Pence: The evidence is clear: America is back

Mike Pence | Guest columnist

Show Caption Hide Caption Pence says Trump is focused on farmers when it comes to trade Vice President Mike Pence says the president is focused on making trade deals that benefit American farmers during a stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

When I visit Des Moines Wednesday, I will deliver a message to the hard-working men and women of the Hawkeye State, on behalf of President Trump. We’re delivering results for Iowa — and we’re just getting started.

Just look at the economy. Since our election, job creators across America have added nearly 4 million new jobs. This includes more than 17,000 jobs in Iowa, and the state’s unemployment rate is tied for the third-lowest in the nation.

We’ve also reached record-low unemployment for Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans, and confidence is soaring for consumers and small businesses. American manufacturers have never been this confident.

And after years of slow growth and stagnant wages under the last administration, under this president, the American economy is on track to grow at its fastest pace in nearly 15 years. This means more jobs and higher wages for Iowa’s working families.

The evidence is clear: America is back.

It’s no accident. Since day one, President Trump has been working with Gov. Kim Reynolds and your conservative leaders in Congress to deliver on our promises to you.

This president has signed more laws rolling back federal red tape than any president in American history. We promised to repeal two regulations for every one we issued, and over the past year-and-a-half, we’ve eliminated 22 federal regulations for every new rule put on the books.

We’ve also unleashed American energy. We approved the Keystone and Dakota Pipelines. We’re rolling back the Clean Power Plan and the Waters of the United States rule. And we’ve withdrawn America from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord.

We’re standing up to predatory trade practices from countries like China, and we’re fighting for free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals that will benefit Iowa farms and families. We’re making significant progress on improving the North American Free-Trade Agreement, and we’ve already reached historic deals to send American pork to Argentina, American wheat and corn to Vietnam, and American beef to China and Australia. The European Union has also agreed to buy more American soybeans.

Working with Iowa’s leaders in Congress, President Trump is also fighting for a multi-year farm bill that will provide rural America and all of our farmers the long-term certainty they need to prosper and thrive.

And last December, thanks to the strong support of every Iowa Republican in Congress, President Trump signed into law the largest tax cuts and reform in American history.

Under our tax cuts, the first $24,000 of income for a married couple is now 100 percent income-tax free. We also doubled the child tax credit to $2,000. And we cut out the core of ObamaCare by eliminating the individual mandate tax, so Iowans will no longer be forced to buy government-mandated health insurance you don’t want and can’t afford.

All told, the typical family of four in Des Moines will save nearly $3,000 on their taxes every single year.

We also cut taxes on job creators of all sizes, and businesses have responded with renewed investment in their workers. Six million Americans — including more than 25,000 workers across the Hawkeye State — have benefited from bigger pay raises, better benefits, and cash bonuses.

But this is just the beginning. As businesses continue to take action, we estimate that annual wages for Iowa’s working families will rise by more than $4,100 in the years ahead.

Iowa’s conservative leaders in Congress made these tax cuts possible — including Congressman David Young. He, and every Iowa Republican, deserves your thanks.

The forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more. But for all that we’ve accomplished, there’s still more work to do. With Iowa’s continued support, with the support of your conservative leaders in the Congress, with President Trump in the White House, and with God’s help, we’ll finish what we’ve started, and we will Make America Great Again.

Mike Pence is vice president of the United States.