WEBVTT

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Good morning , everyone . Um

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If you would before you take your seats ,

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would you please rise for the

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presentation of the colors by the

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Ventura County Naval Base Color Guard ?

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And please remain standing for the

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performance of our national anthem by

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Yeoman Aaron Dixon from the best ship

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in the United States Navy , the US S

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Ronald Reagan . Gentlemen , ladies

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parade the colors .

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Hm . Right face

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f

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oh , say , can you

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see but

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answer the light .

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What so proudly we

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held at the twilight .

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Last gleaming whose

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broad stripes and bright

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stars through

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ever fight

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or the ram parts we watch

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were so gallantly

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streaming . Uh

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the bombs bursting

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Gay pro through the

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A that are flat are

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still there .

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Oh , say , does that

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star spangled be ?

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Hurry it away .

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A or the last

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and the

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and the whole

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right . A

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4 march .

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Please be seated .

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If I could have your attention for just

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a few moments , please

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hard to quiet down to the cafeteria .

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If I could have your attention for just

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a moment , that'd be great .

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When accepting the 1980 nomination for

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president , the Republican National

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Convention , Ronald Reagan described

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America's unique responsibility as a

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defender of freedom . He affirmed that

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the United States has an obligation to

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its citizens and to the people of the

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world . Never to let those who would

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destroy freedom , dictate the future

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course of human life on this planet

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today , those values of freedom and

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democracy are under attack all around

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the world . Ukrainians are defending

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their freedom against , unjustified and

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unprovoked . Russian aggression .

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Israelis are fighting for their

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survival against brutal forces that are

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bent on their destruction . In the Indo

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Pacific Taiwan and our other friends

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and allies are increasingly at risk .

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As China seeks to forcibly reshape the

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region in its authoritarian vision , we

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recognize the fate of our own freedom

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reflected in these countries' struggles

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and as we seek to defend freedom abroad ,

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we must grapple with serious challenges

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at home sequestration and reliance on

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continuing resolutions , hinder

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effective defense planning and

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production as well as our ability to

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serve as the arsenal of democracy .

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Being Secretary of Defense has never

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been an easy job and in this complex

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and dynamic environment , it's

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especially challenging . Fortunately ,

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America's 28th Secretary of Defense is

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an extraordinary man who has dedicated

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his life to the service of our country

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before becoming the civilian leader

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leading the Department of Defense Lloyd

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Austin had a distinguished 41 year

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career in the army that included

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command at the core division ,

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battalion and brigade levels . His

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awards include the silver star and he

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served as Vice Chief of Staff of the

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Army and later as commander of the

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United States Central Command

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responsible for all military operations

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in the Middle East . And Afghanistan

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Secretary , Austin has inspired

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military officers and civilians alike

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with his unshakeable sense of duty and

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sacrifice . And we're fortunate to have

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his steady leadership guiding our

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Department of Defense during these

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tumultuous times last year at the

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Reagan National Defense Forum Secretary ,

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Austin reaffirmed in his keynote

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address and I quote a basic American

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truth and the struggle between those

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fighting to defend democracy and those

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bent on imperial aggression , the

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United States stands with the forces of

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freedom . Those struggles have only

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grown since he delivered those remarks

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a year ago . And so we look forward to

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hearing more of Secretary Austin's

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vision for how our nation must rise to

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challenge and defend freedom . Ladies

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and gentlemen , would you please join

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me in welcoming a great American and

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the 28th United States Secretary of

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Defense Lloyd Austin ?

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Well , good morning , everyone . And uh

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and thanks for that kind introduction .

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I know you said at the outset that uh

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being Secretary of Defense has never

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been easy , Leon Panetta and Mark Esper

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said it was easier on airwatch . They

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don't see what the problem is .

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You know , this is my third time

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speaking to the Reagan National Defense

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Forum as Secretary of Defense . So this

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is starting to be a habit . We've

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got a great delegation here from the

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Department of Defense including

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Secretary Kendall , several combatant

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Commanders , General CQ Brown and other

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members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff .

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Let's give them all a round , a round

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of applause .

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It's also great to be joined by

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representatives and from our allies and

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partners and by distinguished members

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of the United States Congress . You

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know , I'm always grateful for support

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from Congress for our mission and for

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our troops . So , while I've got you

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here , let me

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urge you to pass a full year

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appropriation .

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That's the single best thing that

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Congress can do to strengthen our

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national defense . You know , our

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competitors don't have to operate under

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continuing resolutions and so doing so

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erodes both our security and our

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ability to compete . And I also

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urge you to pass our urgent

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supplemental budget request to help

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fund our national security needs to

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stand by our partners in danger and to

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invest in our defense industrial base .

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You know , only one country on earth

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can provide the kind of leadership that

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this moment demands and only one

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country can consistently provide the

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powerful combination of innovation ,

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ingenuity and idealism

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in a free mind , free enterprise and

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free people . And that's the United

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States of America .

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And so I'd like to talk to you today

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about some key national security

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challenges and about the very American

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way that the Department of Defense is

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meeting them . And let me be blunt

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about our mission . The US military is

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here to win our country's wars and to

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win them . Decisively , we will always

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try to deter conflict . But if we have

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to defend our country , we will fight

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and we will win .

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You know , watching the news these days

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reminds me of one of President Reagan's

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jokes today . He would say

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if someone offered us the world on a

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silver platter , most of us would take

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the platter

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we're living through challenging times .

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And that includes the major conflicts

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facing our fellow democracies , Israel

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and Ukraine and bullying and

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coercion from an increasingly assertive

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China in a worldwide battle between

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democracy and autocracy .

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So these are the times when both our

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friends and our rivals look to America .

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These are the times when the American

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people count on their leaders to come

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together . And these are the are the

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times when global security relies on

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American unity and American strength .

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President Biden calls this an

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inflection point in world history .

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And with his leadership , we have

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rallied our allies and partners to

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defend the rules based international

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order . Now , I know that that

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phrase doesn't get everybody's pulse

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racing , but the rules based

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international order is central to our

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long term security . It is the

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structure of international institutions ,

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alliances , laws and norms built with

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American leadership after the

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staggering losses of World War Two .

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And those rules help ensure that

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nothing like World War Two can ever

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happen again . They uphold

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sovereignty and honor borders . They

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help ensure that civilians are

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protected and not targeted

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and they help to punish aggression and

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keep bullies in check .

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Since 1945 the rules based

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international order has helped to give

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our country and the entire world an

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unprecedented period of peace and

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prosperity . But

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peace is not self executing

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order does not preserve itself and

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security does not flower on its own .

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The world built by American leadership

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can only be maintained by American

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leadership . As President Biden has

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said , American leadership is what

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holds the world together . From Russia

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to China , from Hamas to Iran . Our

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rivals and foes want to divide and

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weaken the United States and to split

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us all from our allies and partners .

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So at this hinge in history ,

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America must not waver .

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American leadership rallies , our

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allies and partners to uphold our

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shared security . And it inspires

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ordinary people around the world to

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work together toward a brighter future .

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But the troubles of our time will only

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only grow worse without strong and

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steady American leadership to defend

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the rules based international order

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that keeps us all safe . And if we

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forfeit our position of responsibility ,

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our rivals and our foes will be

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glad to fill that vacuum .

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You know , in every generation , some

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Americans prefer isolation to

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engagement and they try to pull up the

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drawbridge . They try to kick loose the

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cornerstone of American leadership and

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they try to undermine the security

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architecture that has produced decades

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of prosperity without great power war .

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And you'll hear some people try to

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brand an American retreat from

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responsibility as bold new leadership .

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So when you hear that make no mistake ,

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it is not bold , it is not new

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and it is not leadership .

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As the old saying goes , if you think

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that education is expensive , try

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ignorance . And if you think American

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leadership is expensive , consider the

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price of American retreat

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over the long sweep of American history .

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The cost of courage has always been

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dwarf by the cost of cowardice

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and the cost of abdication has always

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far outweighed . The cost of leadership ,

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the world will only become more

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dangerous if tyrants and terrorists

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believe that they can get away with

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wholesale aggression and mass slaughter

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in America will only become less secure

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if dictators believe that they can wipe

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a democracy off the map and the United

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States will only pay a higher price if

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autocrats and zealots believe that they

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can force free people to live in fear .

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So you can see that core insight at

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work in our approach to three quite

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different challenges in the Middle East

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crisis in Russia's invasion of

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Ukraine and a strategic challenge from

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the People's Republic of China

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on October 7th Hamas terrorists

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murdered more than 1200 Israelis

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and at least 35 Americans and took more

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than 200 hostages . It was the

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deadliest terror attack in Israel's

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history and the bloodiest day in Jewish

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history since the end of the Holocaust

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Hamas massacred innocent innocent

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civilians inside Israel's border .

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It murdered a 74 year old

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Canadian Israeli peace activist and

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grandmother who used to drive sick

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Palestinians from Gaza into Israel for

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medical treatment .

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It kidnapped toddlers and

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Holocaust survivors .

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And so just six days after the Hamas

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attack , I flew to Israel to underscore

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our solidarity and our resolve and

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to make it crystal clear that America's

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commitment to Israel's security is

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ironclad .

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And so we have rushed us security

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assistance to Israel to help it , help

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it defend its people and its territory

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and to help ensure that Hamas can never

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again commit the atrocities that we saw

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on October 7th .

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Us leadership has helped in the release

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of dozens of hostages and we will

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continue to do everything that we can

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to help secure the release of every man ,

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every woman and every child seized by

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Hamas including American citizens .

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We also rapidly reinforced our force

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posture in the Middle East and that

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strengthens our regional deterrence

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better protects our forces and helps

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defend Israel . And our presence

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now includes two carrier strike groups ,

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an amphibious ready group , a marine

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expeditionary unit , a guided missile

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submarine , integrated air defense and

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missile defense forces and more fighter

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aircraft and bombers . But

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as we are working to stabilize the

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region , Iran is raising

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tensions and after attacks against

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us personnel in Iraq and Syria , our

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forces repeatedly struck facilities in

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Iraq and eastern Syria used by Iran's

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IRGC and by militias affiliated with

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Iran . We will not

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tolerate attacks on American personnel .

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And so these attacks must stop and

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until they do , we will do what we

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need to do to protect our troops and to

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impose costs on those who attack them .

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Now , Israel is in a hard fight against

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a cruel enemy in one of the most

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densely populated areas on earth . But

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democracies like ours are stronger and

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more secure when we uphold the law of

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war . So we will continue to press

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Israel to protect civilians and to

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ensure robust the robust flow of

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humanitarian aid .

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First and foremost , that's the right

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thing to do . But it's also a good

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strategy . You know , I learned a thing

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or two about urban warfare for my time

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fighting in Iraq and leading the

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campaign to defeat Isis like Hamas ,

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Isis was deeply embedded in urban areas .

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And the international coalition against

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Isis worked hard to protect civilians

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and create humanitarian quarters even

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during the toughest battles .

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And so the lesson is not that you can

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win in urban urban warfare by

23:14.819 --> 23:17.939
protecting civilians . The lesson is

23:17.949 --> 23:21.290
that you can only win in urban warfare

23:21.300 --> 23:24.739
by protecting civilians . You see in

23:24.750 --> 23:26.806
this kind of a fight , the center of

23:26.806 --> 23:28.861
gravity is the civilian population .

23:29.640 --> 23:31.807
And if you drive them into the arms of

23:31.807 --> 23:33.751
the enemy , you replace a tactical

23:33.751 --> 23:36.479
victory with a strategic defeat . So I

23:36.489 --> 23:38.819
have repeatedly made clear to Israel's

23:38.829 --> 23:41.640
leaders that protecting Palestinian

23:41.650 --> 23:43.880
civilians in Gaza is both a moral

23:43.890 --> 23:47.719
responsibility and a strategic

23:47.729 --> 23:51.569
imperative . And so I personally pushed

23:51.579 --> 23:53.468
Israeli leaders to avoid civilian

23:53.468 --> 23:57.099
casualties and to shun irresponsible

23:57.109 --> 23:59.579
rhetoric and to prevent violence by

23:59.589 --> 24:01.670
settlers in the West Bank . And to

24:01.680 --> 24:03.920
dramatically expand access to

24:03.930 --> 24:05.219
humanitarian aid .

24:08.119 --> 24:10.739
This week , a US air Force C 17

24:11.660 --> 24:15.359
airlifted more than £54,000 of un

24:15.369 --> 24:18.140
un me medical supplies and warm

24:18.150 --> 24:21.280
clothing and food to the people of Gaza .

24:22.170 --> 24:25.030
And we expect more such flights in the

24:25.040 --> 24:28.849
days ahead . And so

24:29.359 --> 24:30.770
two things are true .

24:33.089 --> 24:36.050
Any state has a duty to respond to a

24:36.060 --> 24:39.020
terrorist attack like October 7th

24:41.250 --> 24:43.550
and every state has a duty to protect

24:43.560 --> 24:46.510
civilians during armed conflict .

24:48.040 --> 24:50.151
And so that's crucial as Israel works

24:50.151 --> 24:51.984
to dismantle the Hamas terrorist

24:51.984 --> 24:54.660
infrastructure in Gaza . And it will

24:54.670 --> 24:56.559
also be crucial for our work with

24:56.559 --> 24:59.099
allies and partners after the conflict

24:59.109 --> 25:02.989
ends . Now , it would compound this

25:03.000 --> 25:05.349
tragedy if all that awaited Israelis

25:05.359 --> 25:07.709
and Palestinians at the end of this

25:07.719 --> 25:11.380
awful war was more insecurity ,

25:12.060 --> 25:14.199
more rage and more despair .

25:16.989 --> 25:20.280
Israelis and Palestinians have both

25:20.290 --> 25:24.270
paid too bidder a price to just go back

25:24.280 --> 25:28.010
to October 6th . So like every US

25:28.020 --> 25:30.242
administration since the six day war in

25:30.242 --> 25:33.849
1967 we believe that Israelis and

25:33.859 --> 25:36.229
Palestinians must find a way to share

25:36.239 --> 25:38.239
the land that they both call home .

25:40.829 --> 25:42.750
And that means a path towards two

25:42.760 --> 25:46.329
states living side by side in mutual

25:46.339 --> 25:49.810
security . Now , we

25:49.819 --> 25:53.750
understand all the difficulties but a

25:53.760 --> 25:56.829
two state solution remains the only

25:56.839 --> 25:59.199
viable way out of this tragic conflict

25:59.209 --> 26:02.660
that has ever been proposed and

26:02.670 --> 26:06.479
without a horizon of hope , the Israeli

26:06.489 --> 26:09.689
Palestinian conflict will remain an

26:09.699 --> 26:12.939
engine of instability and insecurity

26:12.949 --> 26:14.171
and human suffering .

26:18.300 --> 26:20.670
Ladies and gentlemen , the United

26:20.680 --> 26:23.170
States will remain Israel's closest

26:23.180 --> 26:26.890
friend in the world . Our support for

26:26.900 --> 26:29.969
Israel's security is nonnegotiable and

26:29.979 --> 26:31.050
it never will be

26:40.119 --> 26:43.729
no . In both Israel and

26:43.739 --> 26:47.469
Ukraine democracies are

26:47.479 --> 26:49.590
fighting ruthless foes who are out to

26:49.590 --> 26:53.390
annihilate them and we will not let

26:53.400 --> 26:57.280
Hamas or Putin win and we will not

26:57.290 --> 26:59.760
let our enemies divide or weaken us .

27:00.589 --> 27:04.130
So as we surge support into Israel , we

27:04.140 --> 27:07.560
remain focused on Ukraine and we remain

27:07.569 --> 27:10.400
fully able to project power to uphold

27:10.410 --> 27:13.189
our commitments and direct resources to

27:13.199 --> 27:17.130
multiple theaters . The United States

27:17.140 --> 27:19.369
is the most powerful country on earth

27:20.500 --> 27:22.709
and we can walk and chew gum at the

27:22.719 --> 27:23.510
same time .

27:32.709 --> 27:35.729
Now , I was just back in K last week

27:37.060 --> 27:38.893
and I had great discussions with

27:38.893 --> 27:41.329
President Zelenski and the Minister of

27:41.339 --> 27:44.709
Defense Umarov and General Zusi .

27:46.170 --> 27:48.589
And I got to meet some of the brave

27:48.599 --> 27:51.359
Ukrainian troops who have taken back

27:51.369 --> 27:54.280
more than half of the territory grabbed

27:54.290 --> 27:57.800
by Russia since its un unprovoked and

27:57.810 --> 28:00.890
unjustified invasion in February of

28:00.900 --> 28:04.859
2022 . Since then , the United

28:04.869 --> 28:07.091
States and our allies and partners have

28:07.091 --> 28:09.202
worked to get many key weapon systems

28:09.202 --> 28:11.699
including Haars and patriots and Abrams

28:11.709 --> 28:14.609
tanks , and more into the hands of

28:14.619 --> 28:18.300
trained Ukrainian operators . And so 21

28:18.310 --> 28:20.560
months into Putin's failed campaign of

28:20.569 --> 28:23.829
conquest . The Russian military has

28:23.839 --> 28:27.689
been badly weakened above all . That's

28:27.699 --> 28:29.810
because of Ukraine's incredibly brave

28:29.810 --> 28:33.560
troops . But Ukraine's achievements

28:34.479 --> 28:38.099
also flow from bipartisan us

28:38.109 --> 28:41.390
leadership and from the coalition of

28:41.400 --> 28:43.640
some 50 countries that we forged

28:46.439 --> 28:50.369
as President Biden has said , faced

28:50.380 --> 28:52.102
with a threat to the peace and

28:52.102 --> 28:54.959
stability of the world and to

28:54.969 --> 28:58.280
democratic values that we hold dear

28:58.880 --> 29:02.880
to freedom itself . We do things that

29:02.890 --> 29:06.640
we do , we did what we always do . The

29:06.650 --> 29:09.719
United States stepped up and I'm proud

29:09.729 --> 29:11.618
that our allies and partners have

29:11.618 --> 29:15.369
stepped up along with us . But we still

29:16.089 --> 29:19.790
need urgently need bipartisan support

29:20.349 --> 29:23.250
in Congress to pass a supplemental to

29:23.260 --> 29:25.038
rush security assistance to our

29:25.038 --> 29:27.520
partners in Ukraine in Israel and

29:27.530 --> 29:28.530
elsewhere .

29:31.689 --> 29:33.910
Meanwhile , as we rally the world to

29:33.920 --> 29:37.699
defend Ukraine , Putin has been forced

29:37.709 --> 29:40.979
to scrounge for support from the likes

29:40.989 --> 29:43.530
of Iran in North Korea .

29:45.699 --> 29:48.609
And you know , it was chilling

29:49.609 --> 29:52.939
to see a delegation from Hamas openly

29:52.949 --> 29:55.689
visit Moscow to meet with senior

29:55.699 --> 29:57.866
Russian officials just weeks after the

29:57.866 --> 30:01.829
October 7th massacre . And so

30:01.839 --> 30:04.040
it's no surprise that Iran is fueling

30:04.050 --> 30:07.119
conflict in both Gaza and Ukraine by

30:07.130 --> 30:10.079
giving arms to Hamas and drones to

30:10.089 --> 30:13.609
Putin . Now , despite his

30:13.619 --> 30:17.520
isolation , Putin believes that he

30:17.530 --> 30:20.680
can outlast the Ukrainians but he is

30:20.689 --> 30:23.930
wrong . The Kremlin is waiving an

30:23.939 --> 30:27.829
unjust war of imperial aggression , but

30:27.839 --> 30:30.989
Ukraine is fighting a , a defensive war

30:31.489 --> 30:35.010
for national survival and you can

30:35.020 --> 30:38.959
feel that urgency on the ground and

30:38.969 --> 30:42.609
that gives Ukraine a huge strategic

30:42.619 --> 30:45.369
advantage of a just cause .

30:47.560 --> 30:50.670
Now , Putin also thinks that he can

30:50.680 --> 30:54.189
outlast us . He believes that our

30:54.199 --> 30:56.630
coalition will splinter that our

30:56.640 --> 30:59.599
willpower will fade and our democracy

30:59.609 --> 31:03.170
will just get distracted . But once

31:03.180 --> 31:05.729
again , Putin is wrong

31:10.250 --> 31:13.530
and we must continue to be clear to the

31:13.540 --> 31:16.739
American people about the

31:16.750 --> 31:18.290
stakes in Ukraine .

31:21.010 --> 31:23.920
Ukraine matters profoundly to America

31:23.930 --> 31:26.660
and to the entire world and it matters

31:26.670 --> 31:30.060
for four key reasons . First ,

31:30.319 --> 31:33.880
Putin's war poses a stark and direct

31:33.890 --> 31:36.223
threat to security in Europe and beyond .

31:37.689 --> 31:40.689
Second , Putin's aggression is a clear

31:40.699 --> 31:42.949
challenge to our NATO allies .

31:45.260 --> 31:48.069
Third , the Kremlin's deliberate

31:48.079 --> 31:51.640
cruelty is an attack on our shared

31:51.650 --> 31:54.140
values of democracy and decency .

31:55.540 --> 31:58.650
And finally , Putin's war

31:59.599 --> 32:02.280
is a frontal assault on the

32:02.290 --> 32:04.239
international rules based order .

32:07.020 --> 32:09.020
So the outcome of the struggle will

32:09.020 --> 32:11.131
define global security for decades to

32:11.131 --> 32:14.719
come and we don't have the option of

32:14.729 --> 32:18.119
sitting it out . So President Biden has

32:18.130 --> 32:21.319
laid down a clear objective . The

32:21.329 --> 32:23.199
United States seeks a free and

32:23.209 --> 32:26.010
sovereign Ukraine that can defend

32:26.020 --> 32:28.609
itself today and deter more Russian

32:28.619 --> 32:32.010
aggression in the future . And so we

32:32.020 --> 32:34.076
are working together with our allies

32:34.076 --> 32:36.131
and partners to help Ukraine build a

32:36.131 --> 32:38.131
future force that can ward off more

32:38.131 --> 32:40.131
Russian malice in the years to come

32:41.319 --> 32:43.152
because we don't stand up to the

32:43.152 --> 32:46.439
Kremlin's naked aggression today . If

32:46.449 --> 32:49.219
we don't deter other , would be aggress

32:49.359 --> 32:52.109
aggressors , we will only embolden them

32:53.339 --> 32:55.800
and we will invite more bloodshed and

32:55.810 --> 32:56.709
more chaos .

33:00.030 --> 33:03.949
Russia's invasion of Ukraine offers a

33:03.959 --> 33:07.530
grim preview of a world of tyranny

33:07.900 --> 33:10.069
and turmoil that should make us all

33:10.079 --> 33:13.829
shudder and that's important

33:13.900 --> 33:15.369
far beyond Europe .

33:19.800 --> 33:23.319
Our national defense strategy describes

33:23.329 --> 33:26.599
the People's Republic of China as

33:26.609 --> 33:28.859
America's most consequential strategic

33:28.869 --> 33:31.510
competitor . And the pacing challenge

33:31.520 --> 33:35.369
for the Department of Defense , the

33:35.560 --> 33:38.420
PRC is our only rival with the intent

33:38.430 --> 33:41.150
and increasingly the capacity to

33:41.160 --> 33:43.550
reshape the international order .

33:45.079 --> 33:47.579
The PRC hopes that the United States

33:47.589 --> 33:50.969
will stumble and become isolated

33:50.979 --> 33:53.859
abroad and divided at home .

33:55.640 --> 33:58.780
But together we can prevent that fate .

34:00.380 --> 34:02.491
And we've made extraordinary progress

34:02.491 --> 34:04.949
along with our allies and partners in

34:04.959 --> 34:08.179
meeting the Chi China challenge and

34:08.189 --> 34:11.750
forging a more secure Indo Pacific

34:13.870 --> 34:17.839
in this decisive decade , 2023

34:17.849 --> 34:20.299
will be remembered as a decisive year

34:20.918 --> 34:23.799
for implementing us defense strategy in

34:23.809 --> 34:26.729
Asia . And so we're making our force

34:26.739 --> 34:29.418
posture in the Indo Pacific far more

34:29.428 --> 34:31.618
distributed mobile and resilient .

34:32.500 --> 34:34.444
We're helping our friends build up

34:34.444 --> 34:36.278
their own capabilities to defend

34:36.278 --> 34:38.167
themselves and we're working with

34:38.167 --> 34:40.600
allies and partners like never before .

34:41.520 --> 34:44.060
You know , I've made four trips to the

34:44.070 --> 34:46.750
Indo Pacific this year .

34:48.310 --> 34:50.366
And with each trip , we've made even

34:50.366 --> 34:54.100
more progress in Manila . This February ,

34:55.189 --> 34:57.090
we announced the expansion of our

34:57.100 --> 34:59.322
enhanced defense co-operation agreement

34:59.590 --> 35:03.020
with the Philippines to allow us access

35:03.030 --> 35:06.560
to four more Philippine facilities in

35:06.580 --> 35:08.802
New Delhi . This summer , we unveiled a

35:08.802 --> 35:10.747
new roadmap for defense industrial

35:10.747 --> 35:13.530
co-operation with India . Now that

35:13.540 --> 35:17.419
strategy is already driving our work

35:17.429 --> 35:20.919
together on key defense platforms . We

35:20.929 --> 35:23.040
also rolled out a major deal to build

35:23.040 --> 35:26.199
aircraft engines in India and when I

35:26.209 --> 35:29.620
was back in India last month , we

35:29.629 --> 35:31.979
announced our intent to coro armored

35:31.989 --> 35:34.659
vehicles with India , our first time

35:34.669 --> 35:38.280
with any foreign partner in

35:38.290 --> 35:41.530
May . I visited Tokyo to further

35:41.540 --> 35:44.129
modernize our alliance with Japan as

35:44.139 --> 35:46.689
Japan doubles its defense budget

35:49.139 --> 35:51.306
in July . I became the first secretary

35:51.306 --> 35:53.361
of Defense to visit Papua New Guinea

35:54.439 --> 35:56.320
and we made even more history by

35:56.330 --> 35:58.340
agreeing to a defense co-operation

35:58.350 --> 36:00.580
agreement between our two countries .

36:02.209 --> 36:04.376
When I visited Seoul a couple of weeks

36:04.376 --> 36:06.889
ago , we charted a bold future for our

36:06.899 --> 36:09.280
alliance with the Republic of Korea by

36:09.290 --> 36:11.123
signing a new tailored deterrent

36:11.123 --> 36:14.689
strategy . And along with our partners

36:14.699 --> 36:17.959
in Tokyo and Seoul , we made strides in

36:17.969 --> 36:20.191
trilateral co-operation with , with our

36:20.191 --> 36:22.540
two great allies in , in Northeast Asia .

36:25.360 --> 36:29.290
I also flew to Brisbane in July for

36:29.300 --> 36:31.030
the US Australia ministerial

36:31.050 --> 36:34.419
ministerial consultations which showed

36:34.560 --> 36:37.580
that our unbreakable alliance , it's

36:37.590 --> 36:41.179
even stronger than ever . And finally ,

36:42.090 --> 36:44.659
we're deepening our historic a

36:44.679 --> 36:47.939
partnership with two of our

36:48.120 --> 36:51.399
closest allies Australia and the United

36:51.409 --> 36:54.949
Kingdom . And so yesterday , I

36:54.959 --> 36:58.489
hosted secretary shops of the UK and

36:58.500 --> 37:00.333
Deputy Prime Minister Morrows of

37:00.333 --> 37:04.260
Australia here in California for

37:04.270 --> 37:06.250
our 2nd August defense Ministers

37:06.260 --> 37:10.020
meeting . And through August , our

37:10.030 --> 37:13.879
three democracies are helping Australia

37:13.889 --> 37:17.310
acquire a conventionally armed nuclear

37:17.320 --> 37:21.110
powered submarine . And we're forging

37:21.120 --> 37:23.679
deeper partnerships among our indus

37:23.820 --> 37:25.653
defense industrial bases and our

37:25.653 --> 37:29.350
innovation ecosystems . Now ,

37:29.360 --> 37:31.850
all of this builds on a blunt military

37:31.860 --> 37:35.679
reality and that reality is

37:35.689 --> 37:38.649
that allies and partners help us

37:38.659 --> 37:41.709
project power and share the burden of

37:41.719 --> 37:45.719
our common security . But don't

37:45.729 --> 37:48.419
just take it from me , take it from

37:48.429 --> 37:51.020
President Reagan who said that our

37:51.030 --> 37:54.129
security ultimately rests on the

37:54.139 --> 37:57.330
confidence and cohesion of our alliance

37:57.340 --> 38:00.979
system . Yet our

38:00.989 --> 38:04.540
strength abroad is rooted in our

38:04.550 --> 38:07.570
strength at home and in our ability to

38:07.580 --> 38:09.580
stay ahead of coming challenges .

38:12.120 --> 38:15.189
And that's why we pushed so hard to

38:15.199 --> 38:18.959
invest in innovation and in our defense

38:18.969 --> 38:22.040
industrial base and above all in our

38:22.050 --> 38:25.550
people . You know , I had a great visit

38:25.560 --> 38:28.760
yesterday . Uh at our defense

38:28.770 --> 38:30.820
innovation unit in Silicon Valley ,

38:32.239 --> 38:35.429
Du focuses on fielding and scaling

38:35.439 --> 38:37.272
commercial technology across the

38:37.272 --> 38:40.620
military . It is directly plugged into

38:40.629 --> 38:43.209
Silicon Valley , working with venture

38:43.389 --> 38:45.590
venture capital firms and tech

38:45.600 --> 38:48.100
innovators who are often doing business

38:48.110 --> 38:51.659
with dod for the first time and it will

38:51.669 --> 38:54.469
help us deliver thousands of game

38:54.489 --> 38:56.860
changing capabilities at speed and at

38:56.870 --> 39:00.739
scale when

39:00.750 --> 39:04.479
we sharpen our tech edge , we expand

39:04.489 --> 39:08.350
our military edge and that's why

39:08.360 --> 39:10.527
we're making such major investments in

39:10.527 --> 39:13.739
innovation . And we're giving the

39:13.750 --> 39:17.040
American taxpayer extraordinary value .

39:17.870 --> 39:20.050
Even while our spending on national

39:20.060 --> 39:23.560
defense as a percentage of GDP remains

39:23.570 --> 39:25.909
about half of what it was during the

39:25.919 --> 39:27.770
last decade of the Cold War .

39:29.959 --> 39:32.219
The department's budget request

39:32.229 --> 39:35.199
includes 100 and $45 billion for R and

39:35.209 --> 39:38.010
D and 100 and $70 billion for

39:38.020 --> 39:40.280
procurement . Now , those are the

39:40.290 --> 39:42.879
largest such investments in us history .

39:44.530 --> 39:46.474
We're also making major investment

39:46.474 --> 39:48.489
investments in combined all domain

39:48.500 --> 39:51.129
command , combined , joint all domain

39:51.139 --> 39:54.209
command and control and those

39:54.219 --> 39:56.441
investments will make us even better at

39:56.441 --> 39:58.663
joint operations and combat integration

40:00.699 --> 40:03.860
to remain nimble . We've also created

40:03.870 --> 40:07.570
the Office of Strategic Capital which

40:07.580 --> 40:10.989
will help attract and scale private

40:11.000 --> 40:12.870
capital in our in our critical

40:12.879 --> 40:16.370
technologies . We're also

40:16.379 --> 40:18.520
making unprecedented use of the

40:18.530 --> 40:20.590
multiyear procurement authorities

40:20.850 --> 40:23.570
provided by Congress to deliver

40:23.580 --> 40:25.850
critical munitions at affordable cost .

40:27.449 --> 40:29.727
This includes the naval strike missile ,

40:30.739 --> 40:34.100
the maritime strike sm six missile in

40:34.110 --> 40:36.139
the long range anti ship missile .

40:39.030 --> 40:41.570
Now , Ukraine's high burn rate for

40:41.580 --> 40:45.110
artillery has hammered home the need to

40:45.120 --> 40:48.790
invest even more in munitions . So

40:48.800 --> 40:50.800
compared to the defense budget from

40:50.800 --> 40:52.969
just five years ago , we're putting

40:52.979 --> 40:56.929
nearly 50% more money into munitions .

40:57.850 --> 40:59.683
And during this administration ,

40:59.939 --> 41:01.828
America's production of artillery

41:01.828 --> 41:04.689
shells won't just increase , it won't

41:04.699 --> 41:08.399
just double it will quadruple .

41:10.540 --> 41:12.540
Meanwhile , we've launched what the

41:12.540 --> 41:14.370
army calls the most ambitious

41:14.989 --> 41:18.280
modernization effort in nearly 40 years

41:18.300 --> 41:21.899
for our defense industrial base . And

41:21.909 --> 41:24.669
so some $50 billion of our supplemental

41:24.679 --> 41:27.879
budget request would flow through our

41:27.889 --> 41:31.540
defense industrial base and that will

41:31.550 --> 41:35.179
create or support tens of thousands of

41:35.189 --> 41:38.239
good American jobs in more than 30

41:38.250 --> 41:42.120
states that includes making missiles in

41:42.129 --> 41:45.840
Arizona , in vehicles and in Wisconsin ,

41:47.260 --> 41:50.739
in our in Indiana , in artillery

41:50.750 --> 41:53.899
shells in Pennsylvania , Ohio and Texas .

41:55.929 --> 41:59.439
And that all means greater prosperity

41:59.449 --> 42:02.169
at home and greater security around the

42:02.179 --> 42:03.179
globe .

42:07.080 --> 42:09.719
And that brings me to one final

42:09.729 --> 42:12.310
strategic advantage that no competitor

42:12.320 --> 42:16.030
can match . And that is nearly

42:16.040 --> 42:18.889
3.4 million American patriots who

42:18.899 --> 42:21.850
protect our country every day , either

42:21.860 --> 42:25.129
by serving in uniform or as civilians

42:25.800 --> 42:26.911
of the department .

42:30.159 --> 42:33.649
Our people rise to every challenge and

42:33.659 --> 42:36.080
I am determined to do right by them and

42:36.090 --> 42:38.929
their families . So this year , we

42:38.939 --> 42:42.239
secured a 4.6% pay raise for our troops

42:42.689 --> 42:45.070
and civilian workers , which was the

42:45.080 --> 42:48.370
largest in two decades . We increased

42:48.379 --> 42:50.435
our basic allowance for housing this

42:50.435 --> 42:53.100
year by an average 12 12.1% . The

42:53.110 --> 42:55.810
largest percentage increase in 15 years .

42:56.500 --> 42:58.667
We're working to provide universal pre

42:58.667 --> 43:01.739
K at our dod schools , offering

43:01.750 --> 43:03.919
flexible savings accounts to make

43:03.929 --> 43:06.709
childcare more affordable and giving 12

43:06.719 --> 43:09.270
weeks of paid parental leave to service

43:09.280 --> 43:12.889
members . We're making it easier for

43:12.899 --> 43:15.409
our outstanding military spouses to

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flourish in their own careers ,

43:17.197 --> 43:19.979
including new be new benefits and new

43:19.989 --> 43:21.989
ways to help agencies and companies

43:21.989 --> 43:25.530
retain military spouses when their

43:25.540 --> 43:27.651
families are ordered to move abroad .

43:32.070 --> 43:35.830
We are one team and we don't

43:35.840 --> 43:38.090
have one single teammate to spare .

43:40.729 --> 43:42.830
And so we will not tolerate sexual

43:42.840 --> 43:45.007
assault or sexual harassment in the US

43:45.007 --> 43:47.810
military . And by the end of this month ,

43:47.820 --> 43:49.931
independent military prosecutors will

43:49.931 --> 43:51.860
tackle cases of sexual assault ,

43:52.250 --> 43:54.250
domestic violence and other serious

43:54.250 --> 43:57.290
crimes . And we're driving hard to

43:57.669 --> 44:01.389
reduce the tragedy of suicide in our

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ranks by improving the delivery of

44:04.820 --> 44:07.850
mental health care and ending the old

44:07.860 --> 44:10.340
stigmas of seeking help .

44:12.179 --> 44:14.235
And we do all of this for one simple

44:14.235 --> 44:18.149
reason , our people are the greatest

44:18.159 --> 44:22.010
strategic asset that we have . The

44:22.020 --> 44:24.469
US military is the most lethal fighting

44:24.479 --> 44:26.629
force in human history . And we're

44:26.639 --> 44:28.195
going to keep it that way .

44:38.510 --> 44:40.399
Ladies and gentlemen , we are the

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United States of America and it's not

44:44.389 --> 44:46.679
enough just to pursue our natural

44:46.689 --> 44:50.199
national interests . We must also live

44:50.209 --> 44:53.620
our national values . As President

44:53.629 --> 44:57.070
Reagan said , our foreign policy should

44:57.080 --> 44:59.629
be to show by example , the greatness

44:59.639 --> 45:02.479
of our system and the strength of

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American ideals and we must ensure

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as President Biden has said that

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America remains a beacon to the world

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and we will not let that beacon flicker

45:16.129 --> 45:19.260
or fade . And so in

45:19.729 --> 45:23.649
this uncertain hour at this time of

45:23.659 --> 45:26.989
testing , the world looks to America

45:27.000 --> 45:30.790
again and we must not give our friends

45:30.810 --> 45:34.280
our rivals or our foes , any reason to

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doubt America's resolve .

45:38.979 --> 45:42.080
You know , in times like these

45:43.169 --> 45:45.189
extraordinary people can show

45:45.199 --> 45:48.489
extraordinary courage , ordinary people

45:48.500 --> 45:50.333
can show extraordinary courage .

45:52.649 --> 45:54.927
And that's exactly what I saw in Keith .

45:56.080 --> 45:58.540
I saw a proud bustling city in the

45:58.550 --> 46:01.669
heart of mainland Europe and it is in

46:01.679 --> 46:05.030
the gun sights because of one man's

46:05.040 --> 46:09.040
hubris and fury . But the

46:09.050 --> 46:10.939
Ukrainian people have met Putin's

46:10.939 --> 46:13.600
assault with defiance , resilience ,

46:14.780 --> 46:18.530
wit and yes , even grace .

46:21.719 --> 46:23.608
You can see it in the eyes of the

46:23.608 --> 46:25.441
troops fighting to drive out the

46:25.441 --> 46:28.080
Russian invaders . You can see it in

46:28.090 --> 46:30.146
the determination of the citizens of

46:30.146 --> 46:34.010
Kiev . Ukraine reminds

46:34.020 --> 46:37.320
the world of the moral power of a free

46:37.330 --> 46:40.030
people fighting to defend their

46:40.040 --> 46:42.151
sovereign territory , their democracy

46:42.151 --> 46:45.969
and their future and as Americans ,

46:46.459 --> 46:50.399
we must do no less . So let

46:50.409 --> 46:53.439
us come together to make our union more

46:53.449 --> 46:56.760
perfect in our country , more secure in

46:56.770 --> 46:58.989
our world more . Just let us come

46:59.000 --> 47:00.860
together to rally the nations of

47:00.870 --> 47:03.570
goodwill to the cause of human freedom

47:04.290 --> 47:07.489
and let us come together to meet this

47:07.500 --> 47:10.889
moment . Thank you . And may God

47:10.899 --> 47:13.066
continue to bless the United States of

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America .