document compare - obama's sotu speech

7/29/2019 Document Compare - Obama's SOTU speech

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Thank you. Please, everybody, have a seat. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Membersmembers

of Congress, fellow citiens!

Fifty-one"mericans, #$years ago, John F. Kennedy declared to this Chamberchamberthat"%%the Constitution makes us not rivals for power,but partners for progress.&&

'(t is my task,',&&he said, '%%to report the Statestateof the )nion * tounion. Toimprove it is the

task of us all.'

.&& Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is muchprogress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform

are coming home.After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over

six million new jobs. We buy more American cars than we have in five years, and lessforeign oil than we have in twenty. +ur housing market is healing, our stock market isrebounding, and consumers, patients, and homeowners enoy stronger protections than everbefore.

Together

"fter years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over - million new obs. e buymore "merican cars than we have in five years and less foreign oil than we have in /0.

+ur housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, and consumers, patients andhomeowners enoy stronger protections than ever before.

So, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidencethat the state of our union is stronger.

1ut** butwe gather here knowing that there are millions of "mericans whose hard work anddedication have not yet been rewarded. +ur economy is adding obs*,but too many people still

can&t find full*time employment. Corporate profits have rocketed to all*time highs * but for morethan a decade, wages and incomes have barely budged.

Corporate profits have skyrocketed to all*time highs, but for more than a decade, wages andincomes have barely budged. (t is our generation&s task, then, to reignitere*ignitethe true engineof "merica&s economic growth*!a rising, thriving middle class.

(tis ** itis our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country*,the idea that ifyou work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you comefrom, no matter what you look like,or who you love.

(t is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not

ust the few2,that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doorsof opportunity to every child across this great nation.

The "merican people don&t e3pect government to solve every problem. They don&t e3pect thoseof us in this chamber to agree on every issue. 1ut they do e3pect us to put the nation&s interestsbefore party.They do e3pect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. 4or they knowthat "merica moves forward only when we do so together2 and that the responsibility ofimproving this union remains the task of us all.


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They do e3pect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can, for they know that "mericamoves forward only when we do so together and that the responsibility of improving this unionremains the task of us all. +ur work must begin by making some basic decisions about ourbudget*,decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery.

+ver the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than

5/.# trillion*,mostly through spending cuts, but also by raising ta3 rates on the wealthiest $percent of "mericans. "s a result, we are more than halfway towards the goal of 56 trillion indeficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilie our finances.

7ow we need to finish the ob. "nd the 8uestion is, how9

! :ow9 (n /0$$, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn&t agree on a plan toreach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars& worth of budget cuts would automatically go intoeffect this year.These sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would eopardie our military readiness.They&d devastate priorities like education, energy, and medical research. They would certainlyslow our recovery, and cost us hundreds of thousands of obs. That&s why ;emocrats,


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"nd ** and thereforms (&m proposing go even further. e&ll reduce ta3payer subsidies toprescription drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors.

e&ll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, because our

medical bills shouldn&t be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital*they. Theyshould be based on the 8uality of care that our seniors receive.

"nd ( am open to additional reforms from both parties, so long as they don&t violate theguarantee of a secure retirement. +ur government shouldn&t make promises we cannot keep*,butwe must keep the promises we&ve already made.

To hit the rest of our deficit reduction target, we should do what leaders in both parties havealready suggested,and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of ta3 loopholes anddeductions for the well*off and the well*connected. "fter all, why would we choose to make

deeper cuts to education and Medicare ust to protect special interest ta3 breaks9 :ow is thatfair9 hy is it that deficit reduction is a big emergency, ustifying making cuts in Social Securitybenefits, but not closing some loopholes9 :ow does that promote growth9

7ow is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive ta3 reform that encourages ob creationand helps bring down the deficit.

e can get this done.

The "merican people deserve a ta3 code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out

complicated forms,and more time e3panding and hiring2,a ta3 code that ensures billionaireswith high*powered accountants can&t work the system andpay a lower rate than their hard*working secretaries2,a ta3 code that lowers incentives to move obs overseas ,and lowers ta3rates for businesses and manufacturers that createare creatingobs right here in the )nited Statesof "merica. That&s what ta3 reform can deliver. That&s what we can do together.

That&s what ta3 reform can deliver. That&s what we can do together.

( realie that ta3 reform and entitlement reform won&twill notbe easy. The politics will be hardfor both sides. 7one of us will get $00 percent of what we want. 1ut the alternative will cost usobs, hurt our economy, and visit hardship on millions of hardworking "mericans. So let&s setparty interests aside,and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings andwise investments in our future. "nd let&s do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumersand scares off investors.The

The greatest nation on >arth ** thegreatest nation on >arth cannot keep conducting its businessby drifting from one manufactured crisis to the ne3t. e can&t do it. ?


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@et&s agree** let&s agree, right here, right now, to keep the people&s government open, andpay ourbills on time,and always uphold the full faith and credit of the )nited States of "merica.

The "merican people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see theirelected officials cause another.7ow...

7ow,

...most of us agree that a plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda. 1ut let&s be clear!deficit;eficitreduction alone is not an economic plan.

" growing economy that creates good, middle*class obs*,that must be the 7orth Star thatguides our efforts.

>very day, we should ask ourselves three 8uestions as a nation! :ow do we attract more obs toour shores9 :ow do we e8uip our people with the skills neededthey needto dogetthose obs9"nd how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living9

" year*and*a*half ago, ( put forward an "merican Aobs "ct that independent economists saidwould create more than one$million new obs."nd( thank the last Congress for passing some ofthat agenda, and2( urge this Congress to pass the rest. Tonight,1ut...

... tonight(&ll lay out additional proposals that are fully paid for and fully consistent with thebudget framework both parties agreed to ust $B months ago.

@et me repeat* nothing! 7othing(&m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a singledime. (t&s(t isnot a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities andinvests in broad*based growth.

That&s what we should be looking for.

+ur first priority is making "merica a magnet for new obs and manufacturing.

"fter shedding obs for more than $0 years, our manufacturers have added about #00,000 obsover the past three. Caterpillar is bringing obs back from Aapan. 4ord is bringing obs back fromMe3ico. "fter locating plants in other countries like China, (ntel is opening its most advancedplant right here at home. "nd this year, "pple will start making Macs in "merica again.

There are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. @ast year, we created our firstmanufacturing innovation institute in =oungstown, +hio. " once*shuttered warehouse is now a

state*of*the art lab where new workers are mastering the ;*;printing that has the potential torevolutionie the way we make almost everything. There&s no reason this can&t happen in othertowns.

So tonight, (&m announcing the launch of three more of these manufacturing hubs, wherebusinesses will partner with the ;epartments of ;efense and >nergy to turn regions left behindby globaliation into global centers of high*tech obs."nd ( ask this Congress to help create anetwork of fifteen of these hubs and guarantee that the ne3t revolution in manufacturing is Madein "merica.


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(f"nd ( ask this Congress to help create a network of $# of these hubs and guarantee that the ne3trevolution in manufacturing is made right here in "merica. e can get that done.

7ow, ifwe want to make the best products, we alsohave **have to invest in the best ideas.>very dollar we invested to map the human genome returned 5$60 to our economy. >very dollar.

Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to "lheimer&s2. e&redeveloping drugs to regenerate damaged organs2,devising new materialmaterialsto makebatteries ten$0times more powerful. 7ow is not the time to gut these ob*creating investments inscience and innovation. 7ow is the time to reach a level of research and development not seensince the height of the Space


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year* so let&s. @et&sdrive down costsdowneven further. "s long as countries like China keepgoing all*in on clean energy, so must we. 7ow, in the meantime, the natural gas boom has led tocleaner power and greater energy independence. e need to encourage that. That&s why myadministration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits.

(n the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence.

That&s why my "dministration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gaspermits.

That&s got to be part of an all*of*the*above plan.1ut ( also want to work with this Congress toencourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects ourair and waterour water. (n fact, much of our newfound energy is drawn from lands and watersthat we, the public, own together.

(ndeed, much of our new*found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, owntogether. So tonight, ( propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an >nergySecurity Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil forgood. (f a non*partisannonpartisancoalition of C>+s and retired generals and admirals can getbehind this idea, then so can we. @et&s take their advice and free our families and businesses from

the painful spikes in gas prices we&ve put up with for far too long. (&m also issuing a new goal for"merica! let&s@et&scut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the ne3ttwenty/0years.The

e&ll work with the states to do it. Thosestates with the best ideas to create obs and lowerenergy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make ithappenthat happen. "merica&s energy sector is ust one part of an aging infrastructure badly inneed of repair.

"merica&s energy sector is ust one part of an aging infrastructure badly in need of repair. "skany C>+ where they&d rather locate and hire!,a country with deteriorating roads and bridges,or

one with high*speed rail and internet2(nternet,high*tech schoolsand,self*healing power grids.The C>+ of Siemens "merica ***a company that brought hundreds of new obs to 7orthCarolina ***has said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they&ll bring even more obs. "ndthat&s the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world. "nd ( know that you want these ob*creating proects in your districts.district2(&ve seen you all at thethoseribbon*cuttings.

Tonight?@")D:T>


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"nd partof our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector.Today The good news is,our housing market is finally healing from the collapse of /00F. :ome prices are rising at thefastest pace in si3 years, home. :omepurchases are up nearly #0 percent, and. "ndconstructionis e3panding again.

1ut even with mortgage rates near a #0*year low, too many families with solid credit who want

to buy a home are being reected. Too many families who have never missed a payment and wantto refinance are being told no.

That&s holding our entire economy back, and we. eneed to fi3 it. very dollar we invest in high*8uality early childhood education can save more than sevendollars later on*,by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violentcrime. (n states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, **like Deorgia or

+klahoma, **studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level,graduate high school, hold a ob, and form more stable families of their own.

e know this works.So let&s do what works,and make sure none of our children start the race oflife already behind. @et&s give our kids that chance.

@et&s also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path to a good ob.


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technical degree from one of our community colleges, so thatthose Derman kids,they&re readyfor a ob. "t schools like P*Tech in 1rooklyn, a collaboration between 7ew =ork Public Schools,the City )niversity of 7ew =ork, and (1M, students will when theygraduate with a high schooldiploma and an associate degree in computers or engineering.

They&ve been trained for the obs that are there. 7ow at schools like P*T>C: in 1rooklyn, a

collaboration between 7ew =ork public schools and City )niversity of 7ew =ork and (1M,students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate&s degree in computers orengineering. e need to give every "merican student opportunities like this. "nd four yearsago...

4our years ago, we started ducation "ct,so that affordability and valueare included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid.

"nd** andtomorrow, my "dministration will release a new 'College Scorecard'collegescorecardthat parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria! whereyou can get the most bang for your educational buck.

To7ow, togrow our middle class, our citiens musthave tohave access to the education andtraining that today&s obs re8uire. 1ut we also have to make sure that "merica remains a placewhere everyone who&s willing to work ** everybody who&s willing to work hard has the chance toget ahead. +ur economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving,hopeful immigrants.

+ur economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopefulimmigrants.


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"nd right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities, theyall agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.7ow&s the time to doit.

7ow&s the time to get it done.

7ow&s the time to get it done.


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works full* time should have to live in poverty, **and raise the federal minimum wage to 5G.00an hour.

e should be able to get that done.

This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. (t could mean thedifference between groceries or the food bank2 rent or eviction2 scraping by or finally gettingahead. 4or businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in theirpockets. (n fact, working folks shouldn&t have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to goup while C>+ pay has never been higher. So here&s an idea that Dovernor


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"lready,we have brought home ,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This spring, ourforces will move into a support role, while "fghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, ( canannounce that,over the ne3t year, another 6,000 "merican troops will come home from"fghanistan. This drawdown will continue. "nd by the end of ne3t year, our war in "fghanistanwill be over.

1eyond /0$6, "merica&s commitment to a unified and sovereign "fghanistan will endure, but thenature of our commitment will change. e aree&renegotiating an agreement with the "fghangovernment that focuses on two missions! training and e8uipping "fghan forces so that thecountry does not again slip into chaos,and counter*terrorismcounterterrorismefforts that allowus to pursue the remnants of al"lHaeda and their affiliates. Today, the organiation that attackedus on GI$$ is a shadow of its former self.

Today, the organiation that attacked us on GI$$ is a shadow of its former self. ;ifferent al

(t&s true, different "lHaeda affiliates and e3tremist groups have emerged*,from the "rabianPeninsula to "frica. The threat these groups pose is evolving. 1ut to meet this threat, we don&tneed to send tens of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad,or occupy other nations.

(nstead, we willwe&llneed to help countries like =emen, @ibya, and Somalia provide for theirown security,and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. "nd, wherenecessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action against thoseterrorists who pose the gravest threat to "mericans.7ow...

"s

... aswe do, we must enlist our values in the fight. That isThat&swhy my"dministrationadministrationhas worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policyframework to guide our counterterrorism operationsefforts. Throughout, we have kept Congressfully informed of our efforts.

"nd( recognie that,in our democracy, no one should ust take my word for it that we&re doing

things the right way. So, in the months ahead, ( will continue to engage with Congress to ensurenot only that our targeting, detention,and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with ourlaws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the"merican people and to the world.+f course...

+f course,

...our challenges don&t end with al"lHaeda. "merica will continue to lead the effort to preventthe spread of the world&s most dangerous weapons. The regime in 7orth Jorea must knowthat,they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations.

Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate themfurther, as we stand byour allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action inresponse to these threats.

@ikewise, the leaders of (ran must recognie that now is the time for a diplomatic solution,because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, and. "ndwe willdo what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.

"t the same time, we willwe&llengage


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hands*,because our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to leadand meet ourobligations. "merica must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber attacks.

"merica must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber*attacks. e

7ow, weknow hackers steal people&s identities and infiltrate private e*mailmails. e knowforeign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. 7ow our enemies are also seeking

the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic controlsystems.

e cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threatsto our security and our economy.

That&s why, earlier today, ( signed a new e3ecutive order that will strengthen our cyber defensesby increasing information*sharing,and developing standards to protect our national security, ourobs, and our privacy.7ow,

1ut now ** nowCongress must act,as well, by passing legislation to give our government agreater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks.This is something we should be able to

get done on a bipartisan basis.>ven

7ow, evenas we protect our people, we should remember that today&s world presents notonlyustdangers,butnot ust threats. (t presentsopportunities. To boost "merican e3ports,support "merican obs, and level the playing field in the growing markets of "sia, we intend tocomplete negotiations on a Trans*Pacific Partnership. "nd tonight, ( am(&mannouncing that wewill launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and (nvestment Partnership with the>uropean )nion*,because trade that is freefairand fairfreeacross the "tlantic supports millionsof good*paying "merican obs.

e also know that progress in the most impoverished parts of our world enriches us all. (n, not

only because it creates new markets, more stable order in certain regions of the world, but alsobecause it&s the right thing to do. =ou know, inmany places, people live on little more than adollar a day.

So the )nited States will oin with our allies to eradicate such e3treme poverty in the ne3t twodecades!,by connecting more people to the global economyand, byempowering women2,bygiving our young and brightest minds new opportunities to serve and helping communities tofeed, andpower,and educate themselves2,by saving the world&s children from preventabledeaths2,and by realiing the promise of an "(;S*free generation, which is within our reach.

"bove all

=ou see...

=ou see, "merica must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historicchange. ( saw the power of hope last year in


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(n defense of freedom, we willwe&llremain the anchor of strong alliances,from the "mericas to"frica2,from >urope to "sia. (n the Middle >ast, we will stand with citiens as they demandtheir universal rights, and support stable transitions to democracy.The

e know theprocess will be messy, and we cannot presume to dictate the course of change in

countries like >gypt2,but we can ***and will ***insist on respect for the fundamental rights of allpeople. e wille&llkeep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people,andsupport opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. "nd we will stand steadfastwith (srael in pursuit of security and a lasting peace.These are the messages ( will deliver when (travel to the Middle >ast ne3t month.

"ll

These are the messages (&ll deliver when ( travel to the Middle >ast ne3t month. "nd all thiswork depends on the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at greatpersonal risk*!our diplomats, our intelligence officers, and the men and women of the )nitedStates "rmed 4orcesarmed forces. "s long as (&m Commandercommander*in*Chiefchief, we willdo whatever we must to protect those who serve their country abroad, and we will maintain the

best military in the world. e will has ever known.

e&llinvest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime spending. e will ensuree8ual treatment for all service members, and e8ual benefits for their families*,gay and straight.

e will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughtersand moms, becausewomen have proven under fire that they are ready for combat. e will keep faith with ourveterans*,investing in world*class care, including mental health care, for our wounded warriors2supporting our military families2 and giving our veterans the benefits, education, and obopportunities they have earned. "nd ( want to thank my wife Michelle and ;r. Aill 1iden for their

continued dedication to serving our military families as well as they serve us....1ut defending

... supporting our military families, giving our veterans the benefits and education and obopportunities that they have earned. "nd ( want to thank my wife, Michelle, and ;r. Aill 1idenfor their continued dedication to serving our military families as well as they have served us.

Thank you, hon. Thank you, Aill.

;efendingour freedom, though,is notustthe ob of our military alone. e must all do our partto make sure our Dod*given rights are protected here at home. That includes our most

fundamental right as citiens! the right to vote. hen any "mericans * no matter where they liveor what their party * are denied that right simply because they can&t wait for five, si3, seven hoursust to cast their ballot, we are betraying our ideals. That&s why, tonight, (&m announcing a non*partisan commission to improve the voting e3perience in "merica. "nd (&m asking two long*timee3perts in the field, who&ve recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and forDovernor


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7ow...

hen...

hen any "merican ** no matter where they live or what their party ** are denied that rightbecause they can&t wait for five or si3 or seven hours ust to cast their ballot, we are betraying ourideals. So...

So, tonight, (&m announcing a nonpartisan commission to improve the voting e3perience in"merica. "nd it definitely needs improvement. (&m asking two long*time e3perts in the field **who, by the way, recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and for Dovernor


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They deserve a vote.

They deserve a vote.

Dabby Diffords deserves a vote.

The families of 7ewtown deserve a vote.

The families of "urora deserve a vote.

The families of +ak Creek, and Tucson, and 1lacksburg, and the countless other communitiesripped open by gun violence*,they deserve a simple vote.

They deserve ** they deserve a simple vote. +ur actions will not prevent every senseless act of

violence in this country. (ndeed(n fact, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts willperfectly solve all of the challenges (&ve outlined tonight. 1ut we were never sent here to beperfect.

e were sent here to make what difference we can, **to secure this nation, e3pand opportunity,anduphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self*government.

e were sent here to look out for our fellow "mericans the same way they look out for oneanother, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. e should follow theire3ample.

e should follow the e3ample of a 7ew =ork City nurse named Menchu Sanche. hen:urricane Sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, her thoughts were not withshe wasn&t

thinking abouthow her own home was faring* they were with. :er mind was onthe twenty/0precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe.

e should follow the e3ample of a 7orth Miami woman named ;esiline Victor. henshe;esilinearrived at her polling place, she was told the wait to vote might be si3 hours. "nd astime ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like herwould get to have their say. :our"nd hourafter hour, a throng of people stayed in line in supportof her. 1ecause, because;esiline is $0/ years old. "nd they erupted in cheers when she finallyput on a sticker that read '%%( Voted.'.&&

=ou know...

There&s ;esiline.

e should follow the e3ample of a police officer named 1rian Murphy. hen a gunman openedfire on a Sikh temple in isconsin, and 1rian was the first to arrive, and he did not consider hisown safety. :e fought back until help arrived,and ordered his fellow officers to protect thesafety of the fellow "mericans worshiping inside*,even as he lay bleeding from twelve$/bulletwounds.

hen "nd whenasked how he did that, 1rian said, '%%That&s ust the way we&re made.'


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.&& That&s ust the way we&re made.

e may do different obs, and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the personbeside us. 1ut as "mericans, we all share the same proud title!e are citiens.

e are citiens. (t&s a word that doesn&t ust describe our nationality or legal status. (t describesthe way we&re made. (t describes what we believe. (t captures the enduring idea that this country

only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations2 that ourrights are wrapped up in the rights of others2 and that well into our third century as a nation, itremains the task of us all, as citiens of these )nited States, to be the authors of the ne3t greatchapter in our "merican story.

Thank you, Dod bless you, and Dod bless thethese)nited States of "merica.

document compare - obama's sotu speech

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