Trump now open to immigration reform

This article is more than 12 months old

In his first speech in Congress, President Trump says US should switch from lower-skilled immigration and adopt merit-based system

Mar 02, 2017 06:00 am

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump told Congress on Tuesday (yesterday, Singapore time) he was open to immigration reform, shifting from his harsh rhetoric on illegal immigration in a speech that offered a more restrained tone than his first month in the White House.

His speech was long on promises but short on specifics on how to achieve a challenging legislative agenda that could add greatly to budget deficits.

Here are some of the main themes of his speech:

IMMIGRATION

Mr Trump promised new steps to "keep out those who would do us harm" and said his administration had been working on better vetting procedures.
He said most people convicted of terrorism-related offences since 9/11 were not from the United States, and the US should not "become a sanctuary for extremists".
He said the US should switch from lower-skilled immigration and adopt a merit-based system. Mr Trump said Republicans and Democrats could work together towards immigration reform as long as it focused on improving jobs and wages, and strengthening the US security.
Construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border will begin soon. He had frequently said Mexico would pay for the wall, but made no mention of that in his speech.
His new immigration order will remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary US travel ban, AP reported.

DEFENCE SPENDING AND FOREIGN POLICY

Mr Trump promised to send to Congress a budget to rebuild the military. He wants to hike defence spending by US$54 billion (S$76 billion).
He vowed to work with US allies, including those in the Muslim world, to destroy the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
He promised support for the Nato military alliance, but said US partners must meet their financial obligations.

HEALTHCARE REFORM

Mr Trump called on Congress to replace Obamacare.
He said reforms should lower healthcare cost and ensure people with pre-existing conditions have access to coverage.
He proposed tax credits and expanded health savings accounts for people to purchase health insurance.
Mr Trump also said legal reforms should protect patients and doctors from needless costs that drive up insurance price.

TAX

Mr Trump vowed "historic" reforms to reduce the corporate tax rate to make US companies more globally competitive.
He also promised "massive" tax relief for the middle class.
He gave no new details on the tax reforms he would like to see and did not mention a border adjustment tax that lies at the heart of a Republican proposal in the House of Representatives.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Congress will be asked to approve legislation for a US$1 trillion investment in infrastructure, financed through both public and private channels. "Buy American" and "Hire American" will be the guiding principles, he said.

- REUTERS