Month: January 2016

President Barack Obama tonight focused on four future questions he said that needed to be answered in his final state of the union address.

The questions, he said, included: How do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy? How do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change? How do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman? And how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?

Among his remarks was encouragement for a national effort to cure cancer, putting Vice President Joe Biden in charge of the initiative.

He told Congress that the nation was strong and he was hopeful of a future with Americans who have “unarmed truth and unconditional love.”

The text of the President’s remarks, as it was written before the speech was given, is at the end of this story.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., issued a comment on the President’s remarks. Along with two other senators, Tim Scott and Cory Gardner, Roberts’ stated that the president’s intention to use executive action to relocate terrorists currently at Guantanamo Bay to American communities would harm national security.

“The intention to send terrorists to the mainland is just another of the Obama administration’s misguided strategic national security decisions,” Roberts said. “Closing Guantanamo will never endear radical Islamic fundamentalists to America. It will simply move these detainees and their security risks north, to one of the communities in our states.”

In November, 86 percent of the House and Senate voted for legislation that bars the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to domestic soil. Leavenworth is one of the potential sites for prisoners.

Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-3rd Dist., issued the following response to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. Below are Rep. Yoder’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:

“Good evening, I’m Kevin Yoder, and it’s my honor to represent you and your family in the United States Congress. Tonight, I joined Americans from around the country, as we listened to President Obama’s final State of the Union address.

“As the President listed off items on his agenda and shared his vision of America, I couldn’t help but feel that with the challenges facing us here and abroad, we need much more than empty words. Kansans are by nature conservative, and I know as a lifelong Kansan who grew up on a farm, many of us feel that Washington has betrayed us.

“Americans are frustrated and scared that their government is incapable of stopping ISIS and that no plan has been laid out by our President that will eradicate them and secure our nation. Americans are angry as they watch immigrants illegally pour across the border and their government sits idly by doing nothing. Americans are tired of watching Washington bureaucrats spend money we don’t have on programs we don’t want and pass the buck to our children and grandchildren. Americans are exhausted with a government that grinds down the economy with taxes and regulations, making American families work harder and longer for less pay. Americans are worn thin with watching a government run roughshod over the Constitution, and the rights of the American people.

“We can and must do better.

“It’s time that our Commander in Chief puts forward a plan to defeat ISIS. It’s time that our government enforces the laws of our country and secures our borders. It’s time that Washington lives on a budget just like the rest of America does. It’s time that Washington makes it easier on working families with fewer taxes, less burdens and more opportunity. It’s time that Americans stand up and protect their freedom, liberty and god given rights. It’s time to make this government work for the people it represents. We can do better.

“As we go forward this year in Congress, my commitment is to listen to Kansans, to speak up for our values, and to do my part to build a better America. I love this great nation and am proud to be a voice for Kansans in the United States Congress.
“God bless you and good night.”

The text of the President’s remarks, as it was written before the speech was given:

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:
Tonight marks the eighth year I’ve come here to report on the State of the Union. And for this final one, I’m going to try to make it shorter. I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.

I also understand that because it’s an election season, expectations for what we’ll achieve this year are low. Still, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families. So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse. We just might surprise the cynics again.

But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead. Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients. And I’ll keep pushing for progress on the work that still needs doing. Fixing a broken immigration system. Protecting our kids from gun violence. Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage. All these things still matter to hardworking families; they are still the right thing to do; and I will not let up until they get done.

But for my final address to this chamber, I don’t want to talk just about the next year. I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond.

I want to focus on our future.

We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world. It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality. And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.

America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights. Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears. We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the “dogmas of the quiet past.” Instead we thought anew, and acted anew. We made change work for us, always extending America’s promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people. And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.
What was true then can be true now. Our unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.

In fact, it’s that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible. It’s how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations. It’s how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector; how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.

But such progress is not inevitable. It is the result of choices we make together. And we face such choices right now. Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people? Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, what we stand for, and the incredible things we can do together?

So let’s talk about the future, and four big questions that we as a country have to answer – regardless of who the next President is, or who controls the next Congress.

First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?

Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?
Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?

And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?

Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world. We’re in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history. More than 14 million new jobs; the strongest two years of job growth since the ‘90s; an unemployment rate cut in half. Our auto industry just had its best year ever. Manufacturing has created nearly 900,000 new jobs in the past six years. And we’ve done all this while cutting our deficits by almost three-quarters.

Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction. What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven’t let up. Today, technology doesn’t just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated. Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition. As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise. Companies have less loyalty to their communities. And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.

All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs; even when the economy is growing. It’s made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to. And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.
For the past seven years, our goal has been a growing economy that works better for everybody. We’ve made progress. But we need to make more. And despite all the political arguments we’ve had these past few years, there are some areas where Americans broadly agree.

We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job. The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, and together, we’ve increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, and boosted graduates in fields like engineering. In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all, offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one, and we should recruit and support more great teachers for our kids.

And we have to make college affordable for every American. Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red. We’ve already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower’s income. Now, we’ve actually got to cut the cost of college. Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I’m going to keep fighting to get that started this year.

Of course, a great education isn’t all we need in this new economy. We also need benefits and protections that provide a basic measure of security. After all, it’s not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber. For everyone else, especially folks in their forties and fifties, saving for retirement or bouncing back from job loss has gotten a lot tougher. Americans understand that at some point in their careers, they may have to retool and retrain. But they shouldn’t lose what they’ve already worked so hard to build.

That’s why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever; we shouldn’t weaken them, we should strengthen them. And for Americans short of retirement, basic benefits should be just as mobile as everything else is today. That’s what the Affordable Care Act is all about. It’s about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we’ll still have coverage. Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far. Health care inflation has slowed. And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law.

Now, I’m guessing we won’t agree on health care anytime soon. But there should be other ways both parties can improve economic security. Say a hardworking American loses his job – we shouldn’t just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that’s ready to hire him. If that new job doesn’t pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills. And even if he’s going from job to job, he should still be able to save for retirement and take his savings with him. That’s the way we make the new economy work better for everyone.

I also know Speaker Ryan has talked about his interest in tackling poverty. America is about giving everybody willing to work a hand up, and I’d welcome a serious discussion about strategies we can all support, like expanding tax cuts for low-income workers without kids.

But there are other areas where it’s been more difficult to find agreement over the last seven years – namely what role the government should play in making sure the system’s not rigged in favor of the wealthiest and biggest corporations. And here, the American people have a choice to make.

I believe a thriving private sector is the lifeblood of our economy. I think there are outdated regulations that need to be changed, and there’s red tape that needs to be cut. But after years of record corporate profits, working families won’t get more opportunity or bigger paychecks by letting big banks or big oil or hedge funds make their own rules at the expense of everyone else; or by allowing attacks on collective bargaining to go unanswered. Food Stamp recipients didn’t cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did. Immigrants aren’t the reason wages haven’t gone up enough; those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns. It’s sure not the average family watching tonight that avoids paying taxes through offshore accounts. In this new economy, workers and start-ups and small businesses need more of a voice, not less. The rules should work for them. And this year I plan to lift up the many businesses who’ve figured out that doing right by their workers ends up being good for their shareholders, their customers, and their communities, so that we can spread those best practices across America.

In fact, many of our best corporate citizens are also our most creative. This brings me to the second big question we have to answer as a country: how do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges?

Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn’t deny Sputnik was up there. We didn’t argue about the science, or shrink our research and development budget. We built a space program almost overnight, and twelve years later, we were walking on the moon.

That spirit of discovery is in our DNA. We’re Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers and George Washington Carver. We’re Grace Hopper and Katherine Johnson and Sally Ride. We’re every immigrant and entrepreneur from Boston to Austin to Silicon Valley racing to shape a better world. And over the past seven years, we’ve nurtured that spirit.

We’ve protected an open internet, and taken bold new steps to get more students and low-income Americans online. We’ve launched next-generation manufacturing hubs, and online tools that give an entrepreneur everything he or she needs to start a business in a single day.

But we can do so much more. Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer. Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they’ve had in over a decade. Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control. For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.

Medical research is critical. We need the same level of commitment when it comes to developing clean energy sources.

Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely, because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it.

But even if the planet wasn’t at stake; even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record – until 2015 turned out even hotter – why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?

Seven years ago, we made the single biggest investment in clean energy in our history. Here are the results. In fields from Iowa to Texas, wind power is now cheaper than dirtier, conventional power. On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal – in jobs that pay better than average. We’re taking steps to give homeowners the freedom to generate and store their own energy – something environmentalists and Tea Partiers have teamed up to support. Meanwhile, we’ve cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly sixty percent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth.

Gas under two bucks a gallon ain’t bad, either.

Now we’ve got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy. Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future – especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet. That way, we put money back into those communities and put tens of thousands of Americans to work building a 21st century transportation system.

None of this will happen overnight, and yes, there are plenty of entrenched interests who want to protect the status quo. But the jobs we’ll create, the money we’ll save, and the planet we’ll preserve – that’s the kind of future our kids and grandkids deserve.

Climate change is just one of many issues where our security is linked to the rest of the world. And that’s why the third big question we have to answer is how to keep America safe and strong without either isolating ourselves or trying to nation-build everywhere there’s a problem.

I told you earlier all the talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air. Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker. The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. It’s not even close. We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world. No nation dares to attack us or our allies because they know that’s the path to ruin. Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead – they call us.

As someone who begins every day with an intelligence briefing, I know this is a dangerous time. But that’s not because of diminished American strength or some looming superpower. In today’s world, we’re threatened less by evil empires and more by failing states. The Middle East is going through a transformation that will play out for a generation, rooted in conflicts that date back millennia. Economic headwinds blow from a Chinese economy in transition. Even as their economy contracts, Russia is pouring resources to prop up Ukraine and Syria – states they see slipping away from their orbit. And the international system we built after World War II is now struggling to keep pace with this new reality.

It’s up to us to help remake that system. And that means we have to set priorities.

Priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks. Both al Qaeda and now ISIL pose a direct threat to our people, because in today’s world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human life, including their own, can do a lot of damage. They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country; they undermine our allies.

But as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence. That’s the story ISIL wants to tell; that’s the kind of propaganda they use to recruit. We don’t need to build them up to show that we’re serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world’s largest religions. We just need to call them what they are – killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed.

That’s exactly what we are doing. For more than a year, America has led a coalition of more than 60 countries to cut off ISIL’s financing, disrupt their plots, stop the flow of terrorist fighters, and stamp out their vicious ideology. With nearly 10,000 air strikes, we are taking out their leadership, their oil, their training camps, and their weapons. We are training, arming, and supporting forces who are steadily reclaiming territory in Iraq and Syria.

If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, you should finally authorize the use of military force against ISIL. Take a vote. But the American people should know that with or without Congressional action, ISIL will learn the same lessons as terrorists before them. If you doubt America’s commitment – or mine – to see that justice is done, ask Osama bin Laden. Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell. When you come after Americans, we go after you. It may take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.

Our foreign policy must be focused on the threat from ISIL and al Qaeda, but it can’t stop there. For even without ISIL, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia. Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks; others will fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave of refugees.

The world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians. That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world stage.
We also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis. That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq – and we should have learned it by now.

Fortunately, there’s a smarter approach, a patient and disciplined strategy that uses every element of our national power. It says America will always act, alone if necessary, to protect our people and our allies; but on issues of global concern, we will mobilize the world to work with us, and make sure other countries pull their own weight.

That’s our approach to conflicts like Syria, where we’re partnering with local forces and leading international efforts to help that broken society pursue a lasting peace.

That’s why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.

That’s how we stopped the spread of Ebola in West Africa. Our military, our doctors, and our development workers set up the platform that allowed other countries to join us in stamping out that epidemic.

That’s how we forged a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open markets, protect workers and the environment, and advance American leadership in Asia. It cuts 18,000 taxes on products Made in America, and supports more good jobs. With TPP, China doesn’t set the rules in that region, we do. You want to show our strength in this century? Approve this agreement. Give us the tools to enforce it.

Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America. That’s why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people. You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere? Recognize that the Cold War is over. Lift the embargo.

American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world – except when we kill terrorists; or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling. Leadership means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right. It means seeing our foreign assistance as part of our national security, not charity. When we lead nearly 200 nations to the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change – that helps vulnerable countries, but it also protects our children. When we help Ukraine defend its democracy, or Colombia resolve a decades-long war, that strengthens the international order we depend upon. When we help African countries feed their people and care for the sick, that prevents the next pandemic from reaching our shores. Right now, we are on track to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and we have the capacity to accomplish the same thing with malaria – something I’ll be pushing this Congress to fund this year.
That’s strength. That’s leadership. And that kind of leadership depends on the power of our example. That is why I will keep working to shut down the prison at Guantanamo: it’s expensive, it’s unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.

That’s why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith. His Holiness, Pope Francis, told this body from the very spot I stand tonight that “to imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.” When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It makes it harder to achieve our goals. And it betrays who we are as a country.

“We the People.” Our Constitution begins with those three simple words, words we’ve come to recognize mean all the people, not just some; words that insist we rise and fall together. That brings me to the fourth, and maybe the most important thing I want to say tonight.

The future we want – opportunity and security for our families; a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids – all that is within our reach. But it will only happen if we work together. It will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates.
It will only happen if we fix our politics.

A better politics doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. This is a big country, with different regions and attitudes and interests. That’s one of our strengths, too. Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.

But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens. It doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic. Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree with us. Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.

Too many Americans feel that way right now. It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better. There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.
But, my fellow Americans, this cannot be my task – or any President’s – alone. There are a whole lot of folks in this chamber who would like to see more cooperation, a more elevated debate in Washington, but feel trapped by the demands of getting elected. I know; you’ve told me. And if we want a better politics, it’s not enough to just change a Congressman or a Senator or even a President; we have to change the system to reflect our better selves.

We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around. We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families and hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections – and if our existing approach to campaign finance can’t pass muster in the courts, we need to work together to find a real solution. We’ve got to make voting easier, not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now. And over the course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms that do.

But I can’t do these things on my own. Changes in our political process – in not just who gets elected but how they get elected – that will only happen when the American people demand it. It will depend on you. That’s what’s meant by a government of, by, and for the people.

What I’m asking for is hard. It’s easier to be cynical; to accept that change isn’t possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our voices and actions don’t matter. But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future. Those with money and power will gain greater control over the decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow another economic disaster, or roll back the equal rights and voting rights that generations of Americans have fought, even died, to secure. As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.

We can’t afford to go down that path. It won’t deliver the economy we want, or the security we want, but most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world.

So, my fellow Americans, whatever you may believe, whether you prefer one party or no party, our collective future depends on your willingness to uphold your obligations as a citizen. To vote. To speak out. To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us. To stay active in our public life so it reflects the goodness and decency and optimism that I see in the American people every single day.

It won’t be easy. Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen – inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far. Voices that help us see ourselves not first and foremost as black or white or Asian or Latino, not as gay or straight, immigrant or native born; not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans first, bound by a common creed. Voices Dr. King believed would have the final word – voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love.

They’re out there, those voices. They don’t get a lot of attention, nor do they seek it, but they are busy doing the work this country needs doing.
I see them everywhere I travel in this incredible country of ours. I see you. I know you’re there. You’re the reason why I have such incredible confidence in our future. Because I see your quiet, sturdy citizenship all the time.

I see it in the worker on the assembly line who clocked extra shifts to keep his company open, and the boss who pays him higher wages to keep him on board.

I see it in the Dreamer who stays up late to finish her science project, and the teacher who comes in early because he knows she might someday cure a disease.

I see it in the American who served his time, and dreams of starting over – and the business owner who gives him that second chance. The protester determined to prove that justice matters, and the young cop walking the beat, treating everybody with respect, doing the brave, quiet work of keeping us safe.

I see it in the soldier who gives almost everything to save his brothers, the nurse who tends to him ‘til he can run a marathon, and the community that lines up to cheer him on.

It’s the son who finds the courage to come out as who he is, and the father whose love for that son overrides everything he’s been taught.

I see it in the elderly woman who will wait in line to cast her vote as long as she has to; the new citizen who casts his for the first time; the volunteers at the polls who believe every vote should count, because each of them in different ways know how much that precious right is worth.

That’s the America I know. That’s the country we love. Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future. Because of you. I believe in you. That’s why I stand here confident that the State of our Union is strong.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback tonight called for changes to education policy in his state-of-the-state address, while criticizing President Obama several times during the speech.

“Education in the 21st century can no longer be based on 19th century formulas,” Brownback said.

He said the state spent most of its funds, about $4 billion, on education, and rightly so. He mentioned changes such as merit pay, innovative options and scholarships backed by tax credits. He talked about getting more of the funds spent in the classroom.

The Legislature could consider changes to the school finance formula this session; however, tonight’s speech shed little light on other specific changes that might be made in the education budget.

The school finance formula, which had provided weights so that school districts can handle extra expenses such as special education and other language learners, was thrown out last session by the Legislature and replaced with a block grant as the Legislature considers writing a new formula. The issue also is going through the Kansas court system.

Among the school districts that could be hurt by a new school finance formula from the conservative Legislature is the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools.

While in Wyandotte County, the Unified Government is opposing the property tax lid, which takes effect in 2017, the governor tonight voiced support for moving up its implementation date earlier, saying that citizens ought to vote on property tax increases.

“Your property taxes should not grow faster than your paycheck,” Brownback said, adding that property taxes are heavy burdens especially on those with fixed incomes.

The governor criticized President Obama’s policies in several areas tonight, on the same day as the President’s state of the union address. The areas included health care and the housing of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.

Brownback, who opposes any proposals to allow refugees into Kansas, and also opposes prisoners being transferred here from Guantanamo Bay, said that instead of working with the governor to address concerns, President Obama has chosen to pursue a path that puts Americans at risk. “Mr. President, this will not work,” Brownback said. “We must and will act to protect citizens of our state,” he said.

He called for training of additional troops in the Kansas National Guard.

On the topic of Medicaid expansion in Kansas, Brownback said Obamacare caused the problem and Kansas should not expand Obamacare to solve the problem.

He said he is asking Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer to form a task force to study the health care issue. The closing of Mercy Hospital in Independence, Kan., last year has sparked a debate in the health care industry in Kansas over whether Medicaid expansion could save rural hospitals.

On the topic of how Kansas Supreme Court justices are chosen, Brownback asked the Legislature to put before Kansas voters a constitutional amendment. The idea, as discussed previously, calls for the governor to nominate justices, with the Senate voting on whether to approve them, or their election by the voters. He proposed the same idea for changing the selection of justices in last year’s state-of-the-state speech, also.

The supreme court recently struck down a law from the Kansas Legislature that would take away the authority of the justices to select chief judges in each judicial district, changing it to an election among the judges who are serving there. There was another provision of the law that would stop funding to the court system in March if the chief judge issue from the Legislature did not move forward.

Brownback also said he was directing the Kansas Department of Health and Environment today to make sure that “not a single dollar” goes to Planned Parenthood through the Medicaid program. He said that Planned Parenthood’s actions concerning baby body parts was against the belief in human dignity.

During the speech, Brownback also pointed to progress in jobs and the economy in Kansas. He said people are being moved out of poverty and dependency and into self-sufficiency.

Giving the Democratic response to the speech, House Democratic Leader Tom Burroughs of Wyandotte County disagreed with Brownback that the state’s situation is bright, and said the majority of Kansans think it is bleak.

He referred to the Brownback administration as a failure, and said the Legislature passed the largest tax increase in state history, where every family pays more in sales taxes.

The Legislature this year faces a large deficit which the lawmakers will have to handle. The revenue shortfall is greater than what Kansas experienced during the entire Great Recession, he said.

“Instead of changing course, Gov. Brownback and conservative Republicans doubled down on a failed experiment,” he said.

Burroughs said Kansas residents are seeing the economic situation getting worse, despite the claims of lower unemployment. Also, they’re seeing their kids’ classrooms get larger and teachers leaving the state, he said.

Sweeping $1 billion from transportation funding to pay for other government costs are leaving roads in disrepair, which will affect the economy in the future, according to Burroughs.

Exempting 300,000 business owners from paying any state income taxes has not helped, but instead the state budget is not balanced, the debt burden has ballooned and the state is experiencing the equivalent of a financial freefall, according to Burroughs.

He said Kansas needs to work on the economy for everyone, not just a wealthy few.

He called for the Legislature to work to help education, which will lead to greater opportunity in the state.

Burroughs said Kansas has been mismanaged for too long. It’s time to move past the failed policies of the Brownback administration and Republican administration, he said.

“It’s time for new ideas in a new direction,” Burroughs said. “It is time for a new legacy.”

The text of Gov. Brownback’s speech:

2016 State of the State – January 12, 2016

Mr. Speaker, Madam President, Legislators, Cabinet Members, Justices, honored guests…Kansans all.

Welcome.

Welcome back to our annual ritual.

First, please join me in recognizing the First Lady of Kansas, my wife Mary.

And welcome also to Ruth Colyer, wife of Lt. Governor, Jeff Colyer.

There is someone who has been a part of this ritual for a long time – and that is Associated Press reporter John Hanna, who is covering his 30th consecutive State of the State address.

That’s a great milestone, John, exceeded only by Martin Hawver who is covering his 40th address.

Here, we celebrate freedom.

Here, we practice self-government.

Here, the people rule.

And here we crown no royalty…except in baseball.

Well, soccer too, and football and basketball hopefully.

And as our region’s latest champions showed us, with the right fundamentals and teamwork, we can accomplish anything in time.

It was precisely five years ago tonight when I first addressed this body on the State of our State.

And just look at what has happened in those five years:

More than 388,000 low income Kansans now pay zero income taxes.

KPERS is out of the bankruptcy zone. Our funded liability percentage is up by 13% since 2012.

K-12 spending is at an all-time high. Up by more than $300 million.

More than half the people who were on welfare are now off it and more importantly, they are getting out of poverty.

We have embraced innovation and modernization in our Medicaid system, providing more services and better outcomes for 20,000 more Kansans than before.

More than 96,000 Kansas children have participated in innovative reading programs.

Over 3,000 high school students have participated in the Jobs for America’s Graduate Program and graduated at a rate of 93%.

Participation in technical education has tripled since we began the program.

We are graduating 2,100 more engineers from our state universities.

We have controlled spending, reformed tax policy, and reduced burdensome regulations.

We have consolidated agencies, eliminated wasteful programs, and overhauled workers compensation.

We lifted the Major League Soccer Cup Trophy with Sporting KC.

And we have seen the Wichita State Shockers join basketball’s “big dance” every year since 2012.

Working together, we’ve created an economic environment that has seen Kansas gain more than 78,000 private sector jobs and achieve its lowest unemployment rate in fourteen years.

Working together, we’ve created an economic environment where hard-working Kansans have seen their wages increase more than 10%.

Kansans are finding good jobs, right here in our state.

Working together, we’ve created an economic environment where new filings for businesses increased by 15%.

Working together last year, we created a stable regulatory environment that will see nine new wind farms come on line this year, at an investment of nearly $3 billion.

Kansas is once again a national leader in wind energy development.

Mr. Speaker, Madam President, it is for these reasons – and many more- that I can report to you that the State of our State is strong.

Kansas is strong. And Kansas is growing.

It’s often said that Kansas feeds the world.

And we will continue to provide for our fellow Americans and support the global economy

By providing food:

Wheat, beef, and now dairy.

By providing energy:

Oil and gas, ethanol, and renewable.

By providing air travel:

From our manufacturers in Wichita and suppliers across South Central Kansas.

By providing recreation:

The National Water Trail, the Flint Hills Nature Trail, NASCAR and world class hunting and fishing.

Wildcat football.

Jayhawk basketball.

And finally, by providing a business climate where the Financial Services Industry can grow and prosper under the leadership of the industry executives and Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer.

One of the biggest challenges we face in much of Kansas is the future of our water.

One of my passions as Governor is to prepare the state to be in a better position for the future. To do that we’ve got to prepare today and in some cases we have to sacrifice some now so our kids and grandkids have better options.

The work we have accomplished to preserve and extend water resources in Kansas in the last three years has been significant.

The first Local Enhanced Management Area has been in operation for three years in 99 square miles of Northwest Kansas. They have reduced their water use by roughly 20 percent, and maintained their net income. That should extend the useful life of the Ogallala in that area by 25 years.

That is solid progress but more needs to happen.

We are, right now, dredging John Redmond Reservoir, the first federal reservoir to be dredged in the nation.

Whether it’s dredging projects or reducing our demands on the Ogallala, it’s going to take time and some sacrifice.

We are going to continue implementing action items in the Long Term Vision for Kansas Water.

With most natural resources, we aren’t just taking them to use for today. We are borrowing them from the future.

Perhaps no one individual has done more to protect our water than the recipient of the first Water Legacy Award.

Wayne Bossert was the long-time director of Groundwater Management District #4. Now retired, he led the organization at the time it formed the state’s first LEMA in Thomas and Sheridan County, to help preserve the aquifer.
Wayne–thank you for your vision to protect this vital resource for the future.

Speaking of the future. I’d like to talk about our investment in our children.

By far the biggest item funded by state government is education. That is as it should be.

But education in the 21st century can no longer be based on 19th century models.

Parents and educators across the state have sought innovative options, from alternative teacher certification and merit pay to scholarships backed by tax credits.

We must have an educational system that has a range of options in which our students can learn and prosper and grow.

Education is not done by money or buildings. It is done by teachers.

Teaching isn’t a job or a vocation. It’s a calling. I know. I have taught. Two of my children teach.

Former students are prized people to teachers. The bond of teacher and student never breaks.

Teachers need money to care for their needs. That’s why Kansans invest in education: so good teachers are able to do their calling and teach.

Yet today, of the more than $4 billion the state puts into education funding, not nearly enough goes toward instruction.

That’s highly inefficient, if not immoral, denying Kansans from putting their education dollars were they want it…behind a good teacher.

I call on the legislature to design a new education funding system that puts more of our money into instruction. That provides bonuses for exceptional teachers and recognizes their true value to our future and the souls of our students.

To keep Kansas strong we must also keep it safe.

In December, the Kansas Highway Patrol graduated its 55th class of troopers. It was the largest class in recent years.

I saw fathers pin badges on sons. I saw families stand proudly with their wife, husband, father, son or daughter as they received their badges. But I was most moved by the sight of twin brothers – one becoming a trooper and the other pinning on his badge.

Jonathan Blank became a KHP trooper that day, after serving as a U.S. Marine with two tours of duty in Iraq. He received his badge from his brother, Linden Blank also a U.S. Marine who served – and was gravely injured – in Afghanistan.

Please join me in recognizing these two outstanding young men from Augusta Kansas, who put the welfare of others before their own safety. Jonathan and Linden – thank you.

Elected officials have a responsibility to protect our citizens from all threats, foreign and domestic.

In this, the President has refused to lead.

He has prioritized his agenda and the feelings of the radical Islamic terrorists over the safety of Americans. He is unwilling to take simple actions to improve our security.

Therefore, we must act.

It is my responsibility, as Governor of this great state to do what we can to protect the citizens of Kansas.

And we must act to maintain the security of our state.

Last summer, in response to the attack on recruiting facilities in Tennessee, I ordered Adjutant General Tafanelli to complete a comprehensive security assessment of all Kansas National Guard facilities.

Included in his report was a plan to arm and train additional personnel and make security enhancements to our National Guard facilities. My budget proposal includes funding to support these activities.

I call on legislators from both sides of the aisle to strongly support this request and send a clear message to our troops that we stand with them.

In November, in response to the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris I directed all state agencies to immediately cease the placement of refugees from countries where potential terrorists can arise, due to our inability to verify their background. More than thirty other Governors across the nation joined in this call.

Governors, both Republican and Democrat, continue to question the federal government’s ability to properly screen people claiming to be refugees.

Governors must have the information they need to protect the people they serve.

Instead of simply pausing his resettlement plan and working with the governors to address their legitimate security concerns, President Obama has chosen to pursue a path that puts Americans at risk.

Mr. President, this will not work.

We must – and will – act to protect the citizens of Kansas.

Last year we also learned that President Obama has resurrected his plan to close the terrorist detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and transfer terrorists to the United States.

His own Secretary of Defense knows it is not a good idea.

His own Attorney General knows it would be illegal.

The President does not care.

Therefore, we must be prepared to act. And we are.

Every member of the Kansas Congressional Delegation, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, and I each stand at the ready to thwart every action the President takes to transfer terrorists to Kansas.

Kansas was founded by people of strength. People who understood the value of hard work, of friendship, of faith.

The strength of Kansas lies in the hearts and minds of our people. Here the people rule. All of our people.

James Madison, writing in the Federalist Papers, warned of the dangers of placing too much power in the noble elites that could control our judicial process. This warning rings true today.

Kansas is the only state in the country where the selection of Supreme Court justices is controlled by a handful of lawyers.

Kansas, however, is grounded in the principal of representative democracy.
The current selection method used for the Supreme Court removes the people of Kansas from the process of selecting judges.

It places the process in the hands of those lawyers who regularly appear in front of the judges they select.

Well, enough is enough.

The Legislature should put before Kansas voters a proposed Constitutional amendment for a more democratic selection process for our Supreme Court justices.

We must have faith in the people. Here the people rule.

Since 1999, when the property tax lid was lifted, Kansans have seen those tax rates increased by 24 percent, and property tax revenue increase by 92%.

Understandably, people do not like this.

Your property taxes should not grow faster than your paycheck.

They carry heavy burdens on all Kansans, especially those living on fixed incomes.

Last year, you acted to place a lid on property taxes. That was a positive step.

The ability to raise taxes at the local level should not be made without consent and input from local citizens.

Voters should have the ability to make their voices heard with an up or down vote on any proposal that raises property taxes in excess of inflation.

I would welcome legislation that strengthens the property tax lid by closing the existing loopholes and puts it in place sooner.

Here, the people rule. Here, the people have a voice.

Kansans value self-sufficiency and independence.

But some Kansans are still struggling. And we have an obligation to help them.

We implemented common-sense requirements for those on welfare with the goal of providing economic opportunity instead of government dependency.

We said, if you have no disabilities and no children at home, you should work or train for work at least 20 hours per week.

The results are in. The reforms have worked.

Our caseloads are 70% lower today than they were before we made the change.

The work participation rate among enrollees nearly tripled.

The amount of time able-bodied adults spend on food stamps has been cut in half.

And those leaving welfare are better off!

Before work requirements, 93% of able-bodied adults on welfare were in poverty. Most were in severe poverty and not working at all.

But within a year of leaving welfare, their incomes had more than doubled – an increase of 127% on average.

The number of enrollees who have risen out of poverty tripled.

These are real people. These are our friends and families and neighbors.

We’ve seen what happens when they get off welfare and have hope of a better life.

In Franklin County, a man had been trapped on welfare since early 2009. He had been on food stamps for four and a half years, with no end in sight.
He wasn’t working and had no earned income. But that all changed when the work requirement went into effect.

He began working. And after a year, he was earning $45,000 a year.

We have even seen the marriage rate go up as the numbers of men and women who are out of poverty and working has gone up.

We’re moving people out of poverty, out of dependency, and into self-sufficiency. We’re giving them the hope of a better life.

Our work to help struggling Kansans must continue.

That includes supporting access to quality health care.

When we took office in 2011, I asked Lt. Governor Dr. Jeff Colyer to modernize and transform the State’s Medicaid program. Previous administrations had cut reimbursement rates and reduced services, yet costs were still out of control.

Today, we have higher reimbursement rates for providers, more services for clients and, most importantly, we have better, measurable health outcomes for Kansans who participate in KanCare.

We have also saved nearly $1 billion over the projected cost estimates for the old Medicaid program. We have proven that a Kansas solution is better than one from Washington, D.C.

KanCare is working. ObamaCare is failing.

I grew up in a town with a population of 268. I do understand rural hospitals are often the lifeblood of their community.

ObamaCare has increased healthcare costs in Kansas and especially hurt rural healthcare.

It was ObamaCare that cut Medicare reimbursements to rural hospitals.

It was ObamaCare that caused the problem. We should not expand ObamaCare to solve the problem.

Tonight, I am asking Lt. Governor Colyer to assemble a working group to address the problems of health care delivery in rural Kansas and to present a proposal to me by this time next year.

As a fifth generation rural Kansan and a physician, I can think of no one better suited to take on this vital task than Dr. Colyer.

I believe this working group should have frontline stakeholders involved, including a rural hospital administrator and a rural physician at the same table as top policy makers.

We will welcome input from diverse organizations, but let’s be realistic. Congress recently voted to defund expansion. We cannot rely on yet another ObamaCare false promise.

We can and should find a Kansas solution that will improve rural healthcare access and outcomes.

Ensuring the health and safety of Kansans means protecting all Kansans at every stage of life.

We must keep working to protect our most innocent Kansans, the unborn. We have become the shining city on the hill and the champions for life.

As Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote: “Every nation that carries in its bosom great and unredressed injustice has in it the elements of this last convulsion.”

Kansas was founded on the principal that every life has dignity, that every life has beauty, that every life has value.

Every year since I became Governor we have enacted pro-life legislation.
We have come a long way, but there is still work to be done.

In 2011, I signed legislation stopping most taxpayer funding from going to Planned Parenthood. The time has come to finish the job.

Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of baby body parts is antithetical to our belief in human dignity.

Today, I am directing Secretary Susan Mosier to ensure that not a single dollar of taxpayer money goes to Planned Parenthood through our Medicaid program. I welcome legislation that would enshrine this directive in state law.

As we begin this year’s legislative session, I leave you with this timeless question:

The Ancients asked of God, “Who is man that you are mindful of him?” They saw an Earth so big and awe inspiring. A sky so vast. Stars without number. They felt small and insignificant.

Modern man suffers no such humility.

We deem ourselves masters of our own destiny. The Earth our ship to guide and life a voyage where we choose the destinations.

So who is right?

We conquer one problem but new ones arise in increasing number. We are perplexed when things don’t go as we think they should.

Maybe our forefathers were closer to right than we thought. What if God is bigger than we can think and we actually are smaller than we can believe?
Wouldn’t that give us the proper awe of a sunset and thankfulness for our lives and blessings?

With that in mind, I invite each of us to be thankful and enjoy the chance to serve our fellow citizens in such a wonderful role. To also think more highly of others than we do of ourselves — even if they are of a different political persuasion.

I’ll seek to do this. I also invite each of us to contemplate and consider the reasons we are here. In this job. At this time. In this place.
Questions to which our ancestors would quickly and humbly reply, “To love God and one another.”

God bless you all. Have a great session.