Berger Champions North Carolina First Agenda at NCGOP Convention
Senate Leader Phil Berger addressed the North Carolina Republican Convention at the Old North State dinner.
Here are the key quotes from his speech:
Hello, North Carolina Republicans. Great to see everybody. I'm here to give you an update on how things are going in the North Carolina State Senate. Like President Trump in Washington, we're pushing a conservative America First agenda. But this is nothing new. It's what we've been doing since we booted the Democrats out of power in the legislature in 2010.
I hear the progressive liberals and members of the media, I guess that's redundant, deride America First. They laugh at us. They mock President Trump. Friends, America First and MAGA, they're not just catchy slogans.
It is a response, a response to decades of Washington politicians abandoning the very people who made America great and who put them in office. It's a response to the elite, no better overlords looking down their noses at hardworking Americans like you and me. Here's what the America First agenda would look like at the state level: the North Carolina First agenda looks like in the North Carolina Senate. We've cut taxes for every single family in this state. We've provided school choices for every single family and every child in this state.
We've supported the police, honored our veterans, cracked down on criminals, and prohibited sanctuary cities and jurisdictions. We've defended values, included in good North Carolina common sense. Values like keeping boys out of girls' sports. Values like the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Values like protecting the unborn. And values like securing the vote and the ballot box with photo ID.
You know, this year alone, we've passed our own version of DOGE, the Dave Act, so auditor Dave Boliek can identify and root out corruption and waste in state government... We pushed bills that support President Trump's energy policies and just passed the North Carolina Border Protection Act to guarantee North Carolina complies with the President's plans to crack down on illegal immigration.
Along the way, we've partnered with President Trump in his mission to make America great again. Isn't Is it great to finally have a President who puts America first? For 15 years now, the state Senate has worked to put North Carolina first, not for the wealthy, not for the political leaders, and certainly not for the political class, but for everyday North Carolinians like you and your neighbors. And we intend, with your help, to continue. I want to thank you for being here. I want to thank you for your dedication to the North Carolina Republican Party. God bless you and God bless North Carolina.
Tim’s Take: Berger’s speech sets up a sharp contrast between him and his primary opponent. Berger championed his conservative tax-cutting record and plans to continue lowering the tax burden for North Carolina families. In contrast, his primary opponent, Sam Page, proudly supports the House budget, which increases the tax burden on North Carolina families by about $8 billion over five years.
