Republican Response to the SOTU: Newly Elected Iowa Senator Joni Ernst … “President Obama Will Soon have a Decision to make [Keystone XL Pipleline]: Will he sign the Bill or Block Good American Jobs?

JONI ERNST … A STAR IS BORN.

Tonight, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) delivered the Republican response to Barack Obama’s SOTU. The freshman Senator nailed it. In a forum that is hardly a comfortable one or easy, she came across well versed, was up to the moment and never once reached for a glass of water. As Barack Obama touted questionable economic numbers and gave the appearance that we have turned the page on the economic tough times, Joni Ernst personalized the current situation that a majority of Americans feel, that Americans are hurting and are demanding answers, not the same old stale same old, same old.

We see our neighbors agonize over stagnant wages and lost jobs. We see the hurt caused by canceled healthcare plans and higher monthly insurance bills. We see too many moms and dads put their own dreams on hold while growing more fearful about the kind of future they’ll be able to leave to their children.

“Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions.

“That’s why the new Republican majority you elected started by reforming Congress to make it function again. And now, we’re working hard to pass the kind of serious job-creation ideas you deserve.

The Weekly Standard – Full Text of Republican Response to State of the Union:

“Good evening.

“I’m Joni Ernst. As a mother, a soldier, and a newly elected senator from the great State of Iowa, I am proud to speak with you tonight.

“A few moments ago, we heard the President lay out his vision for the year to come. Even if we may not always agree, it’s important to hear different points of view in this great country. We appreciate the President sharing his.

“Tonight though, rather than respond to a speech, I’d like to talk about your priorities. I’d like to have a conversation about the new Republican Congress you just elected, and how we plan to make Washington focus on your concerns again.

“We heard the message you sent in November — loud and clear. And now we’re getting to work to change the direction Washington has been taking our country.

“The new Republican Congress also understands how difficult these past six years have been. For many of us, the sting of the economy and the frustration with Washington’s dysfunction, weren’t things we had to read about. We felt them every day.

“We felt them in Red Oak — the little town in southwestern Iowa where I grew up, and am still proud to call home today.

“As a young girl, I plowed the fields of our family farm. I worked construction with my dad. To save for college, I worked the morning biscuit line at Hardees.

“We were raised to live simply, not to waste. It was a lesson my mother taught me every rainy morning.

“You see, growing up, I had only one good pair of shoes. So on rainy school days, my mom would slip plastic bread bags over them to keep them dry. (Read the rest HERE)