Nikki Haley calls on Republicans to 'fix' broken government during SOTU response

In the Republican response to President Obama's final State of the Union address, Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) said that while "Democrats in Washington bear much responsibility for the problems facing America today, they do not bear it alone," and said Republicans need to "recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America's leadership."

Haley said that Obama's record "has fallen far short of his soaring words," but added that Republicans "need to accept that we've played a role in how and why our government is broken. And then we need to fix it." If a Republican were in the White House, she said, taxes would be lower, innovation would be encouraged, and "good jobs would be available across the country."

In a swipe against GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, Haley also said "there's a tendency to falsely equate noise with results. Some think you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That's just not true. The best thing can be to turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter you can actually hear what someone else is saying, and that can make a world of difference."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up