>> coming up we take you live to joint pace mire where defense secretary lloyd austin and chair of the joint chiefs general charles brown are hosting farewell to honor president biden. coming up live shortly at 2:00 p.m. eastern. here on c-span. >> new president biden gives his farewell address to the nation, following the ceasefire agreement in the middle east. this is about 20 minutes. pres. w americans, i am speaking to you tonight from the oval office. before i begin, let me speak to

important news from earlier today. after eight months of nonstop negotiations, my administration, the cease-fire and hostage deal has been reached but israel and hamas, the elements of which i laid out in may of this year. this plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration. that's why i told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed as that is how it should be. working together as americans. this will be my final address to you from the oval office. from this desk as president. i have been thinking a lot about who we are and maybe more importantly, who we should be. long ago, and ironworker installed the up day after day.

he was joined by steelworkers, stonemasons, engineers who built not just a simple structure, but a beacon of freedom. the very idea of america was so big, we found the entire world needed to see. the statue of liberty. a gift from fans after the civil war -- a gift from france after the civil war. many people from every background and from around the world. like america, the statute of liberty is not standing still. her foot literally steps forward atop a broken chain of human bondage. she is on the march, and she literally moves. she is built to sway back and forth to withstand the fury of stormy weather, to stand the test of time because storms are always coming. she sways a few inches, but she never falls into the current below. an engineering marvel.

the statue of liberty is also an enduring symbol of the soul of our nation. a soul shaped by forces that bring us together and by forces that full us apart. and yet through good times and tough times, we have withstood it all. a nation of pioneers and explorers. all dreamers and doors. of ancestors, native to this land. of ancestors who came by force. a nation of immigrants who came to build a better life. a nation holding the torch of the most powerful idea ever in the history of the world, that all of us are created equal. that all of us deserve to be treated with dignity, justice, and fairness. that democracy must defend and be defined and be imposed, moved in every way possible. our right, our freedoms, our

dreams. we know that our institution, our peoples, our values that uphold it are constantly being tested. ongoing debates about power and the exercise of power. but whether we lead by the example of our power or by the power of our example, whether we show the courage to stand up to the abuse of power, or yield to it. after 50 years at the center of all this, i know that believing in the idea of america means respecting the institutions that govern a free society -- the presidency, the congress, the courts. a free and independent press. institutions that are rooted. they must not just reflect these timeless words, but they echo the words of the declaration of independence. we hold these truths to be

self-evident. rooted in a timeless word -- the time the sword of the constitution. "we, the people." our system of separation of powers and checks and balances may not be perfect blago it has maintained in a democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that has ever tried such a bold experiment. the past four years, our democracy has held strong. and every day i have kept my commitment to be president for all americans. it has been one of the toughest periods of our nation's history. i had a great partner in vice president kamala harris. it has been the honor of my life to see the resilience of a social worker is getting us through a once in a century pandemic. the heroism of service members and first responders keeping a safe. the determination of advocates standing up for our rates and freedoms instead of losing their jobs to an economic crisis that

we inherited, millions of americans now have the dignity of work. millions of entrepreneurs and companies creating new businesses and industries, hiring american workers, using american products. together, we have launched a new era of american possibilities. one of the greatest modernizations of infrastructure in our entire history, from new roads, bridges, clean water, affordable high-speed internet for every american. we invented the semiconductor, smaller than the tip of my little finger. now it is bringing those chip factories and jobs back to america where they belong. creating thousands of jobs. finally, getting medicare the power to negotiate prescription drug prices for many seniors, and finally doing something to protect our children and families bypassing

the most significant gun safety law in 30 years. and bringing violent crime to a 50-year low. meeting it was a good obligation to over one million veterans who so far, were exposed to toxic materials, and to their families, providing medical care and education benefits and more for their families. you know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all that we have done together. but the seeds, are planted and they will grow and bloom for decades to come. at home we have created nearly 17 million new jobs, more than any other single term. more people have health care than ever before. overseas, we have strengthened nato. ukraine is still free. we have pulled ahead of our competition with china, and so much more. i am so proud of how much we have accomplished together for the american people. and i wish the incoming

administration success, because i want america to succeed. that's why i have upheld my duty to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power, to ensure that we lead by the power of our example. i have no doubt america is in a position to continue to succeed. that is why my farewell address tonight, i want to warn my country of things that give me great concern. this is a dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people. it has dangerous consequences if there abuse of power is left unchecked. today, an oligarchy is taking shape in america with extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rates and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. we see the consequences across america, and we have seen it

before. more than a century ago. but the american people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts. they didn't punish the wealthy, they just made the wealthy play by the rules everyone else had. workers won it writes to earn their fair share. they helped put us on a path to building the largest middle class, the most prosperous century and a nation in the world has ever seen. we have to do that again. the last four years that is exactly what we have done. people should be able to make as much as they can but play by the same rules, pay their fair share in taxes. so much is at stake. right now the assistant actual threat of climate change has never been clearer. just look across the country. in california to north carolina.

that's why i signed the most significant climate in clean energy law ever -- ever in the history of the world, and the rest of the world is trying to model it now. it is working. creating jobs and industries for the future. we have proven we don't have to choose between protecting the environment and economy. we are doing both. but powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we have taken to tackle the crisis, to serve their own interests for power and profit. we must not be bullied into sacrificing the future of our children and our grandchildren. we must keep pushing forward. push faster. there is no time to waste. it is also clear that american leadership in technology is an unparalleled source of innovation that can transform lives. we see the same dangers in the

fourth addition of technology, power, and wealth. in his farewell address, president eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military-industrial complex. he warned us and then about combating the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power.. six decades later i am equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well. americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. the free press is crumbling. the social media is giving up on fact-checking. the truth is smothered by lies told for power and profit. we must hold the social platforms, both to protect our children, our families, and the

very democracy from the abuse of power. meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential stability of our time, perhaps of all time. nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy, our security, our society. for humanity. artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to than cancer as we know it. but unless it's guards are in place, ai could spawn new threats to our rights to privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation. we must make sure it is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind. in the age of ai, it's more important than ever that the people must govern. and as the land of liberty,

america, not china, must lead the world in the development of ai. in the years ahead, it will be up to the president, the congress, courts and free press and the american people to confront these powerful forces. we must reform the tax code. not by giving the biggest tax cuts to billionaires, but by making them begin to pay their fair share. we need to get dark money, hidden money behind too many campaign contributions, we need to get it out of campaign politics. we need to enact a term limit for the strongest -- and the strongest ethics reform for the supreme court. we need to ban members of congress from trading stocks while in congress. we need to amend the constitution to make clear that the president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office.

the president's power is not absolute. and it shouldn't be. in a democracy there is another danger that that the constitution of power and wealth -- it erodes a sense of unity and common purpose, and causes distrust and division. participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning. and people don't feel like they have a fair shot. we have to stay engaged in the process. i know it's frustrating. if earshot is what makes america, america. everyone is entitled to a fair shot -- not a guarantee -- just a fair shot and an even playing field, great as far as your hard work and talent can take you. we can never lose that the social truth to who we are. i have always believed and i have told other world leaders, america can be defined by one word, "possibilities."

only in america do we believe anything is possible. like a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in scranton, pennsylvania, and claremont, delaware, could sit behind his desk in the oval office as president of the united states. that is the magic of america. it's all around us. upstairs in the residence of the white house, i have worked by a painting of the statue of liberty, i don't know how many times. in the painting there are several workers climbing on the outstretched arm of the statue that holds the torch. it reminds me every day that i pass it above the story and soul of our nation, and the power of the american people. there is the story of a veteran, the son of an immigrant, whose job was to climb that torch and polish it so that rays of light could reach out as far as

possible. he was known as "the keeper of the flame." he once said of the statue, it speaks the universal language, one of hope, that anyone who seeks and speaks freedom can understand. yeah we sway back-and-forth to withstand the furies of the storm. to withstand the test of time. a constant struggle. a short-distant future filled with peril and possibility. but what i believe is the america of our dreams is always closer than we think. it is up to us to make our dreams come true. let me close by stating my gratitude to so many people. to the members of my administration, as well as the public servants and first responders across the country and around the world, thank you for stepping up to serve.

to our service members and their families, it has been the highest honor of my life to lead the u.s. commander-in-chief. and of course to kamala and her incredible partner, and the first family, she and doug have become like family. and for our entire family, you are the love of my life and the lifes of my love. my entire thanks to you, the american people. after 50 years of public service, i give you my word, i still believe in the idea for which this nation stands. in a nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure. now it is your turn to stand guard. milieu you be "the keeper of the

flame." may you keep the faith. i love america. >> coming up, we take you live to joint base myers in northern virginia where general charles brown and lloyd austin are hosting a farewell to honor president biden, coming up live shortly at 2:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> stay tuned to the c-span networks for comprehensive coverage of confirmation hearings for president-elect trump's cabinet nominees. on friday, south dakota governor kristi nome, tapped to lead the department of homeland security, apeers for the senate homeland security committee. watch live on the c-span network, c-span now, our free mobile video app, or online at

c-span.org. >> witness democracy unfiltered with c-span. experience history as it unfolds with c-span's live coverage this month as republicans take control of both chambers of congress and a new chapter begins with the swearing in of the 47th president of the united states on monday, january 20. tune in for our live all-day coverage of the presidential inauguration as donald trump takes the oath of office becoming president of the united states. stay with c-span this month for comprehensive, live, unfiltered coverage of the 119th congress and the inauguration. c-span. democracy unfiltered. we want top to capitol hill to the canon rotunda where we are joint ahead of a day in the house by democrat gabe vasquez who represents new mexico's second district on capitol hill. congressman