GOP: A Better Way

Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Calif.) delivered this week’s Republican address talking about how the House Republicans’ “A Better Way” agenda addresses threats to security around the world.

Walters was Tuesday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”. Here are her words:

“The first job of the federal government is to keep our country safe. And if we’ve learned anything over the past eight years, it’s that the president’s foreign policy is not doing the job. Look no further than: the vanishing red line in Syria, the faulty reset with Russia, the attempt to ‘lead from behind’ in Libya, followed by the rise of a terrorist safe haven on the Mediterranean Sea. He made a dangerous nuclear deal with Iran. He has not done enough to take on ISIS. You add all of this up, and what do you see? All across the world, our enemies don’t fear us, and our friends don’t trust us. The president’s foreign policy has left a power vacuum, which our rivals are all too happy to fill. So to say this foreign policy is not making us any safer is—well, an understatement.

But we House Republicans need to take action. It’s not enough to sit on the sidelines. It’s not enough to criticize. We have to propose an alternative. And we have. We’re calling it A Better Way. We are showing the American people what we will do in 2017 and beyond if given the opportunity. We developed this plan from the bottom up, hearing from our constituents and working with all the members of our conference. And now we’re taking our case to the American people. In fact, I’m talking to you from a small business in my district that makes security systems for public buildings. As I’ve met with people I represent across my district, so many of them have told me that national security is an issue. It’s an issue that concerns them the most.

A Better Way is our answer to the challenges we face. Our plan includes 67 specific ideas to strengthen our national security. We lay out our four objectives: Keep Americans safe at home, defeat the terrorists, advance America’s interests abroad, and renew our national security tools. We focus a lot of attention on defeating radical Islamist terrorism because rooting out this extremist ideology is crucial to protecting Americans at home and abroad.

We also wrote our plan with the understanding that our homeland faces a number of threats—from border security to cybersecurity—and with the understanding that new threats will emerge. It renews our friendship with our allies. It makes sure our military and law enforcement officers have the tools they need to complete their missions. It makes sure our veterans receive the care they have earned. It also requires the federal government to work with technology experts—and bring together the best minds in one room to find ways to combat cyber threats.

President Reagan famously called for ‘peace through strength.’ That is still the case today. America will be safe only when we are strong. And I believe our plan will accomplish just that. To learn more about our plan, go to our website: better.gop. Thank you.”

The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 AM.