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
And even as we've increased energy production, we've partnered with
businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we
consume. When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with
them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the
coming months, I'll build on that success by setting new standards for
our trucks so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at
the pump.
And taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a
cleaner, safer planet. Over the past 8 years, the United States has
reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth.
But we have to act with more urgency, because a changing climate is
already harming Western communities struggling with drought and coastal
cities dealing with floods. That's why I directed my administration to
work with States, utilities, and others to set new standards on the
amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into
the air.
The shift to a cleaner energy economy won't happen overnight, and it
will require some tough choices along the way. But the debate is
settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our children's children
look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer,
more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to
say, yes, we did.
Finally, if we're serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the
call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement
and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the
Senate have acted, and I know that members of both parties in the House
want to do the same. Independent economists say immigration reform will
grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the
next two decades. And for good reason: When people come here to fulfill
their dreams--to study, invent, contribute to our culture--they make our
country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create
jobs for everybody. So let's get immigration reform done this year.
[Applause] Let's get it done. It's time.
The ideas I've outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs.
But in this rapidly changing economy, we have to make sure that every
American has the skills to fill those jobs. The good news is, we know
how to do it.
Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush
opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed
parts for the best selling truck in America, and she knew how to make
those parts. She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we
call an American Job Center, places where folks can walk in to get the
help or training they need to find a new job or a better job. She was
flooded with new workers. And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has
more than 700 employees. And what Andra and her employees experienced
is how it should be for every employer and every job seeker.
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