President Trump delivered his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night. Despite Nancy Pelosi ripping up a copy of the SOTU address, and partisan politics– there was an upbeat message made by Trump. Here are six of those statements.
Building an inclusive society and a flourishing economy
“The vision I will lay out this evening demonstrates how we are building the world’s most prosperous and encloses — an inclusive society, one where every citizen can join in America’s unparalleled success and every community can take part in America’s extraordinary rise. From the instant I took office, I moved rapidly to revive the U.S. economy, slashing a number of job killing-regulations, enacting historic and record-setting tax cuts, and fighting for fair and reciprocal trade agreements. We are advancing with unbridled optimism and lifting our citizens of every race, color, religion and creed very high. Since my election, we have created 7 million new jobs, 5 million more than government experts projected during the previous administration.”
Replacing the NAFTA Trade Deal
“In fact, unfair trade is perhaps the single biggest reason I decided to run for president. Following NAFTA’s adoption, our nation lost 1 in 4 manufacturing jobs. Many politicians came and went, pledging to change or replace NAFTA, only to do so and absolutely nothing happened. But unlike so many who came before me, I keep my promises. We did our job. Six days ago, I replaced NAFTA and signed the brand-new U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement into law. The USMCA will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs and massively boost exports for our farmers, ranchers, and factory workers. It will also bring trade with Mexico and Canada to a much higher level, but also to a much greater degree of fairness and reciprocity, we will have that. Fairness and reciprocity. I say that finally, because it has been many years since we were treated fairly on trade.”
Working with China
“For decades, China has taken advantage of the United States. Now, we have changed that. At the same time, we have the best relationship we have ever had with China, including President Xi. They respect what we have done, because, quite frankly, they could never believe they were able to get away with what they were doing year after year, decade after decade, without someone in our country stepping up and saying, ‘That’s enough.’”
Paid Family Leave
“Whether we are Republican, Democrat, or independent, surely we must all agree that every human life is a sacred gift from God as we support America’s moms and dads. I was proud to sign the new law offering parents in the federal workforce paid family leave, serving as a model for the rest of the country. Now I call on Congress to pass the bipartisan Advancing Support for Working Families Act, extended family leave to mothers and fathers all across our nation.”
Standing Up For Faith
“In America, we don’t punish prayer, we don’t ban symbols of faith, we don’t muzzle preachers and pastors. In America, we celebrate faith, we cherish religion, we lift our voices in prayer and we raise our sights to the glory of God. Just as we believe in the First Amendment, we also believe in another constitutional right that is under siege all across our country.”
Stopping Late-Term Abortion
“Whether we are Republican, Democrat, or Independent, surely we must all agree that every human life is a sacred gift from God!”
Final Thoughts
The SOTU illustrated many reasons to remain hopeful. Trade deals that benefit the nation, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, honoring our veterans and fighting against late-term abortion help all of us. We don’t all have to agree with Trump’s policies or tweets. However, it’s time to stop playing politics and unite for the betterment of our country.
–Written by Corine Gatti-Santillo