the '30s: Buy American. American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products made in America to create American jobs. That's the way it is supposed to be, and it will be in this administration.

And I made it clear to all my cabinet people. Their ability to give exemptions has been strenuously limited. It will be American products. Now, I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you. So many of you, so many of the folks I grew up with feel left behind, forgotten in an economy that's so rapidly changing it's frightening.

I want to speak directly to you, because you think about it. That's what people are most worried about: Can I fit in? Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars to economic growth in the years to come. It is a -- it is an eight-year program. These are good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced. Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan do not require a college degree. Seventy-five percent don't require an associate's degree.

The American Jobs Plan is a blue collar blueprint to build America. That's what it is. And it recognizes something I’ve always said, in this chamber and the other. Good guys and women on Wall Street, but Wall Street didn't build this country. The middle class built the country, and unions built the middle class.

So that's why I'm calling on Congress to pass Protect the Right to Organize Act, the PRO Act and send it to my desk so we can support the right to unionize.

And by the way, while you’re thinking about sending things to my desk, let's raise the minimum wage to $15. No one -- no one working 40 hours a week, no one working 40 hours a week should live below the poverty line.

We need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women. And while we're doing this, let's get the Paycheck Fairness Act to my desk as well. Equal pay. It's been much too long.

And if you wonder whether it’s too long, look behind you.

And finally, the American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in non-defense research and development on record. We'll see more technological change, and some of you know more about this than I do. We'll see more technological change in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50. That's how rapidly artificial intelligence and so much more is changing.

And we're falling behind the competition with the rest of the world. Decades ago, we used to invest 2% of our gross domestic product in America, 2% of our gross domestic product in research and development. Today, Mr. Secretary, that's less than 1%. China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future, the advanced batteries, biotechnology, computer chips, clean energy.

The secretary of defense can tell you, and those of you who work on national security issues know, the defense department has an agency called DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. The people who set up before I came here, and that's been a long time ago, to develop break-throughs that enhance our national security. That's their only job.

And it’s a semi-separate agency. It’s under the Defense Department. It's led to everything from the discovery of the internet to GPS and so much more. It's enhanced our security. The National Institutes of Health, the NIH, I believe, should create a similar advanced research project agency for health.

And here’s what it would do. It would have a singular purpose: to develop breakthroughs to prevent, detect and treat diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer. I’ll still never forget when we passed the cancer proposal in the last year I was vice president, almost $9 million going to NIH.

And if you excuse the point of personal privilege, I’ll never forget you standing, Mitch, and saying, name it after my deceased son. It meant a lot. But so many of us have deceased sons, daughters, and relatives who died of cancer. I can think of no more worthy investment.

I know of nothing that is more bipartisan, so let's end cancer as we know it. It is within our power. It's within our power to do it.

Investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we’re talking about have often had bipartisan support in the past. Vice President Harris and I met regularly in the Oval Office with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the jobs plan. And I applaud a group of Republican senators who just put forward their own proposal. So let's get to work. I wanted to lay out before the Congress my plan before we got into the deep discussions.

I like to meet with those who have ideas that are different, that they think are better. I welcome those ideas. But the rest of the world is not waiting for us. I just want to be clear, from my perspective, doing nothing is not an option.

Look, we can't be so busy competing with one another that we forget the competition that we have with the rest of the world to win the 21st century. As Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken can tell you, I spent a lot of time with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping], traveled over 17,000 miles with him, spent over 24 hours in private discussions with him. When he called to congratulate me, we had a two-hour discussion.

He's deadly earnest about becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world. He and others, autocrats, think that democracy can't compete in the 21st century with autocracies because it takes too long to get consensus. To win that competition for the future, in my view, we also need to make a once-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children.

That's why I’ve introduced the American Families Plan tonight, which addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families and, in turn, America. First is access to good education. When this nation made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best educated, best prepared nation in the world. It's, I believe, the overwhelming reason that propelled us to where we got in the 20th century. But the world has caught up or catching up. They're not waiting.

I would say parenthetically, if we were sitting down, we put a bipartisan committee together said, okay, we're going to decide what we do in terms of government providing for free education. I wonder whether we'd think, as we did in the 20th century, that 12 years is enough in the 21st century. I doubt it. Twelve years is no longer enough today to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century.

That’s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America -- starting as early as we can.

We add two years of universal high-quality preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old, no matter what background they come from, puts them in a position to be able to compete all the way through 12 years and increases exponentially their prospect of graduating and going on beyond graduation.

Research shows when a young child goes to school, not day care, they're far more likely to graduate from high school and go to college, or something after high school. When you add two years of free community college on top of that, you begin to change the dynamic. We can do that.

And we’ll increase Pell grants and invest in historical Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges, minority-serving institutions. The reason is they don't have the endowments, but their students are just as capable of learning about cyber security, just as capable of learning about metallurgy, all the things that are going on that provide those jobs of the future. Jill is a community college professor who teaches today, as first lady.

She's long said -- if I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: “Joe, any country that out educates us is going to outcompete us.” She will be deeply involved in leading this effort. Thank you, Jill. Second thing we need, American Families Plan will provide access to quality, affordable child care.

What I'm proposing in the legislation -- we guarantee that low and middle income families will pay no more than 7% of their income for high quality care for children up to the age of 5. The most hard-pressed working families won't have to spend a dime. Third, the American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave and medical leave, family medical leave.

No one should have to choose between a job and a paycheck or taking care of themselves and their loved ones or parent or spouse or child. And, fourth, the American Family Plan puts directly into the pockets of millions of Americans. In March, we expanded the tax credit for every child in a family, up to $3,000 per child if they're over 6 years of age.

And $3,600 for children over 6 years of age. With two parents, two kids, that's $7,200 in the pockets that are going to help take care of your family. And that will help more than 65 million children and help cut child care poverty in half.

And we can afford it. So we did that in the -- in the last piece of legislation we passed. But let's extend that child care tax credit at least through the end of 2025. The American Rescue Plan lowered health care premiums for 9 million Americans who buy their coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

I know that’s really popular on this side of the aisle. [laughter] But, let's make that provision permanent so their premiums don't go back up.

In addition to my families plan, I’m going to work with Congress to address this year other critical priorities for American families. The Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of Americans protecting people with preexisting conditions, protecting women's health. And the pandemic has demonstrated how badly, how badly it's needed. Let's lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable -- in the Affordable Care Act. And let's lower prescription drug costs.

We know how to do this. The last president had that as an objective. We all know how outrageously expensive drugs are in America. In fact, we pay the highest prescription drug prices of anywhere in the world, right here in America. Nearly three times for the same drug, nearly three times what other countries pay.

We have to change that. And we can. Let's do what we talked about for all the years I was down here in this body, in Congress. Let's give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower drug prescription prices.

And by the way, it won’t just -- it won’t just help people on Medicare. It’ll lower prescription drug costs for everyone. And the money we save, which is billions of dollars, can go to strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicare benefits without costing taxpayers an additional penny. It is within our power to do it. Let's do it now.

We’ve talked about it long enough, Democrats and Republicans. Let's get it done this year. This is all about a simple premise: Health care should be a right, not a privilege in America.

So, how do we pay for my jobs and family plan? I made it clear, we can do without increasing the deficit. Let's start with what I will not do. I will not impose any tax increase on people making less than $400,000. But it is time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to just begin to pay their fair share. Just their fair share.

Sometimes I have arguments with my friends in the Democratic party. I think you should be able to become a billionaire and a millionaire, but pay your fair share. A recent study shows that 55 of the nation's biggest corporations paid zero federal tax last year. Those 55 corporations made in excess of $40 billion in profit.

A lot of companies also evaded taxes through tax havens in Switzerland and Bermuda and the Cayman islands. And they benefit from tax loopholes and deductions, for offshoring jobs and shifting profits overseas. It's not right. We’re going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from as well.

We're going to reward work, not just wealth. We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans, those making over $400,000 or more, back up to where it was when George W. Bush was president, when he started, 39.6%.

That's where it was when George W. was president. We're going to get rid of the loopholes allowing Americans to make more than a million dollars a year and pay a lower tax rate on their capital gains on Americans who receive a paycheck. We're only going to affect three-tenths of 1% of all Americans by that action. Three-tenths of 1%.

And the IRS is going to crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes. It’s estimated to be billions of dollars by think tanks that are left, right, and center. I'm not looking to punish anybody. But I will not add a tax burden, additional tax burden to the middle class in this country. They're already paying enough.

I believe what I propose is fair. Fiscally responsible. And it raises revenue to pay for the plans I propose and it will create millions of jobs that will grow the economy and enhance our financial standing in the country. When you hear someone say they don't want to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% or corporate America, ask them, whose taxes do you want to raise? Instead, whose are we going to cut?

Look, the big tax cut of 2017, you remember it was supposed to pay for itself. That was how it was sold. And generate vast economic growth. Instead, it added $2 trillion to the deficit. It was a huge windfall for corporate America and those at the very top.

Instead of using the tax saving to raise wages and invest in research and development, it poured billions of dollars into the pockets of CEOs. In fact, the pay gap between CEOs and their workers is now among the largest in history. According to one study, CEOs make 320 times what the average worker in their corporation makes, it used to be in the -- below 100. The pandemic has only made things worse. 20 million Americans lost their job in the pandemic, working and middle class Americans.

At the same time, roughly 650 billionaires in America saw their net worth increase by more than $1 trillion, in the same exact period. Let me say that again: 650 people increased their wealth by more than $1 trillion during this pandemic. And they're now worth more than $4 trillion.

My fellow Americans, trickle down -- trickle down economics has never worked, and it’s time to grow the economy from the bottom and the middle out.

You know, there is a broad consensus of economists left, right, and center, and they agree what I'm proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic economic growth. These are among the highest value investments we can make as a nation. I have often said, our greatest strength is the power of our example, not just the example of our power.

My conversations with world leaders, and I’ve spoken to over 38 -- 40 of them now. I have made it known. I have made it known that America is back. And you know what they say? The comment that I hear most of all from them? So they say, “We see America is back. But for how long? But for how long?”

My fellow Americans, we have to show not just that we're back, but that we're back to stay and that we aren't going to go alone.

We're going to do it by leading with our allies. No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time, from terrorism to nuclear proliferation, mass migration, cybersecurity, climate change as well as experiencing -- what we're experiencing now with pandemics.

There’s no wall high enough to keep any virus away. As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs -- and we are meeting them -- we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries -- just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War II.

The climate crisis is not our fight alone, either. It’s a global fight. The United States accounts, as all of you know, for less than 15% of carbon emissions. The rest of the world accounts for 85%.

That’s why I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office.

And I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in America, with all of the major economies of the world -- from China and Russia to India and the European Union. And I said I would do it in my first 100 days. And I want to be very blunt about it.

My attempt was to make sure that the world could see there was a consensus, that we are at an inflection point in history. The consensus is if we act to save the planet, we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living of almost everyone around the world. If you watched any of it, and you were all busy, I’m sure you didn’t have much time, that's what virtually every nation said, even the ones that aren't doing their fair share.

The investments I propose tonight also advance the foreign policy, in my view, that benefits the middle class. That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China. My discussions -- in my discussions with President Xi, I told him, we welcome the competition. We're not looking for conflict.

But I made absolutely clear that we will defend America's interest across the board. America will stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and American industries like subsidies from state to state owned operations and enterprises and the theft of American technology and intellectual property.

I also told President Xi that we’ll maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific, just as we do with NATO and Europe. Not to start a conflict, but to prevent one.

I told him what I said to many world leaders, that America will not back away from our commitments, our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to our alliances. And I pointed out to him, no responsible American President could remain silent when basic human rights are being so blatantly violated. An American President -- President has to represent the essence of what our country stands for.

America is an idea, the most unique idea in history: we are created, all of us, equal. It's who we are, and we cannot walk away from that principle. And, in fact, say “we're dealing with the American idea.”

With regard to Russia, I know it concerns some of you, but I made very clear to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that we're not going to seek escalation, but their actions will have consequence if they turn out to be true. And they turned out to be true, so I responded directly and proportionately to Russia's interference on our elections, and the cyberattacks on our government and our business.

They did both of these things, and I told them we would respond and we have. But we can also cooperate when it’s in our mutual interest. We did it when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms, and we're working to do it on climate change. But he understands we will respond.

On Iran and North Korea, nuclear programs that present serious threats to American security and the security of the world, we're going to be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy as well as stern deterrence. And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan.

We have, without hyperbole, the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. I’m the first president in 40 years who knows what it means to have a son serving in a war zone. Today, we have service members serving in the same war zone as their parents did. We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11.

The war in Afghanistan, as we remember the debates here, were never meant to be multi-generational undertakings of nation building. We went to Afghanistan to get terrorists -- the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. And we said we would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell to do it. If you’ve been in the upper Kunar Valley, you’ve kind of seen the gates of hell.

And we delivered justice to Bin Laden. We degraded the terrorist threat of al-Qaida and Afghanistan. And after 20 years of value, valor, and sacrifice, it’s time to bring those troops home.

Even as we do, we’ll maintain over the horizon capacity to suppress future threats to the homeland. And make no mistake, in 20 years, terrorism has metastasized. The threat has evolved way beyond Afghanistan. Those of you in the intelligence committees, the foreign relation community, defense communities, you know well. We have to remain vigilant against the threats to the United States wherever they come from. Al-Qaida and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, other places in Africa, in the Middle East and beyond.

And we won't ignore what our intelligence agency has determined to be the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today: white supremacy's terrorism.

We're not going to ignore that either. My fellow Americans, look, we have to come together to heal the soul of this nation. It was nearly a year ago, before her father's funeral, when I spoke with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd’s young daughter. She's a little tyke, so I was kneeling down to talk to her so I could look her in the eye. She looked at me, she said, “My daddy changed the world.”

Well, after the conviction of George Floyd's murderer, we can see how right she was if, if we have the courage to act as a Congress. We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black Americans. Now is our opportunity to make some real progress. The vast majority of men and women wearing the uniform and a badge serve our communities and they serve them honorably.

I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well. My fellow Americans, we have to come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, to root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system and to enact police reform in George Floyd's name that passed the House already. I know Republicans have their own ideas, and are engaged in a very productive discussion with Democrats in the Senate. We need to work together to find a consensus, but let's get it done next month by the first anniversary of George Floyd's death.

The country supports this reform, and Congress should act -- should act. We have a giant opportunity to bend the ark of the moral universe towards justice, real justice. And with the plans outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues America and American lives in other ways.

A chance to deliver real equity, good jobs, good schools, affordable housing, clean air, clean water, being able to generate wealth and pass it down to generations because you have an access to purchase a house. Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans, Black, white, Latino, Asian Americans, Native Americans.

Look, I also want to thank the United States Senate for voting 94-1 to pass COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian-American and Pacific Islanders. You acted decisively.

You can see on television the viciousness of the hate crimes we have seen over the past year and for too long. I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk, which I will gladly, anxiously sign. I also hope Congress will get to my desk the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ Americans.

To all transgender Americans watching at home, especially the young people, who are so brave, I want you to know your president has your back. Another thing: let's authorize the Violence Against Women Act, which has been law for 27 years. Twenty-seven years ago, I wrote it.

It will close -- the act that has to be authorized now, it will close the boyfriend loophole to keep guns out of the hands of abusers. The court order said “this is an abuser,” you can't own a gun. It’s to close that loophole that existed. You know, it’s estimated that 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month in America, 50 a month.

Let's pass it, and save some lives. And I need -- I need not tell anyone this but gun violence has become an epidemic in America. The flag at the White House was still flying at half mast for the eight victims of the mass shooting in Georgia when 10 more lives were taken in a mass shooting in Colorado.

And in the week in between those two events, 250 other Americans were shot dead in the streets of America. 250. Shot dead. I know how hard it is to make progress on this issue. In the 90s, we passed universal background checks, a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines that hold a hundred rounds that can be fired off in seconds. We beat the NRA. Mass shootings and gun violence declined.

Check out the report over ten years. But in the early 2000s, the law expired. We've seen daily bloodshed since. I'm not saying if the law continued we wouldn't see bloodshed. More than two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, surrounded by some of the bravest people I know, the survivors and families who lost loved ones to gun violence, I laid out several of the Department of Justice actions that are being to taken to impact in this epidemic.

One of them is banning so-called ghost guns. These are homemade guns built from a kit that includes directions on how to finish the firearm. The parts have no serial numbers. So they show up at crime scenes and they can't be traced. The buyers of these ghost gun kits aren't required to pass any background check.

Anyone, from a criminal or terrorist, could buy this kit and within 30 minutes have a weapon that's lethal, but no more. And I'll do everything in my power to protect the American people from this epidemic of gun violence, but it is time for Congress to act as well.

I don't want to become confrontational but we need more Senate Republicans to join the overwhelming majority of Democratic colleagues, and close the loopholes required in background checks purchases of guns. We need a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines. And don't tell me it can't be done. We did it before, and it worked.

Talk to most responsible gun owners and hunters, they'll tell you there is no possible justification for having a hundred rounds in a weapon. What do you think, deer are wearing kevlar vests? [laughter] They'll tell you that there are too many people today who are able to buy a gun but shouldn't be able to buy a gun.

These kinds of reasonable reforms have overwhelming support from the American people, including many gun owners. The country supports reform and this -- and Congress should act. This shouldn't be a red or blue issue, and no Amendment to the Constitution is absolute. You can't yell “fire” in a crowded theater. From the very beginning there were certain guns, weapons that could not be owned by Americans.

Certain people could not own those weapons ever. We're not changing the Constitution. We're being reasonable. I think this is not a Democrat or Republican issue. I think it's an American issue. And here's what else we can do. Immigration has always been essential to America. Let's end our exhausting war over immigration.

For more than 30 years, politicians have talked about immigration reform, and we've done nothing about it. It's time to fix it. On day one of my presidency, I kept my commitment to send a comprehensive immigration bill to the United States Congress. If you believe we need to secure the border, pass it, because it has a lot of money for high tech border security. If you believe in a pathway to citizenship, pass it. There’s over 11 million undocumented folks, the vast majority are here overstaying visas, pass it.

We can actually -- if you actually want to solve the problem, I've sent a bill to take a close look at it. We also have to get at the root problem of why people are fleeing ,particularly to our southern border of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The violence, the corruption, the gangs, the political instability, hunger, hurricanes, earthquakes, natural disasters. When I was president, my president -- when I was vice president, the president asked me to focus on providing help needed to address the root causes of migration.

And it helped keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave. The plan was working, but the last administration decided it was not worth it. I'm restoring the program, and I asked Vice President [Kamala] Harris to lead our diplomatic effort to take care of this. I have absolute confidence she'll get the job done.

Now look, if you don't like my plan, let's at least pass what we all agree on. Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for Dreamers. The young people who have only known America as their home. And permanent protection for immigrants who are here on temporary protective status who came from countries beset by man-made and natural made violence and disaster.

As well as a pathway to citizenship for foregn workers who put food on our tables. Look, immigrants have done so much for America during this pandemic and throughout our history. The country supports immigration reform. We should act. Let's argue over it. Let's debate it, but let's act. And if we truly restore -- want to restore the soul of America, we need to protect the sacred right to vote.

More people voted in the last Presidential election than any time in American history, in the middle of the worst pandemic ever. It should be celebrated. Instead, it's being attacked. Congress should pass HR-1, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and send it to my desk right away.

The country supports it, and Congress should act now. [applause, cont.] Look, in conclusion, as we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol, desecrating our democracy remain vivid in all our minds. Lives were put at risk, many of your lives. Lives were lost.

Extraordinary courage was summoned. The insurrection was an existential crisis, a test of whether our democracy could survive, and it did. But the struggle is far from over. The question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent, as old as our Republic, still vital today.

Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us created equal in the image of god have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility? Can our democracy deliver to the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate, and fears that have pulled us apart? America's adversaries, the autocrats of the world, are betting we can't. And I promise you they're betting we can't.

They believe we’re too full of anger and division and rage. They look at the images of the mob that assaulted the Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy. But they're wrong. You know it. I know it. But we have to prove them wrong. We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works, and we can deliver for our people.

In our first 100 days together, we've acted to restore people's faith in democracy to deliver. We're vaccinating the nation, we're creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs, we're delivering real results to people. They can see it, feel it in their own lives, opening doors of opportunity, guaranteeing some more fairness and justice. That’s the essence of America. That's democracy in action. Our Constitution opens with the words, as trite as it sounds, “we the people.”

Well, it's time to remember that we, the people, are the government. You and I. Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force that we have no control over. It's us! It's we the people. In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt reminded us, in America, we do our part, we all do our part. That's all I'm asking. That we do our part, all of us. If we do that, we will meet the center challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong.

Autocrats will not win the future, we will. America will. And the future belongs to America. As I stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour of life and democracy of our nation, and I can say with absolute confidence, I have never been more confident or optimistic about America, not because I'm President. Because of what's happening with the American people.

We've stared into the abyss of insurrection and autocracy, pandemic and pain. And We, the people, did not flinch. At the very moment our adversaries were certain we'd pull apart and fail, we came together. We united. With light and hope, we summoned a new strength, new resolve to position us to win the competition of the 21st century.

On our way to a union more perfect, more prosperous, and more just as one people, one nation, and one America. Folks, as I told every world leader I ever met with over the years, it's never ever, ever been a good bet to bet against America and it still isn't.

We're the United States of America.

There is not a single thing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity. We can do whatever we set our minds to if we do it together. So let's begin to get together. God bless you all, and may god protect our troops. Thank you for your patience.