Its more than that. Partnering with a thousand Community Centers to create wifi lifts so students from low income families get the tools they need to be ready for anything. Along with these other Television Providers giving you a front row seat to democracy. The position on education and atgk the Chinese Communist party during an address at the Ronald Reagan president ial library. He also talks about Republican Values and reflects on the legacy of president reagan. This is about 40 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the governor of virginia accompanied by his wife suzanne. [applause] [applause] good evening. Welcome to the Reagan Library. Its my privilege to be the president and ceo of the president ial foundation and institute. We start all of our programming here with the pledge of allegiance so i ask that you please standh and join me in honoring our flag and all those who serve under it. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Before we go further there are a few people in the audience i would like to recognize. The first is the first lady of virginia, suzanne. [applause] former congressman elton and his wife, janice. [applause] and presenting the underwriter of the special exhibit not long ago not far away the former ambassador to the european union. [applause]ni so, once upon a time there was a conservative republican, a man of deep faith who built a career outside of politics. Eventually after careful reflection that introspection he spoke out on political issues. He captured the attention of his party, the nomination for governor and he won. He ran a campaign that was reasonable and focused on solutions. He spoke calmly and clearly on the kind of issues that parents talk about around their kitchen ktables. And not only did he win, he defeated a prominent opponent whod been victorious statewide before. This winner made National Headlines in the process. And no sooner had the republican wonr the governorship and got o work that people started talking. He has a bright future. Maybe he should run for higher office. Now of course if you think im talking about Ronald Reagan, you are right. But if youou think im talking about the governor of virginia, you are also right. With president reagan, we know the rest of the story. But re the rest of the story it to be written as is the next chapter of the Political Party of which he is c a member. We named our Speakers Series a time for choosing after the october 1964 speech on behalf of the president ial candidate Barry Goldwater that catapulted Ronald Reagan into the political startup. For the c last two years, we hee at the Reagan Foundation institute have invited leading nationally prominent leaders to answer critical questions facing the conservative movement and the Republican Party as they face their own time for choosing. With huge challenges facing the country, huge challenges ahead of us with the midterms behind us, the president ial race underway, where will the focus be . What positions are critical to take into the years ahead . More fundamentally what are the republican philosophies that all canpu agree upon . Now i am especially pleased to introduce the guest of honor this evening for the reason that doesnt necessarily meet the eye. As someone who is in the process of moving permanently back to california, i spent the last 19 years in virginia. I can tell you firsthand hes governing effectively in a purple state with a divided legislature. [applause] he exudes happiness. A healthy sense of urgency and a cando spirit. He brought a palpable sense of optimism to thee states top office and in that context hes been vocal about attracting smart and good people toca publc service. Separately, he twice recognized february 6th as Ronald Reagan day in the commonwealth of virginia, and i recommend that anyone seeking a powerful and succinct articulation of the president s journey and accomplishments you should read either or both of the proclamations. As he was on the Basketball Court as a College Athlete he is also a formidable competitor on behalf of the economy. Not to simply when it comes to neighboring states but also internationally. A former ceo of one of the worlds Top Investment firms concluded last week in the International Trade mission where he visited taiwan he signed an executive order establishing the virginia Taiwan Trade Office and discussed opportunities with business and government leaders in japan and south korea and visited American Service members. All in all our special guest this evening brings a remarkable and timely perspective to the issueska on hand and we are fortunate to have him and the first lady of virginia here tonight. So please join me in giving a very warm institute welcome to the 74th governor of the commonwealth of virginia. [applause] good evening. Thank you all for coming this evening. And david, thank you for that amazingly kind introduction that no, my wife did not write. [laughter] and i do want to congratulate you oni your roll here at the Ronald Reagan president ial foundation and institute. As virginias governor, its disappointing toov lose you to california. It is comforting to know that the custodians of the legacy had the good sense to hire a virginian. [applause] as a kid who 40 years ago was taking out trash and washing dishes at a diner in virginia beach, its pretty overwhelming to stand here and contemplate something that i would have neverat contemplated and that is talking about the future of america. So i guess if i do nothing else this evening, i want to thank you for the tremendous opportunity that you presented to me, a kid who grew up in a middleclass family in virginia and saw some good times and some bad to stand here before you and talk about one of the greatest men ever to live. Its such an honor to be here with proudon americans who carry on president reagans cherished legacy. So to everyone here today, its time that we recognize the nation is deeply divided. But its also time for all of you happy warriors. I just returned as david said from my first International Trade mission. Where i am met with a number of business and political leaders from trusted friends and allies including, who was just here at the Reagan Library last month. The entire free world stands with the people of taiwan in their righteous defense of freedom. We know freedom is never guaranteed and it must be protected. And today we honor a leader who did more to advance liberty than almost anyone else in our lifetime. My amazing wife and i are blessed with four children. A few weeks ago our youngest son wrote a paper on leadership and it just so happened that he chose president reagan to write about. He chose on his own accord and he did not choose me. [laughter] it made me so proud to read his paper. He wrote that president reagan built a thriving economy by unleashing free enterprise. He brought peace by projecting strength and explained president reagan knew how to be tough and yet understood how to communicate with warmth. The High School Senior in 2023 understands that this was Ronald Reagansat brilliance. It only matched for his vision and courage was his wit and humor. The only way of making people believe in themselves again was president reagans way that he made americans see a bright future. At the time that its easy for us to lose faith and worry that we are indeed that one generation when freedom becomes extinct there are lights shining across america. I see them every day in virginia. Lights of encouragement that the shared values that the foundation of this Great American experiment and the policies and decisions informed by them will prevail. These lights convince me that we can usher in a new era of not just Republican Values, but American Values that champion a future grounded in the confidence that our best days are indeed ahead of us. Confidence built on restoring safety in our communities, sanityni in our schools and individual rights to our citizens especially to our parents. Confidence built on fiscal discipline for taxpayers because its their money, not the governments. Confidence builds on the global stage through strength and support to our friends and allies. N built on unleashing American Ingenuity and unbridled opportunities for every man, womanan and child. Now i man unabashedly proud virginian, and im surrounded by daily reminders like a capital that is designed by Thomas Jefferson and a statue of George Washington that stands at its center. Daily reminders like a house that suzanne and i had the great privilege living in that was procured by james monroe and as i walk out the front door and see thewa capital and thank the lord that he is with us, i take a ride and go to work in the Patrick Henry building. These are daily reminders that this noble public formed in the pursuit of the more public union required our Founding Fathers to confront a time of choosing like none other. A time to choose life, liberty and the pursuit of happyness over oppression, the dictatorial rule, the spirit of liberty and freedom that these virginians and so many others breathed into a new nation requires recommitment time and time again. Of course that commitment was reconfirmed during the 1980 election when the United States and soviet union were locked in a cold war. Inflation stood at near record high. Gas prices were off the charts. And for the first time in decades, people were beginning to feel that the American Dream was out of reach. In that time for choosing, yes americans chose a new direction for our country. A new direction based on a course of more jobs, fewer taxes and greater t opportunities. A course of speaking truth with refreshing candor and confronting threats to our f freedom. It was a choice for courage and conviction. It wasnt under entirelyn different circumstances that virginians chose a new path in the fallew of 2021 and that the commonwealth could impact shine as one of those bright lights of encouragement. You see for some time progressive policies had empowered the governmentve to encroach on the freedoms of virginians, the cradle of american democracy. Tax burdens climb, jobs disappeared and didnt returned, parentsrn lost faith in declinig schools, Violent Crimes sword and a growing bureaucracy pushed virginia off the rails. Virginias economy had stalled. Eight years of only growing at 1 per year. People were leaving. For nine straight years, more virginians moved away then moved to virginia from the other 49 states. In other states taxes were lower. Businesses grew faster. Opportunities were greater. The erosion of hope came to a head during the pandemic. When democratic leadership locked down schools, businesses, houses of worship and at one point, they kept churches closed while opening liquor stores, stores in Bristol Tennessee were open while across the street in bristol virginia they were locked tight. Parents were told that their children watching a 12inch screen was a quality education. Virginians were staring the choice in the face. My opponent made it clear parents should not have a say as to what is being taught in schools. Loudoun county in virginia became ground zero for the parents movement. Board coverups. Parents labeled terrorists. Standards and expectations lowered, parents pushed out of their childrens lives and out of the most important decisions that they would make. But on november 2nd, virginians made a different choice. They made a choice for the first time in over a decade to elect a republican governor, Republican Attorney general and republican majority in our house of delegates. It was a choice [applause] it was a choice to restore parents rights because parents tsmatter. It was a choice to reestablish excellence to honor america. It was a choice to stop the dangerous rise in crime. It was a choice to back the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement. It was a choice to lift the burdens on Small Business and bring back more jobs. It was a choice for common sense. It was an election. Yes, a choice to reject that notion and instead virginians turned on that brake light. Conservative policies when because they are grounded in timeless truths and common sense. And more importantly, common sense policies work. Virginia is the test case, Proof Positive the state that can lurch left and was falling behind made a choice and is now winning. Despite having the divided legislature, we went to work on day one tax cuts, education reform, Public Safety investment, regulatory streamlining, overhauling a deep government bureaucracy creating jobs. We worked with republican and democrats to pass the largest tax reduction package in our states history. We can get conservative policies done in a divided government. We can do this. [applause] today more than 4. 5 Million People are now part of virginias workforce the highest number recorded nearly 50 years. In fact, if you look at uhaul data [laughter] its extraordinary to look at the uhaul data. I do it all the time. What you will see is that virginia was ranked 31st in 2021 with oneway moves out of virginia and one year later in 2022 we were now ranked fifth with oneway moves into virginia. [applause] and we have forbidden davids family from renting a uhaul. [laughter] it may be the businessman in me and maybe the virginian. I think it has a little bit to do with the basketball player in me but i love competition and i bring it to governing. If you are resting, someone else working. If you are raising taxes putting criminals first and neglecting education, people are going to leave for states with lower cost, Better Safety and better opportunity. We are seeing across the nation republicanled states. The bright lights of state governing demonstrate that opening schools faster, bringing back jobs faster results in states performing better. Of these states are the destination for people. American families making the choice everyry day as to where theyve want to build their live. The road to prosperity runs straight through economic freedom. Pr prosperity and Economic Growth must be fueled, not smothered we seen unleashed, success realtime. But the future is ultimately built on our youngest generation, and we must unleash the inherent greatness, the godgiven spark in every virginia and every american student. For years, progressive leaders drove the misguided belief that lowering expectations would lead to something other than lowered results and that bureaucrats and politicians should replace parents. We must go back to the basics of reading, writing, math, we need to prepare our children for lives of unparalleled excellence. The parents sitting at the head of the table. In virginia be passed to the largest k12 budget in our state history with a significant focus on improving Early Literacy and paying teachers more. We introduced new avenues for choice with text driven scholarships and innovationd lb schools. We are reforming accreditation and restoring high standards. If we erode our educational system and allow the call for all students to have equal outcomes at any cost to prevail, we quickly will see socialism overwhelmed our students. Friends, we are the United States of america and we need to cultivate a vibrant economy. Our adversaries include communist china and they have one goal and that is world domination. We know they will use any tool at their disposal ranging from spy balloons to ticktock to economic coercion to military intimidation. Intellectual property theft. We must stand strong. We need an American Revolution in order to no longer depend on chinesee manufacturing. We need to bring semi conductors, pharmaceuticals, Automotive Supply Chains here to the United States. We must strengthen our business andd diplomatic ties with friens and allies. The stakes are high and the consequences couldnt be greater. Its why weve banned them on state owned devices and why earlier this year i took [applause] earlier this year i took virginia out of the running for an electric vehicle manufacturing plant for batteries because we knew it was a trojan horse for a company under the communist party in china. [applause] its also why virginians should reject our current law that california should write the vehicle wall. [applause] next year virginia faces a mandate to buy electric vehicles. This policy not only attacks our personal freedoms, but it plays into the hands of the ccp. You see, its forcing and uneconomic shift into another industry that is dominated by Companies Control by the Chinese Communist party. The legislature did last year come together to pass a bill preventing the sale of virginia farmland and S Real Estate to entities controlled by foreign adversaries. [applause] we should own the rich agricultural lands that god has blessed us with, not the ccp. And we must also [applause] we must also support our allies who share common values of Human Dignity and freedom. In fact we must welcome Economic Cooperation with trusted International Companies and countries building a shared and robust Economic Future together. As you know just last week, i signed an executive order establishing a Virginia Trade Office in taiwan. I also met with leaders in japan and south korea to fortify new relationships in building these trusted supply chains in sectors that are critical not just to our Economic Future, but to our National Security future. We must advance peace through a position of strength. Our choice is clear. Our results prove that the common sense policies rested in conservative values work. We dont have to rely on who yells the loudest to win. You see, we can win with results and by communicating a message of hope. And these results, these messages arent just Republican Values. They reflect virginia and california and American Values. We together represent hardworking americans. Hardworking americans like joe, a couple in virginia who recently celebrated the oneyear anniversary of their barbershop, their barbershop which so appropriately is in the Patrick Henryy mall outside of newport news virginia. They both grew up in broken homes and through their grit and determination they started their own barbershop with plans to turn it into a chain. Joe is a veteran and he said that he wants every one of his stores to anybody loyalty, honor, respect and integrity just like the military. The future of our country belongs to joe and they have the vision and the grit to step into thee unknown and pursue their dreams. They dont need a hand out. All they want is a fair Playing Field with the government out of their p way. The Republican Party is a big tent and we are filling it which we do through addition and multiplication not through subtraction and division. Our 2021 election proves that virginians were hungry for change and elected at the lieutenant governor. [applause] a former business owner, mother of three, veteran and first black female naturalized citizen to be elected to statewide office in the commonwealth of virginia. They also elected jason whos a cubanamerican and first hispanic american elected to statewide office as the attorney general. This is the face of the Republican Party. The Republican Party must be home o to hispanic americans, africanamerican, asian americans. Americans from all walks of life. Americans with a belief that freedom and liberty are at the foundation of our shared future. I was in high school and college when Ronald Reagan was our president. As i told you, i started out washing dishes and taking out trash and get i chased my dreams with confidence, without ever being deterred because i had seen my president s believe in hard work and a strong country and inspired hope for a better future. President Ronald Reagan changed lives and now its our turn to do the very same. This is beyond republican politics. This is americas future and yes as i warned its easy to lose faith and think that we are the one generation that would lose freedom. But there are shining lights. One of those is virginia. I want to encourage each and every one of you because we can fulfill the opportunity and the march to the destiny that we all feel. We can be the partyo of education. We can be the party of safe communities, the party of jobs and economic prosperity, the party of unbridled opportunity. We areid the party of common sense. I witness this every day as i see the power of the spirit of virginia, the power of the spirit of america come to life and brief hope into the American Dream. We will charge a future of hope and a vision of optimism and strength of safety and opportunity for all so that when our children look back, they will say that in our time of choosing, together, we, like generations before us chose a path that in present, president reagans own words not only preserves the flame of freedom, but casts its warmth and light farther f than those who came before us. I have no doubt that our best days are ahead of us. God bless you, thank you for having me and may god bless the United States of america. [applause]e ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated as our special guest will leave the building. Tonight we will be dining in our air force one pavilion. You may exit through the doors to your right or wait until the special guests lead to exit the south hall doors. Thank you again for coming and we hope to see you at the next event. [inaudible conversations]