Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican Address to the Nation following President Biden’s State of the Union address next Tuesday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced Tuesday.
Reynolds shared the announcement on Twitter, where she wrote she feels “honored and grateful” for the opportunity to deliver the address from Des Moines, Iowa.
I’m very honored and grateful for this opportunity to speak to the American people! pic.twitter.com/PkawFNYOFK
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) February 22, 2022
“Republican Governors across America are leading the charge in defending liberty and securing unmatched economic prosperity in our states. The Biden Administration is governing from the far-left, ignoring the problems of working-class Americans while pushing an agenda that stifles free speech, free thought, and economic freedom,” Reynolds said in a published statement. “The American people have had enough, but there is an alternative and that's what I look forward to sharing on Tuesday evening.”
Reynolds took office as the 43rd Governor of Iowa in 2017. She previously served as Lieutenant Governor from 2011 to 2017. During the pandemic, Reynolds was the first governor to require schools to reopen for full-time in-person curriculum.
“Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds represents what it means to lead with conviction and true faith in our fellow citizens,” McCarthy said in the announcement. “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. And she stood tall for election integrity when Speaker Pelosi tried to steal a congressional seat from Iowans. While Democrats in Washington have failed, Republicans across the country are stepping up – and America will be better off hearing Governor Reynolds’ Iowa story.”
GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska said in a statement that Reynolds is a "phenomenal" choice to give the address due to her "impressive leadership."
Other Republican lawmakers responded to the news on Twitter.
I can’t think of a better person to make the case for freedom and liberty and against the radical Biden agenda than @IAGovernor. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/hR5gFjWnms
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) February 22, 2022
Just learned Governor @KimReynoldsIA will be giving the response to POTUS Biden’s SOTU address.
— Dr. Miller-Meeks (@millermeeks) February 22, 2022
Congratulations Governor Reynolds! I know you will deliver a powerful response.
Can’t wait to hear @KimReynoldsIA deliver the Republican response to the State of the Union next week. Under her leadership we will #KeepIowaMoving! pic.twitter.com/6rSZnw93q8
— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) February 22, 2022
“While Washington Democrats fail working Americans, Republican governors are fighting and winning for families. Governor Kim Reynolds’ brave, bold, and successful leadership for Iowans has put her right at the front of that pack,” McConnell said in the announcement. “She fought COVID without forgetting common sense and protected Iowans’ health and their rights at the same time. She’s defended kids and parents with laws that have kept students in classrooms and woke propaganda out. She has even taken action to address our border crisis while the Biden Administration makes it worse. I am thrilled the American people will hear directly from Gov. Reynolds. The President and his team should take notes.”