克林顿总统1999年联邦国情咨文演说.docx

1、克林顿总统1999年联邦国情咨文演说 克林顿总统1999年联邦国情咨文演说名人演讲稿 Mr.Speaker,Mr.VicePresident,membersofCongress,honoredguests,myfellowAmericans.TonightIhavethehonorofreportingtoyouontheStateoftheUnion. LetmebeginbysalutingthenewspeakeroftheHouseandthankinghimespeciallytonightforextendinganinvitationtotwoguestssittinginthe

2、gallerywithMrs.J.DennisHastert.LynGibsonandWeiLingChestnutarethewidowsofthetwobraveCapitolHillpoliceofficerswhogavetheirlivestodefendfreedomshouse. Mr.Speaker,atyourswearinginyouaskedusalltoworktogetherinaspiritofcivilityandbipartisanship.Mr.Speaker,letsdoexactlythat. Tonight,Istandbeforeyoutoreport

3、thatAmericahascreatedthelongestpeacetimeeconomicexpansioninourhistory.Withnearly18millionnewjobs,wagesrisingatmorethantwicetherateofinflation,thehighesthomeownershipinhistory,thesmallestwelfarerolesin30years,andthelowestpeacetimeunemploymentsince1957. Forthefirsttimeinthreedecades,thebudgetisbalance

4、d.Fromadeficitof$290billionin1992,wehadasurplusof$70billionlastyear.Andnow,weareoncourseforbudgetsurplusesforthenext25years. Thankstothepioneeringleadershipofallofyou,wehavethelowestviolentcrimerateinaquartercenturyandthecleanestenvironmentinaquartercentury. AmericaisastrongforceforpeacefromNorthern

5、IrelandtoBosniatotheMiddleEast. ThankstotheleadershipofVicePresidentGore,wehaveagovernmentfortheInformationAge,onceagainagovernmentthatisaprogressiveinstrumentofthecommongood,rootedinouroldestvaluesofopportunity,responsibilityandcommunity,devotedtofiscalresponsibility,determinedtogiveourpeoplethetoo

6、lstheyneedtomakethemostoftheirownlivesinthe21stcentury,a21stcenturygovernmentfor21stcenturyAmerica. MyfellowAmericans,Istandbeforeyoutonighttoreportthatthestateofourunionisstrong.Now,Americaisworkingagain.Thepromiseofourfutureislimitless.Butwecannotrealizethatpromiseifweallowthehumofourprosperitytol

7、ullusintocomplacency.Howwefareasanationfarintothe21stcenturydependsuponwhatwedoasanationtoday. So,withourbudgetsurplusgrowing,oureconomyexpanding,ourconfidencerising,nowisthemomentforthisgenerationtomeetourhistoricresponsibilitytothe21stcentury. Ourfiscaldisciplinegivesusanunsurpassedopportunitytoad

8、dressaremarkablenewchallenge,theagingofAmerica.WiththenumberofelderlyAmericanssettodoubleby2019,thebabyboomwillbecomeaseniorboom. Sofirstandaboveall,wemustsaveSocialSecurityforthe21stcentury. Earlyinthiscentury,beingoldmeantbeingpoor.WhenPresidentFranklinD.RooseveltcreatedSocialSecurity,thousandswro

9、tetothankhimforeliminatingwhatonewomancalledthestarkterrorofpenniless,helplessoldage.Eventoday,withoutSocialSecurity,halfournationselderlywouldbeforcedintopoverty. Today,SocialSecurityisstrong,butby2019,payrolltaxeswillnolongerbesufficienttocovermonthlypayments.By2019,thetrustfundwillbeexhaustedandS

10、ocialSecuritywillbeunabletopaythefullbenefitsolderAmericanshavebeenpromised. ThebestwaytokeepSocialSecurityarocksolidguaranteeisnottomakedrasticcutsinbenefits;nottoraisepayrolltaxrates;nottodrainresourcesfromSocialSecurityinthenameofsavingit.Instead,Iproposethatwemakethehistoricdecisiontoinvestthesu

11、rplustosaveSocialSecurity. Specifically,Iproposethatwecommit60percentofthebudgetsurplusforthenext15yearstoSocialSecurity,investingasmallportionintheprivatesectorjustasanyprivateorstategovernmentpensionwoulddo.ThiswillearnahigherreturnandkeepSocialSecuritysoundfor55years. Butwemustaimhigher.Weshouldp

12、utSocialSecurityonasoundfootingforthenext75years.Weshouldreducepovertyamongelderlywomen,whoarenearlytwiceaslikelytobepoorasareotherseniors.AndweshouldeliminatethelimitsonwhatseniorsonSocialSecuritycanearn. Now,thesechangeswillrequiredifficult,butfullyachievablechoicesoverandabovethededicationofthesu

13、rplus.Theymustbemadeonabipartisanbasis.Theyshouldbemadethisyear.Soletmesaytoyoutonight,IreachoutmyhandtoallofyouinbothhousesinbothpartiesandaskthatwejointogetherinsayingtotheAmericanpeople,wewillsaveSocialSecuritynow. Now,lastyear,wewiselyreservedallofthesurplusuntilweknewwhatitwouldtaketosaveSocial

14、Security.Again,Isay,weshouldntspendanyofit,notanyofit,untilafterSocialSecurityistrulysaved.Firstthingsfirst. Second,oncewehavesavedSocialSecurity,wemustfulfillourobligationtosaveandimproveMedicare.AlreadywehaveextendedthelifeoftheMedicaretrustfundby10years,butweshouldextenditforatleastanotherdecade.

15、Tonight,Iproposethatweuseoneoutofeverysixdollarsinthesurplusforthenext15yearstoguaranteethesoundnessofMedicareuntiltheyear2019. But,againbut,again,weshouldaimhigher.Wemustbewillingtoworkinabipartisanwayandlookatnewideas,includingtheupcomingreportoftheBipartisanMedicareCommission.Ifweworktogether,wec

16、ansecureMedicareforthenexttwodecadesandcoverthegreatestgrowingneedofseniorsaffordableprescriptiondrugs. Third,wemusthelpallAmericansfromtheirfirstdayonthejobtosave,toinvest,tocreatewealth. Fromitsbeginnings,AmericanshavesupplementedSocialSecuritywithprivatepensionsandsavings.Yettodaymillionsofpeople

17、retirewithlittletoliveonotherthanSocialSecurity.Americanslivinglongerthaneversimplymustsavemorethanever. Therefore,inadditiontosavingSocialSecurityandMedicare,Iproposeanewpensioninitiativeforretirementsecurityinthe21stcentury.Iproposethatweusealittleover11percentofthesurplustoestablishuniversalsavin

18、gsaccountsUSAaccountstogiveallAmericansthemeanstosave. Withthesenewaccounts,Americanscaninvestastheychooseandreceivefundstomatchaportionoftheirsavingswithextrahelpforthoseleastabletosave.USAaccountswillhelpallAmericanstoshareinournationswealthandtoenjoyamoresecureretirement.Iaskyoutosupportthem. Fou

19、rth,wemustinvestinlong-termcare. Iproposeataxcreditof$1,000fortheaged,ailingordisabledandthefamilieswhocareforthem.Long-termcarewillbecomeabiggerandbiggerchallengewiththeagingofAmericaandwemustdomoretohelpourfamiliesdealwithit. Iwasbornin1946,thefirstyearofthebabyboom.Icantellyouthatoneofthegreatest

20、concernsofourgenerationisourabsolutedeterminationnottoletourgrowingoldplaceanintolerableburdenonourchildrenandtheirabilitytoraiseourgrandchildren. Oureconomicsuccessandourfiscaldisciplinenowgiveustheopportunitytoliftthatburdenfromtheirshoulders,andweshouldtakeit. SavingSocialSecurity,Medicare,creati

21、ngU.S.accounts,thisistherightwaytousethesurplus.Ifwedoso,ifwedoso,wewillstillhaveresourcestomeetcriticalneedsandeducationanddefense. AndIwanttopointoutthatthisproposalisfiscallysound.Listentothis,ifwesetaside60percentofthesurplusforSocialSecurityand16percentforMedicareoverthenext15years,thatsavingsw

22、illachievethelowestlevelofpublicly-helddebtsincerightbeforeWorldWarIin1917. Sowiththesefourmeasures;savingSocialSecurity,strengtheningMedicare,establishingtheUSAaccounts,supportinglong-termcare,wecanbegintomeetourgenerationshistoricresponsibilitytoestablishtruesecurityfor21stcenturyseniors. Now,ther

23、earemorechildren,frommorediversebackgrounds,inourpublicschoolsthatanytimeinourhistory.Theireducationmustprovidetheknowledgeandnurturethecreativitythatwillallowourentirenationtothriveintheneweconomy. Todaywecansaysomethingwecouldntsaysixyearsago.Withtaxcreditsandmoreaffordablestudentloans,withmorewor

24、k-studygrantsandmorePellGrants,witheducationIRAs,thenewHOPEScholarshiptaxcutthatmorethanfivemillionAmericanswillreceivethisyear,wehavefinallyopenedthedoorsofcollegetoallAmericans. Withoursupport,nearlyeverystatehassethigheracademicstandardsforpublicschoolsandavoluntarynationaltestisbeingdevelopedtom

25、easuretheprogressofourstudents.Withover$1billionindiscountsavailablethisyear,wearewellonourwaytoourgoalofconnectingeveryclassroomandlibrarytotheInternet. Lastfall,youpassedourproposaltostarthiring100,000newteacherstoreduceclasssizeintheearlygrades.NowIaskyoutofinishthejob. Youknowourchildrenaredoing

26、better.SATscoresareup.Mathscoreshaveriseninnearlyallgrades.Buttheresaproblem.Whileourfourth-gradersoutperformedtheirpeersinothercountriesinmathandscience,oureighth-gradersarearoundaverage,andour12th-gradersranknearthebottom.Wemustdobetter. Noweachyearthenationalgovernmentinvestsmorethan$15billionino

27、urpublicschools.Ibelievewemustchangethewayweinvestthatmoneytosupportwhatworksandtostopsupportingwhatdoesnotwork. First,laterthisyearIwillsendtoCongressaplanthatforthefirsttimeholdsstatesandschooldistrictsaccountableforprogressandrewardsthemforresults.MyEducationAccountabilityActwillrequireeveryschoo

28、ldistrictreceivingfederalhelptotakethefollowingfivesteps: First,allschoolsmustendsocialpromotion. Now,nochild,nochildshouldgraduatefromhighschoolwithadiplomaheorshecantread.Wedoourchildrennofavorswhenweallowthemtopassfromgradetogradewithoutmasteringthematerial.Butwecantjustholdstudentsbackbecausethe

29、systemfailsthem. Somybalancedbudgettriplesthefundingforsummerschoolandafter-schoolprogramstokeepamillionchildrenlearning.Now,ififyoudoubtthiswillwork,justlookatChicago,whichendedsocialpromotionandmadesummerschoolmandatoryforthosewhodontmasterthebasics.Mathandreadingscoresareupthreeyearsrunningwithso

30、meofthebiggestgainsinsomeofthepoorestneighborhoods.Itwillwork,andweshoulddoit. Second,allstatesandschooldistrictsmustturnaroundtheirworstperformingschoolsorshutthemdown.ThatsthepolicyestablishedinNorthCarolinabyGovernorJimHunt.NorthCarolinamadethebiggestgainsintestscoresinthenationlastyear.Ourbudget

31、includes$200milliontohelpstatesturnaroundtheirownfailingschools. Third,allstatesandschooldistrictsmustbeheldresponsibleforthequalityoftheirteachers.Thegreatmajorityofourteachersdoafinejob,butintoomanyschoolsteachersdonthavecollegemajorsorevenminorsinthesubjectstheyteach.Newteachersshouldberequiredto

32、passperformanceexams,andallteachersshouldknowthesubjecttheirteaching. Thisyearsbalancedbudgetcontainsresourcestohelpthemreachhigherstandards.Andtoattracttalentedyoungteacherstothetoughestassignments,Irecommendasix-foldincreaseinourprogramforcollegescholarshipsforstudentswhocommittoteachintheinner-citiesandisolatedruralareasandinIndiancommunities.LetusbringexcellencetoeverypartofAmerica. Fourth,wemustempowerparentswithmoreinformationandmorechoices.Intoomanycommunitiesitseasiertogetinformationonthequalityofthelocalrestauran