Siding with sedition, Iowa Republicans:
The Gazette asked all six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation, plus U.S. Rep.-elect Zach Nunn, for their reaction to a U.S. House committee’s decision Monday to make referrals to the U.S. Justice Department over former President Donald Trump, as well as the committee’s assessment that he is not fit to serve in public office again.
As of Monday afternoon, the offices for U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, all Republicans, had responded.
Grassley’s spokesman questioned whether the referrals will amount to anything.
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“The Democrat-led House has spent a lot of time and taxpayer resources focusing on Jan. 6, 2021, yet at the end of the day, they aren’t criminal investigators or prosecutors,” Grassley’s spokesman said. “The Justice Department frequently ignores criminal referrals, whether they come from Congress or the Inspector General. So, we’ll see how the Biden Justice Department treats these referrals.”
Ernst and Hinson both cast the committee’s actions as unimportant to Iowans.
“Like most Iowans, Sen. Ernst is focused on what they’re concerned about: making life more affordable, securing the border, and ensuring a strong national defense,” an Ernst spokeswoman said. “As she has said previously, she believes Jan. 6 was a dark day in American history.”
Said Hinson’s spokeswoman, “While the media remains obsessed with the Jan. 6 Committee, Rep. Hinson will continue to be laser focused on the issues that Iowans are talking about around their kitchen tables every night: how they’re going to pay the bills in the Biden economy, securing the border, and restoring American energy independence.”
In a November 2021 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, half of Iowans said the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was “an insurrection and a threat to democracy.” However, broken down by political affiliation, 93 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of no-party voters agreed with that statement, while only 20 percent of Republicans did.
As to whether Trump should ever again serve in public office, those elected Iowa Republicans who likely throughout this year will be hosting presidential candidates ahead of the 2024 caucuses said they believe that question should be left to voters.
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“The power to elect the President of the United States rests with the American voters, not other politicians,” Grassley’s spokesman said, while highlighting Grassley’s support for federal legislation that would clarify the process by which presidential election results are certified by Congress. “Sen. Grassley strongly believes that voters, not Congress, should decide which candidates advance through the Iowa caucuses, primaries and ultimately to the White House, just as they’ve done throughout American history.”
Ernst’s spokeswoman said only that Ernst will remain neutral in the caucuses.
Hinson said recently on Iowa PBS’ “Iowa Press” that she may eventually endorse a presidential candidate. Her spokeswoman said Hinson’s message to any Republican presidential candidate is, “See you in Iowa.”
U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Randy Feenstra and Cindy Axne, and Rep.-elect Nunn, who will replace Axne in 2023, did not respond by late Monday afternoon.
www.thegazette.com
The Gazette asked all six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation, plus U.S. Rep.-elect Zach Nunn, for their reaction to a U.S. House committee’s decision Monday to make referrals to the U.S. Justice Department over former President Donald Trump, as well as the committee’s assessment that he is not fit to serve in public office again.
As of Monday afternoon, the offices for U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, all Republicans, had responded.
Grassley’s spokesman questioned whether the referrals will amount to anything.
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“The Democrat-led House has spent a lot of time and taxpayer resources focusing on Jan. 6, 2021, yet at the end of the day, they aren’t criminal investigators or prosecutors,” Grassley’s spokesman said. “The Justice Department frequently ignores criminal referrals, whether they come from Congress or the Inspector General. So, we’ll see how the Biden Justice Department treats these referrals.”
Ernst and Hinson both cast the committee’s actions as unimportant to Iowans.
“Like most Iowans, Sen. Ernst is focused on what they’re concerned about: making life more affordable, securing the border, and ensuring a strong national defense,” an Ernst spokeswoman said. “As she has said previously, she believes Jan. 6 was a dark day in American history.”
Said Hinson’s spokeswoman, “While the media remains obsessed with the Jan. 6 Committee, Rep. Hinson will continue to be laser focused on the issues that Iowans are talking about around their kitchen tables every night: how they’re going to pay the bills in the Biden economy, securing the border, and restoring American energy independence.”
In a November 2021 Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, half of Iowans said the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was “an insurrection and a threat to democracy.” However, broken down by political affiliation, 93 percent of Democrats and 50 percent of no-party voters agreed with that statement, while only 20 percent of Republicans did.
As to whether Trump should ever again serve in public office, those elected Iowa Republicans who likely throughout this year will be hosting presidential candidates ahead of the 2024 caucuses said they believe that question should be left to voters.
On Iowa Politics
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“The power to elect the President of the United States rests with the American voters, not other politicians,” Grassley’s spokesman said, while highlighting Grassley’s support for federal legislation that would clarify the process by which presidential election results are certified by Congress. “Sen. Grassley strongly believes that voters, not Congress, should decide which candidates advance through the Iowa caucuses, primaries and ultimately to the White House, just as they’ve done throughout American history.”
Ernst’s spokeswoman said only that Ernst will remain neutral in the caucuses.
Hinson said recently on Iowa PBS’ “Iowa Press” that she may eventually endorse a presidential candidate. Her spokeswoman said Hinson’s message to any Republican presidential candidate is, “See you in Iowa.”
U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Randy Feenstra and Cindy Axne, and Rep.-elect Nunn, who will replace Axne in 2023, did not respond by late Monday afternoon.
What does Iowa’s congressional delegation say about Trump referrals?
The Gazette asked all six members of Iowa’s congressional delegation, plus U.S. Rep-elect Zach Nunn, for their reaction to the committee’s recommendations as well as the committee’s assessment that former President Trump is not fit to serve in public office again.
www.thegazette.com
