What is a State of the Union Address?
The State of the Union Address allows the president to rally support for his proposed plans in office. It depicts a schedule or list of goals the president wants to accomplish. The History, Arts & Archive government web page describes that the address derives from the Constitution; "The president shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient" Article 11, Section 3, Clause 1. The address usually includes a budget and funding requests for different projects.
What will the address cover?
One of the most pressing issues the President will cover refers to the immigration dilemma. Tensions between Democrats and Republicans resulted in a government shutdown. USA Today explains that Democrats refused to pass the funding bill in order to gain support for the DREAMers, young children brought to the U.S. illegally. A Politico article, "GOP lawmaker: Undocumented immigrants at the State of the Union should be Arrested," states that many Democrats will bring DREAMers as their guests. Some of the more conservative Republicans wants these immigrants to be arrested because they are disrespecting the law. This will provide more tension to the issue.
The President will also discuss his plans for the nation's new infrastructure. The Hill suggests that Trump will describe his "trillion dollar plan to rebuild roads, bridges, and transit systems" along with funding opportunities and investments.
The last main point that Trump will most likely outline, deals with his economic success. With the tax cut, unemployment is down to around 4% and wages continue to rise. NY Times expresses that Trump signed an "1.5 trillion tax overhaul" that reduced corporate tax rates from 35% to 21%.
Fact Checking the Address and Overview
President Trump opened the address explaining the economic success of the nation. According to the White House government web page Trump upheld his promise to enforce a tax cut; "Just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history." However, some disagree with the President's claim. Politifact suggests that this is the 4th largest tax cut once it is inflation-adjusted. However, The Hill has a different opinion of the tax cut, saying the American people have a "tax reform that is good business as well as good politics." Different people will interpret the President's message in various ways, but it boils down to the fact that Trump made true on his word and enacted a tax cut to help the people and the economy. Along with the tax cut, Trump emphasized that unemployment rates have been at an all time low for African American and Hispanic persons. Factcheck.org acknowledges that under Trump's administration, African American unemployment dropped from 7.8% to 6.8%. Similarly, Hispanic unemployment dropped from 5.9% to 4.9%. Trump displayed an optimistic outlook on the economy.
Another paramount topic discussed was the issue of immigration. The tensions between Democrats and Republicans concerning immigration have led to nothing but gridlock. Trump asks Congress to unite so that laws can be passed. Trump appeals to the Democrats by asserting that "Americans are dreamers too." The White House displays Trump's four pillars of immigration; The first pillar offers citizenship to DREAMers who "meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character." The second pillar deals with securing the border by "closing loopholes exploited by criminals and terrorists." The third pillar "ends the visa lottery by admitting people who are skilled, who want to work, who will contribute to our society, and who will love and respect our country." The last pillar Trump mentioned vows to end "chain migration by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children." Trump wants to provide security to the nation but he will have to work with Democrats to help make it happen. His appeal to Democrats shows that he is willing to work alongside them to get the job done.
The last main point that Trump covered, concerned the rebuilding of the infrastructure. According to the White House, Trump said; "Tonight, I am calling on the Congress to produce a bill that generates at least $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment we need." FoxNews published an article, "Trump's State of the Union was optimistic and a nod toward compromise. Now both parties must man up," declaring that this infrastructure proposal is a way for Congress to unite and show the American people that they are capable of making progress and decisions when it comes to passing laws.
Overall, Trump's address focused on the optimism he has for his agenda and his plans to further improve America. We'll see what Congress has in store for us in the future.
For more information:
Economy
U.S. Economy at a Glance
https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.
Immigration
Immigration
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
https://www.uscis.gov/
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
-by Emily Hancz
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