Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
And tonight, and tonight let me say again to all the members of the
Congress, the American people did not send us here to bicker. There is work
to do, and they sent us here to get it done. And once again, in the spirit
of cooperation I offer my hand to all of you. And let's work together to do
the will of the people--clean air, child care, the educational excellence
act, crime and drugs. It's time to act. The farm bill, transportation
policy, product liability reform, enterprise zones. It's time to act
together.
And there's one thing I hope we can agree on. It's about our commitments.
And I'm talking about Social Security.
To every American out there on Social Security, to every, every American
supporting that system today, and to everyone counting on it when they
retire, we made a promise to you, and we are going to keep it.
We, we rescued the system in 1983 and it's sound again, bipartisan
arrangement. Our budget fully funds today's benefits and it assures that
future benefits will be funded as well. And the last thing we need to do is
mess around with Social Security.
There's one more problem we need to address. We must give careful
consideration to the recommendations of the health care studies under way
now. And that's why tonight, I am asking Dr. Sullivan, Lou Sullivan,
Secretary of Health and Human Services, to lead a Domestic Policy Council
review of recommendations on the quality, accessibility and cost of our
nation's health care system. I am committed to bring the staggering costs
of health care under control.
The State of the Government does indeed depend on many of us in this very
chamber. But the State of the Union depends on all Americans. We must
maintain the democratic decency that makes a nation out of millions of
individuals. And I've been appalled at the recent mail bombings across this
country. Every one of us must confront and condemn racism, anti-Semitism,
bigotry and hate. Not next week, not tomorrow, but right now. Every single
one of us.
The State of the Union depends on whether we help our neighbor, claim the
problems of our community as our own. We've got to step forward when
there's trouble, lend a hand, be what I call a point of light to a stranger
in need. We've got to take the time after a busy day to sit down and read
with our kids, help them with their homework, pass along the values we had
as children. And that's how we sustain the State of the Union.
Every effort is important. It all adds up. It's doing the things that give
democracy meaning. It all adds up to who we are and who we will be.
And let me say, that so long as we remember the American idea, so long as
we live up to the American ideal, the State of the Union will remain sound
and strong.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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