WASHINGTON — Transcript of President Joe Biden’s as-delivered State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, as provided by the White House. It includes interactions with the audience and White House corrections to Biden’s remarks in brackets: Good evening. Good evening. If I were smart, I’d go home now. Mr.
Both Democrats and Republicans stand to applaud as President Joe Biden speaks about former Rep. John Lewis, as he delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Thursday March 7, 2024, in Washington. on March 7, 2024, as provided by the White House. It includes interactions with the audience and White House corrections to Biden’s remarks in brackets:Mr. Speaker, Madam Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans.
And, yes, my purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either. Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today. But now assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world leadership.
And today, we’ve made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland to the Alliance last year. And just this morning, Sweden officially joined, and their minister is here tonight. Stand up. Welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome. And they know how to fight.I say this to Congress: We have to stand up to Putin. Send me a bipartisan national security bill. History is literally watching. History is watching.
Many of you were here on that darkest of days. We all saw with our own eyes the insurrectionists were not patriots. They had come to stop the peaceful transfer of power, to overturn the will of the people. Respect — respect free and fair elections, restore trust in our institutions, and make clear political violence has absolutely no place — no place in America. Zero place.
What her family had gone through should never have happened. Unless Congress acts, it could happen again. What her family had gone through should have never happened as well. But it’s happening to too many others. If you — if you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.I am here to- — tonight to show what I believe is the way forward, because I know how far we’ve come.
The landing is and will be soft. And now, instead of aporting — importing foreign products and exporting American jobs, we’re exporting American products and creating American jobs right here in America, where they belong. And thanks to our CHIPS and Science Act the United States is investing more in research and development than ever before. During the pandemic, a shortage of semiconductors, chips that drove up the price of everything from cell phones to automobiles — and, by the way, we invented those chips right here in America.
And, by the way, I noticed some of you who’ve strongly voted against it are there cheering on that money coming in. And I like it. I’m with you. I’m with you.Modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, public transit systems. Removing poi- — poisonous lead pipes so every child can drink clean water without risk of brain damage.
Instead of auto factories shutting down, auto factories are reopening and a new state-of-the-art battery factory is being built to power those cars there at the same. I say to the American people: When America gets knocked down, we get back up. We keep going. That’s America. That’s you, the American people.
With a law that I proposed and signed — and not one of your Republican buddies work- — voted for it — we finally beat Big Pharma. That’s not just saving seniors money. It’s saving taxpayers money. We cut the federal deficit by $160 billion because Medicare will no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices to Big Pharma.
Folks, I’m going to get in trouble for saying that, but any of you want to get in Air Force One with me and fly to Toronto, Berlin, Moscow — I mean, excuse me. Well, even Moscow, probably. And bring your prescription with you, and I promise you, I’ll get it for you for 40 percent the cost you’re paying now. Same company, same drug, same place.Over 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition.
I know the cost of housing is so important to you. Inflation keeps coming down. Mortgage rates will come down as well, and the Fed acknowledges that. We’ve cut red tape so builders can get federally financing, which is already helping build a record 1.7 million new house u- — housing units nationwide.To remain the strongest economy in the world, we need to have the best education system in the world. And I, like I suspect all of you, want to give a child — every child a good start by providing access to preschool for three- and four-years-old.
I pointed out to them: As Vice President, I met with over 8- — I think it was 182 of those folks — don’t hold me to the exact number — and I asked them what they need most — the CEOs. And you’ve had the same experience on both sides of the aisle. They say, “A better-educated workforce,” right? When I was told I couldn’t universally just change the way in which we did — dealt with student loans, I fixed two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 million Americans, including nurses, firefighters and others in public service.
Now let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all Americans. I’ve been delivering real results in fiscally responsible ways. We’ve already cut the federal deficit —we’ve already cut the federal deficit by over $1 trillion.It’s my goal to cut the federal deficit another $3 trillion by making big corporations and the very wealthy finally beginning to pay their fair share.
In fact, the Child Tax Credit I passed during the pandemic cut taxes for millions of working families and cut child poverty in half.The way to make the tax code fair is to make big corporations and the very wealthy begin to pay their share. Remember in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion and paid zero in federal income tax. Zero.Thanks to the law I wrote and we signed, big companies now have to pay a minimum of 15 percent.
Imagine a future with paid leave, because no one should have to choose between working and taking care of their sick family member. We have two ways to go. Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy. I will —THE PRESIDENT: That’s the proposal. Oh, no? You guys don’t want another $2 trillion tax cut?THE PRESIDENT: I kind of thought that’s what your plan was. Well, that’s good to hear. You’re not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super-wealthy? That’s good to hear.Look, too many corporations raise prices to pad their profits, charging more and more for less and less.
Banks and credit card companies are allowed to charge what it costs them to in- — to instigate the collection. And that’s more — a hell of a lot like $8 than 30-some dollars. I believe that given the opportunity — for — a majority in the House and Senate would endorse the bill as well — a majority right now.I’m told my predecessor called members of Congress in the Senate to demand they block the bill. He feels political win — he viewed it as a — it would be a political win for me and a political loser for him. It’s not about him. It’s not about me. I’d be a winner — not really.
But unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans. We’re the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new. But joining us tonight are other marchers, both in the gallery and on the floor, including Bettie Mae Fikes, known as the “Voice of Selma.” We’re also making history by confronting the climate crisis, not denying it. I don’t think any of you think there’s no longer a climate crisis. At least, I hope you don’t.
But we have more to do. We have to help cities invest in more community police officers, more mental health workers, more community violence intervention. Very soon after that happened, Jill and I went to Uvalde for a couple days. We spent hours and hours with each of the families. We heard their message so everyone in this room, in this chamber could hear the same message.
I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Pass universal background checks. Here in this chamber tonight are families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas. I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring every one of your loved ones home. Nearly 2 million more Palestinians under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighborhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families without food, water, medicine.I’ve been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks to get all the prisoners released — all the hostages released and to get the hostages home and to ease the intolerable an- — humanitarian crisis and build toward an enduring — a more — something more enduring.
And there is no other path that guarantees peace between Israel and all of its neighbors — including Saudi Arabia, with whom I’m talking. I’ve revitalized our partnership and alliance in the Pacific: India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Pacific Islands. I’ve made sure that the most advanced American technologies can’t be used in China — not allowing to trade them there.I want competition with China, not conflict. And we’re in a stronger position to win the conflict of the 21st century against China than anyone else for that matter — than at any time as well.Strengthen penalties on fentanyl trafficking.
I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while. When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever. That’s not me. I was born amid World War Two, when America stood for the freedom of the world. I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, among working-class people who built this country.