Rubio calls for reformed economic policies at Soapbox

Marco Rubio outlined his vision for the country at The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Tuesday, calling for modernizing economic policies, reforming higher education and taking a stronger stance against threats abroad.

As rain poured down, Rubio kept his remarks short – sticking to his stump speech – and only using about 9 minutes of his allotted 20.

"Thank you for coming, I'm sorry it rained," Rubio said to the audience, who donned ponchos and hunched behind umbrellas in attempts to stay dry. "I brought it from Florida," he joked.

The junior senator is seeking the GOP nomination for president, and called for economic policy reforms to compete with dozens of other countries for the best jobs, businesses and ideas.

And he said the country's tax policies, regulations and national debt are holding the United States back.

Rubio said America must fully utilize its energy resources – and repeal and replace Obamacare with a health care law that allows every American to buy health insurance, with pre-tax money, from companies from any state.

"The world and the economy is changing, and our policies must change with it," Rubio said. "We are not just facing an economic downturn, we're facing an economic transformation."

He also called for flexible college classes for working adults, and requiring schools to disclose how much students may earn from a certain degree after graduation -- before they take out a student loan.

"I believe we need to have alternative, accredited programs that allow people to get the equivalent of a degree, from alternative institutions, that allow them to package learning, no matter how they acquired it," he said. "Let people learn online for free. Give them credit for what they've learned on their own."

RELATED:Rubio takes issue with Trump's immigration plan

Rubio also called for a stronger stance against five threats: North Korean, Russia, China, Iran, and radical jihadists who have spread across multiple Middle Eastern countries, and who recruit Americans online.

"The most important obligation of the federal government is to keep you safe, and me safe, and our families safe, and it's not doing that now because we're eviscerating our defense spending," he said. "We have an Army that just cut 40,000 spots, and a Navy and an Air Force smaller and older than they've been in decades."

Rubio said America must remain the most powerful military force in the world – and have a "foreign policy of clarity."

"One that makes clear to the world that this nation will do whatever it takes to ensure that the only pro-American, free enterprise democracy in the Middle East, the state of Israel, prospers and thrives as the Jewish state," he said.

These changes are within reach, he said. "We can do all three of these things, and if we do, the 21st Century will be the greatest era that America has ever known," he said.

AT THE EVENT

Quote: "The journey my family was able to make in this country, the journey from behind that bar in the back of a room to this Soapbox here today, that journey is the essence of the American Dream," Rubio said, referencing his father, who emigrated from Cuba and worked as a bartender. "It's what make this nation special, and it's what makes our nation different. As Americans we are all just a generation or two removed from someone who did that for us. What we are called upon to do now is to ensure that the American Dream doesn't just survive, but that it reaches more people and changes more lives than ever before."

Crowd: Despite rain pouring down throughout his speech, a crowd gathered with umbrellas -- and many shook hands and asked for photos after his remarks.

Other stops at the fair: Surrounded by a gaggle of press for most of the time, Rubio held a press conference with Senator Chuck Grassley, and then walked with Grassley and his sons Anthony and Dominic through the Cattle Barn. He also visited with other Iowa lawmakers, stopping to chat with Gov. Terry Brandstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, and grilled pork burgers with Rep. David Young. In addition, he cast a vote for himself at the Corn Caucus, but his daughters Amanda and Daniella were told they must be 18 to cast a kernel.