**Note: This post does not reflect the views of Her Campus Wyoming and only reflects the views of the writer.**
Wednesday, Jan. 30, marked the 375th day President Donald J. Trump has been in office. It was also the day he delivered The State of the Union Address. President Trump began his speech welcoming Congress, his wife Melania, and the rest of the nation.
This is always a time I look forward to. There is no doubt President Trump has a strong presence on social media and in the news. He has been celebrated and criticized for his actions, but nonetheless persisted in keeping this country running.
On Jan. 20, the government entered a shutdown after failing to pass a budget. According to politifact.com, “The key roadblocks are not so much differences on spending levels, but rather on separate issues, notably a renewal of legal status for ‘Dreamers,’ people who had been brought illegally to the United States as children.”
President Trump quickly took action, signing a temporary funding bill, ending the shutdown.
The president made many comments to encourage both parties to work together in the future; calling on Congress to act on many ideas and bills, and compromising on the immigration reform. He introduced a four step plan, which is as follows:
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“The first pillar of our framework generously offers a path to citizenship for 1.8 million illegal immigrants who were brought here by their parents at a young age,” President Trump said. He continued, explaining, “Under our plan, those who meet education and work requirements, and show good moral character, will be able to become full citizens of the United States.”
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The second pillar brings up that oh-so-famous wall we keep hearing about. The wall will “fully secure the border,” he said.
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The President’s third pillar “ends the visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of our people. It is time to begin moving towards a merit-based immigration system.”
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And finally, the fourth pillar will end the chain nuclear family. “Under the current broken system, a single immigrant can bring in virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives. Under our plan, we focus on the immediate family by limiting sponsorships to spouses and minor children,” President Trump said.
The agreement on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was one of the many factors congress debated on making the budget.
I was expecting him to touch on the shutdown more in his address; however, I was still impressed with the topics covered.
President Trump introduced many heroes in his speech. The first being Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashlee Leppert, who was “aboard one of the first helicopters on the scene in Houston during Hurricane Harvey. Through 18 hours of wind and rain, Ashlee braved live power lines and deep water, to help save more than 40 lives.”
Firefighter David Dahlberg, Congressman Steve Scalise, Steve Staub, Sandy Keplinger and Corey Adams of Staub Manufacturing, Preston Sharp of the Flag and Flower Challenge, Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado and Robert Mickens (both couples lost their daughters in gang-related violence), Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Celestino Martinez, Albuquerque Police Officer Ryan Holets and his wife Rebecca, Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck, Fred and Cindy Warmbier (the parents of Otto Warmbier, who was arrested and forced into hard labor for 15 years, resulting in injuries and death), and North Korea Defector Ji Seong-ho were among the other heroes introduced.
Regardless of your political affiliation, it is very true that this speech was one of President Trump’s most respectable speeches, and if we were to take anything away from this State of the Union Address, let it be this powerful quote from our President: “So let us begin tonight by recognizing that the state of our Union is strong because our people are strong. And together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.”
You can watch the full State of the Union here, or read the full transcript.