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| 2021/04/29 11:58:01瀏覽749｜回應0｜推薦7 | |
| Wednesday night, approaching his 100th day in office, President Joe Biden addresses the joint session of Congress for the first time. The full text of his prepared speech below was released by the White House.
Madame Speaker. Madame Vice President. No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time. The First Lady. The Second Gentleman. Mr. Chief Justice. Members of the United States Congress and the Cabinet – and distinguished guests. My fellow Americans, While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very different – a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in. Throughout our history, Presidents have come to this chamber to speak to the Congress, to the nation, and to the world. To declare war. To celebrate peace. To announce new plans and possibilities. Tonight, I come to talk about crisis — and opportunity. About rebuilding our nation — and revitalizing our democracy. And winning the future for America. As I stand here tonight — just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. 100 days since I took the oath of office, lifted my hand off our family Bible, and inherited a nation in crisis. The worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength. Life can knock us down. But in America, we never stay down. In America, we always get up. And today, that’s what we’re doing: America is rising anew. Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness. Get the Coronavirus Watch newsletter in your inbox. Stay safe and informed with updates on the spread of the coronavirus Delivery: Varies Your Email After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America. 100 days ago, America’s house was on fire. We had to act. And thanks to the extraordinary leadership of Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer – and with the overwhelming support of the American people – Democrats, Independents, and Republicans – we did act. Together — we passed the American Rescue Plan. One of the most consequential rescue packages in American history. We’re already seeing the results. After I promised 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days – we will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in 100 days. We’re marshalling every federal resource. We’ve gotten the vaccine to nearly 40,000 pharmacies and over 700 community health centers. We’re setting up community vaccination sites, and are deploying mobile units into hard-to-reach areas. Today, 90% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a vaccination site. Everyone over the age of 16, everyone – is now eligible and can get vaccinated right away. So get vaccinated now. When I was sworn in, less than 1% of seniors were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 100 days later, nearly 70% of seniors are fully protected. Senior deaths from COVID-19 are down 80% since January. Down 80%. And, more than half of all adults in America have gotten at least one shot. At a mass vaccination center in Glendale, Arizona, I asked a nurse what it’s like. She looked and said every shot feels like a dose of hope. A dose of hope for the educator in Florida who has a child who suffers from an auto-immune disease. She wrote to me that she was worried about bringing the virus home. When she got vaccinated, she sat in her car and just cried. Cried out of joy, cried out of relief. Parents are seeing smiles on their kids’ faces as they go back to school because teachers and school bus drivers, cafeteria workers have been vaccinated. Grandparents hugging their children and grandchildren instead of pressing their hands against a window to say goodbye. It means everything to both of them. There’s still more work to do to beat this virus. We can’t let our guard down now. But tonight, I can say because of you — the American people – our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has ever seen. What else have we done these first 100 days? We kept our commitment and we are sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85% of all American households. We’ve already sent more than 160 million checks out the door. It’s making a difference. For many people, it’s making all the difference in the world. A single mom in Texas wrote to me. She said when she couldn’t work, this relief check put food on the table and saved her and her son from eviction. A grandmother in Virginia told me she immediately took her granddaughter to the eye doctor — something she put off for months because she didn’t have the money. One of the defining images of this crisis has been cars lined up for miles waiting for a box of food to be put in the trunk. Did you ever think you’d see that in America? That’s why the American Rescue Plan is delivering food and nutrition assistance to millions of Americans facing hunger – and hunger is down sharply already. We’re also providing: Rental assistance to keep people from being evicted from their homes. Providing loans to keep small businesses open and their employees on the job. During these 100 days, an additional 800,000 Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act because I established a special sign up period to do that. We’re making one of the largest one-time investments ever in improving health care for veterans. Critical investments to address the opioid crisis. And, maybe most importantly, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, we are on track to cut child poverty in America in half this year. In the process, the economy created more than 1.3 million new jobs in 100 days. More new jobs in the first 100 days than any president on record. The International Monetary Fund is now estimating our economy will grow at a rate of more than 6% this year. That will be the fastest pace of economic growth in this country in nearly four decades. America is moving. Moving forward. And we can’t stop now. We’re in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st Century. We have to do more than just build back. We have to build back better. Throughout our history, public investments and infrastructure have transformed America. The transcontinental railroad and interstate highways united two oceans and brought us into a totally new age of progress. Universal public school and college aid opened wide the doors of opportunity. Scientific breakthroughs took us to the Moon and now to Mars, discovered vaccines, and gave us the Internet and so much more. These are the investments we make together, as one country, and that only government can make. Time and again, they propel us into the future. That’s why I proposed The American Jobs Plan — a once-in-a-generation investment in America itself. The largest jobs plan since World War II. It creates jobs to upgrade our transportation infrastructure. Jobs modernizing roads, bridges and highways. Jobs building ports and airports, rail corridors and transit lines. It’s clean water. Today, up to 10 million homes and more than 400,000 schools and child care centers have pipes with lead in them, including for drinking water. A clear and present danger to our children’s health. The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines so every American, so every child – can turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water. It creates jobs connecting every American with high-speed internet, including 35% of rural Americans who still don’t have it. This will help our kids and businesses succeed in a 21st Century economy. And I am asking the Vice President to help lead this effort. It creates jobs by building a modern power grid. Our grids are vulnerable to storms, hacks, and catastrophic failures – with tragic results as we saw in Texas and elsewhere during winter storms. The American Jobs Plan will create jobs to lay thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to build a resilient and fully clean grid. The American Jobs Plan will help millions of people get back to their jobs and their careers. 2 million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic, too often because they couldn’t get the care they need for their family, their children. 800,000 families are on a Medicaid waiting list right now to get homecare for their aging parent or loved one with a disability. This plan will help these families and create jobs for our caregivers with better wages and better benefits. For too long, we have failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis. Jobs. Jobs. For me, when I think about climate change, I think jobs. The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes. Electrical workers installing 500,000 charging stations along our highways. Farmers planting cover crops, so they can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and get paid for doing it. There’s no reason the blades for wind turbines can’t be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing. No reason why American workers can’t lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries. The American Jobs Plan will create millions of good paying jobs – jobs Americans can raise their families on. And all the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by one principle: “Buy American.” American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products made in America that create American jobs. The way it should be. Now – I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you. You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that’s rapidly changing. Let me speak directly to you. Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. These are good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. Nearly 90% of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan do not require a college degree. 75% do not require an associate’s degree. The American Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America. And, it recognizes something I’ve always said. Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class. And that’s why I’m calling on Congress to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act – the PRO Act — and send it to my desk to support the right to unionize. By the way – let’s also pass the $15 minimum wage. No one should work 40 hours a week and still live below the poverty line. And we need to ensure greater equity and opportunity for women. Let’s get the Paycheck Fairness Act to my desk for equal pay. It’s long past time. Finally, the American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in non-defense research and development on record. We will see more technological change in the next 10 years – than we saw in the last 50 years. And we’re falling behind in that competition. Decades ago we used to invest 2% of our GDP on research and development. Today, we spend less than 1%. China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future: advanced batteries, biotechnology, computer chips, and clean energy. The Defense Department has an agency called DARPA – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – that’s there to develop breakthroughs to enhance our national security – which led to the internet and GPS and so much more. The National Institutes of Health, the NIH – should create a similar Advanced Research Projects Agency for health. To develop breakthroughs – to prevent, detect, and treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer. This is personal to so many of us. I can think of no more worthy investment. And I know of nothing that is more bipartisan. Let’s end cancer as we know it. It’s within our power. Investments in jobs and infrastructure like the ones we’re talking about have often had bipartisan support. Vice President Harris and I meet regularly in the Oval Office with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the American Jobs Plan. And I applaud a group of Republican Senators who just put forward their proposal. So, let’s get to work. We welcome ideas. But, the rest of the world isn’t waiting for us. Doing nothing is not an option. We can’t be so busy competing with each other that we forget the competition is with the rest of the world to win the 21st Century. To win that competition for the future, we also need to make a once-in-a-generation investment in our families – in our children. That’s why I’m introducing the American Families Plan tonight, which addresses four of the biggest challenges facing American families today. First, access to a good education. When this nation made 12 years of public education universal in the last century, it made us the best-educated and best-prepared nation in the world. But the world is catching up. They are not waiting. 12 years is no longer enough today to compete in the 21st Century. That’s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America – starting as early as we can. We add two years of universal high-quality pre-school for every 3- and 4- year-old in America. The research shows that when a young child goes to school—not day care—they are far more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college. And then we add two years of free community college. And we will increase Pell Grants and investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions. Jill is a community college professor who teaches today as First Lady. She has long said any country that out-educates us is going to outcompete us – and she’ll be leading this effort. Second, the American Families plan will provide access to quality, affordable child care. We guarantee that low- to middle-income families will pay no more than 7% of their income for high-quality care for children up to the age of 5. The most hard-pressed working families won’t have to spend a dime. Third, the American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. No one should have to choose between a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one – a parent, spouse, or child. And fourth, the American Families Plan puts money directly into the pockets of millions of families. In March we expanded a tax credit for every child in a family. Up to a $3,000 Child Tax Credit for children over 6 — and $3,600 for children under 6. With two parents, two kids, that’s up to $7,200 in your pocket to help take care of your family. This will help more than 65 million children and help cut child poverty in half this year. Together, let’s extend the Child Tax Credit at least through the end of 2025. The American Rescue Plan lowered health care premiums for 9 million Americans who buy their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Let’s make that provision permanent so their premiums don’t go back up. In addition to my Families Plan, I will work with Congress to address – this year – other critical priorities for America’s families. The Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of Americans –protecting people with pre-existing conditions, protecting women’s health. And the pandemic has demonstrated how badly it is needed. Let’s lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable Care Act, and let’s lower prescription drug costs. We all know how outrageously expensive they are. In fact, we pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world right here in America – nearly three times as much as other countries. We can change that. Let’s do what we’ve always talked about. Let’s give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs. That won’t just help people on Medicare – it will lower prescription drug costs for everyone. The money we save can go to strengthen the Affordable Care Act – expand Medicare coverage and benefits – without costing taxpayers one additional penny. We’ve talked about it long enough – Democrats and Republicans. Let’s get it done this year. This is all about a simple premise: Health care should be a right, not a privilege in America. So how do we pay for my Jobs and Family Plans? I’ve made clear that we can do it without increasing deficits. Let’s start with what I will not do. I will not impose any tax increases on people making less than $400,000 a year. It’s time for corporate America and the wealthiest 1% of Americans to pay their fair share. Just pay their fair share. A recent study shows that 55 of the nation’s biggest corporations paid zero in federal income tax last year. No federal taxes on more than $40 billion in profits. A lot of companies evade taxes through tax havens from Switzerland to Bermuda to the Cayman Islands. And they benefit from tax loopholes and deductions that allow for offshoring jobs and shifting profits overseas. That’s not right. We’re going to reform corporate taxes so they pay their fair share – and help pay for the public investments their businesses will benefit from. And, we’re going to reward work, not wealth. We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans – those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%. We take the top tax bracket for the wealthiest 1% of Americans – those making $400,000 or more – back up to 39.6%. That’s where it was when George W. Bush became president. We’re going to get rid of the loopholes that allow Americans who make more than $1 million a year pay a lower rate on their capital gains than working Americans pay on their work. This will only affect three tenths of 1% of all Americans. And the IRS will crack down on millionaires and billionaires who cheat on their taxes. That’s estimated to be billions of dollars. Look, I’m not out to punish anyone. But I will not add to the tax burden of the middle class of this country. They’re already paying enough. What I’ve proposed is fair. It’s fiscally responsible. It raises the revenue to pay for the plans I’ve proposed that will create millions of jobs and grow the economy. When you hear someone say that they don’t want to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and on corporate America – ask them: whose taxes are you going to raise instead, and whose are you going to cut? Look at the big tax cut in 2017. It was supposed to pay for itself and generate vast economic growth. Instead it added $2 trillion to the deficit. It was a huge windfall for corporate America and those at the very top. Instead of using the tax savings to raise wages and invest in research and development – it poured billions of dollars into the pockets of CEOs. In fact, the pay gap between CEOs and their workers is now among the largest in history. According to one study, CEOs make 320 times what their average workers make. The pandemic has only made things worse. 20 million Americans lost their jobs in the pandemic – working- and middle-class Americans. At the same time, the roughly 650 Billionaires in America saw their net worth increase by more than $1 Trillion. Let me say that again. Just 650 people increased their wealth by more than $1 Trillion during this pandemic. They are now worth more than $4 Trillion. My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has never worked. It’s time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle-out. A broad consensus of economists – left, right, center – agree that what I’m proposing will help create millions of jobs and generate historic economic growth. These are among the highest value investments we can make as a nation. I’ve often said that our greatest strength is the power of our example – not just the example of our power. And in my conversations with world leaders – many I’ve known for a long time – the comment I hear most often is: we see that America is back – but for how long? My fellow Americans, we have to show not just that we are back, but that we are here to stay. And that we aren’t going it alone – we’re going to be leading with our allies. No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time alone – from terrorism to nuclear proliferation to mass migration, cybersecurity, climate change – and as we’re experiencing now, pandemics. There’s no wall high enough to keep any virus away. As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs – and we are meeting them – we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries – just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War 2. The climate crisis is not our fight alone, either. It’s a global fight. The United States accounts for less than 15% of carbon emissions. The rest of the world accounts for 85%. That’s why – I kept my commitment to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on my first day in office. And I kept my commitment to convene a climate summit right here in America, with all of the major economies of the world – from China and Russia to India and the European Union in my first 100 days. I wanted the world to see that there is consensus that we are at an inflection point in history. And the consensus is if we act, we can save the planet – and we can create millions of jobs and economic growth and opportunity to raise the standard of living for everyone in the world. The investments I’ve proposed tonight also advance a foreign policy that benefits the middle class. That means making sure every nation plays by the same rules in the global economy, including China. In my discussion with President Xi, I told him that we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict. But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board. America will stand up to unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and the theft of American technologies and intellectual property. I also told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo—Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe – not to start conflict – but to prevent conflict. And, I told him what I’ve said to many world leaders – that America won’t back away from our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms. No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country. America is an idea – unique in the world. We are all created equal. It’s who we are. We cannot walk away from that principle. With regard to Russia, I made very clear to President Putin that while we don’t seek escalation, their actions have consequences. I responded in a direct and proportionate way to Russia’s interference in our elections and cyber— attacks on our government and businesses – and they did both of those things and I did respond. But we can also cooperate when it’s in our mutual interests. As we did when we extended the New START Treaty on nuclear arms – and as we’re working to do on the climate crisis. On Iran and North Korea’s nuclear programs that present a serious threat to America’s security and world security – we will be working closely with our allies to address the threats posed by both of these countries through diplomacy and stern deterrence. And American leadership means ending the forever war in Afghanistan. We have the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And I’m the first President in 40 years who knows what it means to have had a child serving in a warzone. Today we have service members serving in the same war as their parents once did. We have service members in Afghanistan who were not yet born on 9/11. War in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multi—generational undertaking of nation—building. We went to Afghanistan to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. We delivered justice to Osama Bin Laden and we degraded the terrorist threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. After 20 years of American valor and sacrifice, it’s time to bring our troops home. Even as we do, we will maintain an over—the—horizon capability to suppress future threats to the homeland. But make no mistake – the terrorist threat has evolved beyond Afghanistan since 2001 and we will remain vigilant against threats to the United States, wherever they come from. Al Qaeda and ISIS are in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other places in Africa and the Middle East and beyond. And, we won’t ignore what our own intelligence agencies have determined – the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from white supremacist terrorism. And my fellow Americans, we must come together to heal the soul of this nation. It was nearly a year ago before her father’s funeral, when I spoke with Gianna Floyd, George Floyd’s young daughter. As I knelt down to talk to her so we could talk eye—to—eye, she said to me, “Daddy changed the world.” After the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act. We have all seen the knee of injustice on the neck of Black America. Now is our opportunity to make real progress. Most men and women in uniform wear their badge and serve their communities honorably. I know them. I know they want to help meet this moment as well. My fellow Americans, we have to come together. To rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. To root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system. And to enact police reform in George Floyd’s name that passed the House already. I know the Republicans have their own ideas and are engaged in productive discussions with Democrats. We need to work together to find a consensus. Let’s get it done next month, by the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death. The country supports this reform. Congress should act. We have a giant opportunity to bend to the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Real justice. And with the plans I outlined tonight, we have a real chance to root out systemic racism that plagues American life in many other ways. A chance to deliver real equity. Good jobs and good schools. Affordable housing. Clean air and clean water. Being able to generate wealth and pass it down through generations. Real opportunities in the lives of more Americans – Black, white, Latino, Asian American, Native American. I also want to thank the Senate for voting 94—1 to pass the COVID—19 Hate Crimes Act to protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from the vicious hate crimes we’ve seen this past year – and for too long. I urge the House to do the same and send that legislation to my desk as soon as possible. I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of LGBTQ Americans. To all the transgender Americans watching at home – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know that your president has your back. And another thing. Let’s reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which has been law in this country for 27 years since I first wrote it. It will close the so—called “boyfriend” loophole to keep guns out of the hands of abusers. It’s estimated that more than 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner – every month in America. Pass it and save lives. And I need not tell anyone this, but gun violence is an epidemic in America. Our flag at the White House was still flying at half—staff for the 8 victims of the mass shooting in Georgia, when 10 more lives were taken in a mass shooting in Colorado. In the week between those mass shootings, more than 250 other Americans were shot dead. 250 shot dead. I know how hard it is to make progress on this issue. In the 1990s, we passed universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high—capacity magazines that hold 100 rounds that can be fired in seconds. We beat the NRA. Mass shootings and gun violence declined. But in the early 2000’s, that law expired and we’ve seen the daily bloodshed since. More than two weeks ago in the Rose Garden, surrounded by some of the bravest people I know – the survivors and families who lost loved ones to gun violence – I laid out several steps the Department of Justice is taking to end this epidemic. One of them is banning so—called “ghost guns.” They are homemade guns built from a kit that includes the directions on how to finish the firearm. The parts have no serial numbers, so when they show up at a crime scene, they cant be traced. The buyers of ghost gun kits arent required to pass a background check. Anyone from a criminal to a terrorist could buy this kit and, in as little as 30 minutes, put together a lethal weapon. But not anymore. I will do everything in my power to protect the American people from this epidemic of gun violence. But it’s time for Congress to act as well. We need more Senate Republicans to join with the overwhelming majority of their Democratic colleagues, and close loopholes and require background checks to purchase a gun. And we need a ban on assault weapons and high—capacity magazines again. Don’t tell me it can’t be done. We’ve done it before … and it worked. Talk to most responsible gun owners, most hunters – they’ll tell you there’s no possible justification for having 100 rounds – 100 bullets – in a weapon. They will tell you that there are too many people today who are able to buy a gun, but who shouldn’t be able to. These kinds of reasonable reforms have the overwhelming support of the American people – including many gun owners. The country supports reform, and the Congress should act. This shouldn’t be a Red vs. Blue issue. It’s an American issue. And here’s what else we can do. Immigration has always been essential to America. Let’s end our exhausting war over immigration. For more than 30 years, politicians have talked about immigration reform and done nothing about it. It’s time to fix it. On day one of my Presidency, I kept my commitment and I sent a comprehensive immigration bill to Congress. If you believe we need a secure border – pass it. If you believe in a pathway to citizenship – pass it. If you actually want to solve the problem – I have sent you a bill, now pass it. We also have to get at the root of the problem of why people are fleeing to our southern border from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. The violence. The corruption. The gangs. The political instability. Hunger. Hurricanes. Earthquakes. When I was Vice President, I focused on providing the help needed to address these root causes of migration. It helped keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave. Our plan worked. But the last administration shut it down. I’m restoring the program and asked Vice President Harris to lead our diplomatic efforts. I have absolute confidence she will get the job done. Now, if Congress won’t pass my plan – let’s at least pass what we agree on. Congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for the Dreamers – the young people who have only known America as their home. And, permanent protections for immigrants on temporary protected status who come from countries beset by man—made and natural made violence and disaster. As well as a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers who put food on our tables. Immigrants have done so much for America during the pandemic – as they have throughout our history. The country supports immigration reform. Congress should act. And if we are to truly restore the soul of America – we need to protect the sacred right to vote. More people voted in the last presidential election than ever before in our history – in the middle of one of the worst pandemics ever. That should be celebrated. Instead it’s being attacked. Congress should pass H.R. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and send them to my desk right away. The country supports it. Congress should act. As we gather here tonight, the images of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol—desecrating our democracy—remain vivid in our minds. Lives were put at risk. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was summoned. The insurrection was an existential crisis—a test of whether our democracy could survive. It did. But the struggle is far from over. The question of whether our democracy will long endure is both ancient and urgent. As old as our Republic. Still vital today. Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us – created equal in the image of God – have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility? Can our democracy deliver on the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart? America’s adversaries – the autocrats of the world – are betting it can’t. They believe we are too full of anger and division and rage. They look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy. They are wrong. And we have to prove them wrong. We have to prove democracy still works. That our government still works – and can deliver for the people. In our first 100 Days together, we have acted to restore the people’s faith in our democracy to deliver. We’re vaccinating the nation. We’re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. We’re delivering real results people can see and feel in their own lives. Opening the doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing fairness and justice. That’s the essence of America. That’s democracy in action. Our Constitution opens with the words, “We the People”. It’s time we remembered that We the People are the government. You and I. Not some force in a distant capital. Not some powerful force we have no control over. It’s us. It’s “We the people.” In another era when our democracy was tested, Franklin Roosevelt reminded us—In America: we do our part. That’s all I’m asking. That we all do our part. And if we do, then we will meet the central challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong. The autocrats will not win the future. America will. The future will belong to America. I stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour in the life of our democracy and our nation. And I can say with absolute confidence: I have never been more confident or more optimistic about America. We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy — of pandemic and pain — and “We the People” did not flinch. At the very moment our adversaries were certain we would pull apart and fail. We came together. United. With light and hope, we summoned new strength and new resolve. To position us to win the competition for the 21st Century. On our way forward to a Union more perfect. More prosperous. More just. As one people. One nation. One America. It’s never been a good bet to bet against America. And it still isn’t. We are the United States of America. There is nothing – nothing – beyond our capacity – nothing we can’t do – if we do it together. May God bless you all. May God protect our troops. ------------------------------------------------------- 羅伯茨首席大法官，賀錦麗副總統。議長佩洛西，（民主黨及共和黨）領袖舒默、麥康奈爾，彭斯副總統，尊敬的客人和美國同胞，今天是美國的大日子。 這是民主的、歷史性的一天、希望可通過時代的熔煉來修復和解決一些問題。美國經過了新的考驗，美國迎來了挑戰。今天，我們慶祝的不是候選人的勝利，而是民主事業的勝利。人民，人民的意志已經被傾聽，人民的意志得到了重視。 我們再次了解到民主是寶貴的、是脆弱的。此時此刻，朋友們，民主佔了上風。 現在，在這片神聖的土地上，這裏幾天前才被暴力試圖撼動國會之根基，我們團結在一起，成為一個在上帝之下不可分割的國家，和平進行權力移交，正如兩世紀來一貫的做法。 我們以獨特的美國方式前瞻：躁動，大膽，樂觀，著眼於我們可以、並必須成為的國家。 我感謝兩黨的前任今天出席。我衷心感謝他們。而且我知道憲法的彈性及我們國家的力量。正如昨晚與我交談的卡特總統一樣，即使他今天不能與我們同在，讓我們向他的一生奉獻致敬。 我剛做了神聖的宣誓，誠如喬治·華盛頓以來每個愛國者那樣，但美國故事並不取決於我們中任何一個，也不取決於我們中的某些，而是取決於我們所有人，我們這些尋求更完美團結的人民。 這是一個偉大的國家。我們是良善的人。數世紀以來，風雨中、在和平與戰爭中，我們走到今天。但路漫漫，我們將加快和加緊步伐向前推進，因為在這個危險的冬天，我們有許多事要做、許多可能性，有很多需要修理，有很多要恢復，有很多要治愈，有很多需要收穫。 在我國歷史上，很少有人面臨比我們此時所面臨更難、更高的挑戰。百年一遇的病毒悄然籠罩整個國家。一年內奪去如二戰中美國喪生那樣多的生命。數百萬人失業，數十萬家企業關門，四百年來為種族正義的吶喊撼動我們，全人正義的夢想刻不容緩。 來自地球本身求生的吶喊不能更絕望更清晰了。現在，政治極端主義，白人至上主義，本土恐怖主義的崛起，我們必需面對也必將之擊敗。 要克服這些挑戰，修復靈魂，保障美國的未來，不僅需要言語，而必要民主中最難捉摸的一環：團結，團結！ 在另一個一月，1863年元旦，亞伯拉罕·林肯（Abraham Lincoln）簽署了《解放奴隸宣言》。我引用這位總統落筆時說：「如果我能名留青史，一定是因為這一舉動，我全心全靈投入。」 今天我全心全靈投入，在這個一月的一天，我全心全靈投入於：將美國團結在一起，團結我們的人民，團結我們的國家。我請每個美國人都加入我的行列。 團結起來對抗我們的敵人：憤怒、怨懟、仇恨、極端主義、無法無天、暴力、疾病、失業和絕望。團結一致，我們能做偉大的事、重要的事；我們能糾正錯誤；我們能使人們從事良好的工作；我們能在安全的學校裡教育孩子；我們能戰勝致命的病毒；我們能獎勵工作和重建中產階級，並使所有人享有安全的醫療保健；我們能提供種族正義；我們能再次使美國成為造福世界的主導力量。 我知道現在談團結可能聽來像個愚蠢的幻想。我知道分裂我們的力量深遠而真實，但我也知道它們並不新鮮。我們的歷史一直在生而平等的美國理想與醜惡殘酷的現實中掙扎，種族主義、本土主義、恐懼、妖魔化長期使我們分裂。鬥爭是恆常，勝利難永保。 通過內戰、大蕭條、世界大戰、9/11；通過鬥爭、犧牲和挫折，我們的善良天使總是佔了上風。在每次這種時刻，足夠多的人團結起來、使所有人一起前進，我們現在可以做到。有歷史、信仰和理性帶路，團結之路。我們不將彼此視為對手，而是鄰里。我們可以互相尊重，我們可以團結起來停止吵鬧和降溫。因為沒有團結，就沒有和平，只有痛苦和憤怒；沒有進步，只有精疲力盡；沒有國家，只有混亂狀態。 這是我們面臨危機和挑戰的歷史時刻。團結是前進的道路。作為美利堅合眾國，我們必須面對這一刻。只要這樣做，我保證您不會失敗。只要一起行動，在美國我們從未會失敗。 因此，此時此地，大家重新開始。讓我們再開始聆聽彼此。互相聽見，互相尊重。政治不一定是摧毀一切障礙物的一團狂火；每個分歧不必是全面開戰爭的原因。我們必須拒絕操縱事實甚至製造事實的文化。 我的美國同胞們，我們必須與此不同，美國必須比這更好，我相信美國比這要好得多。隨便看看，我們正站在國會大廈圓頂的陰影下，正如我們前面提到的，在內戰期間，團結本身懸而未決，然而我們忍受了，我們獲勝了。 在這裡，我們踏足的巨大林蔭路上，馬丁路德金博士曾高談他的夢想；我們立足之處，108年前的另一就職典禮上，成千上萬的抗議者試圖阻止勇敢的婦女為爭取選舉權而遊行。而今天，我們紀念美國歷史上第一位女性副總統宣誓就職：副總統賀錦麗。不要告訴我世事不會變。 在這裡，我們站在阿靈頓公墓的波托馬克對面，獻出了最後一份虔誠的英雄們在永遠安息。幾天前暴亂分子認為他們可以利用暴力來壓制人民的意願、停止我們的民主、將我們逐出該神聖的土地，而我們站在這裡。 它沒有發生。它永不會發生，今天不會，明天不會，永遠不會。永遠不會。 對於所有支持我們競選活動的人，您的信任令我謙卑。對於所有不支持我們的人，讓我這樣說，在向前走時請一路聽我講，量度我和我的心。如果您仍然不認同，那就這樣吧。這就是民主，就是美國。和平地反對的權利，是我們共和國的護欄，也許是這個國家最大的力量。 但請清楚地聽我說：分歧一定不能導致分裂。我向您保證，我將擔任所有美國人的總統。所有美國人。我保證，我會為那些不支持我的人努力，正如為那些支持我的人一樣。 許多世紀以前，聖人聖奧古斯丁（Saint Augustine）寫信給人民，是由他們共同的愛所定義的人群。我們共同喜歡的哪些對象將我們定義為美國人？我想我們懂：機會，安全，自由，尊嚴，尊重，榮譽以及是的，真理。 最近幾周和幾個月裡我們上了慘痛的一課。有真理，有謊言，為權和利而說謊。我們每個人作為公民、作為美國人有義務和責任捍衛真相、戰勝謊言，尤其是作為領導人，曾承諾遵守《憲法》，保護我們國家的領導人。 看，我知道許多美國人對未來充滿恐懼和不安。我了解，他們擔心自己的工作。我知道，就像我父親一樣，他們晚上躺在床上，凝視著天花板，想知道我能保持自己的醫療保健嗎？我可以償還抵押貸款嗎？考慮他們的家庭，接下來要做什麼。我向你保證，我明白。 但是答案不是內向的，退縮到相互派系競爭，不信任那些樣貌、信仰方式、或新聞來源與自己不同的人，我們必須結束這場紅與藍，農村對城市，農村對城市，保守對自由的不文明之戰。只要我們敞開心扉，而不是使自己的內心僵硬，就可以做到。如果我們表現出一點寬容和謙卑，並願意易地而處，就像我媽媽說的那樣，代入對方處境片刻就好。因為這就是生活。命運并不會幫你盤算，有時你需要幫助，有時別人向我們求援。必然是這樣的，我們互相幫助，這樣，我們的國家將變得更強大，更繁榮，更為未來做好準備。我們仍然可以不同意。 同胞們，我們前面的工作將彼此需要。需要我們所有的力量來度過這個黑暗的冬天。我們正在進入病毒最艱難和最致命的時期。我們必須放下政治，最終以「一個國家」的身份面對這種大流行。一個國家！ 正如聖經所說，我向你保證：「哭泣可能會持續一晚，而喜悅會在早晨到來。」我們將一起克服，一起。 看，各位，我在參議院共事過的所有同事，我們都知道世界在註視著今天的所有人。因此，這是我對那些我們國境之外的人的信息：美國已經受了考驗，我們為此而變得更加強大，我們將修復我們的聯盟，並再次與世界互動。要應付不是昨天的挑戰，而是今天和明天的挑戰。而且，我們將帶頭不僅以力量為榜樣，還將以我們的榜樣為力量。 為和平，進步與安全，我們將成為強大和值得信賴的合作夥伴。看，你們都知道，我們在這個國家經歷了那麽多事。作爲總統我的第一個行動是想請您加入我的默禱，以紀念過去一年因大流行而喪生的所有人。那四十萬美國同胞，他們是母親，父親，丈夫，妻子，兒子，女兒，朋友，鄰居和同事。我們將榮耀他們，通過成為我們能夠且應該成為的人民和國家。因此，我請您，為那些喪生或被遺忘的人、為我們的國家默哀的祈禱。 阿們！ 各位，這是考驗之時，我們的民主和真相面臨著攻擊，肆虐的病毒、日益加劇的不平等、系統性種族主義的刺、氣候危機、美國在世界上的角色。任何一項都足以狠狠挑戰我們。但事實是，我們要同時面對所有這些，向這個國家展示了我們最重大的責任之一。現在我們將接受考驗。我們要採取行動嗎？所有人？是時候拿出氣魄了，有很多事要做。可以肯定的是，我保證，你我會受到審判，憑我們如何解決這時代的危機。 問題是我們會否崛起。我們將掌握這個難得而艱難的時刻嗎？我們會履行我們的義務，並將新的更好的世界交給我們的孩子嗎？我相信我們必須這樣做，相信你也一樣，我們會的。當我們這樣做時，將寫下美利堅合眾國歷史上下一個偉大篇章。有個關於美國的故事，好像是一首歌，對我來說意義重大，叫做，有一段很突出： 一世紀的工作和祈禱將我們帶到了今天。 我們的遺產是什麼？孩子們會怎麼說？ 當我時日已盡，請讓我內心深處知道。 美國，美國，我爲你盡力了。 讓我們添加，讓我們將自己的工作和祈禱加入這個偉大民族不斷發展的故事中。如果我們這樣做，那麼當我們時日已盡，我們的孩子和孩子的孩子們都會這樣形容我們：他們盡了最大的努力，履行了自己的職責，治癒了一片破碎的土地。 同胞們，我將在上帝和你們面前許下神聖誓言來為我開始的一天作結。我答應你們，將永遠和你在一起，我將捍衛憲法、捍衛我們的民主、捍衛美國，讓我所做的一切都為你們所有人服務。不考慮權力，而是考慮可能性；不為個人利益，而為公共福祉。我們將一起寫一個關於希望而非恐懼、團結而非分裂、光明而非黑暗的美國故事，一個關於品格與尊嚴，愛與治愈，偉大與善的故事。願這故事引導我們、鼓舞我們和告訴以後的人，我們回應了歷史的呼喚，我們遇上了這個時刻。 民主與希望，真理與正義在我們的守護下並沒有死亡，而是蒸蒸日上。美國維護了自家的自由，並再次站在世界的燈塔前。這就是我們欠祖先的，以及子孫後代所欠的。 因此，帶著目標和決心，我們面向時代給予的任務。堅定信念，信念驅動，全心全意奉獻彼此和我們深愛愛的國家。願上帝保佑美國，願上帝保衛我們的軍隊。謝謝美國。 |
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