06 February 2019 President Trump delivers State of the Union address On February 5, President Trump delivered his second State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, declaring the state of the union "strong" and calling on Congress to "govern not as two parties, but as one nation." President Trump touted a thriving economy and all-time low rates of unemployment, bolstered by historic tax cuts and the elimination of unnecessary regulations. Among the new proposals announced during the speech, President Trump called for a commitment to eliminate the HIV epidemic in the US and dedicate $500 million to fund childhood cancer research over the next 10 years. He also called for revitalizing and rebuilding America's crumbling infrastructure, reducing the price of health care and prescription drugs, finalizing new trade deals to reduce the trade deficit and protect American jobs, and announced a plan for nationwide paid family leave. The speech comes nearly a week after it was originally planned, as Democrats and Republicans in Congress aim to reach agreement on a government funding bill and avoid another partial government shutdown on February 15. President Trump called on Congress to "pass a bill that will fund our government, protect our homeland, and secure our Southern Border."
President Trump touted his administration's "historic reductions in taxes and regulations," noting the doubling of the child tax credit and "virtual" ending of the estate tax. President Trump asked for both parties to unite "for a great rebuilding of America's crumbling infrastructure," including investments in "cutting edge industries of the future." The White House distributed a number of Fact Sheets related to the President's address, available here.
Document ID: 2019-0313 | |||||