Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds argued in a high-profile, prime-time speech on Tuesday that Democratic President Joe Biden has taken the country back for working families in Iowa.
"Instead of advancing America, it seems President Biden and his party have sent us back to the late '70s and early '80s, when runaway inflation was affecting families, taking a toll on our cities. The violent crime wave was crashing, and the Soviet military was trying to reconstruct the world map,” she said.
Reynolds spoke in front of the Iowa State Capitol, his golden domes shining behind him. She had both an American flag and a Ukrainian flag pinned to her lapel.
Reynolds was tapped by Republican leaders in Washington, D.C. to deliver the party's official rebuttal to Biden's first State of the Union address — an honor usually reserved for rising stars who embody the party's political message. can give.
The opportunity has already raised Reynolds' national profile as she prepares to formally launch a re-election campaign. A strong showing has the potential to engage him in a more serious conversation about running as a vice presidential contender on the 2024 Republican ticket.
Reynolds began his address by challenging Biden's foreign policy, criticizing his "disastrous" withdrawal from Afghanistan and noting that Russia's invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to "democracy, freedom and the rule of law". .
But Reynolds, who himself has little experience when it comes to foreign policy, quickly turned to domestic policy.
"The time has come for America to repose confidence once again," he said. "It's time to be decisive. It's time to lead. But if we're weak at home we can't show strength overseas. And that's what I want to discuss with you tonight."
Reynolds introduces himself to a national audience
Reynolds introduced herself the same way she introduced herself to Iowa voters when she first campaigned for governor in 2018: night shifts at a grocery store as a young mother in the 1980s With a story to work in.
"Four decades ago, when our country was battling inflation for the last time, I was a young working mom, just getting started," Reynolds said. “My husband Kevin used to work for several days while I looked after our girls. Then we'll switch. ,
Reynolds used the story in his first television commercial of 2018 to emphasize his humble roots and what he called a quintessential Iowa story. On Tuesday, she used it to tell Biden about the way inflation is affecting working-class Americans.
"Across the checkout counter, I saw the pain of inflation on my neighbors' faces," she said. "I've seen moms and dads' salaries buy them less and less. I've seen working people choose which essentials to take home and which to leave on the register. And now, President Biden's decisions have come to fruition. The new generation is feeling the same pain."
Reynolds went through a laundry list of other policies he said take the country back - things like out-of-control spending and high unemployment payments.
Then she moved into cultural issues, allaying complaints from Republicans and others frustrated with the way political leaders have managed the pandemic and other major issues.
“Americans are tired of a political class trying to make this country a place where a few elites tell everyone else what they can and cannot say – what they can and believe. Can't," she said.
She said that people are tired of the critical race theory, and they are tired of the government thinking it can control their children's education.
"Frankly, they're tired of theater — where politicians do one thing when the cameras are on and another when they believe you can't see them," she said. “Where the governor and the mayor implement the mandate but do not follow them. Where elected leaders tell their citizens to stay home when they go to Florida for sunshine and fun - where they demand that your child wear a mask, but they go outside without a mask. ,
Kim Reynolds presents alternative, conservative vision
Reynolds said Republican governors are offering an alternative view of how the country might work through a pandemic. He said they are presenting a bold vision that does not require a government mandate.
As she often does in Iowa, Reynolds said what has happened to children during the pandemic is "faint."
"That's why Iowa was the first state in the country to require schools to open their doors," she said. “I was attacked by the Left; The media attacked me. But it was not a difficult choice. It was the right choice. And keeping schools open is just the beginning of the parenting, pro-family revolution that Republicans are leading in Iowa and the states of this country. ,
During his January 2021 State of the Union address, Reynolds called on the legislature to "immediately" pass a bill requiring schools to offer 100% in-person learning options to parents. The Republican-controlled body quickly passed a bill, and Reynolds signed it in February 2021.
Reynolds cut the tax he signed into law earlier Tuesday, establishing a 3.9% flat tax in a conservative restructuring of the state's tax law.
"Republicans can't have a White House," she said. “But we are doing what we can to fill the leadership void. Republicans are leading the way on issues that are affecting Americans."
Iowa Democrats Criticize Reynolds State of the Union Denial
Iowa Democrats took an aggressive stance Tuesday, offering their own criticism of Reynolds' denial.
Deidre Dzier, the most high-profile Democrat running for governor, criticized Reynolds for "focusing on a national political agenda that, as we know so far, does not bode well for Iowa and the rest of this country." not good for."
"Unfortunately we have a governor who is declaring war on teachers," she said during a call with reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “We see a legislature focused on banning books, creating a culture war with our trans girls and their classmates. We see her putting Iowa in a position that is too much for us to recruit teachers in this state. Its difficult. "
DeJear promised change.
"What I intend to do as governor is to put people first - not politics, not special interests - but people," she said. "all the people."
Other Iowa Democrats also focused on getting Reynolds to please the National Party, all while failing to rule for Iovans, not just Republicans.
"She does what the national Republicans want her to do, whether it's in Iovans' best interest or not," said Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrust, D-Windsor Heights. "And she's being rewarded with a prime-time speaking slot tonight. It's not because she's done amazing things for the state of Iowa. It's because she's done amazing things for the Republican Party. And that's what she's doing." is responding, and that's what she leads for."
Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said Iovans deserved a governor focused on the challenges facing the state, suggesting that Reynolds was auditioning for a higher office.
"Iowans deserve a governor who is focused solely on meeting the needs of Iowans, not one who is looking to the next rung on the political ladder," he said.
'Our Freedom We Reward'
Reynolds closed his speech by citing the golden dome of Iowa's capitol building behind him and quoting the state motto: "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will uphold."
"They're not just empty words," she said. "It is a belief that the greatness of this state - that the greatness of this country - lies in our people, not in the government.
"I am blessed to be the governor of Iowa, where the people are humble, hardworking and patriotic," she said. "We take care of each other. And yes, we are, as they say, Iowa Nice. But you don't have to be from Iowa to see that they're America's Best Values — in the whole of America." "
Reynolds told Biden to place his faith in the American people just as he has placed his faith in Iovans.
“You know – you have shown – that the soul of America is not who lives in the White House; there are men and women like you in every corner of this country, who work for your communities, for your neighbors, and ultimately for yourself. "By that most important measure, at least, the position of our union is really strong."