SCOTT WALKER SPEECH AT 2015 IOWA FAITH AND FREEDOM SUMMIT

 

Transcript

0:00

good evening

0:06

good evening

0:12

freedom

0:13

endowed by our Creator

0:16

defined by our Constitution

0:19

and defended each and every day

0:23

by the men and women who proudly wear the uniform these United States

0:27

tonight as we talk about freedom

0:35

and face we should begin by thanking God for the freedoms that were endowed

0:40

on us in this country we should remember the founders who helped

0:44

identify those in that document the the Constitution

0:47

which we focus on and we should begin

0:51

in particular tonight by thanking any better weather here

0:54

who are in the service to our country be they an active duty

0:58

the Guard and Reserve or those who have served our country the passes veterans

1:02

with any of you here tonight

1:03

who fit that category please stand so we can recognize you

1:20

and as you go home tonight

1:22

before you go to bed when you say your prayers I'd ask that you not only

1:26

thank in your prayers the good Lord for the men and women adjusted up

1:30

but remember that even as we speak here tonight

1:34

there are men and women in harm's way and there will be into the foreseeable

1:38

future

1:39

whether they come for the active duty the Guard Reserve anywhere around the

1:42

country so don't forget them

1:44

as we talk about freedom we need to remember the people who have stood and

1:49

continue to stand to protect those freedoms each and every day

1:52

on June 5th 2012 is Kate that shit we won

1:58

the one in all the recall election ever

2:01

for gubernatorial race in this entire culture

2:11

many have you here helped us out we appreciate

2:13

a lot of folks who went across the Mississippi and knocked on doors

2:18

in our state there a lot of folks who said even here I'll get on the phone and

2:22

make phone calls to get out the grass roots in your state

2:24

there are many view that senate checks for twenty five or thirty or forty

2:28

dollars

2:29

we appreciate every better that but most importantly are so many view here in

2:33

others for across this great country

2:35

who said it on it now I were prayed for you

2:38

eyes when it a how much that meant to us particularly

2:41

I did not just the recall that we had a hundred thousand protesters in Iran are

2:45

capital

2:45

we had death threats against myself and my family and others out there

2:50

I gotta tell you what's the status at all for people all on the way

2:55

would tell us we're prayin for you we're praying for tonight we're praying for

2:58

your boys were praying for you all the acres

3:00

thank you for that doing i'd ask returns don't stop brand we still need your

3:04

prayers

3:04

we appreciate it very much couple days after that recall election I wanna tell

3:14

you

3:14

interesting story to a couple days after the recall election I got an email from

3:18

a long time friend by

3:19

so I'd email he said

3:22

I took a picture this devotional

3:26

and and I was going to send it to you on the day of the election if you lost

3:30

because it's really a powerful devotional

3:34

its powerful for someone who's into a time for mourning a time of crisis

3:38

time a loss and he said I did but I waited a couple days and I are is that I

3:43

don't know what movie but I decided to send it to you anyway

3:45

and so as I read his email I opened up the attachment and I read it really

3:52

would've been powerful

3:53

and I lost the election as I looked at it more closely I i realize the typeface

3:58

was familiar to me

4:00

and I and I went overnight I get outta

4:03

a copy over devotional that to I read each day called Jesus calling

4:07

and I looked at it along the whole

4:11

it was from that devotional it was resting today it was

4:15

it was for Monday June 4th

4:20

you can imagine the day before election I got up early I was doing interviews I

4:24

was getting ready for the Bison

4:25

somehow that day I neglected to read the devotional

4:30

and I thought well that's interesting but that would have really been powerful

4:34

header lost the election

4:35

let I didn't Lord but the II I realize now it's very interesting to see the

4:40

I miss and I didn't think anything more other a couple days more wet by

4:46

then in my fish office I got it email their

4:49

from a woman who lived in northern Wisconsin who

4:52

want to tell me about her brother Pat her brother Pat had been at a

4:57

a breakfast on the form I did on the sunday

5:00

before that recall election was Scott's we love to do

5:03

dairy breakfast at allbut the reforms different counties around the state that

5:07

particular Sunday

5:08

that brokaw north-central Wisconsin and

5:12

this e-mail told me about how this woman's brother

5:15

and his family had been at that breakfast and he was a big fan

5:20

he heard I was over there flipping pancakes

5:23

conservative up for folks in so his family came up and they were

5:27

what are the very people who got in line to take a picture in this e-mail went on

5:31

to say about how excited he was not just for that picture because you told his

5:35

his family had a 13-year-old son and his wife and the two

5:39

two children a little bit older in their twenties and how he said how important

5:43

it was

5:44

that they get out there to sit about how important was the good work we've done

5:47

almost

5:48

State Wisconsin and that that recall not be successful

5:51

and then I read the email over further

5:55

it said the next morning that pat got up

5:58

to milk cows early in the morning was a thirteen-year-old

6:01

and at the age of 52 he dropped over dead of a heart attack

6:07

and then this e-mail went on to tell me about how pat's wife

6:14

and her two adult children even though it was the day after the passing

6:19

over husband and their father still went out to vote on that Tuesday cuz a new

6:24

how passionately pat was interested in that election

6:30

and as the sister out that that man Pat she wanted me to know that and ask

6:35

fights in the notes to her sister law the teller I did knowledge

6:41

hearing this story at said group not greeting but sympathies on

6:45

be effort to date night you can imagine I didn't do that

6:49

I got my staff to find the telephone number so I could call over to the form

6:55

and talk to pass wife

6:56

I got on the phone called over there the

7:01

one other daughters who is in her twenties answer the phone they went out

7:05

to the bar where she was still trying to figure out how to run all the equipment

7:08

a few days after husband passed away

7:10

how she was gonna now call those cows she came in to take the call

7:15

and I talked about how r sister-in-law has sent me this email and told me this

7:19

story

7:20

sure for what was said in the email and as we were talking

7:25

suddenly hit me hit me as we were talking about

7:32

what you're going through that her husband had died

7:35

on Monday June 4th

7:38

and it dawned on me

7:42

devotional wasn't for me and so I walked over

7:47

and I got out

7:51

Jesus calling and I look to June 4th

7:54

June 4th it said welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust me

8:00

you have me decide you in my spirit within you

8:03

so no set of circumstances is too much for you to handle

8:07

when the past before you is dotted with difficulties

8:11

beware measuring your strengths

8:14

against those challenges that calculation is certain the real you with

8:18

anxiety

8:19

without me you won't make it past the first hurdle

8:22

the way to walk through demanding days

8:26

is to grip my hand tightly and stay in close communication with me

8:32

what your thoughts unspoken words be richly flavored with trust

8:37

and thank for this

8:39

regardless if there's problems II

8:42

can keep you in perfect peace as you stay close to me

8:46

may be realized at that moment that the best way to minister

8:52

is to accept God's calling at the time when you least expect it for to net now

8:59

I was back in

9:00

2009 when we we're looking at our state at the time we looked at all the

9:05

troubles that we're facing the state wisconsin backed and

9:08

we realize his parents for Matt for Alex are two sons it was completely

9:13

unacceptable to think that they would grow up in a state that wasn't

9:16

as great as a state that we had grown up and even though we know the election

9:20

would be tough because

9:22

in our state Republican had one for president since

9:25

1984 back when I was in high school and I still had a full head of hair

9:30

and we knew it would be tough but we we got in that race

9:35

we won that election in early on four years ago at this time in 2011 we had to

9:40

make some pretty tough decisions

9:41

decisions run of a lot of protesters in from around the country

9:45

but I get to tell you what's the status was not only the prayers I mentioned

9:50

before but the fact that we felt

9:52

in making that decision we did just talk about think about we prayed about

9:55

we thought it was a call for us to get that election we knew on the way didn't

10:00

matter about the title or the position we felt we were

10:03

called to do the right thing and so we worried more about the next

10:06

generation that we did about the next election and I know that's true for me

10:12

too here not just for those are interested in politics but wife

10:15

it's about accepting that calling no matter what it might be when you start a

10:19

business with you in the clergy with your teacher with your former really

10:22

well said

10:23

it's about accepting that calling and I'm glad we did with what we did in

10:27

wisconsin because today

10:29

some four years later our state is better because if this

10:32

not just economically we took a state that was had an unemployment rate of 9.2

10:37

percent we turned it around the one that just last month was down to 4.6 percent

10:42

whichever

10:48

we took a state that was 3.6 billion dollars in the hole

10:52

and each of the last four years we've created a balanced budget and over the

10:56

next two years we are with the surplus of nearly half a billion dollars

10:59

our pension fund is the only one in the country fully funded

11:02

our debt and pension ratios was the lowest out there are rainy day funds a

11:06

hundred sixty five times bigger than we took office

11:09

but it wasn't just about finances and the economy

11:17

I'm proud to say that because of our reforms today there is no seniority your

11:21

tenure in our state that means we can hire

11:24

and fire based on merit we can pay based on performance

11:28

we can put the best and the brightest in our classrooms and we compared to the be

11:31

there

11:32

and we did just

11:39

provide opportunities that were improved in our traditional public schools

11:43

which create a school choice statewide which created the amount of

11:47

opportunities and charter schools and virtual schools at home school

11:50

environments

11:51

because we want to make sure that every child every son and daughter are stay

11:55

had the opportunity to have the best education possible

11:58

and have their family be the ones who made the right choice going for

12:07

it wasn't just in those urs either

12:09

some you may know this others may not in our first budget we defunded Planned

12:14

Parenthood in the state was gas

12:24

we've HR dollars for women's health went into

12:27

the public health systems in the counties in other places where was less

12:30

controversial

12:31

we pass major pro-life legislation in the state wisconsin as well

12:35

atop a that we pass Castle Doctrine

12:38

concealed carry so that every law-abiding citizen our state has the

12:42

right to protect themselves

12:43

their family their loved ones and their property

12:53

and we pass concealed care a giant concealed carry

12:56

we passed on top of that now we all those things we actually passed photo ID

13:00

so than our state it's easy to vote but hard to Chi I tell you this all just

13:11

for for a couple reasons one well not so much to brag but as the tell you that if

13:15

it can happen

13:16

in a blue state like wisconsin it can happen anywhere across the american more

13:20

importantly with the right leadership

13:22

it can happen in our nation's capital we've got a we've got a new United

13:26

States Senate with the republican majority we've got a house a represents

13:29

a republic Geordie

13:30

if we said a republican conservative reform-minded Republican into the White

13:35

House in 2016

13:36

there's no doubt just as we've done in state after state across america

13:40

we could make America a great again with your help

13:50

and let me give you three quick examples the contrast going forward as the night

13:54

is growing login

13:55

and I wanna get you on your way as well as he get back home in

13:58

get up early go of the church years we're going to do tomorrow while it does

14:00

we're home is

14:01

first off we need to talk more about growth in this country

14:05

you're the president Hillary Clinton spent a lot of time talking about how

14:09

the grow

14:10

economy but they get mixed up they think you grow the economy in washington

14:13

I think we grow the economy in cities and towns villages all across this great

14:18

country that one of the best ways to grow the economy

14:20

is to get the government out of the way the american people in america employers

14:24

that means

14:30

now a lower taxes but but fixing the marriage penalty so we can support in a

14:34

brace marriage in

14:35

improve families in this country by make it a competitive tax burden for

14:39

employers and job creators to bring more jobs back from overseas

14:42

to book or our fellow Americans back to work to rate in the regulatory

14:46

environment so that

14:47

well zepa are others out there we allow people informers and business owners and

14:51

others to create jobs and wealth and opportunity in this country if he's

14:55

getting rid of Obamacare and putting patients back in charge of their health

14:58

care

14:59

it means either we talk about the economy it means

15:06

actually having a rational policy when it comes to

15:10

legal immigration this country that starts with securing the border

15:13

enforcing e-verify upon every employer in this country so we uphold the law

15:18

not having amnesty save you want to be a citizen you gotta go back to your

15:21

country of origin and then get back in line like everybody else

15:24

and when it comes to legal

15:31

and when it comes to legal immigration

15:33

the economy should write things in the number one priority in that process

15:38

going forward

15:39

should be american workers an american wages

15:42

when times are tough the last thing we want to do is flood the market to put

15:46

more workers in at a time when workers are unemployed in wages are low

15:49

we need to make sure we put american workers first in everything we do from

15:53

immigration the tax policy to regulatory reform in on down the line

15:57

secondly we need to talk

16:04

about not only growth but reform reform when I mean simply put is about

16:09

transferring power

16:11

at a Washington like we did in our state taking the power out the big other

16:15

special interest

16:16

put it back in the hands of the people I would take it from washington to put it

16:20

back into the states

16:22

for the special interests into the hands of the people that sure whether its

16:25

medicaid or transportation education or others

16:28

take the money and the responsibilities and send it back to the states

16:32

and the local governments in the school districts and most importantly put it

16:36

into the hands of the american people get

16:38

that's not only true on funding

16:45

upstage our national agencies federal agencies that strong things like

16:49

marriage

16:50

marriage is a decision that should be defined by our state governments not at

16:55

the federal level and it was gone said in other places across the country

16:58

mayors is defined between one man and one woman in state should be the one to

17:02

make that decision

17:03

and we talk about that we should be standing up for religious freedoms I'm

17:12

proud to say in my state is actually in the state's constitution

17:15

in the last time I checked it's in our nation's constitution as well

17:19

it's about religion it's what our founders thought about in the ten

17:23

amendments the 10 First Amendment and the Bill of Rights

17:26

we'd up all the Constitution United States and protect their

17:29

ability to practice religion regardless if it was your Christian

17:33

or Jewish or anywhere else we should be picking winners and losers

17:36

we should saying thats exactly why we found his country because our

17:40

founders were tired at the oppression coming from other places around the

17:44

world

17:44

in america we should be the shining star that says you should be able you

17:48

practice your religion

17:49

and the government should defend you in doing it every single time and finally

17:59

in addition to

18:01

growth and reform the last thing I want to spend just a few minutes talking

18:04

about

18:05

is safety it's a safety what does that mean that sounds like

18:10

fire police protection no safety is what some people call national security

18:15

I got safety because when I see the images

18:21

a jordanian pilot burned alive in a cage

18:24

when I see Christians from Egypt's

18:27

and other places around the world be headed or up late not only be added shot

18:32

an execution-style when I see these images out there I worry about the

18:36

safety not just to those individuals

18:38

you think about I start to worry about safety of ourselves

18:42

and our children and her coworkers and our neighbors because it's not just in

18:46

the middle east

18:47

we see attacks in france and Belgium

18:50

Canada it's not a matter this is an attempt was made in America so again it

18:55

is where

18:56

right now I get so frustrated with this president because we've got a president

19:00

who draw a line in the sand and allow people across

19:03

we've got a president called I sis the JV squad

19:06

who calls Yemen a success story who calls Iran

19:11

a place we can do business with think about that for a minute

19:14

think about that for a min I grew up from third grade on indelible Scott's

19:19

dodi may not know this my father was a preacher he actually

19:22

started out first church was in Colorado Springs Road was born

19:25

in nineteen seventy we moved to Plainfield

19:29

Iowa in northeastern Iowa where we live from 1970 to 1977 fact chuck Grassley

19:36

heard from before it's kinda funny

19:38

we first moved there 1970 use our state representative how about that

19:42

but I think about their then eventually growing up and %uh over Wisconsin

19:47

I remember in the late seventies I'm sure but if you do as well

19:51

tying yellow ribbon

19:53

around the tree in front of our house why because for 444 days

19:58

Iran held americans hostage people like my friend Kevin her Manning

20:03

a marine from Wausau Wisconsin they have not changed much since then

20:08

a few of the leaders have changed but their approach is just the same

20:11

we did a stand up and tell the press United States to back away from a bad

20:15

deal

20:15

because it's not in the interest the american people now more than ever

20:25

now more than ever I believe that americans want a commander in chief

20:30

will stand up and tell it like it is will tell the American people that the

20:34

biggest threat we face in the world today

20:36

is radical Islamic terrorism and we will do something about it

20:40

we need a leader in america today that will recognize that Israel

20:49

is actually an ally and start treating them as such

21:02

and we need a leader in this country

21:04

who have the courage to look the american people the I

21:08

and tell that this may not happen in a day

21:11

or a week were a month or even a year but as I mentioned before it is not if

21:18

an attempt is made in America so it is when

21:20

an attempt is made on behalf of my children and yours

21:24

I'd rather take the fight to damn its it said awaiting to the fight comes to us

21:28

we later was gonna work to protect the American Way of life in our children our

21:32

grandchildren

21:33

and yet generations yet to be born and so I would just

21:43

and where where we started I would just stay with this quick note about freedom

21:48

is a years ago I'd and this is why I'm optimistic about the future this great

21:52

country as much as we face

21:54

unbelievable challenges here in the world today I'm still an optimist

21:58

because I believe in the American spirit and I know the history of this great

22:02

country as a kid growing up in da love and I loved his trap that I loved it so

22:07

much I

22:08

I thought over founders is bigger than life superheroes

22:12

and yet as a kid we never had a chance to go to philadelphia insulator life

22:17

internet I got a chance

22:19

to go over to Philadelphia for conference we got up early in the

22:22

morning

22:23

went out to see the Liberty Bell as the Sun was coming up

22:28

we walked into independents all I was ready be blown away

22:33

ready be blown away member I thought these people like bigger-than-life

22:37

unbelievable and I walked in I saw the desk

22:42

I saw the cheers they're not much like the ones we sit in today

22:48

it dawned on me

22:51

is ordinary people

22:54

ordered people who did something quite extraordinary

22:57

is for people who didn't just risked their lives

23:01

should be the digits Rhys their political careers

23:04

just rest their business ventures

23:07

these were people who risked their lives their lives

23:12

for the freedoms we hold dear today is a gentleman here tonight I would just

23:16

remind you

23:17

that what makes America rates

23:21

what makes us exceptional what makes us the greatest country

23:26

in the history of the world it's been all

23:30

throughout our nation's history in times of crisis

23:34

get economic or fiscal the military or spiritual

23:38

what makes America amazing been all throughout our nation's history there

23:45

had been

23:46

men and women up courage

23:49

who've been willing to think more about the future of their children

23:53

and their grandchildren than they thought about their own futures

23:57

ladies and gentlemen this is one of those moments

24:01

in American history this is one of those times

24:05

we can look back Adele future generations

24:08

we were there we accepted the call

24:11

we did what was necessary

24:14

to make America great again

24:18

ladies and gentlemen with your help and support and prayers

24:21

we could do just that god bless you for coming out thank you for being here

24:25

tonight

24:25

44 thank you

Check out this episode!