Indiana congressman to visit Iowa later this month

Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana) will be making some stops in Iowa on behalf of Republicans later this month.  Pence, a one-time radio broadcaster who holds a law degree, is currently the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House. He was first elected to the House in 2000 and will be in Iowa over a two-day period at the end of this month.  Here's his campaign website.  Both public events at which Pence is featured are billed as "family" picnics. Single people can go, but they pay more than married folks.  Read more below.

Floor Recovery Tour, Six-County GOP Picnic to Highlight July 24 Eastern Iowa Visit by GOP Congressional Leader Mike Pence
 
Des Moines, IA – The Republican Party of Iowa today announced that Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, will headline a six-county GOP family picnic at 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 24 at Palisades-Kepler State Park in Linn County.
 
The six-county GOP picnic will follow a comprehensive tour by Congressman Pence, who serves as the Chairman of the House GOP Conference, of the Cedar Rapids area to view flood damage, recovery efforts, and to meet with residents and small business owners who survived the flood to learn their personal recovery stories.
 
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn noted that the event is co-sponsored by the Republican Party of Iowa and the Linn County Republican Party with additional participation from the Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, and Jones County Republicans. Strawn said, “This multi-county event is yet another example of Republican efforts to partner with one another and bring our message of economic growth and opportunity to Iowa families around the state.  Congressman Pence is a champion of the values embodied in our families and will talk about his principled conservative solutions to the problems faced around our state’s kitchen tables each and every day.”
 
The event will be held in and around the Lodge on the Palisades-Kepler State Park grounds.  Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. and will include numerous games and activities for children, a full picnic meal, and a short program featuring Congressman Pence and Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn.
 
In addition, all Republican gubernatorial candidates who have filed organizational papers will be invited to attend and bring their campaigns to mix and mingle with the anticipated crowd of hundreds of Iowans and their families.
 
Cost for the event is $20 per person or $30 for an entire family (which includes meal).  

Details regarding the flood tour will be released to news media at a later date. 

Pence Headlining King’s Conservative Family Picnic on July 25
Event set for Bacon Creek Park in Sioux City

Sioux City, Iowa – Congressman Steve King’s colleague in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana, will be his guest at his Conservative Family Picnic on July 25th in Sioux City. Congressman Pence is chair of the House Republican Conference and a leading voice for conservatives in the nation.

“I am thrilled Mike is coming to Iowa at my invitation to share his vision for our future and conservative principles we all seek to restore,” Congressman King remarked. “In working with Mike, I have a stalwart ally in fighting the battle against the change being implemented by this administration and Democratic leadership.”

King’s Conservative Family Picnic will be held on Saturday, July 25 at Bacon Creek Park, 5015 Correctionville Road, Sioux City. The public is invited to attend. The meal will be served at 5:30 pm featuring Sneaky’s chicken and ribs. A fundraiser for Congressman King’s re-election campaign, cost per individual is $25 or $50 for a family of three or more.

Before being elected to Congress in 2000, Pence earned his law degree from Indiana State University, worked for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, and hosted both a radio and television show in his home state.

Pence was elected unanimously by House Republicans to serve as House Republican Conference Chairman in November 2008. In his role as Conference Chairman, he helps to develop and disseminate the message of the Republican Conference and to promote its Members. Congressman Pence describes himself as "a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order."

Congressman Pence has emerged as a national spokesman for conservative principles. Peggy Noonan has complimented Pence on his ability to maintain an upbeat attitude even in a partisan environment, quoting him as saying "I'm a conservative, but I'm not in a bad mood about it." In November of 2007, Congressman Pence was named one of the top 20 most influential conservatives in America, coming in at nineteen according to the London Daily Telegraph.

Congressman King was elected to the U.S. House in 2002 and now serves on the Agriculture, Judiciary, and Small Business Committees. A staunch defender of American’s freedoms, King has advanced legislation designed to enhance the quality of life of western Iowans he represents. In the 110th Congress, King had more amendments passed than any other Republican member of the US House. Prior to being elected to Congress, King spent six years in the Iowa Senate.