Mia Love

Remarks at CPAC 2015 - Feb. 26, 2015

Mia Love
February 26, 2015— Washington, D.C.
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Thank you. Oh wow, it's so nice to be in a friendly crowd here at CPAC.

Unlike the current occupants of the White House, I believe that given the opportunity, the American people will rise to the occasion on their own. No nanny state, needed no big government mandate required.

We're Americans and for over two hundred years, we've lended a hand and lifted the poor. We've lifted ourselves up and made sure that we gave opportunity to anyone that was in need. Given the opportunity, we help the neighbor, we help the struggling student, parent or friend. Given the opportunity, we overcame overwhelming odds and drive innovations.

But most of all, given the opportunity, the American people rally around a good cause whether it's down the street, across across town or around the world.

Unfortunately, too many in Washington don't trust the American people. They don't seem to want us to have the opportunities to rise to the occasion. They say just trust Washington to do everything – to control your lands, educate our children, to dictate every aspect of our lives.

I think it's time that we need to look within, but most of all I think it's time for Washington to trust the American people.

Given the opportunity, here today, we must advance the conservative principles that have lifted more people out of poverty, fueled more freedom and driven more dreams than any set of principals in the history of the world.

Conservative principles and conservative policies work. I've seen them work. As a mother, as a mayor, and I use them now as a member of Congress.

Given the opportunity which flows from our conservative values, the American people will once again rise to the occasion to create jobs, upward mobility and build an even greater nation.

For example, imagine a health care system that is centered on service and measured by outcomes, not dictated by Washington, Now I know that it is hard for some of my colleagues in Washington to contemplate, but imagine if health care dollars and decision-making is kept with the patient, the families and their doctors.

I can see American exceptionalism at work, creating a system where innovation, compassion and people drive the highest quality of care.

Now imagine a single mother who is trapped in poverty by big government programs that prevent her from taking opportunities and proving that she can rise to the occasion. I believe that that mother can and will rise if she is given the opportunity to do so.

In fact, most people who have risen out of poverty have done so in spite a big government not because of big government programs. The focus of every program to help the poor should be centered on making poverty temporary not just tolerable. The American people deserve the opportunity to rise to the occasion.

But to be honest, this is not just about Washington. It's about us. It's about you and me and what we are willing to do.

Last year my family and I were able to go to a hot air balloon festival and I was able to ride in a hot air balloon for the first time on my own, and I've never done that before, and at the last minute they told me I could take one of my children with me so I called my son Peyton, who's seven years old, and I said, come jump on the balloon with me. And he hesitated and resisted and gosh, we had to launch and finally we just had to go without him, and so I called my other daughter, Abby, and she jumped in the balloon immediately and we took off. And we enjoyed the beauty of Utah's landscapes. It was beautiful, until the weather started to change. I don't know if any of you have been on a hot air balloon when it's windy and you're trying to land, but needless to say we ended up in the back yard of a neighbor, somebody's backyard, and my son Peyton had to watch all of the excitement from the ground because they were following with the car. So anyway we get out of the basket and my son Peyton runs over and he says, I'm ready, Mom, I'm ready. It's my turn. And unfortunately with the now-windy conditions, all the balloons have to stay on the ground and the opportunity for him to soar and rise in the sky had come and gone. I took that time to take Peyton aside and say remember this experience, remember today, because if you do not take opportunities that come to you, you never know if they'll come back.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, he said to every person there comes a moment where they're figuratively tapped on the shoulder and given the opportunity to do something special. What a tragedy it would be if that time finds them unwilling and unprepared for what would be his greatest moment.

So my challenge to my colleagues in Congress is to not yield the moral high ground to the left, to get out of the way and allow the American people to rise. My challenge to the conservative movement is for us to be the group that promotes the ideas and the opportunities where people can come to this country legally, like my parents did, with ten dollars in their pocket and with their version at the American Dream. That give opportunity, our children can get a good education without mortgaging their future. And that hard-working families can save, and leave a better, brighter future for their children.

There are no small parts in the conservative movement. So my challenge to you, my friends, is to be willing, be prepared for every opportunity, for every tap on the shoulder, to show up, speak out, write in and stand strong for the policies and the principles that made America such a great, extraordinary and exceptional place.

May God bless you and may God continue to bless our still independent United States of America. Thank you.

Transcript from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oga_qsXOvdE.