Carly Fiorina advocated against the federal minimum wage in Iowa on Monday.
Fiorina chose to answer questions for much of her time onstage at the Des Moines Register’s Soapbox, and many Iowans appeared interested in asking the former Hewlett-Packard CEO about the economy.
“I believe that minimum wage should be a state decision, not a federal decision,” Fiorina told the crowd. “Why? Because it makes no sense to say the minimum wage in New York City is the same as Mason City, Iowa.”
Fiorina said it’s high time the nation’s political leaders spoke honestly “about the consequences of raising the minimum wage too high.” She also encouraged America’s youth to take any job they can find and work their way up the economic ladder, as she said she did.
When asked about complicated economic issues, Fiorina appeared to rely on her business expertise. She criticized patent reform legislation making its way through Congress, and said, “It would call Thomas Edison a patent troll.”
She also called for a realignment of the nation’s spending priorities, whereby the federal government primarily invests in research of deadly diseases, national defense, and border security. She said the United States government should adhere to “some form of zero base budgeting,” which would require the federal government to justify all new expenses.
She spoke briefly about her faith while onstage at the Iowa State Fair, affirmed her pro-life positions and said Planned Parenthood must be defunded.
Since the end of the first GOP presidential debates, Fiorina shot up in the polls. A Rasmussen poll released last week showed Fiorina tied for third place nationally, and RealClearPolitics’ average of Iowa polls showed her moving into fourth place. Later this week, Fiorina will hit the campaign trail in New Hampshire.
