1、美国国情咨文 State of the Union addressAddress Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the UnionJanuary 25, 2011Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th Congress
2、, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And as we mark this occasion, were also mindful of the empty chair in this Chamber, and we pray for the health of our colleague and our friend Gabby Giffords.Its no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last 2 years. The d
3、ebates have been contentious; we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. And thats a good thing. Thats what a robust democracy demands. Thats what helps set us apart as a nation.But theres a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid all the noise and passion and rancor of our public debate, Tuc
4、son reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater, something more consequential than party or political preference.We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we a
5、re still bound together as one people, that we share common hopes and a common creed, that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled. That too is what sets us apart as a nation.Now, by itself, this simp
6、le recognition wont usher in a new era of cooperation. What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.I believe we can, and I believe we must. Thats what the people who sent us
7、here expect of us. With their votes, theyve determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will move forward together or not at all, for the challenges we face are bigger than party and bigger tha
8、n politics.At stake right now is not who wins the next election. After all, we just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country or somewhere else. Its whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. Its whether we sustain the leadership that h
9、as made America not just a place on a map, but the light to the world.We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back, corporate profits are up, the economy is growing again.But we have never measured progress by thes
10、e yardsticks alone. We measure progress by the success of our people, by the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer, by the prospects of a small-business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise, by the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to
11、 our children.Thats the project the American people want us to work ontogether.Now, we did that in December. Thanks to the tax cuts we passed, Americans paychecks are a little bigger today. Every business can write off the full cost of new investments that they make this year. And these steps, taken
12、 by Democrats and Republicans, will grow the economy and add to the more than 1 million private sector jobs created last year.But we have to do more. These steps weve taken over the last 2 years may have broken the back of this recession, but to win the future, well need to take on challenges that h
13、ave been decades in the making.Many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown. You didnt always need a degree, and your competition was pretty much limited to your neighbors. If you worked hard, chances ar
14、e youd have a job for life, with a decent paycheck and good benefits and the occasional promotion. Maybe youd even have the pride of seeing your kids work at the same company.That world has changed. And for many, the change has been painful. Ive seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming facto
15、ries and the vacant storefronts on once busy Main Streets. Ive heard it in the frustrations of Americans whove seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear, proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game.Theyre right. The rules have changed. In a sing
16、le generation, revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work, and do business. Steel mills that once needed 1,000 workers can now do the same work with 100. Today, just about any company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever theres an Internet connection.
17、Meanwhile, nations like China and India realized that with some changes of their own, they could compete in this new world. And so they started educating their children earlier and longer, with greater emphasis on math and science. Theyre investing in research and new technologies. Just recently, Ch
18、ina became the home to the worlds largest private solar research facility and the worlds fastest computer.So yes, the world is changed. The competition for jobs is real. But this shouldnt discourage us. It should challenge us. Remember, for all the hits weve taken these last few years, for all the n
19、aysayers predicting our decline, America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. No workers are more productive than ours. No country has more successful companies or grants more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs. Were the home to the worlds best colleges and universities,
20、where more students come to study than any place on Earth.Whats more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea: the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. Thats why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. Its why our
21、students dont just memorize equations, but answer questions like What do you think of that idea? What would you change about the world? What do you want to be when you grow up?The future is ours to win. But to get there, we cant just stand still. As Robert Kennedy told us, The future is not a gift.
22、It is an achievement. Sustaining the American Dream has never been about standing pat. It has required each generation to sacrifice and struggle and meet the demands of a new age.And now its our turn. We know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate,
23、out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our Government. Thats how our people will prosper. Thats how well win the future. And tonight, Id like to talk about how we get
24、there.The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldnt know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution. Wha
25、t we can dowhat America does better than anyone elseis spark the creativity and imagination of our people. Were the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices; the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers, of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesnt just change our lives. I
26、t is how we make our living.Our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. But because its not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout our history, our Government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need. Thats what pla
27、nted the seeds for the Internet. Thats what helped make possible things like computer chips and GPS. Just think of all the good jobsfrom manufacturing to retailthat have come from these breakthroughs.Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputni
28、k, we had no idea how we would beat them to the Moon. The science wasnt even there yet. NASA didnt exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didnt just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.This is our genera
29、tions Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we havent seen since the height of the space race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. Well invest in biomedical research, information technolo
30、gy, and especially clean energy technology, an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.Already, were seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert and Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing company. After Septe
31、mber 11th, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the Pentagon. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard. Today, with the help of a Government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. In R
32、oberts words, We reinvented ourselves.Thats what Americans have done for over 200 years: reinvented ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the Allen Brothers, weve begun to reinvent our energy policy. Were not just handing out money. Were issuing a challenge. Were telling Americas scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, well fund the Apollo projects of our time.At the California Institute of Technology, theyre developing a way to turn sunlight and
copyright@ 2008-2022 冰豆网网站版权所有
经营许可证编号:鄂ICP备2022015515号-1