FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2023

Contact: Ian Fury

Gov. Noem Highlights American Work Ethic at Coolidge Foundation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem delivered remarks at the Library of Congress during the Coolidge Foundation’s “Coolidge and the American Project” conference, which celebrates the centennial anniversary of Calvin Coolidge’s presidency. Governor Noem’s remarks focused on the American work ethic, highlighting both President Coolidge and South Dakota as an example that the nation can follow.

The following are some key quotes from Governor Noem’s remarks: 

“Throughout our history, America has been great because we have the Freedom to work both hard and smart. That’s the American work ethic. And we must advance both Freedom and that work ethic if we hope to continue to be the greatest nation in history.”

“[President Coolidge] knew that working American men and women were the ones who drove our nation’s destiny. I couldn’t agree more. But today, our nation is beginning to lose sight of that. The current administration here in Washington is pursuing welfare policies that could be accurately described as European-style socialism.”

“[President Coolidge] would be the last President to actually shrink the size of the federal government – let me tell you, that takes hard work. In fact, during Coolidge’s presidency, he actually cut the overall debt by about 40%, all while cutting taxes for the American people. As Congress and the President debate what to do about the federal debt, they should look to that example.”

“President Coolidge visited South Dakota in the summer of 1927. He was supposed to stay or three weeks but ended up spending three months. At the time, there was a man hard at work carving faces into a mountain… [President Coolidge] saw what [Mount Rushmore] could become, stating that ‘This memorial will be another national shrine to which future generations will repair to declare their continuing allegiance to independence, to self-government, to freedom, and to economic justice.’ Later in the same speech, he talked about South Dakotans: ‘The people of South Dakota are taking the lead in the preparation of this memorial out of their meager resources, because the American spirit is strong among them.’”

“I feel very tied to this man who died about 40 years before I was born. I feel most closely tied to him because of his admiration for the United States of America, for our founding principles, and for our nation’s work ethic. He knew that there was something fundamentally different that sets our country apart from every other.”

Governor Noem was the keynote speaker on the final day of the Coolidge and the American Project conference.

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