Before the speech, there was a prayer and pledge of allegiance.
Sen. Nodler:
"WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN A CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS? SOUTHWEST MISSOURIANS WANT TO BE REPRESENTED BY SOMEONE WHO REFLECTS THEIR CORE VALUES.
LET ME SAY AT THE OUTSET THAT MY APPROACH TO PUBLIC LIFE IS INFORMED BY A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
I BELIEVE IN THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE AND WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN, WHETHER IN PUBLIC OFFICE OR IN PRIVATE LIFE, TO DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE UNBORN.
I OPPOSE HUMAN CLONING.
I BELIEVE THAT MARRIAGE IS A SACRED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.
I BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT GUARANTEES FREEDOM OF RELIGION, NOT FREEDOM FROM RELIGION.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR OUR CONGRESSMAN TO BELIEVE THESE THINGS. HE MUST BE ABLE TO ARTCULATE THESE VALUES AND KNOW THE POLITICAL PROCESS WELL ENOUGH TO ADVANCE THEM.
WE NEED A CANDIDATE THAT NOT ONLY REFLECTS OUR MORAL VALUES, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDS OUR ECONOMIC AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES.
THE UNITED STATES FACES A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES: OUR ECONOMY HAS BEEN ROCKED BY DEEP RECESSION IN THE HOUSING MARKET THAT HAS COMPLICATED AN OVERALL FINANCIAL INDUSTRY, BUFFETTED BY WRECKLESS SPECULATION, MISMANAGEMENT AND OUTRIGHT FRAUD. THE AUTO INDUSTRY TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE.
GREED AND CORRUPTION HAVE LED TO A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN OUR BASIC FINANCIAL AND GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS. PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE IS DEBT-PERSONAL AND PUBLIC DEBT. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OUT AND THAT IS FISCAL DISCIPLINE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY OR BUSINESS OR GOVERNMENT, WE MUST LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS...AND FOR GOVERNMENT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN HIGHER TAXES, BUT IT DOES MEAN LESS SPENDING.
WE HAVE CONTINUING THREATS FROM ENEMIES AROUND THE WORLD. GLOBAL JIHADISTS WILL USE ANY MEANS AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO DO HARM TO THE PEOPLE AND INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WE MUST MANTAIN A STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE. WE MUST IMPROVE OUR INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITIES. AND, THE VERY FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS SHOULD BE TO SECURE OUR OWN BORDERS.
IN THIS DISTRICT, OUR CONGRESSMAN SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. SOUTHWEST MISSOURI IS AN EDUCATIONAL CENTER, AND AN AGRICULTURAL CENTER, A MANUFACTURING CENTER, A TRANSPORTATION CENTER, A HEALTHCARE CENTER AND A TOURIST HUB. MOST OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS REPRESENTED HERE. OUR CONGRESSMAN MUST UNDERSTAND BUSINESS.
THE EXPANSION OF FEDERAL POWER AND FEDERAL SPENDING REPRESENTED BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND THE ULTRA LIBERAL CONGRESS MUST BE RESISTED. IT IS SIMPLY WRONG TO EXPECT OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN TO PAY FOR A GROSSLY OVERGROWN AND GLUTTONOUS GOVERNMENT AND PAY FOR THE GREED AND WASTE AND MISMANAGEMENT OF WASHINGTON AND WALL STREET. THE WORST THING IS THAT THEY WILL BE ASKED TO PAY FOR HIGHER TAXES AND LESS LIBERTY.
SO, HOW HAVE MY BELIEFS BEEN MANIFESTED IN MY LIFE?
LIKE MOST OF YOU, I ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY. IN FACT, I'VE BEEN AN ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN LONG TIME SUPPORTERS OF LIFE CHOICES CRISES PREGNANCY CENTER, WHERE JONCEE SERVED SEVERAL YEARS ON THE BOARD. I AUTHORIZED LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDED TAX CREDITS FOR DONATIONS TO CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND MISSOURI NATIONAL GUARD.
AS CHAIRMAN OF THE MISSOURI SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, I HAVE CRAFTED BALANCED BUDGETS THAT MEET CRITICAL NEEDS WITHOUT TAX INCREASES.
IN PRIVATE BUSINESS, I HAVE BUILT SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES, PAID ALL OF MY EMPLOYEES, ALL MY DEBTS, AND ALL MY TAXES.
AS A BANK DIRECTOR, I HAVE HELPED WITH LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESSES NUMBERING IN THE HUNDREDS. AS A REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR S.B.A., I HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESSES NUMBERING IN THE THOUSANDS. DURING MY YEARS THERE, WE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF LOANS AS WELL AS IMPROVING THEIR PERFORMANCES.
I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN CONGRESS AS A MINORITY REPUBLICAN IN A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS. THE FIRST 16 YEARS OF MY CAREER, I WAS AN ASSISTANT TO CONGRESSMAN GENE TAYLOR, WHO WAS IN JUST SUCH A POSITION FOR HIS ENTIRE CAREER.
AS A STATE SENATOR, MY LEGISLATIVE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELS. NO POSITION IN THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS MORE DEMANDING THAN THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE STATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.
LASTLY, I AM AN OPTIMIST. I BELIEVE WE CAN CORRECT OUR COURSE. WE CAN BUILT A BETTER, BRIGHTER TOMORROW FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS. IT WON'T BE EASY, BUT IT CAN BE DONE IF WE HOLD FAST TO OUR VALUES, SPEAK THE TRUTH, INSPIRE THE YOUNG, AND IF WE RE-KINDLE OUR DEVOTION TO LIBERTY.
IF WE RETURN TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BELIEF THAT FREEDOM SHOULD BE THE POLITICAL RELIGION OF THE NATION, THEN WE CAN HAVE THE KIND OF REBIRTH AS A NATION THAT WILL SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY.
WITH THIS AS MY MISSION, I AM TODAY ANNOUNCING MY CANDICACY FOR THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN FROM MISSOURI'S 7TH DISTRICT."
