are built to keep you ahead. >> mediacom supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> former vice president mike pence spoke at a lincoln-reagan dinner in manchester, new hampshire. his remarks are 45 minutes. [indiscernible conversations] >> thank you, and please welcome hillsborough county's chairman. [applause] >> thank you, hillsborough county. thank you, chris, and everyone

who participated. we are not going to name everybody because everybody here is an important part of our party. but i would like to thank all the elected officials who are here, our state party leaders, activists in the county and the towns, our sponsors, the wait staff and everyone who participated, in particular the dinner committee that put in a lot of hard work to pull off an event like this. so thank you, all, for being here. [applause] in this county in 2020, we picked up 11 house seats for republicans. we went from 40 to 51. [applause]

we flipped three senate seats. from three democrats, now we have six republicans representing our county. we also picked up an executive counselor seed. -- executive council seat. ladies and gentlemen, i would like to introduce the 82nd governor of new hampshire, our governor chris sununu.

-- our friend, governor chris sununu. [cheers and applause] governor sununu: all right. thank you, thank you, thank you. trust me, i know you are not really here to see me. thank you guys very much. i want to take a couple of minutes -- i'm going to be fairly brief and a little bit off-the-cuff, as you guys know i always am. this is the state of new hampshire, and we are just rocking it. there's no doubt about that. sometimes i sound like the proud parent who says, my kids are the best. let me tell you, this state is crushing it. we really are. it is unbelievable. in the n i just got a statistic the other day that said we are the only state in the country where less businesses closed in 2020 than in 2019, which is really amazing. really, really amazing. when the feds gave us all that cares act money, more than any

state in the country, we did not keep it in the government. we pumped more dollars out to businesses and citizens and relief efforts on the ground at a local level, at a personal level to prop them up and keep them surviving through really tough economic times. we played for the long game, so what is the result? the result is we get to reap those benefits. sometimes i think people do not realize how far ahead of the game america is as a whole. the world still has this crisis going on. this is the place to be. it really is. and it does not happen by accident. it happens with a lot of hard work, with the right attitude, with the red promotion, and again, looking at metrics and accountability and good management. i've got a great team. a few folks i want to recognize here. i think they are here, i'm not

even sure. senate president chuck morris and the speaker are crushing it. they are doing a phenomenal, phenomenal job. i mean, really. trust me, two years ago remember i was the only guy in the statehouse. when we did a great job with that. that was defense if you will. now, we get to move forward on our initiatives. now, we get to move forward on our initiatives. the governor can't get everything he wants and chuck won't get everything he wants. the freedom caucus won't get everything they want. everybody is going to get something which is really good and it's not for them. that's the best part about the republican party, it's not for them it's for the state. they're trying to make it better for their kids. that's a fundamental thing that separates us from the democrat party. it's not short-term, it's long

game. we do it on up one on one level. not bigger and better government, it's about saying you shouldn't trust government. trust yourselves. trust your cities and towns. trust control. trust your voices. i wasn't going to talk about the budget, but the tax cuts the property tax relief the fiscal responsibility it is phenomenal. we haven't seen it in a few years and it's going to be a game changer for the cities and towns. we have a beautiful opportunity tonight. i have the honor of introducing my friend. i want to be respectful and i know he is the vice president of the united states but he is first and foremost my friend. i knew him as governor. he was one of the first governors i ever met in indiana.

we went out and i met a few governors and he was one of the first ones that stepped out and said you have to run. he took the time with the guy he had never met before to talk about what it meant. it was inspiring. a year later, he was chosen to be vice president and the rest is history. at the end of the day, there's a lot of adjectives you can use with mike pence. he's just a good guy. his heart is absolutely in the right place. we can disagree on policy and this and details here and there. at the end of the day, when you look at unofficial who is going to lead, you want someone who is sincere. genuine, doing it for the right reasons. that isn't doing it so they can be the first one to get on television. dealing with this

administration, working with his administration through this entire crisis, if there was an issue that the governors had any governor in this country, you knew you could pick up the phone to mike pence. he wasn't just on a call, he was in the center of it. if you had an issue with fema, call the vice president. you have an issue with testing, call the vice president. the calls that we would do, he was on every single call. as was the former president as well. they were there, listening, connecting. yes, some of the calls went on long just like my press conferences. they never wanted to finish taking a question. through all of that anxiety, i can't tell you how reassuring it was to have someone on the other end of the line especially the former governor got what we were going through and understood the stresses and said no matter what

time of the day we will be here for you. not quite the same. i don't want to use this moment to bash on the current administration but they don't talk to us. they don't get on the phone. they don't talk to us about the crisis. they are not involved. a bunch of bureaucrats that talk to the governors. you can hear republican and democrat governors expressing their frustration. the key to a crisis is transparency. that's the foundation of public trust. this guy didn't need to be taught it, he taught us. he led by example on day one. it was so refreshing and it's a big part of why we were so ask -- so successful in new hampshire knowing someone in washington had your back. that administration had our back every time. it's an absolute honor and pleasure to bring up my friend

vice president mike pence. ♪ [applause] ♪ mr. pence: hello, new hampshire. it is great to be back in hillsborough county. one of the strongest republican carries in new england. let's hear it for chairman chris eggert. what a great night.

i want to extend congratulations to the hillsboro county republican party and the town committees that are being honored tonight because of all of you republicans now hold majorities in both houses of the state legislature. what a great victory. it really is great to be back at this dinner. i was reminded that i was graciously invited to speak at the hillsboro county republican party 11 years ago. i get an invitation every 11 years. [laughter] it was amazing when i think of that year 2010. it was the year that we won back the house of representatives from nancy pelosi the democrat majority. a couple years later, we won the

senate. then, we won back america and i am here to say i believe we are on the verge of another great republican comeback. it starts right here in new hampshire. i want to thank a couple of people most notably the main you just heard from. talk about a good guy. someone who has a heart for public service. i knew a couple of other sununu's and i count them as friends as well. at the people of new hampshire are blessed by the extraordinary and compassionate leadership of governor chris sununu. i am grateful for him. [applause] i appreciate the overly generous

introduction that he made. i am a christian, a conservative, and a republican in that order and it is my pleasure to be back in the state of new hampshire. i also want to thank the executive council dave wheeler a lifetime of service and his recognition tonight and also the speaker is here. i know they are in session and mr. speaker, we appreciate the leadership you have provided the republican majority. god bless you. i came here tonight for two reasons. first and foremost, i want to pay a debt of gratitude. to the people of new hampshire, i want to say thank you. thank you for the great privilege of serving as vice president of the united states of america.

it was the greatest honor of my life. [applause] secondly, after 134 days, for the biden administration has been pushing open borders, runaway spending, defunding the police, abandoning the right to life, censoring free speech, canceling our liberties, i came here to say enough is enough. [applause] i came here to say the time is now for every patriotic american who shares our ideals and values to stand up and fight back against the agenda of the radical left. i learned a lot serving

alongside president donald trump. some people think we are a little bit different. [laughter] i think what president trump showed us was what republicans can accomplish when our leaders stand firm on conservative principles and don't back down. that's exactly what he did for four years. under president trump and our administration, it was four years of consequence. four years of results. four years of promises made and promises kept. [applause] our administration achieved the lowest unemployment, the highest household incomes, most energy production, the most secure boater, and the most secure military. it's incredible. i'm writing a book about our

time in the white house. almost everybody is excited about it. [laughter] i can't wait to unpack all that we did under this president's leadership and with the strong support of the people here in the republican party of new hampshire. in our first three years, we rebuilt the military, revived the economy, cut taxes, cut regulations at a record pace. became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. [applause] we held china accountable for years of trade abuses. we brought jobs back to the usa. in the face of the worst pandemic in a hundred years, we launched the greatest national mobilization since world war ii and the day we left office, we

were vaccinating one million americans a day. i have to tell you to provide for the common defense is the first object of the national government. i am proud and grateful for that record. i'm a proud father of united states marine captain. [applause] i am also proud to say one of my unworthy sons-in-law is a pilot in the united states navy. [laughter] under our administration, we rebuilt the military $3 trillion in our national defense. with that renewed american

strength, we stood with our allies and stood up to our enemies as never before. our forces defeated the isis caliphate and took down their leader without one american casualty. [applause] we isolated iran as never before. just a year ago, we saw arab nations sign historic peace agreements with israel for the first time in 25 years. it was this president and this administration that kept our word to the american people and our most cherished ally. woman moved the american embassy to jerusalem, -- when we moved the american embassy to jerusalem, the capital of israel. we stood up to the timeless

values that have made this country great. nearly 300 conservatives confirmed to our federal courts at every level including justice gorsuch, justice kavanaugh, and justice amy coney barrett. every day, we defended the god-given liberties enshrined in our constitution and our bill of rights for every american. of every belief. we stood without apology every single day. for the sanctity of hume in life . -- human life. [applause] with your support here in new hampshire, the support of people all across this country, and your prayers, we made history.

we made a difference. we made america greater than ever before. how times have changed. the governor said he didn't come here to bash the current administration. i did. [laughter] [applause] buckle up. [laughter] 144 days and the joe biden administration has launched an avalanche. all of it designed to derail the progress we made. president biden takes to the podium and the congress of the

united states and announces an explosion of runaway spending. another $6 trillion. after our administration worked in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in a bipartisan way every bill the past the congress passed on a bipartisan basis. they forced through the congress a covid built to fund massive expansion of the welfare state. they passed it on a partisan vote. it's amazing the difference in approach. the difference in engagement. i will tell you things are different. our fda worked closely with research companies and our administration to launch operation warp speed. we cleared out the underbrush, we provided billions in support and we developed two safe and effective vaccines and nine months that are saving lives all across america and all around the world.

[applause] the fda i saw on the plane today , just issued a warning to americans don't eat cicadas. [laughter] i didn't make that up. sometimes i think the left-hand doesn't know what the far left hand is doing. seriously, they have proposed trillions of dollars in the so-called infrastructure bill that is just a thinly disguised climate change bill. and the green new deal. just as our economy in new hampshire is getting back on our

feet, americans are going back to work. this massive spending with military budget cuts and the largest tax increase in 50 years. i just say enough is enough. we're going to stand strong and send a message from right here in the live free or die state and we are going to stand strong for freedom. we are going to stand strong. with unlimited federal government. it doesn't stop there. the biden administration ended construction on the border wall and canceled policies that enhanced immigration by 90%. they have unleashed the worst border crisis in history.

they formed a commission to pack the supreme court, supported more calls for gun control eroding our second amendment rights and they joined the chorus accusing law enforcement in america of systemic racism. president biden's failed leadership has only been matched by weak leadership abroad. it set off the worst outbreak of violence in the middle east in seven years. after our administration stood strong with israel every day, for four years, president biden restored hundreds of millions of dollars to the palestinian authority. announced plans to begin negotiations with iran. even remained silent as hamas terrorists were firing record -- rockets at israeli citizens. president biden replaced strength with weakness. moral clarity with confusion.

loyalty with betrayal. you in new hampshire know what i know. when it comes to the foreign policy of the united states, if the world know something else, let the world know this. america stands with intro -- israel. [applause] it may be the most troubling developments that families the past few months has been the biden administration's wholehearted embrace on the radical left all-encompassing assault on american culture and values. under the biden administration, patriotic education has been replaced with political indoctrination. they abolished our 1776 commission and authorized

teaching critical race theory in our schools. instead of teaching all of our children regardless of race or creed or color to be proud of their country, critical race theory teaches children as young as kindergarten to be ashamed of their skin color. let me say as my friend said, america is not a racist country. [applause]

it is past time for america to discard the left-wing myth of racism. i commend state legislatures and governors for banning article race theory from our schools. -- for banning critical race theory from our schools. [applause] our founders said we are for a more perfect union and so we have done through the history of this country. while we are not perfect yet, we ought to do justice to all the progress that has been made and recognize that the united states of america is the most just, noble, and inclusive nation that has ever existed on the face of the earth. [applause]

the united states military is the greatest force for good the world has ever known. [applause] as our soldiers protect us abroad, we also do well. to also pay a debt of honor and gratitude to those who put on a different uniform every day. put on a side arm. like my uncle who walk to be in chicago for 25 years, we count our lives every day as more

important than their own. law enforcement officers in the united states of america are heroes and they should be honored by every american every day. [applause] last august, at fort mchenry, i told the american people that they wouldn't be safe in joe biden's america. it grieves my heart to tell you tonight that murders are now increased by more than one third in our largest cities. democrat efforts to defund the police, withdraw support for law enforcement has set off a violent crime wave that is wreaking havoc in families

across the nation. black lives are not endangered by police. black lives are saved by police every day. [applause] we don't need to defund the police, we need to defend the police and reject the anti-law enforcement agenda of joe biden and the democrats in washington and put the lives of law-abiding citizens of every race and creed and color first. [applause] it's amazing when you think of over 134 days, and 2020 remember

joe biden was campaigning as a moderate. when he campaigned. [laughter] he has literally governed as the most liberal president since fdr. even aoc says the president biden has exceeded progressive's expectations. that's saying a lot. [laughter] i don't believe for one moment that that's what the american people voted for. they didn't vote to open our borders, to give away the safety of our streets, their prosperity, freedom, future. i want to say again, coming here to new hampshire tonight, it is time. it is time for freedom loving americans to stand up and say no more. it's time for freedom loving americans to unite behind an agenda that will bring america

back. [applause] we don't have to speculate about what that means. for all of my years in this movement, i first ran for congress when one of the namesakes of this dinner was still in the white house. i had a chance to meet president reagan in the blue room. my wife and i met him. i sat down next to him. ronald reagan was the reason why joined the republican party. maybe like many of you. [applause] i sat down next to him, i felt like i was talking to mount rushmore. i said mr. president, i just want to thank you for everything you have done for this country.

encouraged my generation to believe in this country again. for all of my life, i will believe in that moment that the 40th president of the united states of america blushed. he said well, that's a very nice thing of you to say. [laughter] president reagan articulated an agenda he never took credit for because it was an american agenda. he said, people say i'm a great communicator, i'm not a great communicator, i just communicated great things. president trump did the same. his agenda was strong and prosperous, america built on freedom. [applause] the truth is our republican

party has become the home party for the american agenda. an agenda that believes in a strong national defense and limited federal government, in life and liberty and pursuit of happiness. it has all fallen to us. we have been blessed in this nation. to whom much is given, much will be required. you are here tonight because you know we have an obligation. they did in their time as we do in our time, to stand strong for that positive american agenda, a strong military, secure borders, free enterprise, safe neighborhoods, support for law enforcement, america first trade deals, judges that uphold all of our god-given liberties, to fight for the opportunity for every american to choose where their children go to school, whether it is public, private, or parochial.

[applause] and we as republicans recognize that at the center of our republic, at the center of our democratic institutions is the principle of one person, one vote. it will be our party that makes it clear that election integrity is a national imperative and responsibility. [applause] and the truth is, after an election that saw several states literally set aside laws enacted by the legislature's, now is the time for states to ensure that one person, one vote principle that is the center of our system is protected and guaranteed. make no mistake, that principle is under threat.

under the leadership of nancy pelosi, the democrats in washington want to nationalize our elections with their bill called hr one, they want to codify many of the practices that create the greatest opportunity for fraud. none other than new hampshire's legendary secretary of state put it best. [applause] he said nancy pelosi's election bill, which the senate will take up later this month, is an egregious overreach of federal authority that would render the new hampshire constitution mill and void -- null and void. let me make a promise. with your support and your efforts and the efforts of republicans across this nation, we are not going to let nancy pelosi override new hampshire's

constitution or the state constitution of any state, and we will never let nancy pelosi take the primary from -- the first of the nation primary from new hampshire. [applause] our founders had a debate at the constitutional convention. mr. speaker, you know this. about where elections ought to be governed. here. right here, at the state level. not in washington, d.c.. it is at the very center of our system, and we are going to stand for that system, we are going to defend state-based

election reform, we are going to support voter id, and we are going to work every day to restore the confidence of every american and every vote. [applause] beyond all of that, having to do with prosperity and security and the integrity of the ballot, ours will be the party that stands for the religious liberty of every american, of every faith, and we will defend the rights to life -- right to life. [applause] men and women, security, prosperity, educational opportunity for every american.

election security and freedom and our values, that is our agenda. and that is a winning agenda. that is a winning agenda that will unite our country. restore our future. that is an agenda that will win back america, i have no doubt in my heart. so tonight, i want you to be encouraged, i really do. because i'm more confident than ever that victory is right around the corner. and not just the down ballot victories that you delivered here in new hampshire in 2020, but the victories up and down the ballot because we have seen this movie before. it is 2010, the last time i was at the hillsborough county republican lincoln reagan dinner. i was serving as chairman of the house republican conference, we were in the minority. there was a new democrat president advancing a liberal agenda.

there was a democrat majority in the senate, democrat majority in the house of representatives. coming here today hillsborough county republican party dinner, i just knew that if we offered a positive, conservative agenda to the american people, we would win back the house, we would win back the senate, we would win back america. and that is just what we did. and we are going to do it again in 2022 and 2024. [applause] we have to tell our story and we have to come together. tell your neighbors and friends, i ran into mike another day, he

comes around every 10 years. [laughter] he said, that guy, have his speech was talking about everything we got done. in the first three years of our administration, then steer this nation through one of the greatest challenges of our lifetime in our last year. we don't have to accept the future of socialist decline and moral decay. what we proved in the last four years is we can be a nation built on freedom, whose government exists to serve its citizens, not the other way around. we can elect leadership that puts america and the american people first and beacon be a nation where every american has the freedom to live, to work, to worship according to the dictates of our conscience. we can be a live free or die nation. [applause]

we have to tell our story and we have to do one more thing. we have all been through a lot over the past year. the global pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive election, and tragedy at our nation's capitol. as i said that day, january 6 was a dark day in the history of the united states' capitol. but things to the action of the capitol police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled, the capitol was secured , and that same day, we reconvened, the congress, and did our duty under the constitution and the laws of the united states. president trump and i have spoken many times since we left office. i don't know if we will ever see

eye to eye on that day. but i will always be proud of what we accomplished for the american people over the last four years. [applause] and i will not allow democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of americans. [applause] or allow democrats or their allies in the media to distract our attention from a new administration intent on dividing our country to advance their radical agenda. my fellow the republicans, for

our country, for our future, for our children and our grandchildren, we must move forward united. [applause] ronald reagan said it best. 1976. after he had come up short for the republican convention, he was called to the podium by president ford. he said words that i think he speak to our party and our movement today. ronald reagan said, we have to quit talking to each other and about each other and go out and communicate to the world and carry them the message they have been waiting to hear. that is our challenge. [applause] so let's press on with a positive agenda, let's tell the

story to our neighbors and friends of everything we were able to accomplish when we put republican, conservative principles into practice in a short period of time and made a stronger, more prosperous, more secure america. the bible says, let's forget about what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. we have to keep the faith. we have to keep faith with our founders and our highest ideals. we have to defend the freedoms enshrined in our declaration and our constitution and be ready to keep our oath even when it hurts , as the good book says. we have to keep faith with 74 million americans who believe we could be prosperous again, who believe we could be strong again and deliver it for ourselves and our prosperity.

lastly, we have to keep faith with him who is ever guided this miracle of democracy on these shores. keep faith and -- he is still with the people of this good nation today and so will ever be. god is not done with america yet. [applause] i just know in those ancient words that has always been true, that if his people who are called by his name will humble themselves and pray and turn and seek his face, he will do like he has always done in much more challenging times then we can

possibly imagine. he will hear from heaven and he will heal this land. this one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [applause] thank you, new hampshire. god bless you and god bless america. [applause] ♪

es in the u.s.. >> good morning and thank you for joining us. i will