, some are going to have to take care of others, or decide for others. we know, we know that work, work brings dignity. yet, despite these clear differences, we get frustrated when these clear differences don't seem to translate into a different direction. government has gotten bigger under obama. government has grown year after year, after year under both republicans and democrats for 50 years. i serve as the chairman of a christian-based organization

called opportunity international. we have lent $6 billion to people in desperate poverty so that they could build better lives for themselves and their families, starting with $150 loans. today i can deliver a loan to a woman in mullally over a cell phone. a veteran returning from battlefields with grievous ones, a veteran must spend months filling out paperwork, then spend maybe more months waiting for a bureaucrat to check that paperwork and determine that this veteran has deserves the benefits they already have earned. and then, they have to wait months more to be treated. we cannot tinker around the edges of this problem anymore. knowing that the problem has existed for decades, that is just one of the problems of our government. the v.a. has been a problem for

decades, knowing that these problems have existed for this time, the sad truth is that legislators from both parties declared victory, not when they were able to guarantee a veteran the care that they have earned they declared victory when they did something they should have done a long time ago, they passed a bill allowing senior executives to be fired if they were not doing their jobs. [applause] really? really? is this the best we can do. the majority of americans, and the majority of women agree that abortion after five months for any reason is extreme. yet, politics, apparently,

intervened to prevent the pain unborn child from being brought to a vote. it says once again politics has triumphed over principles and expediency has triumphed over courage. [applause] this is not leadership of the house. i am reminded, i am reminded of the difference between management and leadership, between managers and leadership. managers do the best they can. within the system. leaders change constraints and conditions. [applause] leaders see possibilities, leaders mobilize others to seize possibilities. leaders do not accept what is broken simply because it has always been that way. [applause]

you know, and every profession there is a hazard that you are so consumed by your profession that you do not see anything else. so you start to lose perspective. your judgment is clouded. you cannot see the forest through the trees. you cannot see the principles through the politics. you cannot recognize the dysfunctional around you. in business people become obsessed with making quarterly numbers. they fail in that environment to see the long-term investments that need to be made. or they violate ethics, or the law to make the numbers. in politics, people can become obsessed with the

back-and-forth, with the tactical advantage, with the vote in front of them, with the press coverage about them. they fail to see the principle at stake, or what is truly broken in our system. people who loved been in and around government and politics for their entire lives may no longer be able to see the truth. our government must be fundamentally reformed. [applause] the system has to be changed. our politics can no longer tinker on the edges. and you know this, the bureaucratic monster that our government has become is not simply inefficient or ineffective. or corrupt. the truth now is that our

government spies its complexity, it's cost, and its power over our lives now work against the interest of the people. the potential of america is being crushed by the weight of government of america. [applause] only citizens, only citizens like you and me can see what must be done. this will take courage and common sense. it will take character and commitment. ours was always intended to be a citizen government. our founders never envisioned a professional political class. they envisioned that people, leaders would emerge from agriculture commerce, and would serve their nation when she

called them to do so. to accomplish fundamental reform, we will take an understanding of the technology driving this century and changing our world. it will require an understanding of how the economy actually works. it will require an understanding, a knowledge of how bureaucracy functions, how real change can be accomplished. fundamental reform will take a return to the values that have always been the bedrock of this nation. [applause] we must understand our role in the world.

to lead. the nature of our allies, and especially the nature of adversaries, like hillary clinton, i have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles around the globe. unlike her i have accomplished something. [applause] you see, mrs. clinton, flying is not an accomplishment. it is an activity. [laughter] i have met vladimir putin. i know that it takes far more than a gimmick reset button to halt his ambition. having done business in 80 countries, having served as the chairman of the experimental advisory board for several years, i know china and north korea and russia are state sponsors of cyber warfare. i know china has a strategy to steal our intellectual property. i know netanyahu. i know when he warns us that iran is a threat to our nation and to his own, we must listen. [applause]

unlike hillary clinton, i know what difference it makes, that our american ambassador in three other brave americans were killed in a deliberate terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9/11 in libya. apparently, unlike hillary clinton and barack obama, i know our response must be more forceful than the arrest of a single individual one year later. [applause]

i am a conservative. after a lifetime of experience in all kinds of places, and all kinds of environments, i still know that our principles work better to unlock potential and others. i also know that this is the highest calling of leadership. [applause] i have had the great privilege to travel all across the nation, all across the state of iowa. i sense a deep disquiet. americans fear we are losing something, and they know we are missing something. we fear we are losing the essence of who we are.

we fear we are losing that uniquely american sense of limitless possibilities, for ourselves, for our children, for our grandchildren. but, all of our nations' wounds are self-inflicted. all of our problems can be solved. every american can live a life of dignity and purpose, and meaning. we have everything we need to make this time the greatest in america's history. [applause] what is required now is citizenship and leadership. so, let us together rise to meet the challenges that confront us, let us together truly reform our government and our politics.

let us together restore the promise of this, the greatest nation world has ever known. may god bless you all, may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] thank you so much. thank you. [applause] ♪ >> thank you so much, iowa. thank you.

thank you. i'm so happy to get to be here. thank you. i thank you so much. it is so great to be back in iowa. we have great memories here. many trips that we have been blessed to take here. the 2008 campaign. then even more fun, the tea party rally we had. that was fun. we have had fried everything your state fair. of course, one year thinking that after the say are, i was going to work some of it off, we drive up to storm lake. i think there is a half marathon going on. i can go incognito and go see this race. incognito. it means for me no makeup. [laughter]

i'm going to scare little children. i am running the race and jump in there. i'm incognito i'm thinking. i'm running in peace. no one is talking politics. i can't talk anyway. but no press there with suspicious thinking of their signals, she is in iowa, what is she doing? they are good at sensing who is coming, who is going and the significance of your state. i'm running, but no press bugging me if i want to run for president or not. that was the year of that question. jumping into the race, i'm running across the finish line. boom, their im accused of running the race for political purposes. i find out that ok, i'm in iowa, the race happened to be called

the jump right in and run race. i got a medal. the press is like you orchestrated that. i'm like oh yeah, asked todd. anyway. my best memories are of the wonderful friends we have made here, good people, hard workers with love for this great country. they show your work athletic -- work ethic. even driving by your homes with flags waving on the front porches, on any given night i think a lot of you may be found out there on your porches clinging to your guns, your god, your constitution. it is because of that, because of you the rest of the country knows this part of america as the heartland. last time i was here to campaign, it was for one of those friends whom we have made, and you know her, the soldier, the farmer, a good neighbor, and back then i called her a pistol

packing harley riding mama grizzly. now i am thrilled to call her your senator, joni ernst. >> other friends, it was here in iowa that i first met a big burly, but kind of sheepdog humble type of guy who wanted to help us out with security. so happy to get to bring them to iowa and get to know him well. he was a veteran. my heart for the military. he was humbled. we became friends with them over the years, todd and him especially becoming friends. we learn more about his amazing

story. it is the story of so many of our veterans. incredible sacrifice to protect our freedom. while we missed that particular friend now, we are so happy the rest of america is getting to know more and more the story of american sniper, chris kyle. it was here that we were introduced to chris. you know why that movie is breaking records all over the great nation? america needs a hero again. chris kyle has been that man. screw the left in hollywood who can't understand what it is that we see in someone like chris kyle and our veterans. [applause] so the last couple of days my daughter and i have been at a run show in las vegas. at the gun show, getting to link up with thea, chris's wife.

she was honoring veterans now that chris is gone. carrying on her husband's legacy, visiting with the veterans. like those military families having that sincere appreciation for what other military families go through. spending so much time with these other veterans. at this party, it seems that we are always going rogue something always happens. we're at the priority -- we are signing books. in the back this young, very energetic, very bold young veteran holds up a sign, and it was a four letter message to michael moore. i call him up front.

he is holding the poster. i am looking at it. he shows it to me. pictures started snapping. i'm giving the poster the old thumbs up. it was my thumb, not any other finger. [laughter] that poster though, you have heard the term swear like a sailor. i think this guy was a soldier. same thing. someone snaps that photo and we have taken a lot of heat over the last two days for being sing with it. it is a message he deserves. [applause] i was thinking -- i was thinking we will take that heat. that is ok. what the poster said is what the rest of us are thinking. what really came down to was our message to those who don't understand again the opportunity they have to do whatever the

heck they want to do even if they are jerks. it is our veterans, are active service members who are protecting their right to be jerks. if you love freedom you think of veterans. i'm glad to be in iowa because i'm amongst friends who understand that foundational aspect of america. [applause] we appreciate our veterans. ok. one other connection to iowa. someone else who else from the state, speaking of bristol maybe you have seen her in the news recently. photos of herbert posted. they were candid photos of her just nothing on but leather. beautiful leather.

[indiscernible] she was trained here in iowa. another scandal with the palin's. these pictures were posted because she has been trained as a companion for my youngest child, trig. this healthy labrador, she was trained by the same talents at the copy jake foundation that train service dogs for our veterans. [applause] so we have an honor to be a part of that organization and that charity, and our dog. we are happy she is from puppy jake. these pictures, it was just scandalous that i would show our big, strapping, healthy lab letting my little boy use her as a stepping stool to get to reach the kitchen sink.

i took a picture and said this is what turning a stumbling block until a stepping stone is about. who would have thought it would have become a scandal. they just let logo. they went absolutely crazy. this rest of the tinderbox of the world, everything that is going on in it, this was the most outrageous thing that had happened. barking their tired old death threats against us. get in line, weasels. [laughter] [applause] yeah. they are howling to the press. cruelty to animals, sarah palin. which surprised me, considering what it does. what joni ernst does to those iowa hogs. [laughter]

not to mention, but the president admitted to doing to those innocent indonesian puppies. jill adapted. she is another connection to iowa. her motto is better a stepping stone than a snack. [laughter] better stepped on been scarfed up. the media crucified us. we are getting used to that. thank you some much, citizens united, awesome group. thank you for the invitation and steve king, there he strong. he is going rogue in d.c. for being one of the brave to pull the lever for change in congressional leadership to have new energy and conservative movement, the policies that will

get the country on the right track. mostly, i thank you for being here. thank you. you are hearing words for many different people. one thing is in common. we believe what ronald reagan believes, that we are a people who have a government, not a government that has a people. it was jefferson's warning, when the people fear their government, that is tyranny. when government fear the people, there is freedom. [applause] we are here on the name of freedom. we are here in that name of freedom and you, even you get to decide who will fight for it. you will caucus to help choose our next resident a year from now. -- our next president a year from now.

it can't come soon enough. candidates will come here to earn your vote. the rest of america watching and trusting iowa to put them through the test, to ensure they are ready for war. it is war. it is war for the future of our country, for the sovereignty and solvency of the united states of america. the other side, the far left they see a need for change. it is by offering real change, again. coronation, rinse, replay. clinton rinse repeat. these leftist promoting these ready for campaigns, ready for hillary. well, these hope changey d.c. businesses disguised as grassroots, don't you wonder what the white house things of them out there prancing around

squealing they are ready for someone else? they have to admit it even. [laughter] because they know that he who was the one, now with teatime on the mind, he is so over it. america, he is just not that into you. [laughter] the $18 trillion question though is, do the candidates think they are ready for represent any hope or change? or is it more of the same old state-ism that we suffer from? what can we do differently to put an economy on the side of the middle class, instead of the side of their crony capitalists? will they worry more about

securing our borders and less about securing a primo teatime? how will they protect our standing across the world when they cannot protect an ambassador? when will they listen to concerns of we the people instead of listening in on our phone calls? how will they [indiscernible] when will they let us control our own care? what will they do to stop causing our pain and stop stealing it again. [applause] well, in other words, is hillary a new democrat or an old one? the press asks, can anyone stop hillary? this is different go a

conclusion. it is to scare us. a pantsuit can crush patriots. that is what this is all about. hey iowa, can anyone stop hillary? yes we can. it starts here. it starts now. from back comes good. that has been my mantra. from very backing come very good. as we look back on history, the last time that we suffered under such an out of touch presidency, we were lifted out by a charismatic solution oriented conservative who so loved this country and put his faith in her people. we can't have him back. but we can offer that study,

smart, stiff spined leadership that reagan did. to give the people real hope now is the time for conservative colors, not establishment hail pastels -- pale pastels. [applause] we need to ask who carries on reagan's legacy? who will lead our freedom movement to begin the restoration of america? you answer that by making the gop primary a competition, not foreign nation. our party is at a crossroads. many voters -- some in my family even -- they have lost faith in the gop machine.

they are registering as independence. so many voters, independence. they are looking for principal and patriotism over political party. the good news is, in our party [indiscernible] that's a good thing. it is primary competition that will surface the candidate who is up to the task and can unify. this person has to. knowing what the media will do all throughout 2016 to all of us, it is 20 the take more than a village to be hillary. [applause] here is how we do it. we go on offense. we go on offense now. we expect gop leaders in d.c. to get on offense. we the people, we realize this is more, it is war for the

sovereignty of the united states america. we don't sit on our thumbs this next time when one of our own is being crucified, and falsely accused of whatever the hit accusation of the day happens to be, racism, sexism, whatever. it is orwellian observing how that works, that rule that the left employees. disgusting charges from the left, reverse them. it is they who point a finger, not really -- they have tripled the amount of fingers pointed back at them. revealing they are the ones who really discriminate and divides,

on color in class, and sex. [applause] we call them out and we don't let them get away with it. on gender, this one, it is they who deceive women. they shackle them to the good old boys running washington, and this promise that they have to provide for the little ladies every need because they are there, a woman is just not capable. it is the left that does that. it isn't the right. it isn't conservatives. we go on offense, and we reveal the real war on women, with truth. because we can handle the truth. [applause] we give back, and we give hope. we give a real choice. we don't talk it, we walk it. by proving to voters what works.

we do that by supporting those who have actually done the job who cut government, and incentivize the private sector and never compromise on freedom. look at the conservative governor. they are accountable. they administer. they have these results all across the united states and conservative governor's offices that results can be argued. we don't underestimate the wisdom of the people when we on offense give them the truth, and the true state of the union, especially saying young people what is actually going on, and teaching young people there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. [applause] there is no free college. there is no free birth control.

there is no free phone. someone pays. someone always pays. so we undo that leftist thinking and teaching, that enabling. we encounter it with empowering young kids again and bring them on our side, and make them know to get a buck, you get off your butt. we teach that again. [applause] and we get honest on national security. we give hope to the people that we need not, we will not succumb to evil. there we call it as it is. the and -- down theand we call it as it is. we address it. that must be, that 800 pound elephant in the room of the white house, the radical left won't even name, won't even name the threat to our way of life

today. we will hit it and name it. it is any muslim who would choose evil, whose loyalty to a death cult perversion is so darkened and has deceived their soul that they actually think they are welcome here, to transform here. no. what we do, we strengthen our military. we respect our troops. and we let them, our troops and gatekeepers, we let them tell jihadists, uh-uh, this is our house, get the hell out. [applause] and amnesty. we have to be candid. and review gold reserve victim to the end of the people the

candid -- and the people deserve the candidness. amnesty, no. the left and rhinos, they would report those whose first action is to break the law? we win with the wonderful immigrants who have built the country legally, and we secure their rights and their hearts ard-fought opportunities. together we show the deserving middle class that we will be decimated under this unconstitutional executive amnesty. we also have to school our president i guess on the rules. amn impatient president doesn't just get to trample our constitution and ignore congress just because he doesn't get exactly what he wants every time he wants it. with all due respect to the office of the presidency, it is like an overgrown little boy who is just acting kind of spoiled and mom, we don't put up with that, do we? no. or dads, either.

it reminds me of bristol. she can testify to this. she came home from preschool and her cool teacher, her awesome teacher, a sharp woman, whose family had gone from that come from mexico, bristol said her mother and dad are so happy they got to come to america, and the daughter she became a teacher. they are so happy. and they love this country so much. that they named her after our country. my teachers first name is land. and i thought land? maybe a palin kid would have to suffer through that name the rest of their life. [laughter] but no, bristol hasn't got it right. the teacher's real name was america. the parents had named her america. so i was explaining that to bristol. it is not land or globe. it is america. mrs. huey taught bristol, so

many kids, a lesson that our president must admit, when the must have missed -- must have missed. when students would whine about something not getting their way exactly as they wanted in that class, she would sing this little mantra, america said you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit. that is what our president must have missed growing up. [applause] because this insistence, this lawlessness of he trying to get his way and trample our constitution. i won't even get into the details of everything. but from debt, when you are in a hole you don't want to be in the first thing they stop digging. i don't know what is wrong with the leaders in this country who understand we are in a hole we don't want to be in and they keep digging. but from debt to energy, proving that inherent link between

american-made energy and prosperity, and energy insecurity to solutions like the flat tax that we need, to stop this unhealthy obsession that we are hearing about, even on our side of the aisle, the subjective income gap we are supposed to be so obsessed with, right now. no, we don't have to be obsessed with it. not when everyone rises together. with conservative, proven free market principles that incentivize pursuing capital and investment and innovation. it results in lasting prosperity for everyone. and do finally -- and to finally stop this overreaching bureaucracy which we get on offense. we drive in solutions and we be bold. i remember it was here in iowa that i put forward in a speech some years ago, i guess they didn't listen because they didn't do anything about it, i said why don't we decentralize the federal government? we have to be bold.

about this stuff. shuitter bureaucracy and move what is remaining across the country to the people. is there is the -- with the end pack up the u-haul. what better place for the department of agriculture than in ag countries so they see how policies affect the farmers and ranchers who feed our country? [applause] things like that. it must change. things must change for this government. look at it. it is not too big to fail. it is too big to succeed. it is too big to succeed. so we can afford no retreads, or nothing will change. with the same people and same policies that got us into this status quo. another latin word. status quo. and it stands for, the middle

class, everyday americans are really getting taken for a ride. that is status quo. gop leaders, by the way, the man can only ride you when your back is bent. strengthen it. then america will be taken for a ride. -- then america won't be taken for a ride. because so much is at stake. maybe just the next standing of theirs and the next election. we are not in the mood to get -- give politicians a pass because they have a party initial next to their name. evidence of this that it is not just us thinking this, across the country. look at the number of governors elected without a majority of the vote. that is the result of fired up, independent and strong third-party candidates. it is at its highest level in the last hundred years. alaska elected a very strong conservative who formed an

independent ticket in order to prove that he be beholden to the people, not to parties, politics that result in the titles and the hierarchies, and problems that come with that. be beholden to the people. it is their record then, not their standing in the party, but their record that needs to be considered. we tell them if we want a fired up, unified base to get the gop over the line, to thwart the lies of the left, and their politics of destruction, we have to cut the candidates who don't fit the bill of being beholden to the people. [applause] you see, we will vote for those who have a record to prove it. and voters of all stripes are desiring something to vote for this time. for their american dream, not

just against tired failed policies. we, they will vote for the american dream for their kids and grandkids. we have to be careful going through the primary process not to marginalize any independent commonsense conservative. let's take the sign up the door to the oval office, the one that said no girls allowed. take that off the wall. ok? and, we remember what margaret thatcher would always remind her constituents, anyway that if you want something said, you ask a man. if you want something done, you ask a woman. and america is ready to get stuff done. so we take the ball, and we drive to victory. and we do give real hope with real solutions grounded in time-tested truths.

these solutions that will be brought to you by competitor with a record to prove it. and then, we are ready for hillary. now, i'm ready for hillary. are you? are you coming? [applause] it was a few summers ago, my final thought here, a few summers ago, after a great day with friends, and farmers, and farm animals at your iowa state fair, we loaded up the motor home and drove some hours over the border to illinois and stopped along the way the because my daughter had never got to run through a maze in a cornfield. that shows you how exciting my life is. piper and her little cousin get to run through this maze for the first time.

it is like this all americana thrill for our family. and then driving through the small towns around here that glorify our nation, again, with those homes proudly waving the flag from the porch. and we pulled into dixon as we crossed the state line, and we turned on a street. we stopped at a modest, white, clapboard home, and it had a pair of rocking chairs on the front arch, and a neighbor came over and told us about the house. they told us about the little boy who used to live in that house. and that his family could not afford the house, to own it. so they rented it. the little boy had a little tiny vegan off the front of the house. that is where he would listen to the radio. he would learn from that. he played football in the front yard and ride his bike up and down the sidewalk. just real life. and then as a teen he would work

as a lifeguard on rock river where you saved -- he saved 77 souls. and he grew up to save a world from communism. he inspired a nation to once again believe in itself. this little boy from humble beginnings that wasn't that far from here, was of course ronald reagan. and he never forgot where he came from, those roots in the heartland, and his story is our story. it embodies the american dream. it is a dream that we all must be willing to sacrifice, and to fight for, now more than ever. together, dreaming that, living it. working for it. we can make sure the dream lives, and that we know that our best days are still ahead. and i have every confidence that when we, when conservatives rise

to that challenge, and offer a real choice, we will have a rebirth of successful conservative leadership like reagan gave us. and the american people will onc e again be inspired and be united as proud, secure citizens of the greatest nation in the history of the world. and i thank you iowa for being a center of that. i say god bless you iowa, god bless the united states of america. thank you. [inaudible] thank you guys. [applause] ♪

>> we are here. we are here. let's finish today up. yeah. thank you, sir. thank you all for being here today. it is great to be back in the great state of iowa. that happens to be the state that elected the first female combat veteran to the united states senate, miss joni ernst. [applause] i was pretty proud to campaign over here through the fall for 2 fabulous people, governor terry branstad and terry reynolds. you have great people in those two. i also campaign for a guy in the

first congressional district. a guy that they used to call coach. they call him congressman now. rob. he is a good one. i want to say a special thanks to another member of congress, one who's no holds barred is passionate conservatism, he is the reason i'm here today. brother steve king. most of all, i want to say thank you to the men and women here today who represent a grassroots movement to restore america to its central idea of why we get up every day. and that is freedom. freedom is god's gift to mankind. and america's gift to the world. freedom made us most productive nation in the world at the turn of the 20th century. and for freedom, we sent our best and our bravest to fight on foreign soil. lifting the yoke of tyranny.

america is and always will be the last great hope of the free world. and when freedom is imperiled at home, when it is threatened by big government, by massive debt and slow growth, it is the people have the power to make a great change. that is exactly what we did at the ballot box last november. [applause] we said enough to slow growth tax policies. enough to smothering debt. enough to bureaucracy. enough to broken borders that undermine our security. the american people made a clean break from the economic policies that have slowed our recovery at home, and i might add the foreign policies that have weakened our standing abroad. i got a feeling that after six years of disappointment, of

mediocrity and decline, a slow course correction is not what voters are going to be looking for in 2016. [applause] now, i might surprise a few of you today but i been thinking about 2016. [laughter] after six years of the most divisive president in our modern history, i believe americans are looking for leaders who will bring the country back together, to heal this nation. americans are sick of this partisan bickering on both sides, over the grandstanding and gridlock. they want solutions. they don't want soundbites. they want results, not rhetoric. i'm here today to say that it's not good enough for conservatives to be just an opposition force. we've got to offer a vision for the future. we have this tremendous opportunity to put forward this

pro-growth agenda that returns jobs from overseas increases wages, and allows middle-class families to once again climb the ladder of success after a lost decade of economic decline. the time has come to usher in a new era of prosperity, of reform, and revival. we can begin by unleashing the american arsenal of energy. step 1 -- [applause] step one for congress, authorize the building of the keystone pipeline. and this president needs to sign it into law. you know, the whole obama energy policy, it amounts to this long list of projects that we can't begin, permits that we can't grant, studies that we can't conclude, and resources we can't use. that is their policy.

it would be tragic if he continues to play to his political base instead of revving up our economic base. we need to open up more of america to energy exploration, jumpstart the economy, provide lower energy costs for families. and we must realize the energy is not just critical to our economy. this is critical to our national security. so to create jobs, we also need to reform the tax code. you know, america has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the western world. and these policies, their -- they are shipping hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas sending capital fleeing to foreign nations. our broken, outdated tax code has become this incubator of corruption, of favoritism, of bureaucratic harassment, and

it has to be reformed. we need to stop strangling small businesses with overregulation. i want the folks on main street, and not just the folks on wall street, to be able to make a living in this market. [applause] we got runaway agencies like the epa that are harming business startups, slowing our economic recovery. if we are to drive economic growth, small business has to be that engine. and we've got to be honest with the american people about the immoral debt being forced on the next generation. no great nation has ever spent and taxed its way to prosperity. never. let's get our fiscal house in order. it's time to make some tough choices about spending, stop putting off today's problems on tomorrow's americans. after six years of the obama

presidency, we have a record number of americans on food stamps. we have a so-called recovery that is weighted down by this massive bureaucracy, crippling regulations, archaic tax laws, and record debts. the only way we will unleash it is to make major economic and fiscal reforms. and i happen to know something about this. as governor of texas, i signed seven balanced budgets. i led a state with one of the lowest tax burdens, and we created the best economic climate in america. [applause] we kept spending under control. we provided smart regulations. we improved educational opportunities. and we stopped frivolous lawsuits at the courthouse. [applause] see, in the last 14 years, texas

has created almost 1/3 of all the new jobs in america. think about that. if you just look at the last seven years alone, starting in december of 2007, you will see that 1.4 million jobs were created in my home state. and at the same time, the rest of the country lost 400,000 jobs. america can experience a season of economic revival if we expend our energy production, if we reformed the tax code, if we reduce regulations on small businesses, and we control the size and scope of government starting with spending. i want to share something with you. in 2014, the american people sent a message that goes far beyond economic and fiscal

reform. the institutions of our government are in crisis. and for years, our leaders have been lurching from one crisis to the next. take the tragedy at the border. this summer, the president was on an important mission, raising money for needy democrats. [laughter] so i invited him to chopper on down to the rio grande valley, to see the results of his policy that have brought tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors to texas. now, he turned me down, saying he did not do photo ops, which really surprised his large gaggle of white house photographers, i will tell you that. it's really hard to describe the events of last summer. children were turning themselves in to federal border patrol

agents, and ended up being sent over to these makeshift federal facilities. federal agents taken out of the field to change diapers and meet the basic needs of children without parents. on private ranch land, we were seeing and finding bodies, victims of human trafficking. these smugglers who exploited this human tragedy, these people are just a product to make a profit. you and i know these are human beings made in the image of god. it's a simple fact that the drug cartels control every square inch of land on the mexican side of the border, and no one , no one crosses that border without their consent. it was because of this criminal threat that i took action last summer, and i deployed the texas national guard to the border with mexico. [applause]

the drug cartels and the transnational gangs, they exploit children, enslave women, peddle their drugs and weapons in our country. they are the face of evil. and for the sake of the nation we did not stand idle against this threat. so here is what i say if washington refuses to secure the border. texas will. [applause] this problem has dragged on long enough. the president bears much of the responsibility for a change in policy that brought more than 70,000 unaccompanied minors to texas. there's plenty of blame to go around. the fact is, congress should

have acted on this many years ago. and that is the problem with washington today. congress has become this debating society, unable to act. they only talk. the institutions of government are failing while people are dying. and we need to send a message to congress, secure the border now, override this president's lawless executive order, restore law and order to or border with mexico, stand up to this face of evil and protect our citizens. [applause] it is time. i will suggest to you it is also time for a major shift in our foreign policy. time and time again, this administration, this administration has chosen to abandon our friends and weaken our alliances.

that is what this president is doing. [applause] yes, sir. that is the face of america. that is what they are going to see for the next two years. [cheers and applause] this is why we live in america today, to be able to stand up and tell our government to do what we want to do. that is what we elected them for. [cheers and applause]

take a look. think about those that -- think about our friends who have been abandoned. think about how we have weakened our alliances around the world. take israel. when peace talks between israel and the palestinians fell apart, did we stand with our greatest ally in the middle east? no! unnamed administration sources were quoted attacking the israeli prime minister. and i might add the secretary of , state compared israel to the apartheid regime of south africa. that is not the america i know. the america i know stands for freedom. and it stands steadfast with israel. [cheers and applause]

thank you. last year we saw isis terrorists enter iraq in american tanks using american weapons, taking cities, secured through the sacrifice of american blood. and this happened because of the president's inaction in syria, where he allowed opposition forces to become radicalized. separately, he warned the syrian dictator that using chemical weapons on his own people was a red line he could not cross. and assad crossed that line without consequence, meaning a dictator remains in power today due to this administration's empty words.

when a president makes promises that he won't back up, his statements are not a policy, they are just an opinion. and the world pays attention realizing they can test both our strength and our resolve. these brutal terrorists do not respect talk. they only respect force. what is at stake here? [applause] what is at stake is no less than the preservation of western values. and what is required is not moral confusion, but moral clarity. and it matters, it matters that we understand all of this. for one reason. without confidence in the truth and goodness of our own values the great moral inheritance of our own culture, how are we going to deal with the falsehood of theirs?

and let me tell you, what happened in paris reminds us that this is not a rhetorical question. this is a simple fact. when it comes to the western world fighting this great threat, this administration needs to stop leading from behind. [cheers and applause] what is needed at this time in history is a clear vision for the world, with america leading again and freedom on the march again on the most pressing issues of our time. from jobs to energy security to national security, we don't have to settle for the present state of decline. we can usher in a new era of growth and strength and opportunity. i am proud to be an american. i am proud to be a citizen of a country that stands for freedom, and that defense is that the

fact -- defends freedom around the globe. i am proud of our free enterprise system that allows people to risk their capital, to both succeed and fail, and get up, dust yourself off and try again. i'm a proud man who loves american industry and its innovations. i'm proud to have worn the uniform of the united states air force. [cheers and applause] i am proud of young men and women who travel to far-flung regions of the world to fight for all that is right in the world. [cheers and applause] you know, there is nothing wrong in america today that can't be fixed with new leadership. the next two years are about hope and revival and a vision to restore america's place in the world. america is looking for a new

path forward and starting today, right here in iowa, let's give it to them! god bless you, and god bless america. thank you. [cheers and applause] ♪