The Senate has failed to act on these nominations, which is unfair to the nominees and to our country. Now is the time for bipartisan action. Believe it or not, we have already proven that it is possible. In the last Congress, both parties came together to pass unprecedented legislation to confront the opioid crisis, a sweeping new Farm Bill, historic VA reforms, and after four decades of rejection, we passed VA Accountability so we can finally terminate those who mistreat our wonderful veterans.
And just weeks ago, both parties united for groundbreaking criminal justice reform. Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In , Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a first-time non-violent drug offender.
Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path. She had a big impact on that prison population -- and far beyond. Alice's story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing -- and the need to remedy this injustice.
She served almost 22 years and had expected to be in prison for the rest of her life. In June, I commuted Alice's sentence -- and she is here with us tonight. Alice, thank you for reminding us that we always have the power to shape our own destiny. When I saw Alice's beautiful family greet her at the prison gates, hugging and kissing and crying and laughing, I knew I did the right thing. Inspired by stories like Alice's, my Administration worked closely with members of both parties to sign the First Step Act into law.
This legislation reformed sentencing laws that have wrongly and disproportionately harmed the African-American community. The First Step Act gives non-violent offenders the chance to re-enter society as productive, law-abiding citizens. Now, States across the country are following our lead. America is a Nation that believes in redemption. We are also joined tonight by Matthew Charles from Tennessee. In , at age 30, Matthew was sentenced to 35 years for selling drugs and related offenses.
Over the next two decades, he completed more than 30 Bible studies, became a law clerk, and mentored fellow inmates. Now, Matthew is the very first person to be released from prison under the First Step Act. Matthew, on behalf of all Americans: welcome home. As we have seen, when we are united, we can make astonishing strides for our country. Now, Republicans and Democrats must join forces again to confront an urgent national crisis.
The Congress has 10 days left to pass a bill that will fund our Government, protect our homeland, and secure our southern border. Now is the time for the Congress to show the world that America is committed to ending illegal immigration and putting the ruthless coyotes, cartels, drug dealers, and human traffickers out of business. As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States.
We have just heard that Mexican cities, in order to remove the illegal immigrants from their communities, are getting trucks and buses to bring them up to our country in areas where there is little border protection. I have ordered another 3, troops to our southern border to prepare for the tremendous onslaught. This is a moral issue. We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today, who followed the rules and respected our laws.
Legal immigrants enrich our Nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country, but they have to come in legally.
Tonight, I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and to our country. No issue better illustrates the divide between America's working class and America's political class than illegal immigration. Wealthy politicians and donors push for open borders while living their lives behind walls and gates and guards. Meanwhile, working class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal migration -- reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net.
Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate -- it is cruel. One in three women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country. Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the United States and to sell them into prostitution and modern-day slavery.
Tens of thousands of innocent Americans are killed by lethal drugs that cross our border and flood into our cities -- including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl. The savage gang, MS, now operates in 20 different American States, and they almost all come through our southern border.
Just yesterday, an MS gang member was taken into custody for a fatal shooting on a subway platform in New York City. We are removing these gang members by the thousands, but until we secure our border they're going to keep streaming back in. Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens. I've gotten to know many wonderful Angel Moms, Dads, and families -- no one should ever have to suffer the horrible heartache they have endured.
Here tonight is Debra Bissell. Just three weeks ago, Debra's parents, Gerald and Sharon, were burglarized and shot to death in their Reno, Nevada, home by an illegal alien. They were in their eighties and are survived by four children, 11 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. To Debra, Heather, Madison, please stand: few can understand your pain. But I will never forget, and I will fight for the memory of Gerald and Sharon, that it should never happen again. Not one more American life should be lost because our Nation failed to control its very dangerous border.
In the last 2 years, our brave ICE officers made , arrests of criminal aliens, including those charged or convicted of nearly , assaults, 30, sex crimes, and 4, killings. When Elvin was a boy, he and his family legally immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. At the age of eight, Elvin told his dad he wanted to become a Special Agent. Today, he leads investigations into the scourge of international sex trafficking.
Elvin says: "If I can make sure these young girls get their justice, I've done my job. Special Agent Hernandez, please stand: We will always support the brave men and women of Law Enforcement -- and I pledge to you tonight that we will never abolish our heroes from ICE.
My Administration has sent to the Congress a commonsense proposal to end the crisis on our southern border. It includes humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement, drug detection at our ports, closing loopholes that enable child smuggling, and plans for a new physical barrier, or wall, to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry. In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall -- but the proper wall never got built.
I'll get it built. This is a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier -- not just a simple concrete wall. It will be deployed in the areas identified by border agents as having the greatest need, and as these agents will tell you, where walls go up, illegal crossings go way down.
San Diego used to have the most illegal border crossings in the country. In response, and at the request of San Diego residents and political leaders, a strong security wall was put in place. This powerful barrier almost completely ended illegal crossings. The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime -- one of the highest in the country, and considered one of our Nation's most dangerous cities.
Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities. Simply put, walls work and walls save lives. So let's work together, compromise, and reach a deal that will truly make America safe. As we work to defend our people's safety, we must also ensure our economic resurgence continues at a rapid pace. No one has benefitted more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in the last year.
All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before -- and exactly one century after the Congress passed the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in the Congress than ever before. As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first ever Government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries.
To build on our incredible economic success, one priority is paramount -- reversing decades of calamitous trade policies. We are now making it clear to China that after years of targeting our industries, and stealing our intellectual property, the theft of American jobs and wealth has come to an end. But I don't blame China for taking advantage of us -- I blame our leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to happen. I have great respect for President Xi, and we are now working on a new trade deal with China.
But it must include real, structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs. For years, politicians promised them they would negotiate for a better deal. But no one ever tried -- until now. Our new U. Tonight, I am also asking you to pass the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, so that if another country places an unfair tariff on an American product, we can charge them the exact same tariff on the same product that they sell to us.
Both parties should be able to unite for a great rebuilding of America's crumbling infrastructure. I know that the Congress is eager to pass an infrastructure bill -- and I am eager to work with you on legislation to deliver new and important infrastructure investment, including investments in the cutting edge industries of the future.
This is not an option. This is a necessity. The next major priority for me, and for all of us, should be to lower the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs -- and to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.
Already, as a result of my Administration's efforts, in drug prices experienced their single largest decline in 46 years. But we must do more. It is unacceptable that Americans pay vastly more than people in other countries for the exact same drugs, often made in the exact same place. This is wrong, unfair, and together we can stop it. I am asking the Congress to pass legislation that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American patients.
We should also require drug companies, insurance companies, and hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and bring costs down. No force in history has done more to advance the human condition than American freedom.
Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.
Tonight, I am also asking you to join me in another fight that all Americans can get behind: the fight against childhood cancer. Joining Melania in the gallery this evening is a very brave year-old girl, Grace Eline. Every birthday since she was 4, Grace asked her friends to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. She did not know that one day she might be a patient herself.
Last year, Grace was diagnosed with brain cancer. Immediately, she began radiation treatment. When Grace completed treatment last fall, her doctors and nurses cheered with tears in their eyes as she hung up a poster that read: "Last Day of Chemo. Many childhood cancers have not seen new therapies in decades. To help support working parents, the time has come to pass school choice for America's children.
I am also proud to be the first President to include in my budget a plan for nationwide paid family leave -- so that every new parent has the chance to bond with their newborn child. There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our Nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth.
These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world.
And then, we had the case of the Governor of Virginia where he basically stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking the Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children -- born and unborn -- are made in the holy image of God.
The final part of my agenda is to protect America's National Security. We are also getting other nations to pay their fair share. As part of our military build-up, the United States is developing a state-of-the-art Missile Defense System. Under my Administration, we will never apologize for advancing America's interests. For example, decades ago the United States entered into a treaty with Russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capabilities.
While we followed the agreement to the letter, Russia repeatedly violated its terms. Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others, or perhaps we can't in which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far.
As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come home, nuclear testing has stopped, and there has not been a missile launch in 15 months. If I had not been elected President of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea with potentially millions of people killed.
Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong Un is a good one. Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela, and its new interim President, Juan Guaido. We stand with the Venezuelan people in their noble quest for freedom -- and we condemn the brutality of the Maduro regime, whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair.
Here, in the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country. One of the most complex set of challenges we face is in the Middle East.
Our approach is based on principled realism -- not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. For this reason, my Administration recognized the true capital of Israel -- and proudly opened the American Embassy in Jerusalem. Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East for almost 19 years. In Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly 7, American heroes have given their lives.
Thank you. And thank you for being here. Thank you very much. I will never forget and I will fight for the memory of Gerald and Sharon that it should never happen again. Not one more American life should be lost because our nation failed to control its very dangerous border. In the last two years, our brave ICE officers made , arrests of criminal aliens, including those charged or convicted of nearly , assaults, 30, sex crimes and 4, killings or murders.
At the age of eight, he told his dad he wanted to become a special agent. Today, he leads investigations into the scores of international sex trafficking.
Thanks to his work and that of his incredible colleagues, more than women and girls have been rescued from the horror of this terrible situation. And more than 1, sadistic traffickers have been put behind bars. We will always support the brave men and women of law enforcement.
My administration has sent to Congress a commonsense proposal to end the crisis on the Southern border. It includes the humanitarian assistance, more law enforcement, drug detection at our ports, closing loopholes that enable child smuggling and plans for a new physical barrier or wall to secure the vast areas between our ports of entry.
In the past, most of the people in this room voted for a wall. But the patrol wall never got built. I will get it built. This is a smart, strategic, see-through steel barrier, not just a simple concrete wall. It will be deployed in the areas identified by the border agents as having the greatest need.
And these agents will tell you where walls go up, illegal crossings go way, way down. San Diego used to have the most illegal border crossings in our country. In response, a strong security wall was put in place. This powerful barrier almost completely ended illegal crossings.
Now, immediately upon its building, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of the safest cities in our country. Simply put, walls work and walls save lives. No one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women who have filled 58 percent of the newly created jobs last year. All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the work force than ever before. And exactly one century after Congress passed the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote, we also have more women serving in Congress than at any time before.
And congratulations. As part of our commitment to improving opportunity for women everywhere, this Thursday we are launching the first ever government-wide initiative focused on economic empowerment for women in developing countries.
To build on our incredible economic success, one priority is paramount, reversing decades of calamitous trade policies, so bad.
We are now making it clear to China that after years of targeting our industries and stealing our intellectual property, the theft of American jobs and wealth has come to an end.
I blame our leaders and representatives for allowing this travesty to happen. I have great respect for President Xi and we are now working on a new trade deal with China. But it must include real structural change to end unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs. For years politicians promised them they would renegotiate for a better deal. But no one ever tried until now. Our new U. I hope you can pass the USMCA into law so that we can bring back our manufacturing jobs in even greater numbers, expand American agriculture, protect intellectual property, and ensure that more cars are proudly stamped with our four beautiful words, made in the U.
Tonight I am also asking you to pass the United States Reciprocal Trade Act so that if another country places an unfair tariff on an American product, we can charge them the exact same tariff on the exact same product that they sell to us. I know that Congress is eager to pass an infrastructure bill. And I am eager to work with you on legislation to deliver new and important infrastructure investment, including investments in the cutting edge industries of the future.
This is not an option, this is a necessity. The next major priority for me and for all of us should be to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs and to protect patients with pre-existing conditions. But we must do more. I am asking Congress to pass legislation that finally takes on the problem of global freeloading and delivers fairness and price transparency for American patients finally.
We should also require drug companies, insurance companies and hospitals to disclose real prices to foster competition and bring costs way down. No force in history has done more to advance the human condition than American freedom. In recent years we have made remarkable progress in the fight against H. Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once distant dream within reach. My budget will ask Democrats and Republicans to make the needed commitment to eliminate the H.
We have made incredible strides, incredible. Tonight I am also asking you to join me in another fight that all Americans can get behind, the fight against childhood cancer. Joining Melania in the gallery this evening is a very brave year-old girl, Grace Eline. She did not know that one day she might be a patient herself. Last year, Grace was diagnosed with brain cancer. Immediately she began radiation treatment.
Thank you very much, Grace. You are a great inspiration to everyone in this room. Many childhood cancers have not seen new therapies. There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies, who will never share their love and dreams with the world and then we had the case of the governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth, to defend the dignity of every person.
And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth, all children, born and unborn, are made in the holy image of God. The final part of my agenda is to protect American security. We are also getting other nations to pay their fair share. For example, decades ago, the United States entered into a treaty with Russia in which we agreed to limit and reduce our missile capability. While we followed the agreement and the rules to the letter, Russia repeatedly violated its terms. Been going on for many years.
We really have no choice. As part of a bold new diplomacy, we continue our historic push for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Our hostages have come home. Nuclear testing has stopped and there has not been a missile launch in more than 15 months. If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea.
Much work remains to be done, but my relationship with Kim Jong-un a good one. We will meet again on February 27 and 28 in Vietnam. Two weeks ago, the United States officially recognized the legitimate government of Venezuela and its new President, Juan Guaido.
We stand with the Venezuelan people and their noble quest for freedom and we condemn the brutality of their regime whose socialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair. America was founded on liberty and independence and not government coercion, domination and control.
We are born free and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.
One of the most complex set of challenges we face and have for many years is in the Middle East. Our approach is based on principle, realism, not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. For this reason, my administration recognized the true capital of Israel and proudly opened the American embassy in Jerusalem. Our brave troops have now been fighting in the Middle East for almost 19 years in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Nearly 7, American heroes have given their lives. More than 52, Americans have been badly wounded. As a candidate for president, I loudly pledged a new approach. Great nations do not fight endless wars. Today, we have liberated virtually all of the territory from the grip of these blood-thirsty monsters.
Now, as we work with our allies to destroy the remnants of ISIS, it is time to give our brave warriors in Syria a warm welcome home. I have also accelerated our negotiations to reach, if possible, a political settlement in Afghanistan.
The opposing side is also very happy to be negotiating. Our troops have fought with unmatched valor. And thanks to their bravery, we are now able to pursue a possible political solution to this long and bloody conflict. In Afghanistan, my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban.
And we will, indeed, focus on counter-terrorism. Eighteen years ago, violent terrorists attacked the USS Cole and last month American forces killed one of the leaders of that attack. We are honored to be joined tonight by Tom Wibberley whose son, Navy Seaman Craig Wibberley, was one of the 17 sailors we tragically lost. Tom, we vow to always remember the heroes of the USS Cole. Thank you, Tom. It is a radical regime. They do bad, bad things. To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal.
And last fall we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed by us on a country. We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We must never ignore the vial poison of antisemitism or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.
Just months ago, 11 Jewish Americans were viciously murdered in an antisemitic attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Swat Officer Timothy Matson raced into the gun fire and was shot seven times chasing down the killer. And he was very successful. But he made the trip to be here with us tonight. Officer Matson, please. We are forever grateful. Tonight we are also joined by Pittsburgh survivor, Judah Samet.
He arrived at the synagogue as the massacre began. Not only did he escape death last fall, more than seven decades ago he narrowly survived the Nazi concentration camps.
Judah says he can still remember the exact moment nearly 75 years ago after 10 months in a concentration camp when he and his family were put on a train and told they were going to another camp. Suddenly the train screeched to a very strong halt. A soldier appeared. A second Holocaust survivor who is here tonight was a prisoner at Dachau. He remembers watching through a hole in the wall of a cattle car as American soldiers rolled in with tanks. For me, Joshua recalls, the American soldiers were proof that God exists and they came down from the sky, they came down from heaven.
I began this evening by honoring three soldiers who fought on D-day in the Second World War. One of them was Herman. A year after he stormed the beaches of Normandy, Herman was one of the American soldiers who helped liberate Dachau.
He was one of the Americans who helped rescue Joshua from that hell on Earth. Almost 75 years later, Herman and Joshua are both together in the gallery tonight, seated side by side here in the home of American freedom.
Herman and Joshua, your presence this evening is very much appreciated. When American soldiers set out beneath the dark skies over the English Channel in the early hours of D-day, , they were just young men of 18 and 19, hurdling on fragile landing craft toward the most momentous battle in the history of war.
They did not know if they would survive the hour. They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail. Their cause was this nation and generations yet unborn. Why did they do it? They did it for America, they did it for us. Everything that has come since, our triumph over communism, our giant leaps of science and discovery, our unrivaled progress towards equality and justice, all of it is possible thanks to the blood and tears and courage and vision of the Americans who came before.
Think of this Capitol.
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