Donald Trump to deliver delayed State of the Union with call for unity and progress

Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union to a joint-sitting of Congress today, following a one-week delay brought on by political wrangling over a 36-day federal government shutdown.

With Trump’s approval ratings at lows of 37%, the focus of his speech will be on a push for Congress to pass a bipartisan infrastructure package, which would provide public and private sector funding for refurbishing schools, highways and airports. It would be similar in size to the $200 billion request in 2017.

Appealing to strong Democratic support for comprehensive infrastructure spending, Trump will also be setting up another political fight as he seeks to also include initial funding for a border wall, testing their support for such a bipartisan measure. It would provide a boost for the construction and steel industries, a win for both parties.

The issue of funding remains the biggest obstacle, with both Congress and the president apprehensive to raise the gas tax to fund highway overhauls. However, with the support of Republican and Democratic leadership, the measure looks likely to pass in some form over the coming year.

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