Rubio Brings Message to Standing Room Only Crowd
By Karen Dandurant
Hampton Union, January 5, 2016
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
HAMPTON — The back room of the Old Salt restaurant was standing room only Sunday night as area residents waited to hear what presidential candidate Marco Rubio had to say.
“I like him very much and I think he has a good chance to win if Donald Trump doesn’t outspend him,” said Newfields resident Bruce Fuller. “I think Marco has good ideas about new approaches to the economy and a new way to look at entitlements. I think he is a good choice for the 21st century.”
When the Republican candidate arrived a little after 6 p.m., the first action was the pledge of allegiance.
Chris Nevins, former state legislator, introduced Rubio as the candidate he believes will lead the country out of the abyss he said has been caused by the last administration.
“Don’t let his youth fool you,” said Nevins. “He has the skills and courage to lead us.”
"This is an important election,” Rubio said. “We are the greatest nation but now millions of Americans think things are changing. People say I don’t like what’s happening. We need people who understand what is happening, because they have been there, not because they read about it in a magazine. I have lived paycheck to paycheck. I had student loans. My family are immigrants. Eight years ago, we elected someone who wanted to change the county, who doesn’t believe in free enterprise, who think business profits by exploiting customers. He has tried to take over schools and the economy, who undermined the country through executive orders."
Rubio said he understands that there is a real frustration on the part of both parties.
“In 2009 I went against my party because I knew what was at stake here. People said not your turn. Wait for what? This is no time for patience. We need a president that understands what we are going through, what life is like for most of us. How will Hillary lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck, about student loans, or about how hard it is to raise a family." We need a president who understands why we are frustrated and what is needed to bring this country back. I do."
If elected, Rubio said he will uphold the Constitution of the United States, not undermine it.
"I will repeal every single one of Barack Obama's illegal orders," said Rubio. "EPA overreaches, gone, Common Core, gone. On the first day, I will make it clear we are on Israel’s side. I will end the executive orders expected tomorrow that undermine Second Amendment rights."
Term limits on Congress and on judges are needed, Rubio said.
"Let's make America the easiest and best place to start and run a business," Rubio said. "Let's embrace free enterprise and reform tax codes. Let's make full use of all resources of our country. We can produce oil and gas and bring manufacturing back to America."
Rubio said he wants to collapse Obamacare and replace it with a system that puts the people in charge of health care and not the federal government.
"Watch TV and I guarantee not one hour goes by without an auto insurance commercial," he said. "Why? The difference is you control your auto insurance, so they compete for your business. That’s what I want to see for health insurance. Your employer gives you money, you choose. A single healthy person might choose a health savings account and a catastrophic plan. A family of four needs a different plan. Insurance companies compete for your business. For low income people or the chronically ill, the government can step in and help. I would not abolish Medicaid, it’s a safety net. We won’t need as many IRS agents chasing you around to see that you bought Obamacare."
Immigration has changed, Rubio said.
"The number one issue now is national security," he said. "People are trying to get in our country. We need a straightforward principle. If we do not know you and why you are coming here, you cannot come in. We lock our doors at home because we care for the people inside. We will enforce immigration law, not to be anti-immigrant, but for our safety. We will secure borders with 700 miles of fencing and technology. We can secure the country through an e-verify system.
Building a strong military is vital. Rubio said we can't create national security until we have the strongest military in the world.
"We must take care of our veterans," Rubio said. "We have to help them reintegrate into the work force with the skills they acquired in the military. We have to improve the Veterans Administration so a soldier can take his benefits to any doctor, any hospital and not wait weeks or more for care. We are a great nation in decline. It doesn’t have to stay that way. We are not a weak people; we just had bad leadership."
"America owes me nothing but I have a debt. This country gave me the opportunity to do what I can do. I was blessed to be born a citizen of the greatest nation in the world. It is great because each generation did what was needed, embraced opportunities, each leaving it better for the next generation. I am prepared to be commander in chief from the first day I take office."