"At the same time, we will engage Russia to seek further

reductions in our nuclear arsenals, and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands � because our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead," Obama said. Speaking forcefully about education and economic opportunity for all, Obama sought more investment in schools and clean energy; deficit reduction through spending cuts, tax increases and new measures to protect critical infrastructure from growing cyber threat from foreign enemies. "A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs � that must be the North Star that guides our efforts. Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?" he said. "Our first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing," he said, adding that after shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Proposing a slew of measures to reduce the nation's deficit, Obama called for saving hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well-off and well-connected. "The American people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time filling out complicated forms, and more time expanding and hiring; a tax code that ensures billionaires with high-powered accountants can't pay a lower rate than their hard-working secretaries; a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas, and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that create jobs right here in America. That's what tax reform can deliver. That�s what we can do together," he said. He also urged the Congress to increase the minimum wage. "Let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to USD 9.00 an hour. This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families," he added.