The US president, Barack Obama, asked Congress \u00a0for the first time to end the embargo on Cuba and reiterated his support for the normalization of relations with the island, whose first steps are taken on Wednesday in Havana.<\/p>\n
During the traditional “State of the Union” delivered on Tuesday night, the president expressed confidence in the potential success of rapprochement between the US and Cuba, with which rejects the policy of economic strangulation and diplomatic siege to effective and direct support from Washington to the people of the island.<\/p>\n
His decision to normalize relations with Cuba responds, he said, to the need to end a “overdue” policy, which has proved ineffective for over half a century. He referred to the isolation of his country in the international arena, recognized by himself and several officials from the US State Department.<\/p>\n
Obama, who is in his last term of office, warned he will not allow the US Congress to sabotage his initiatives, now more latent possibility, because the Republican Party holds the majority of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. He also asked its members to lift, this year, the embargo against Cuba.<\/p>\n
Now OnCuba<\/strong> reproduces the full text of his speech.<\/p>\n Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:<\/p>\n We are 15 years into this new century.\u00a0 Fifteen years that dawned with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread across our nation and the world.\u00a0 It has been, and still is, a hard time for many.<\/p>\n But tonight, we turn the page.\u00a0 Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis.\u00a0 More of our kids are graduating than ever before.\u00a0 More of our people are insured than ever before.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we\u2019ve been in almost 30 years.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Tonight, for the first time since 9\/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan.\u00a0 Today, fewer than 15,000 remain.\u00a0 And we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9\/11 Generation who has served to keep us safe.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We are humbled and grateful for your service.<\/p>\n America, for all that we have endured; for all the grit and hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:\u00a0 The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n At this moment — with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, booming energy production — we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth.\u00a0 It\u2019s now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next 15 years and for decades to come.<\/p>\n Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?\u00a0 Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing?\u00a0 Or will we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats and protect our planet?<\/p>\n Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one another?\u00a0 Or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward?<\/p>\n In two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that are practical, not partisan.\u00a0 And in the months ahead, I\u2019ll crisscross the country making a case for those ideas.\u00a0 So tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals, and focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us.<\/p>\n It begins with our economy.\u00a0 Seven years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 She waited tables.\u00a0 He worked construction.\u00a0 Their first child, Jack, was on the way.\u00a0 They were young and in love in America.\u00a0 And it doesn\u2019t get much better than that.\u00a0 \u201cIf only we had known,\u201d Rebekah wrote to me last spring, \u201cwhat was about to happen to the housing and construction market.\u201d<\/p>\n As the crisis worsened, Ben\u2019s business dried up, so he took what jobs he could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of time.\u00a0 Rebekah took out student loans and enrolled in community college, and retrained for a new career.\u00a0 They sacrificed for each other.\u00a0 And slowly, it paid off.\u00a0 They bought their first home.\u00a0 They had a second son, Henry.\u00a0 Rebekah got a better job and then a raise. \u00a0Ben is back in construction — and home for dinner every night.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is amazing,\u201d Rebekah wrote, \u201cwhat you can bounce back from when you have to\u2026we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.\u201d\u00a0 We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.<\/p>\n America, Rebekah and Ben\u2019s story is our story.\u00a0 They represent the millions who have worked hard and scrimped, and sacrificed and retooled.\u00a0 You are the reason that I ran for this office.\u00a0 You are the people I was thinking of six years ago today, in the darkest months of the crisis, when I stood on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild our economy on a new foundation.\u00a0 And it has been your resilience, your effort that has made it possible for our country to emerge stronger.<\/p>\n We believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing and draw new jobs to our shores.\u00a0 And over the past five years, our businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n We believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet.\u00a0 And today, America is number one in oil and gas.\u00a0 America is number one in wind power.\u00a0 Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And thanks to lower gas prices and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save about $750 at the pump.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n We believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world.\u00a0 And today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record.\u00a0 Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high.\u00a0 More Americans finish college than ever before.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n We believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis, shield families from ruin, and encourage fair competition.\u00a0 Today, we have new tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts, and a new consumer watchdog to protect us from predatory lending and abusive credit card practices.\u00a0 And in the past year alone, about 10 million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n At every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious; that we would crush jobs and explode deficits.\u00a0 Instead, we\u2019ve seen the fastest economic growth in over a decade, our deficits cut by two-thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care inflation at its lowest rate in 50 years.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 This is good news, people.\u00a0 (Laughter and applause.)<\/p>\n So the verdict is clear.\u00a0 Middle-class economics works.\u00a0 Expanding opportunity works.\u00a0 And these policies will continue to work as long as politics don\u2019t get in the way.\u00a0 We can\u2019t slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns.\u00a0 We can\u2019t put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting past battles on immigration when we\u2019ve got to fix a broken system.\u00a0 And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, I will veto it. \u00a0It will have earned my veto.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Today, thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and more lives.\u00a0 Wages are finally starting to rise again.\u00a0 We know that more small business owners plan to raise their employees\u2019 pay than at any time since 2007.\u00a0 But here\u2019s the thing:\u00a0 Those of us here tonight, we need to set our sights higher than just making sure government doesn\u2019t screw things up; that government doesn\u2019t halt the progress we\u2019re making.\u00a0 We need to do more than just do no harm.\u00a0 Tonight, together, let\u2019s do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Because families like Rebekah\u2019s still need our help.\u00a0 She and Ben are working as hard as ever, but they\u2019ve had to forego vacations and a new car so that they can pay off student loans and save for retirement.\u00a0 Friday night pizza, that\u2019s a big splurge.\u00a0 Basic childcare for Jack and Henry costs more than their mortgage, and almost as much as a year at the University of Minnesota.\u00a0 Like millions of hardworking Americans, Rebekah isn\u2019t asking for a handout, but she is asking that we look for more ways to help families get ahead.<\/p>\n And in fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, this country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot.\u00a0 We set up worker protections, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest adversity.\u00a0 We gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure and the Internet — tools they needed to go as far as their effort and their dreams will take them.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what middle-class economics is — the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, everyone plays by the same set of rules.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We don\u2019t just want everyone to share in America\u2019s success, we want everyone to contribute to our success.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n So what does middle-class economics require in our time?<\/p>\n First, middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change.\u00a0 That means helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement.\u00a0 And my budget will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each year.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Here\u2019s one example.\u00a0 During World War II, when men like my grandfather went off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a national security priority — so this country provided universal childcare.\u00a0 In today\u2019s economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a nice-to-have — it\u2019s a must-have.\u00a0 So it\u2019s time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or as a women\u2019s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And that\u2019s why my plan will make quality childcare more available and more affordable for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America — by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Here\u2019s another example.\u00a0 Today, we are the only advanced country on Earth that doesn\u2019t guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers.\u00a0 Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave — 43 million.\u00a0 Think about that.\u00a0 And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home.\u00a0 So I\u2019ll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own.\u00a0 And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot last November, let\u2019s put it to a vote right here in Washington.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave.\u00a0 It\u2019s the right thing to do.\u00a0 It\u2019s the right thing to do.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages.\u00a0 That\u2019s why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s 2015.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 It\u2019s time.\u00a0 We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they\u2019ve earned.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this:\u00a0 If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, try it.\u00a0 If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Now, these ideas won\u2019t make everybody rich, won\u2019t relieve every hardship.\u00a0 That\u2019s not the job of government.\u00a0 To give working families a fair shot, we still need more employers to see beyond next quarter\u2019s earnings and recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company\u2019s long-term interest.\u00a0 We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n But you know, things like childcare and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums and a higher minimum wage — these ideas will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of families.\u00a0 That\u2019s a fact.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what all of us, Republicans and Democrats alike, were sent here to do.<\/p>\n Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 America thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a generation of GIs to college, trained the best workforce in the world.\u00a0 We were ahead of the curve.\u00a0 But other countries caught on.\u00a0 And in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to up our game.\u00a0 We need to do more.<\/p>\n By the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some higher education — two in three.\u00a0 And yet, we still live in a country where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the education they need.\u00a0 It\u2019s not fair to them, and it\u2019s sure not smart for our future.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019m sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college — to zero.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Keep in mind 40 percent of our college students choose community college.\u00a0 Some are young and starting out.\u00a0 Some are older and looking for a better job.\u00a0 Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market.\u00a0 Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy without a load of debt.\u00a0 Understand, you\u2019ve got to earn it.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to keep your grades up and graduate on time.<\/p>\n Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible.\u00a0 I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Let\u2019s stay ahead of the curve.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And I want to work with this Congress to make sure those already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments so that student debt doesn\u2019t derail anyone\u2019s dreams.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Thanks to Vice President Biden\u2019s great work to update our job training system, we\u2019re connecting community colleges with local employers to train workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and robotics.\u00a0 Tonight, I\u2019m also asking more businesses to follow the lead of companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid apprenticeships — opportunities that give workers the chance to earn higher-paying jobs even if they don\u2019t have a higher education.<\/p>\n And as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend.\u00a0 Already, we\u2019ve made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the highest quality care.\u00a0 We\u2019re slashing the backlog that had too many veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need.\u00a0 And we\u2019re making it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into civilian jobs.\u00a0 And Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by Michelle and Jill Biden — (applause) — thank you, Michelle; thank you, Jill — has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military spouses get a new job.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 So to every CEO in America, let me repeat:\u00a0 If you want somebody who\u2019s going to get the job done and done right, hire a veteran.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill.\u00a0 Since 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and all advanced economies combined.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Our manufacturers have added almost 800,000 new jobs.\u00a0 Some of our bedrock sectors, like our auto industry, are booming.\u00a0 But there are also millions of Americans who work in jobs that didn\u2019t even exist 10 or 20 years ago — jobs at companies like Google, and eBay, and Tesla.<\/p>\n So no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs of the future.\u00a0 But we do know we want them here in America.\u00a0 We know that.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And that\u2019s why the third part of middle-class economics is all about building the most competitive economy anywhere, the place where businesses want to locate and hire.<\/p>\n Twenty-first century businesses need 21st century infrastructure — modern ports, and stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest Internet.\u00a0 Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this.\u00a0 So let\u2019s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline.\u00a0 Let\u2019s pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that could create more than 30 times as many jobs per year, and make this country stronger for decades to come.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Let\u2019s do it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get it done.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get it done.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Twenty-first century businesses, including small businesses, need to sell more American products overseas.\u00a0 Today, our businesses export more than ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages.\u00a0 But as we speak, China wants to write the rules for the world\u2019s fastest-growing region.\u00a0 That would put our workers and our businesses at a disadvantage.\u00a0 Why would we let that happen?\u00a0 We should write those rules.\u00a0 We should level the playing field.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019m asking both parties to give me trade promotion authority to protect American workers, with strong new trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren\u2019t just free, but are also fair.\u00a0 It\u2019s the right thing to do.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Look, I\u2019m the first one to admit that past trade deals haven\u2019t always lived up to the hype, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve gone after countries that break the rules at our expense.\u00a0 But 95 percent of the world\u2019s customers live outside our borders.\u00a0 We can\u2019t close ourselves off from those opportunities.\u00a0 More than half of manufacturing executives have said they\u2019re actively looking to bring jobs back from China.\u00a0 So let\u2019s give them one more reason to get it done.<\/p>\n Twenty-first century businesses will rely on American science and technology, research and development.\u00a0 I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine — one that delivers the right treatment at the right time.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n In some patients with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable.\u00a0 So tonight, I\u2019m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes, and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier.\u00a0 We can do this.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n I intend to protect a free and open Internet, extend its reach to every classroom, and every community — (applause) — and help folks build the fastest networks so that the next generation of digital innovators and entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world.<\/p>\n I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs — converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating revolutionary prosthetics, so that a veteran who gave his arms for his country can play catch with his kids again.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Pushing out into the solar system not just to visit, but to stay.\u00a0 Last month, we launched a new spacecraft as part of a reenergized space program that will send American astronauts to Mars.\u00a0 And in two months, to prepare us for those missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space.\u00a0 So good luck, Captain.\u00a0 Make sure to Instagram it.\u00a0 We\u2019re proud of you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Now, the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic research, I know there\u2019s bipartisan support in this chamber.\u00a0 Members of both parties have told me so.\u00a0 Where we too often run onto the rocks is how to pay for these investments.\u00a0 As Americans, we don\u2019t mind paying our fair share of taxes as long as everybody else does, too.\u00a0 But for far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight.\u00a0 They\u2019ve riddled it with giveaways that the super-rich don\u2019t need, while denying a break to middle-class families who do.<\/p>\n This year, we have an opportunity to change that.\u00a0 Let\u2019s close loopholes so we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and reward those that invest here in America.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Let\u2019s use those savings to rebuild our infrastructure and to make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs home.\u00a0 Let\u2019s simplify the system and let a small business owner file based on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of accountants she can afford.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And let\u2019s close the loopholes that lead to inequality by allowing the top one percent to avoid paying taxes on their accumulated wealth.\u00a0 We can use that money to help more families pay for childcare and send their kids to college.\u00a0 We need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we can achieve that together.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We can achieve it together.<\/p>\n Helping hardworking families make ends meet.\u00a0 Giving them the tools they need for good-paying jobs in this new economy.\u00a0 Maintaining the conditions of growth and competitiveness.\u00a0 This is where America needs to go.\u00a0 I believe it\u2019s where the American people want to go.\u00a0 It will make our economy stronger a year from now, 15 years from now, and deep into the century ahead.<\/p>\n Of course, if there\u2019s one thing this new century has taught us, it\u2019s that we cannot separate our work here at home from challenges beyond our shores.<\/p>\n My first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of America.\u00a0 In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the world, but how.\u00a0 When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military — then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world.\u00a0 That\u2019s what our enemies want us to do.<\/p>\n I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership.\u00a0 We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don\u2019t let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents.\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re doing right now.\u00a0 And around the globe, it is making a difference.<\/p>\n First, we stand united with people around the world who have been targeted by terrorists — from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we have done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to us and our allies.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n At the same time, we\u2019ve learned some costly lessons over the last 13 years.\u00a0 Instead of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we\u2019ve trained their security forces, who have now taken the lead, and we\u2019ve honored our troops\u2019 sacrifice by supporting that country\u2019s first democratic transition.\u00a0 Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we\u2019re partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America.<\/p>\n In Iraq and Syria, American leadership — including our military power — is stopping ISIL\u2019s advance.\u00a0 Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We\u2019re also supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt ideology of violent extremism.<\/p>\n Now, this effort will take time.\u00a0 It will require focus.\u00a0 But we will succeed.\u00a0 And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.\u00a0 We need that authority.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Second, we\u2019re demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy.\u00a0 We\u2019re upholding the principle that bigger nations can\u2019t bully the small — by opposing Russian aggression, and supporting Ukraine\u2019s democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, as we were reinforcing our presence with frontline states, Mr. Putin\u2019s aggression it was suggested was a masterful display of strategy and strength.\u00a0 That’s what I heard from some folks.\u00a0 Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated with its economy in tatters.\u00a0 That\u2019s how America leads — not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 When what you\u2019re doing doesn\u2019t work for 50 years, it\u2019s time to try something new.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere.\u00a0 It removes a phony excuse for restrictions in Cuba.\u00a0 It stands up for democratic values, and extends the hand of friendship to the Cuban people.\u00a0 And this year, Congress should begin the work of ending the embargo.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n As His Holiness, Pope Francis, has said, diplomacy is the work of \u201csmall steps.\u201d\u00a0 These small steps have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba.\u00a0 And after years in prison, we are overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs. \u00a0Welcome home, Alan.\u00a0 We’re glad you’re here.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we\u2019ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material.\u00a0 Between now and this spring, we have a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a nuclear-armed Iran, secures America and our allies — including Israel, while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict.\u00a0 There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran.<\/p>\n But new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy fails — alienating America from its allies; making it harder to maintain sanctions; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t make sense.\u00a0 And that’s why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this progress.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 The American people expect us only to go to war as a last resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.<\/p>\n Third, we\u2019re looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the past to shape the coming century.\u00a0 No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 So we’re making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism.<\/p>\n And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children\u2019s information.\u00a0 That should be a bipartisan effort.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n If we don\u2019t act, we\u2019ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable.\u00a0 If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.<\/p>\n In West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses, our health care workers are rolling back Ebola — saving countless lives and stopping the spread of disease.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 I could not be prouder of them, and I thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts.\u00a0 But the job is not yet done, and the world needs to use this lesson to build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.<\/p>\n In the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure that other nations play by the rules — in how they trade, how they resolve maritime disputes, how they participate in meeting common international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief.\u00a0 And no challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n 2014 was the planet\u2019s warmest year on record.\u00a0 Now, one year doesn\u2019t make a trend, but this does:\u00a0 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they\u2019re not scientists; that we don\u2019t have enough information to act.\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m not a scientist, either.\u00a0 But you know what, I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and at NOAA, and at our major universities.\u00a0 And the best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we don\u2019t act forcefully, we\u2019ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration and conflict and hunger around the globe.\u00a0 The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security.\u00a0 We should act like it.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And that\u2019s why, over the past six years, we\u2019ve done more than ever to combat climate change, from the way we produce energy to the way we use it.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019ve set aside more public lands and waters than any administration in history.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why I will not let this Congress endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our efforts.\u00a0 I am determined to make sure that American leadership drives international action.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n In Beijing, we made a historic announcement:\u00a0 The United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution.\u00a0 And China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions.\u00a0 And because the world\u2019s two largest economies came together, other nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that this year the world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s one last pillar of our leadership, and that\u2019s the example of our values.<\/p>\n As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we\u2019re threatened, which is why I have prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s why we speak out against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain parts of the world.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.\u00a0 We do these things not only because they are the right thing to do, but because ultimately they will make us safer.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n As Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice.\u00a0 So it makes no sense to spend $3 million per prisoner to keep open a prison that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Since I\u2019ve been President, we\u2019ve worked responsibly to cut the population of Gitmo in half.\u00a0 Now it is time to finish the job.\u00a0 And I will not relent in my determination to shut it down.\u00a0 It is not who we are.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to close Gitmo.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n As Americans, we cherish our civil liberties, and we need to uphold that commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries and industry in our fight against terrorist networks.\u00a0 So while some have moved on from the debates over our surveillance programs, I have not.\u00a0 As promised, our intelligence agencies have worked hard, with the recommendations of privacy advocates, to increase transparency and build more safeguards against potential abuse.\u00a0 And next month, we\u2019ll issue a report on how we\u2019re keeping our promise to keep our country safe while strengthening privacy.<\/p>\n Looking to the future instead of the past.\u00a0 Making sure we match our power with diplomacy, and use force wisely.\u00a0 Building coalitions to meet new challenges and opportunities.\u00a0 Leading — always — with the example of our values.\u00a0 That\u2019s what makes us exceptional.\u00a0 That\u2019s what keeps us strong.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we have to keep striving to hold ourselves to the highest of standards — our own.<\/p>\n You know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said there wasn\u2019t a liberal America or a conservative America; a black America or a white America — but a United States of America.\u00a0 I said this because I had seen it in my own life, in a nation that gave someone like me a chance; because I grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot of races and customs; because I made Illinois my home — a state of small towns, rich farmland, one of the world\u2019s great cities; a microcosm of the country where Democrats and Republicans and Independents, good people of every ethnicity and every faith, share certain bedrock values.<\/p>\n Over the past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that my presidency hasn\u2019t delivered on this vision.\u00a0 How ironic, they say, that our politics seems more divided than ever.\u00a0 It\u2019s held up as proof not just of my own flaws — of which there are many — but also as proof that the vision itself is misguided, na\u00efve, that there are too many people in this town who actually benefit from partisanship and gridlock for us to ever do anything about it.<\/p>\n I know how tempting such cynicism may be.\u00a0 But I still think the cynics are wrong.\u00a0 I still believe that we are one people.\u00a0 I still believe that together, we can do great things, even when the odds are long.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n I believe this because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America at its best.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates from New York to California, and our newest officers at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, New London.\u00a0 I\u2019ve mourned with grieving families in Tucson and Newtown, in Boston, in West Texas, and West Virginia.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great Plains, from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-Atlantic seaboard.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal in states that seven in 10 Americans call home.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n So I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the American people who every day live the idea that we are our brother\u2019s keeper and our sister\u2019s keeper.\u00a0 And I know they expect those of us who serve here to set a better example.<\/p>\n So the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all of us, can better reflect America\u2019s hopes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve served in Congress with many of you.\u00a0 I know many of you well.\u00a0 There are a lot of good people here, on both sides of the aisle.\u00a0 And many of you have told me that this isn\u2019t what you signed up for — arguing past each other on cable shows, the constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the base will react to every decision.<\/p>\n Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns.\u00a0 Imagine if we did something different.\u00a0 Understand, a better politics isn\u2019t one where Democrats abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine.\u00a0 A better politics is one where we appeal to each other\u2019s basic decency instead of our basest fears.\u00a0 A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other; where we talk issues and values, and principles and facts, rather than \u201cgotcha\u201d moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people\u2019s daily lives.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n A politics — a better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting young people up with a sense of purpose and possibility, asking them to join in the great mission of building America.<\/p>\n If we\u2019re going to have arguments, let\u2019s have arguments, but let\u2019s make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country.\u00a0 We still may not agree on a woman\u2019s right to choose, but surely we can agree it\u2019s a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the health care that she needs.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no one benefits when a hardworking mom is snatched from her child, and that it\u2019s possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.\u00a0 I\u2019ve talked to Republicans and Democrats about that.\u00a0 That\u2019s something that we can share.<\/p>\n We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it\u2019s being denied to too many — (applause) — and that on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York.\u00a0 But surely we can understand a father who fears his son can\u2019t walk home without being harassed.\u00a0 And surely we can understand the wife who won\u2019t rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And surely we can agree that it\u2019s a good thing that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform America\u2019s criminal justice system so that it protects and serves all of us.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n That\u2019s a better politics.\u00a0 That\u2019s how we start rebuilding trust.\u00a0 That\u2019s how we move this country forward.\u00a0 That\u2019s what the American people want.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what they deserve.<\/p>\n I have no more campaigns to run.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 My only agenda — (laughter) — I know because I won both of them.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 My only agenda for the next two years is the same as the one I\u2019ve had since the day I swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol — to do what I believe is best for America.\u00a0 If you share the broad vision I outlined tonight, I ask you to join me in the work at hand.\u00a0 If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you\u2019ll at least work with me where you do agree.\u00a0 And I commit to every Republican here tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work with you to make this country stronger.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Because I want this chamber, I want this city to reflect the truth — that for all our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a people with the strength and generosity of spirit to bridge divides, to unite in common effort, to help our neighbors, whether down the street or on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n I want our actions to tell every child in every neighborhood, your life matters, and we are committed to improving your life chances as committed as we are to working on behalf of our own kids.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 I want future generations to know that we are a people who see our differences as a great gift, that we\u2019re a people who value the dignity and worth of every citizen — man and woman, young and old, black and white, Latino, Asian, immigrant, Native American, gay, straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability.\u00a0 Everybody matters.\u00a0 I want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still know to be true:\u00a0 that we are still more than a collection of red states and blue states; that we are the United States of America.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n I want them to grow up in a country where a young mom can sit down and write a letter to her President with a story that sums up these past six years:\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to\u2026we are a strong, tight-knit family who\u2019s made it through some very, very hard times.\u201d<\/p>\n My fellow Americans, we, too, are a strong, tight-knit family.\u00a0 We, too, have made it through some hard times.\u00a0 Fifteen years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking America.\u00a0 We have laid a new foundation.\u00a0 A brighter future is ours to write.\u00a0 Let\u2019s begin this new chapter together — and let\u2019s start the work right now.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n Thank you.\u00a0 God bless you.\u00a0 God bless this country we love.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The US president, Barack Obama, asked Congress \u00a0for the first time to end the embargo on Cuba and reiterated his support for the normalization of relations with the island, whose first steps are taken on Wednesday in Havana. During the traditional “State of the Union” delivered on Tuesday night, the president expressed confidence in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3134,"featured_media":40860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13944],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[33546,8689],"class_list":["post-40864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba-usa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n