Rubio in Muscatine: ‘We feel unsafe and uncertain’

MUSCATINE - Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday reiterated the three priorities he would pursue if he is elected president: reinvigorating the U.S. economy, keeping people safe in a time of growing global threats, and repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

'I'm running for president because I believe with all my heart that what we have in America, as Americans, is the unique and exceptional nation in the history of all mankind,” Rubio said as he addressed a packed house at Kent Corp. headquarters in Muscatine.

In the face of global threats, Rubio said, 'I just recognized our current budgets will leave us with the oldest and smallest Air Force this county has ever had. It will leave us with the oldest and smallest Navy we have had since 1950. It will leave us with the smallest Army we have had since the Second World War.”

He questioned how it can be that the world is growing more dangerous and our adversaries more powerful, while the United States is weakening its defenses.

'This is the fundamental challenge before us. We feel unsafe, and economically we feel uncertain because of the policies of the current president,” Rubio said, noting that is what the election is about - reversing both of those trends so the country can be better off than it has ever been.

He also noted the national debt has risen to nearly $19 trillion and that America needs to save programs like Social Security and Medicare while bringing the debt under control.

In regard to health care, Rubio said he favors a system where people can buy health care and insurance from anyone they want.

'You'll control your health care money, whether it's a refundable tax credit or money your employer gives you to spend on health coverage that you don't pay taxes on, and you'll be able to buy any kind of insurance you want from any company in America that will sell you a plan,” he said.