Posted on 01/20/2015 7:31:22 PM PST by iowamark
“Good evening.
“I’m Joni Ernst. As a mother, a soldier, and a newly elected senator from the great State of Iowa, I am proud to speak with you tonight.
“A few moments ago, we heard the President lay out his vision for the year to come. Even if we may not always agree, it’s important to hear different points of view in this great country. We appreciate the President sharing his.
“Tonight though, rather than respond to a speech, I’d like to talk about your priorities. I’d like to have a conversation about the new Republican Congress you just elected, and how we plan to make Washington focus on your concerns again.
“We heard the message you sent in November — loud and clear. And now we’re getting to work to change the direction Washington has been taking our country.
“The new Republican Congress also understands how difficult these past six years have been. For many of us, the sting of the economy and the frustration with Washington’s dysfunction, weren’t things we had to read about. We felt them every day.
“We felt them in Red Oak — the little town in southwestern Iowa where I grew up, and am still proud to call home today.
“As a young girl, I plowed the fields of our family farm. I worked construction with my dad. To save for college, I worked the morning biscuit line at Hardees.
“We were raised to live simply, not to waste. It was a lesson my mother taught me every rainy morning.
“You see, growing up, I had only one good pair of shoes. So on rainy school days, my mom would slip plastic bread bags over them to keep them dry.
“But I was never embarrassed. Because the school bus would be filled with rows and rows of young Iowans with bread bags slipped over their feet.
“Our parents may not have had much, but they worked hard for what they did have.
“These days though, many families feel like they’re working harder and harder, with less and less to show for it.
“Not just in Red Oak, but across the country.
“We see our neighbors agonize over stagnant wages and lost jobs. We see the hurt caused by canceled healthcare plans and higher monthly insurance bills. We see too many moms and dads put their own dreams on hold while growing more fearful about the kind of future they’ll be able to leave to their children.
“Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions.
“That’s why the new Republican majority you elected started by reforming Congress to make it function again. And now, we’re working hard to pass the kind of serious job-creation ideas you deserve.
“One you’ve probably heard about is the Keystone jobs bill. President Obama has been delaying this bipartisan infrastructure project for years, even though many members of his party, unions, and a strong majority of Americans support it. The President’s own State Department has said Keystone’s construction could support thousands of jobs and pump billions into our economy, and do it with minimal environmental impact.
“We worked with Democrats to pass this bill through the House. We’re doing the same now in the Senate.
“President Obama will soon have a decision to make: will he sign the bill, or block good American jobs?
“There’s a lot we can achieve if we work together.
“Let’s tear down trade barriers in places like Europe and the Pacific. Let’s sell more of what we make and grow in America over there so we can boost manufacturing, wages, and jobs right here, at home.
“Let’s simplify America’s outdated and loophole-ridden tax code. Republicans think tax filing should be easier for you, not just the well-connected. So let’s iron out loopholes to lower rates — and create jobs, not pay for more government spending.
“The President has already expressed some support for these kinds of ideas. We’re calling on him now to cooperate to pass them.
“You’ll see a lot of serious work in this new Congress.
“Some of it will occur where I stand tonight, in the Armed Services Committee room. This is where I’ll join committee colleagues — Republicans and Democrats — to discuss ways to support our exceptional military and its mission. This is where we’ll debate strategies to confront terrorism and the threats posed by Al Qaeda, ISIL, and those radicalized by them.
“We know threats like these can’t just be wished away. We’ve been reminded of terrorism’s reach both at home and abroad; most recently in France and Nigeria, but also in places like Canada and Australia. Our hearts go out to all the innocent victims of terrorism and their loved ones. We can only imagine the depth of their grief.
“For two decades, I’ve proudly worn our nation’s uniform: today, as a Lt. Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard. While deployed overseas with some of America’s finest men and women, I’ve seen just how dangerous these kinds of threats can be.
“The forces of violence and oppression don’t care about the innocent. We need a comprehensive plan to defeat them.
“We must also honor America’s veterans. These men and women have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedoms, and our way of life. They deserve nothing less than the benefits they were promised and a quality of care we can be all be proud of.
“These are important issues the new Congress plans to address.
“We’ll also keep fighting to repeal and replace a health care law that’s hurt so many hardworking families.
“We’ll work to correct executive overreach.
“We’ll propose ideas that aim to cut wasteful spending and balance the budget — with meaningful reforms, not higher taxes like the President has proposed.
“We’ll advance solutions to prevent the kind of cyberattacks we’ve seen recently.
“We’ll work to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“And we’ll defend life, because protecting our most vulnerable is an important measure of any society.
“Congress is back to work on your behalf, ready to make Washington focus on your concerns again.
“We know America faces big challenges. But history has shown there’s nothing our nation, and our people, can’t accomplish.
“Just look at my parents and grandparents.
“They had very little to call their own except the sweat on their brow and the dirt on their hands. But they worked, they sacrificed, and they dreamed big dreams for their children and grandchildren.
“And because they did, an ordinary Iowan like me has had some truly extraordinary opportunities because they showed me that you don’t need to come from wealth or privilege to make a difference. You just need the freedom to dream big, and a whole lot of hard work.
“The new Republican Congress you elected is working to make Washington understand that too. And with a little cooperation from the President, we can get Washington working again.
“Thank you for allowing me to speak with you tonight.
“May God bless this great country of ours, the brave Americans serving in uniform on our behalf, and you, the hardworking men and women who make the United States of America the greatest nation the world has ever known.”
AMEN. I do think she has her head on straight though.
Greatest opening argument in a courtroom scene on film!
But as for Ernst ... I admit I've only read parts of it, but ... it sure smells like the same old same old. It seems the Democrat party sets the terms for government growth, and the Republican party adapts. The very concept of limiting government goes WHOOOOOSH over their heads.
Meanwhile, Cruz is nailing it by comparing Obama to Christopher Walken on SNL always calling for more cowbell: "“To every problem his solution was, ‘more cowbell, more cowbell.’ This president, to every problem his solution is ‘more taxes, more government,'” Cruz tells Americans. YES!!!!
People want government reigned in and shrunk. People want government to be a servant again, instead of a tyrant. The way to do that is to cut it back and return rights to individuals make their own decisions on things like abortion (free people are restricted now by Roe v Wade to tolerate it), open homosexuality, health care, kids' school lunches, forced charity via welfare, and on and on.
The worst part of Joni's speech was the line, "Congress is back to work on your behalf, ready to make Washington focus on your concerns again."
The only reason I've been voting Republican all these decades is to get Congress OUT OF OUR BEHALF'n BUSINESS and leave us to our own concerns without more government tyranny.
That's what Americans want to vote for. Democrats and Republicans only offer more government eager to "work on your behalf" -- via funding taken by force from taxpaying Americans. I want a Congress eager to REDUCE GOVERNMENT and leave people the freedom to live morally and prosper, Joni!
I care about the meat of substantive public policy.
And on that this speech, in my opinion, had all the nutritional value of cotton candy.
Yep.
Come on, T-dore! If that's what she "knows," then she should move to another country. Anybody who thinks American voters are "elementary" stupid should move to France. I will only vote for somebody who believes in Americans.
Theodore R., the left, whether it's the Republican left ala Cochran/McDaniel and Mississippi, or the Democrat left ala a vast array of vote ginning, harvesting, multiple voting, illegals, dead votes, etc. -- the left has to cheat for a reason.
Because in an honest contest, real productive Americans who care enough to vote are smart enough to snub it. It has to cheat to win because if it didn't, it would lose.
A party that doesn't believe in Americans, won't be able to give them what they need to thrive. The Democrat party has contempt for Americans; it thinks they want government to do every little thing for them and will cheat to get in power.
A party led by people who clearly believe in Americans, is the only one to embrace.
I agree with your comment about her hair style. Old lady, beauty shop style that’s not the style for someone her age.”
She came from a small town, then the military and campaigning. I am sure that she will get a more polished style as time goes by.
Style takes time. Hopeuflly she will become more Sarah Palin or Laura Bush and not weird looking Moochie.
Review Sarah’s national debut style... not exactly metropolitan.
But as you mentioned, locality is a factor of style. I like it. It’s refreshing — my entire surburbian life was exposed to the continuous JAP/metro fashion style...
Babes with pony tails and jeans work for me.
Not a word about building a border fence either. Very disappointing.
You’re absolutely right about Rubio. I hope Joni Ernst doesn’t prove to be like him.
Hell - she's being mocked/trashed by the fantasy conservatives here...
I thought it was appropriate and of the proper tone to allow folks to listen to the words.
Her eye brows were also painted onto high and when I told her this she looked surprised.
Watching tidbits of sap-happy Obama’s SOTU-—I kept wondering what he was smoking before he came out to speak.
Or maybe Valerie gave him a Big Gulp cocktail of uppers dissolved in a quart of 180 proof vodka.
For an ego-driven pol who got slaughtered at midterms, the idiot seemed in unusually “high” spirits.
CONCLUSION The ding-a-ling has finally lost it-—high time to call in the men w/ the white coats.
His poll numbers went up by 9% after gasoline/oil prices dropped and those huge losses in the congress.
(As Megyn Kelly joked last night Obama is saying:”Hey, I'm still here, that's all that counts”
His game plan is now blame everything on the *new* GOP congress (same plan as four years ago.)
He's got a great fix for everything but those partisan Republicans won't pass them because they don't like him personally, they are all ideas that the GOP *should* like.
Like another tax increase on the Romney's to pay for your kids college.
He's wants to take the fight to ISIS but needs congressional *permission* to do it (unlike for bombing Libya.) Waiting on the GOP again.
Enter Romney who will counter Obama’s message by fighting for the common working man AGAIN, once again if Romney pays less in taxes we all will do better is his message again, it will work this time, even for that 47% who he insulted in 2012. Now he says he will help them.
Canned tuna, had to turn it off for being so plastic and offensive.
The GOPe is in the process of self imploding by pushing what they delusionally feel people will go for vs reality.
RIP GOP.
Senator Joni Ernst won election without the help of fashion critics who cannot come close to her life accomplishments and service to America in areas both local and national.
Ernst has energy, intelligence and is conspicuously pro American. My guess is that she is also better looking, better groomed, than the shallow commentators who seem to think their fashion choices are superior to hers and smarter than those who would have had so much wisdom to impart had they been the ones to reply to Obamas hour of crap.
I think Senator Ernst has an opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on both the senate and the Republican Party. I congratulate Joni Ernst on her latest accomplishment of winning her senate seat and I wish her the best for the future.
Actions matter, not words.
Good woman. Terrible public speaker.
” Romney is the WRONG person to make this case, WRONG!!
Mr 47% don’t matter”
LOL......Romney has raised LOSING to an art form.
It is a wig, she has alopecia
Really? I didn’t know that.
Neither of you guys apparently paid much attention to what she actually SAID. The only thing you're paying attention to is the fact that she's a Republican.
While ignoring the fact that she's a Republican who speaks very much like someone who is comfortable with the Democrats setting the terms and Republicans merely tweaking the details.
Trebb and Crazy Ivan, tell me -- are you glad to hear her say that Congress is "back to work" on our "behalf" (ha ha), "ready to make Washington focus on [our] concerns again"? Because frankly, that's the PROBLEM, whereas Ernst clearly thinks it's the solution.
Trebb, I have news for you -- YOU are the "fantasy conservative" in this equation. The rest of us are actual thinking conservatives who recognize a weak sister when we see one, and Joni's speech was weak as a kitten.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.