Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican Party's response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address next week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said on Tuesday that Reynolds will give the speech from Des Moines, Iowa after President Biden's speech on March 1 is done.
Both McConnell and McCarthy both praised Reynolds for how she has handled the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Iowa.
"While Washington Democrats fail working Americans, Republican governors are fighting and winning for families," McConnell said. "Governor Kim Reynolds’ brave, bold, and successful leadership for Iowans has put her right at the front of that pack."
Reynolds did not issue stay-at-home orders for Iowa at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and didn't issue statewide mask mandates until November 2020. She has also has spoken out against critical race theory, and has received praise from other GOP leaders on both topics.
Additionally, Reynolds signed a bill last year that allows those who have lost their jobs because they refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine to qualify for unemployment benefits.
"Reynolds represents what it means to lead with conviction and true faith in our fellow citizens,” McCarthy said. "She handled COVID by choosing freedom over lockdowns and personal responsibility over mandates — leading to real economic recovery from the pandemic. She kept kids in school and critical race theory out."
This will be President Biden's first State of the Union address since being elected, but it will be much smaller of an event than in the past due to COVID-19 precautions. Those in attendance must provide negative PCR test results and wear approved N95 or KN95 masks during the speech.
Related
Related
