US President Donald Trump reiterated his intention to destroy the ISIS organization in his first speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday, promising to "extinguish" the group from the planet.
The president said that part of the plan will involve working with US allies, especially friends and allies in the Muslim world, to "extinguish" the "vile" group from the planet.
Trump noted that, "as promised," he directed the Pentagon to provide a new plan to counter ISIS. Secretary of Defense James Mattis presented a preliminary version of this plan to administration principals Monday in an effort to receive their input.
On immigration issue, Trump told Congress that 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 election campaign and first month in the White House.
He said that he will take news steps to secure his country, saying, "It is not compassionate, but reckless, to allow uncontrolled entry from places where proper vetting cannot occur".
Regarding NATO, Trump voiced strong support for NATO, but called on NATO allies to fulfill their commitments on defense spending and suggested US willingness to forge new partnerships. "We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism, and a Cold War that defeated communism. But our partners must meet their financial obligations," he said.
Meanwhile, Trump vowed the give the US military members "the tools they need" to prevent war and, if necessary, "to fight and to win".The president also called on Congress again to "repeal and replace Obamacare".
"Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America," he said. "The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do".
Trump vowed to "bring back millions of jobs" and suggested that it’s all tied to the immigration system. "Protecting our workers also means reforming our system of legal immigration. The current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers, and puts great pressure on taxpayers," he said.
The president said that his team is "developing historic tax reform that will reduce the tax rate on our companies so they can compete and thrive anywhere and with anyone." He said it will be "a big, big cut". He also vowed to provide "massive tax relief for the middle class".
Trump listed what he said is the progress the US has made since his inauguration last month. He said he has kept his promises so far. US companies like General Motors, Ford, Lockheed and Intel have pledged to create "tens of thousands of new American jobs," he said.
The president said that the administration has placed a hiring freeze on non-military personnel, imposed a five-year ban on lobbying by executive branch officials and creating a deregulation task force. He noted that he withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and have authorized the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access pipeline.

Source: QNA