March 29, 2024

Carly Fiorina denounces big government during visit to Corning Opera House

CORNING – Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina argues most issues in the United States today can be traced to one problem: too much federal control.

During a visit to Corning Opera House Friday afternoon, Fiorina laid out her vision for lessening federal control should she be elected president, which includes asking citizens to weigh in before she makes major decisions, holding the government accountable for its spending, repealing ObamaCare and improving veteran care.

“I think we’ve come to a pivotal point where the right to find and use your God-given gifts is being crushed by a government that has grown so powerful, so costly, so complicated and so corrupt ... and refuses to do anything about it,” said Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive. “The government is here to serve the people who pay for it, not to serve themselves.”

Involving citizens

A major issue Fiorina sees in the federal government is it doesn’t involve the American people in its decision-making. She plans to consult with citizens via technology.

“Once a week, I’m going to go into the Oval Office – the president has a weekly radio address – and I’ll ask you to take out your smart phones,” Fiorina said.

Over the radio, she’ll ask a question, such as: “Do you think we ought to go to zero-base budgeting, so you know where every dollar of your money is being spent?”

Then she’ll ask citizens to press “1” for “yes” or “2” for “no.”

“There’s actually an app for this,” Fiorina said. “I’m going to use technology to focus your common sense and good judgment. I am prepared to lead, but you must be prepared to help me.’”

Zero-based budgeting

“What problem did you hope Washington, D.C., would have solved by now but hasn’t?” Fiorina rhetorically asked the audience.

She listed several Conservative concerns that have become “festering problems”: tax reform, limiting the size of government, repealing ObamaCare and securing the border.

“The government spends more and more money each year, and yet every time we ask the government to do something, the government says we don’t have enough money,” Fiorina said. “How is that possible?”

She said the government needs to be held accountable for all of its spending, and the way to ensure this is switching to zero-based budgeting, an approach in which every dollar must be examined, any dollar can be cut and any dollar can be moved.

ObamaCare

During the question-and-answer period, one woman asked Fiorina how she planned to “bring the country off the socialist path President Obama has taken us on.”

“This is how socialism starts: government creates a problem, and then government steps in to solve the problem,” Fiorina said.

She said this has happened with the Affordable Care Act or “ObamaCare.”

“Buried in ObamaCare is this provision where the federal government took over the student loan business, and a lot of young people don’t know this,” Fiorina said. “I get asked by young people all the time, ‘Why is student debt up so high?’ Well, one of the reasons it’s so high is the government took it over. The government decided if you’re a student, you’re going to pay between 4.5 and 6.5 percent interest, even though the government only pays between 1.5 and 2.5 percent on its debt.”

If elected, Fiorina plans to repeal ObamaCare entirely. Instead, she has said during a GOP debate she will enforce a health care system that is "subjected to free-market forces, more transparency of insurance companies and allow(s) states to create insurance pools for high-risk individuals."

Veteran care

Another woman asked Fiorina what she planned to do to improve the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“There are too many veterans not getting the care they deserve, and that undercuts the core of the character of this nation,” Fiorina said. “It starts with a commander-in-chief who values, honors and listens to our military. This administration has not valued, honored or listened to our military sufficiently.”

She then explained her plans to improve veteran care.

“First, we will reform the VA and ensure every veteran gets the care they have earned, either at the VA or a healthcare facility of their choosing,” Fiorina said. “Second, in order to rebuild our military, we have to invest in our nuclear triad. Third, we need to stand up and provide support, leadership and resolve to our allies who are prepared to push back against our adversaries with us – whether those adversaries are ISIS, China or Russia. Finally, the world needs to see the United States of America differently. We need a reset – action, not words – that says to the world we’re back in leadership.”