at midnight, there was an enactment of harriett tubman ringing the bell. as she rang the bill, she -- bell she said now we are free. it was an incredible moment it was one that ushered what president lincoln called a new birth of freedom for his era and for generations to come. that transformative moment in our history is a reminder of the best tradition we have as a people. the ability and obligation of each generation of americans to renew the promise of our founders, to carry forward the torch of progress, are reignite the american dream. this is who we are as americans. this is the character of our country. this is the strength of our democracy. the strength of our democracy rest with strong and thriving middle class, the back grown of our democracy, that middle class is. so we have a moral imperative to invest in good paying jobs here at home and in the prosperity of our people as we build our infrastructure and we reduce the deficit. we must ensure that innovation rests at the heart of our success. that we remain first in science, technology engineer