Washington, DC…My fellow Americans, As Hurricane Irma approaches, my Administration is working closely with our state and local partners to help save lives, protect families, and assist those in need. This is a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential. I ask everyone in the storm’s path to be vigilant, and to heed all recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our people. We are doing everything we can to help with disaster preparations and, when the time comes, we will restore, recover, and rebuild – together, as Americans. In times such as these, we see the strength and the resolve of the American Spirit – and we see the kindness and courage of our people. With gratitude for our first responders, and prayers for those in the storm’s path, America stands united – and I mean totally united. From Texas to Louisiana, from Florida to Puerto Rico, and always the US Virgin Islands, and everywhere in between that has been affected by these terrible storms: we will endure and come back stronger than ever before.

Earlier this week, I visited the hardworking citizens of North Dakota to promote our vision for tax cuts and tax reform that will create opportunity and prosperity for millions and millions of Americans. As President, I am committed to pursuing an economic policy that lifts up all of our citizens, provides hope for all of our communities, and generates wealth for everyday hardworking people and it’s about time.

Since January, we’ve already created 1.2 million jobs. Unemployment is near a 16-year low. Wages are rising. But for our economy to truly take off like it should, we must cut taxes and reform our badly-broken tax system.

Our current burdensome tax code is a massive lead weight against the American economy. It costs us millions of jobs, trillions of dollars, and billions and billions of hours wasted on paperwork and compliance.

My Administration is working closely with Congress to develop a plan that will deliver more jobs, higher pay, and lower taxes for businesses of all sizes and most importantly for Middle Class families all across America.

First, we are going to make filing taxes as simple as possible. If you’re like most Americans, under our plan you will file your taxes on a single page. What a difference that will make – and you won’t need to keep endless receipts and paperwork. We are freeing you from the horrible tax maze.

Secondly, we will cut taxes for Middle Class families. We want you to keep more of your hard earned money. This way, you could spend it, you could save it, you could do whatever you want.

Third, we will restore our competitive edge so we can create more jobs and higher wages for the American worker.

Today we have the highest business tax rate anywhere in the developed world – 60 percent higher on average than our major foreign competitors. It is a crushing tax on every product Made in America, and it encourages American businesses to ship jobs and factories overseas – something that I have been fighting long and hard and we are making tremendous head way. Believe me, they are starting to move back to our country and the jobs are coming with them.

We are going to cut taxes on American Industry so we can create more business in our country. We want our companies to hire and grow in America, to raise wages for American workers, and to help rebuild our American cities and towns.

Finally, we will make it easier for companies to bring back trillions of dollars that they are now keeping overseas. And the reason is the tax is too high and the bureaucracy is too great. It is so complicated for them to bring back their money that they say “let’s just leave it over here, we won’t bring it back to the United States.” Terrible situation. We are going to take care of it. But this money should be brought back to American soil, where it can be invested in new factories and brand new beautiful jobs.

Our plan is pro-jobs, pro-worker, pro-family and pro-American.

This is our chance to give American workers a level playing field, to end the rigged system that lets special interests win at the expense of the middle class, and to reestablish our economic dominance for generations to come.

That is how we all succeed and grow together – as one team, one people, and one American family. Frankly, that is how we Make America Great Again.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.