Trump calls for 'national building'

US President Donald Trump is calling for a "new program of national building".

During his speech to a joint sitting of Congress, he invoked president Dwight Eisenhower's infrastructure program to create the highway system.

Trump said on Tuesday night it was time again for Americans to come together to rebuild itself.

Trump said he would ask Congress for $US1 trillion ($A1.3 trillion) for US infrastructure, financed by public and private capital.

He said it would create millions of new jobs.

The president lamented the amount of money the US had spent over the years building up other nations' infrastructure.

Trump said two principles would guide the infrastructure project: "Buy American, and hire American."