State of the Union Addresses of Barack Obama, 2009-2016 — John Shaqi
State of the Union Addresses of Barack Obama, 2009-2016Obama, Barack
General
State of the Union Addresses of Barack Obama, 2009-2016
Obama, Barack
Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
Because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in
today's fast-changing economy, we're also revitalizing America's
community colleges. Last month, I saw the promise of these schools at
Forsyth Tech in North Carolina. Many of the students there used to work
in the surrounding factories that have since left town. One mother of
two, a woman named Kathy Proctor, had worked in the furniture industry
since she was 18 years old. And she told me she's earning her degree in
biotechnology now, at 55 years old, not just because the furniture jobs
are gone, but because she wants to inspire her children to pursue their
dreams too. As Kathy said, "I hope it tells them to never give up."
If we take these steps, if we raise expectations for every child and
give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day they
are born until the last job they take, we will reach the goal that I
set 2 years ago: By the end of the decade, America will once again have
the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
One last point about education: Today, there are hundreds of thousands
of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens.
Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do
with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge
allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of
deportation. Others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and
universities. But as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them
back home to compete against us. It makes no sense.
Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the
issue of illegal immigration. And I am prepared to work with
Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws, and
address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the
shadows. I know that debate will be difficult. I know it will take time.
But tonight, let's agree to make that effort. And let's stop expelling
talented, responsible young people who could be staffing our research
labs or starting a new business, who could be further enriching this
Nation.
The third step in winning the future is rebuilding America. To attract
new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways
to move people, goods, and information, from high-speed rail to high-
speed Internet.
Our infrastructure used to be the best, but our lead has slipped. South
Korean homes now have greater Internet access than we do. Countries in
Europe and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do.
China is building faster trains and newer airports. Meanwhile, when our
own engineers graded our Nation's infrastructure, they gave us a D.
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