Trump appeals for unity in first Congress address

Trump appeals for unity in first Congress address
By Tokunbo Salako
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Donald Trump struck a 'presidential' tone in his first Congress address to repackage his populist message

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Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump almost always defies expectations. And so it proved to be the case when he delivered a conventional address to Congress on Tuesday night; his first speech to both houses.

It set out the White House’s plans for the year ahead but was devoid of details however what surprised many was Trump’s optimistic and even presidential tone.

These are some of the highlights of the US president’s address;

Immigration

“It is a basic principle that those seeking to enter a country ought to be able to support themselves financially. Yet, in America, we do not enforce this rule. Switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration, and instead adopting a merit-based system, we will have so many more benefits: it will save countless dollars, raise workers’ wages, and help struggling families – including immigrant families – enter the middle class.”

Tax

“Right now, American companies are taxed at one of the highest rates anywhere in the world. My economic team is developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone. At the same time, we will provide massive tax relief for the middle class. We must create a level playing field for American companies and our workers. Have to do it.”

Infrastructure

“To launch our national rebuilding, I will be asking the Congress to approve legislation that produces a $1 trillion investment in the infrastructure of the United States — financed through both public and private capital — creating millions of new jobs.”

Healthcare

“Tonight I am also calling on Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare. To repeal and replace Obamacare. Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for our country. The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance. And that is what we are going to do. So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster.”

During Trump’s address the former Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada urged Americans to unite.

.realDonaldTrump</a> this is the wall I would pay to get it done as fast as possible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FuckingWall?src=hash">#FuckingWall</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JointSession?src=hash">#JointSession</a> <a href="https://t.co/rcnlaCyP9c">pic.twitter.com/rcnlaCyP9c</a></p>&mdash; Vicente Fox Quesada (VicenteFoxQue) March 1, 2017

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