We who serve here in this Capital must erase that fear by making it absolutely clear that we will not stop fighting inflation; that, together, we will do only those things that will lead to lasting economic growth.

Yes, the problems confronting us are large and forbidding.  And, certainly, no one can or should minimize the plight of millions of our friends and neighbors who are living in the bleak emptiness of unemployment.  But we must and can give them good reason to be hopeful.

Back over the years, citizens like ourselves have gathered within these walls when our nation was threatened; sometimes when its very existence was at stake.  Always with courage and common sense, they met the crises of their time and lived to see a stronger, better, and more prosperous country.  The present situation is no worse and, in fact, is not as bad as some of those they faced.  Time and again, they proved that there is nothing we Americans cannot achieve as free men and women.

Yes, we still have problems—­plenty of them.  But it’s just plain wrong—­unjust to our country and unjust to our people—­to let those problems stand in the way of the most important truth of all:  America is on the mend.

We owe it to the unfortunate to be aware of their plight and to help them in every way we can.  No one can quarrel with that.  We must and do have compassion for all the victims of this economic crisis.  But the big story about America today is the way that millions of confident, caring people—­those extraordinary “ordinary” Americans who never make the headlines and will never be interviewed—­are laying the foundation, not just for recovery from our present problems but for a better tomorrow for all our people.

From coast to coast, on the job and in classrooms and laboratories, at new construction sites and in churches and community groups, neighbors are helping neighbors.  And they’ve already begun the building, the research, the work, and the giving that will make our country great again.

I believe this, because I believe in them—­in the strength of their hearts and minds, in the commitment that each one of them brings to their daily lives, be they high or humble.  The challenge for us in government is to be worthy of them—­to make government a help, not a hindrance to our people in the challenging but promising days ahead.

If we do that, if we care what our children and our children’s children will say of us, if we want them one day to be thankful for what we did here in these temples of freedom, we will work together to make America better for our having been here—­not just in this year or this decade but in the next century and beyond.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Note:  The President spoke at 9:03 p.m. in the House Chamber of the Capitol.  He was introduced by Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives.  The address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television.