FOREST CITY – With a U.S. flag as a backdrop in a parking lot surrounded by Winnebago recreational vehicles, Vice President Mike Pence delivered a message of economic recovery to North Iowa.
The stop at Forest City and tour of Winnebago Industries on Tuesday, June 16 was part of the vice president’s “Great American Comeback” tour.
Pence landed at the Mason City Municipal Airport on Air Force Two about 10:49 a.m. He was greeted by Governor Kim Reynolds, her husband, Kevin, and State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull. Feenstra is the Republican candidate for Iowa’s 4th District Congressional seat.
Reynolds accompanied the vice president to Forest City where the group ate lunch at Sally’s Restaurant. The restaurant opened for dine-in service for the first time since the shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Following a tour of the Winnebago Industries plant, the vice president spoke to about 250 employees. Seating for employees was “socially distanced.”
“It is great to be back in the Hawkeye State as this state and America make a transition to greatness!” he stated.
“To be here at an American company that for 60 years, has kept America on the move is incredibly inspiring. I know you had to shut down, but you opened right back up. You put people back to work. You got America back on the road.”
He said that every state in the nation and nearly three-quarters of America’s small businesses have begun to reopen.
“We’re opening up America again and you’re part of that story.”
Pence said the country is building on the “strong foundation” of the first three years of the Trump administration.
“The recovery is on,” he stated. “We’re going to make our economy strong again on the same agenda that created millions of jobs over the past three years.”
Law & Order
The vice president also said that a centerpiece of the “transition to greatness” is law and order.
Pence said the death of George Floyd, an African-American from Minneapolis, was “a tragedy and a disgrace” and “should have never happened.”
Floyd died while in police custody on May 25 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. Floyd’s death sparked protests nation-wide.
“There's no excuse for what happened to George Floyd, but there's also no excuse for the rioting and looting and violence that has ensued,” Pence stated.
“We cherish our First Amendment. We respect the concerns of peaceful protesters,” he continued. “We're going to listen. We're going to learn and we're going to lead. But we're not going to defund the police.”
He said the executive order signed by President Trump that day made resources and training available to police departments “to improve standards for the use of force, de-escalation, and accountability.”
During his speech, a group of “Black Lives Matter” protestors could be heard in the distance.
The vice president commended Governor Kim Reynolds for recent legislation “creating more oversight and more accountability.”
The Trump administration agenda, according to Pence, promotes public safety, jobs and greater educational opportunities for all minority communities.
“We’re going to bring jobs and investment to underserved communities,” he stated.
He supports school choice whether public, private or parochial.
He is confident even in these challenging times “we'll do what Americans have always done. We’ll form a more perfect union.”
COVID-19
Vice President Pence chairs the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Through the efforts of Governor Reynolds and the Test Iowa program, “Iowa has been setting the pace” in progress to reopen the state again, he said.
“In addition to testing, we've been giving states what they need when they need it. That included more than 158 million masks and gowns and face shields and personal protective equipment here in Iowa alone.”
He stated no American with coronavirus who needed a ventilator was ever denied a ventilator in the United States.
“And here at Winnebago, you did more than your part. Volunteers from this company, I'm told, made 36,000 masks that were manufactured for hospitals in Iowa. You also created face shields at this plant and distributed them to healthcare workers and first responders all across the state.”
“I'm proud to report to you … we slowed the spread. We flattened the curve. We saved lives. That's why we're opening up America again.”
He is of the belief that “there will always be more that unites us in the United States of America than could ever divide us and chief among those virtues is a love of freedom and the faith of the American people.”
He said the way the people of Iowa and across the country have stepped up and “kept doing the right things” such as practicing hygiene and social distancing, but getting back to work and supporting local businesses, “affirms my belief that this is a freedom-loving nation.”
“We love our freedom and we know how to use it with commonsense and care for others.”
America is a nation of faith, he said. He asked for prayers for families who have lost loved ones due to the pandemic and prayers for health care providers and other caregivers.
“If you're inclined to bow the head and bend the knee from time to time, I encourage you to do that during these challenging times,” he stated.
Afterwards, Pence spent a few minutes autographing Winnebago Industries caps before returning to Air Force Two and back to Washington D.C.
