To the Editor:Yesterday I was proud to witness yet another component of our country’s push towards a better America as our president addressed Congress for the first time.President Donald Trump is giving this country a much-needed breath of fresh air. During his first month in office he is already fulfilling promises, offering a stark contrast to our previous Democratic leadership.North Carolina fought hard to deliver 15 Electoral College votes to Donald Trump, and we are now reaping the benefits of having a strong Republican in office. President Trump appointed retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as the U.S. Secretary of Defense; a man who believes in a strong national defense and the expansion of our military. North Carolina is home to eight military basessome of which are Camp Lejeune, U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), New River Air Station, home of V22 (Osprey), Seymour Johnson, Pope Air Force Base, and not to mention Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the world with more than 50,000 active duty personnel and a large percentage of our combat-ready Army troops. Trump’s commitment to the development and well-being of our military with an increased budget will add to the degree of military readiness, which can already be felt far and wide in our great state. Trump is taking strides to make sure that the sweeping mess of Obamacare will be taken care of, all the while providing high quality healthcare with reasonable choices especially the ability to keep your own doctor. More than 250,000 North Carolinians lost their health plan under the Affordable Care Act, and twice as many Americans have reported being hurt by Obamacare rather than helped by it. Earlier this year, Gov. Roy Cooper tried to illegally expand Medicaid, which would have had drastic repercussions for the citizens and businesses in our state. Within hours of taking oath, Trump signed an executive order to begin rolling back Obamacare. North Carolina has become a leader in the school choice movement over the past four years, so I was absolutely elated when President Trump appointed Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. DeVos is a strong advocate of school choice, voucher programs, and charter schools. As of right now, North Carolina has two educational choice programs: Opportunity Scholarships and the Special Education Scholarship Grants for Children with Disabilities. We have well over 90,000 children attending nearly 170 different charter schools across the state. During his campaign, Trump reiterated time and time again his dedication to making sure that all children have access to the education that serves them best, and not the other way around. On top of correcting the persistent mistakes of government past, he is also paving the way for those who will make up the future of our government. I am as confident as ever in our ability to expand school choice in North Carolina and grant more children with access to greater education with the support of Trump and DeVos.I’m proud to see Trump recognizing North Carolina as home to over 10 percent of the historically black colleges and universities. The Old North State is also home to Dr. Ada Fisher, Republican National Committeewoman, and one of the most influential African-American Republicans in the country, as Newsmax recently named her. As mentioned previously, we are working hard to improve education, and Darrell Allison is another African-American Republican whose efforts to reform K-12 education have been instrumental. Allison is the founding president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, and he believes that a family’s address and income should never restrict a child from where they go to school. With the help of Fisher and Allison, along with Trump, our outreach potential is endless. Last night Trump was not only addressing Congress, but he was also addressing the people the teachers, the veterans, the children, and everyone else that make up this great nation. He has proven his commitment to our country, and he deserves our respect and gratitude in return. With Trump came the renewal of the American spirit, hope, and the sense that anything is possible in this great nation. I, for one, am thankful for his tireless service to our country, and to North Carolina. Sincerely,Robin HayesChairman, North Carolina Republican Party
