Noem gives national Republican address

December 11, 2010 - Rapid City Journal

Rep.-elect Kristi Noem will give the weekly national Republican address Saturday, continuing her swift rise to prominence in the Republican Party even before she is sworn into her Congressional seat.

Noem’s prerecorded speech will be aired Saturday. It can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/RepublicanConference.

In her speech, Noem calls the tax cut deal proposed by President Barack Obama “encouraging” and calls to cut spending and reduce the size of government.

Noem does not offer any specific proposals for cuts other than to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care health care reform law passed by the Democratic Congress this year.

The new, Republican-controlled House of Representatives will be “humble” and “more modest,” Noem says in her address.

“Hard work lies ahead, but those of us in this new class of representatives have come face to face with the people’s frustration, and we are committed to making sure Washington humbles itself and starts making good decisions,” Noem said.

The Republican speech is part of a tradition where some radio stations broadcast a weekly address by the president, followed by a response from the opposition party. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt started the tradition with his “fireside chats.” Beginning with Obama, a video of the address has been posted online.

Obama’s weekly address can be seen online at www.whitehouse.gov/weekly_address/.

Since defeating Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin on Nov. 2, Noem has already been chosen to join the House Republican leadership as a representative of freshman lawmakers.

Recent Republicans to give the party’s weekly address include Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Rep.-elect Austin Scott, R-Ga., Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., and House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Read more at Kristi Noem for Congress