State of the Union: Trump Tackles Iran Deal, Tax Cut and Immigration Plan in First Address
Local Editor
US President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, covering a range of issues from the Iran nuclear deal to tax cut reforms to immigration policy and the so-called war against terrorism.
In his maiden speech for national unity on Tuesday evening, Trump stood on the podium before Republican and Democratic lawmakers to elaborate on his policies over the past year.
He began the speech by congratulating members of his administration for their efforts to "make America great again for all Americans," winning a standing ovation from Republicans while Democrats remained in their seats.
Trump reiterated previous accusations regarding "fundamental flaws" in the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, once again denouncing the deal as "terrible."
He also struck a dire note of warning about North Korea, saying the country's "reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland."
He said Washington was applying "maximum pressure" to prevent any such attack.
"Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation," Trump said. "I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position."
His warning about North Korea came after CIA Director Mike Pompeo's assessment Monday that Pyongyang will be capable of delivering a nuclear-tipped missile to the US mainland in "a handful of months."
On immigration, Trump announced that the House and Senate would be voting on an immigration reform package "over the next few weeks."
"In recent months, my administration has met extensively with both Democrats and Republicans to craft a bipartisan approach to immigration reform. Based on these discussions, we presented the Congress with a detailed proposal that should be supported by both parties as a fair compromise," he said.
Trump proposed a plan for immigration based on four pillars, which he claimed "represent a down-the-middle compromise and one that will create a safe, modern, and lawful immigration system."
He called on Congress to advance legislation to fund his proposed wall on the Mexican border and cut back on legal immigration by overhauling long-standing programs.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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