>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, MR. CHIEF

JUSTICE, MEMBERS OF THE UNITED

STATES CONGRESS, DISTINGUISHED

GUESTS, AND FELLOW CITIZENS,

EACH TIME WE GATHER TO

INAUGURATE A PRESIDENT, BEAR

WITNESS TO THE ENDURING STRENGTH

OF OUR CONSTITUTION.

WE AFFIRM OUR PROMISE TO

DEMOCRACY.

WE LEARN THAT WHAT BINDS THIS

NATION TOGETHER IS NOT THE

COLORS OF OUR SKIN, OR THE

TENETS OF OUR FAITH, OR THE

ORIGINS OF OUR NAMES.

WHAT MAKES US EXCEPTIONAL, WHAT

MAKES US AMERICAN, IS OUR

ALLEGIANCE TO AN IDEA

ARTICULATED IN A DECLARATION

MADE MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES

AGO.

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE

SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE

CREATED EQUAL.

THAT THEY ARE ENDOWD BY THEIR

CREATOR, WITH CERTAIN ENAILIBLE

RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF

HAPPINESS.

TODAY, WE CONTINUE A

NEVER-ENDING JOURNEY, TO BRIDGE

THE MEANING OF THOSE WORDS WITH

THE REALITIES OF OUR TIME.

FOR HISTORY TELLS US, THAT WHILE

THESE TRUTHS MAY BE

SELF-EVIDENT, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN

SELF-EXECUTING.

WHILE FREEDOM IS A GIFT FROM

GOD, IT MUST BE SECURED BY HIS

PEOPLE HERE ON EARTH.

THE PATRIOTS OF 1776 DID NOT

FIGHT TO REPLACE THE TYRANNY OF

A KING WITH THE PRIVILEGES OF A

FEW OR THE RULE OF A MOB.

THEY GAVE TO US A REPUBLIC, A

GOVERNMENT OF AND BY AND FOR THE

PEOPLE.

AND TRUSTING EACH GENERATION TO

KEEP SAFE OUR FOUNDING CREED.

IN 4 MORE THAN 200 YEARS, WE

HAVE.

BLOOD DRAWN BY FLASH AND BY

SWORD, WE KNOW NO UNION ON

PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY AND

EQUALITY COULD SURVIVE

HALF-SLAVE AND HALF-FREE.

WE MADE OURSELVES ANEW, AND

VOWED TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.

TOGETHER, WE DETERMINED THAT A

MODERN ECONOMY REQUIRES

RAILROADS AND HIGHWAYS, SCHOOLS,

ECONOMISTS TO TRAIN OUR WORKERS.

TOGETHER, WE DISCOVERED THAT A

FREE MARKET ONLY THRIVES WHEN

THERE'S RULES TO ENSURE FAIR

COMPETITION AND FAIR PLAY.

TOGETHER, WE RESOLVE THAT A

GREAT NATION MUST CARE FOR THE

VULNERABLE AND PROTECT ITS

PEOPLE FROM LIFE'S WORST HAZARDS

AND MISFORTUNE.

THROUGH IT ALL, WE HAVE NEVER

RELINQUISHED OUR SKEPTICISM OF

CENTRAL AUTHORITY, NOR HAVE WE

SUCCUMB TO THE FICTION THAT ALL

SOCIETY'S ILLS CAN BE CURED

THROUGH GOVERNMENT ALONE.

OUR CELEBRATION OF INITIATIVE

AND ENTERPRISE, OUR INSISTENCE

ON HARD WORK AND PERSONAL

RESPONSIBILITY.

THESE ARE CONSTANT IN OUR

CHARACTER.

WE HAVE ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD THAT

WHEN TIMES CHANGE, SO MUST WE.

THAT FIDELITY TO OUR FOUNDING

PRINCIPLES REQUIRES NEW

RESPONSES TO NEW CHALLENGES,

THAT PRESERVING OUR INDIVIDUAL

FREEDOMS ULTIMATELY REQUIRES

COLLECTIVE ACTION.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN NO MORE

MEET THE DEMANDS OF TODAY'S

WORLD ACTING ALONE, AS SOLDIERS

COULD HAVE MET COMMONISM OR

FASCISM, WITH MUSKETS OR

MILITIAS.

NO SINGLE SCIENCE TEACHER CAN

TEACH ALL OF THE MATH OR SCIENCE

OUR CHILDREN NEED FOR THE

FUTURE.

OR BUILD THE ROADS AND NETWORK

AND RESEARCH LABS THAT WILL

BRING THE JOBS AND BUSINESSES TO

OUR SHORES.

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, WE MUST DO

THESE THINGS TOGETHER, AS ONE

NATION AND ONE PEOPLE.

[ APPLAUSE ]

THIS GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS

BEEN TESTED BY CRISES THAT STEEL

OUR RESOLVE AND PROVED OUR

RESILIENCE.

A DECADE OF WAR IS NOW ENDING.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY HAS BEGUN.

AMERICA'S POSSIBILITIES ARE

LIMITLESS, FOR WE POSSESS ALL

THE QUALITIES THAT THIS WORLD

WITHOUT BOUNDARIES DEMANDS.

YOUTH AND DRIVE, DIVERSITY AND

OPENNESS.

AN ENDLESS CAPACITY FOR RISK AND

A GIFT FOR REINVENTION.

MY FELLOW AMERICANS, WE ARE MADE

FOR THIS MOMENT.

AND WE WILL SEE THAT SO LONG AS

WE SEIZE IT TOGETHER.

[ APPLAUSE ]

FOR WE, THE PEOPLE, UNDERSTAND

THAT OUR COUNTRY CANNOT SUCCEED

WHEN A SHRINKING FEW DO VERY

WELL AND A GROWING MANY BARELY

MAKE IT.

WE BELIEVE THAT AMERICA'S

PROSPERITY MUST REST UPON THE

BROAD SHOULDERS OF A RISING

MIDDLE CLASS.

WE KNOW THAT AMERICA THRIVES

WHENEV EVERY PERSON CAN PRIDE I

CAN LEVERAGE FAMILIES FROM THE

BRINK OF HARDSHIP.

WE'RE TRUE TO OUR CREED WHEN A

LITTLE GIRL BORN INTO THE

BLEAKEST POVERTY KNOWS SHE HAS

THE SAME CHANCE TO SUCCEED AS

ANYBODY ELSE BECAUSE SHE IS AN

AMERICAN, SHE IS FREE, AND SHE

IS EQUAL, NOT JUST IN THE EYES

OF GOD, BUT ALSO IN OUR OWN.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR PROGRAMS

ARE INADEQUATE FOR THE NEEDS OF

OUR TIME, SO WE MUST HARNESS NEW

IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGY TO REMAKE

OUR GOVERNMENT, REVAMP OUR TAX

CODE, REFORM OUR SCHOOLS AND

EMPOWER OUR CITIZENS WITH THE

SKILLS THEY NEED TO WORK HARDER,

LEARN MORE, REACH HIGHER.

BUT WHILE THE MEANS WILL CHANGE,

OUR PURPOSE ENDURES.

A NATION THAT REWARDS THE EFFORT

AND DETERMINATION OF EVERY

SINGLE AMERICAN.

THAT IS WHAT THIS MOMENT

REQUIRES.

THAT IS WHAT WILL GIVE REAL

MEANING TO OUR CREED.

WE, THE PEOPLE, STILL BELIEVE

THAT EVERY CITIZEN DESERVES A

BASIC MEASURE OF SECURITY AND

DIGNITY.

WE MUST MAKE THE HARD CHOICES TO

REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTH CARE

AND THE SIZE OF OUR DEFICIT.

BUT WE REJECT THE BELIEF THAT

AMERICA MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN

CARING FOR THE GENERATION THAT

BUILT THIS COUNTRY AND INVESTING

IN THE GENERATION THAT WILL

BUILD ITS FUTURE.

[ CHEERS ]

FOR WE REMEMBER THE LESSONS OF

OUR PAST WHEN TWILIGHT YEARS

WERE SPENT IN POVERTY AND

PARENTS OF A CHILD WITH A

DISABILITY HAD NOWHERE TO TURN.

WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IN THIS

COUNTRY FREEDOM IS RESERVED FOR

THE LUCKY OR HAPPINESS FOR THE

FEW.

WE REC NOISE THAT NO MATTER HOW

RESPONSIBLY WE LIVE OUR LIVES,

ANY ONE OF US AT ANY TIME MAY

FACE A JOB LOSS OR A SUDDEN

ILLNESS OR A HOME SWEPT AWAY IN

A TERRIBLE STORM.

THE COMMITMENTS WE MAKE TO EACH

OTHER THROUGH MEDICARE AND

MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY,

THESE DO NOT STAFF OUR

INITIATIVE, THEY STRENGTHEN US.

THEY DO NOT MAKE US A NATION OF

TAKERS.

THEY FREE US TO TAKE THE RISKS

THAT MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

WE, THE PEOPLE, STILL BELIEVE

THAT OUR OBLIGATIONS AS

AMERICANS ARE NOT JUST TO

OURSELVES BUT TO ALL POSTERITY.

WE WILL RESPOND TO THE THREAT OF

CLIMATE CHANGE KNOWING THAT THE

FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD BETRAY

OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE

GENERATIONS.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

SOME MAY STILL DENY THE

OVERWHELMING JUDGMENT OF

SCIENCE, BUT NONE CAN AVOID THE

DEVASTATING IMPACTS OF RAGING

FIRES AND CRIPPLING DROUGHTS AND

MORE POWERFUL STORMS.

THE PATH TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE

ENERGY SOURCES WILL BE LONG AND

SOMETIMES DIFFICULT, BUT AMERICA

CANNOT RESIST THIS TRANSITION.

WE MUST LEAD IT.

WE CANNOT CEDE TO OTHER NATIONS

THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL POWER

NEW JOBS AND NEW INDUSTRY.

WE MUST CLAIM ITS PROMISE.

THAT'S HOW WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR

ECONOMIC VITALITY AND OUR

NATIONAL TREASURE.

OUR FORESTS AND WATERWAYS, OUR

CROP LANDS AND SNOWCAPPED PEAKS,

THAT IS HOW WE WILL PRESERVE OUR

PLANET, COMMAND IT TO OUR CARE

BY GOD.

THAT'S WHAT WILL LEND MEANING TO

THE CREED OUR FATHERS ONCE

DECLARED.

WE, THE PEOPLE, STILL BELIEVE

THAT ENDURING SECURITY AND

LASTING PEACE DO NOT REQUIRE

PERPETUAL WAR.

OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IN

UNIFORM TEMPERED BY THE FLAMES

OF BATTLE ARE UNMATCHED IN SKILL

AND COURAGE.

OUR CITIZENS FEARED BY THE

MEMORY OF THOSE WE HAVE LOST

KNOW TOO WELL THE PRICE THAT IS

PAID FOR LIBERTY.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR SACRIFICE

WILL KEEP US FOREVER VIGILANT

AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD DO US

HARM.

BUT WE ARE ALSO HEIRS TO THOSE

WOULD WON THE PEACE AND NOT JUST

THE WAR, WHO TURN SWORN ENEMIES

INTO THE SUREST OF FRIENDS, AND

WE MUST CARRY THOSE LESSONS INTO

THIS TIME, AS WELL.

WE WILL DEFEND OUR PEOPLE AND

UPHOLD OUR VALUES THROUGH

STRENGTH OF ARMS AND THE RULE OF

LAW.

WE WILL SHOW THE COURAGE TO TRY

AND RESOLVE OUR DIFFERENCES WITH

OTHER NATIONS PEACEFULLY, NOT

BECAUSE WE ARE NAIVE ABOUT THE

DANGERS WE FACE, BUT BECAUSE

ENGAGEMENT CAN MORE DURABLY LIFT

SUSPICION AND FEAR.

AMERICA WILL REMAIN THE ANCHOR

OF STRONG ALLIANCES IN EVERY

CORNER OF THE GLOBE, AND WE WILL

RENEW THOSE INSTITUTIONS THAT

EXTEND OUR CAPACITY TO MANAGE

CRISIS FRAUD FOR NO ONE HAS A

GREATER TAKE IN A PEACEFUL WORLD

THAN ITS MOST POWERFUL NOTION

AND SUPPORT DEMOCRACY FROM ASIA

TO AFRICA TO THE MIDDLE EAST

BECAUSE OUR INTEREST AND

CONSCIENCE COMPEL US TO ACT ON

BEHALF OF THOSE WHO LONG FOR

FREEDOM AND MUST BE A SOURCE OF

HOPE TO THE POOR, THE SICK, THE

MARGINALIZED, THE VICTIMS OF

PREJUDICE, NOT OUT OF MERE

CHARITY, BUT BECAUSE PEACE IN

OUR TIME REQUIRES THE CONSTANT