Democrats in Iowa's congressional delegation have joined their colleagues in the House in calling for an investigation into President Donald Trump's recent call to Ukrainian officials — but, unlike many Democrats, they've stopped short of calling for his impeachment.
Democratic House leadership has brought impeachment proceeding to the front of the fore following allegations Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who was on the board of Burisma Holdings, an energy company in Ukraine.
Reports say Trump threatened to withhold U.S. military assistance from the country if the president did not cooperate.
More: House Democrats mull impeaching Trump: Here's what we know so far
A whistleblower filed a complaint on Trump's call, but acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire did not send the complaint to Congress after consulting with Justice Department officials. On Wednesday, Trump said he plans to release "fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of the call.
The Ukraine phone call reinvigorated Democrats' calls for impeaching Trump.
Iowa Democrats condemn Trump
Iowa's Congressional Districts (Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK GRAPHIC)
All three of Iowa's Democratic representatives have released statements condemning Trump's reported actions and calling for a full investigation into the call, in addition to releasing the whistleblower's full complaint. But none have publicly called for the president's impeachment.
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, who represents Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, said Tuesday that Congress should launch an impeachment inquiry.
"For the sake of our national security and our democracy, these serious allegations require independent Congressional investigation unobstructed by this Administration," Axne said in a news release. "Congress has a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and to take appropriate steps to open an impeachment inquiry."
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Launching an impeachment inquiry is the same strategy U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to take to address the issue. An impeachment inquiry would not launch the official impeachment process, but would direct a House committee to investigate whether the House has grounds to impeach.
U.S. Rep. Dave Loesack's office did not respond when asked whether the representative wanted to impeach the president. But in a news release Monday, Loebsack, who represents Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, decried Trump's refusal to release facts surrounding the allegations.
"The president and his administration continue to stonewall any investigations, including refusing to release the full Mueller report on Russia’s interference in our elections," he said in the release Monday.
U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who represents Iowa's 1st Congressional District, also did not invoke the word "impeachment" in her response to the whistleblower allegations in a Monday news release.
"I continue to support the work of my colleagues on the designated House committees that are doing their jobs and investigating this situation and other attacks on our democracy," she said in the release. "We must continue these important investigations and get all the facts."
Iowa Republicans say Democrats ignoring their constituents
Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Iowa says the liberal legislators are trying to override Democracy through impeachment proceedings. Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a news release Tuesday that Democrats are "hell-bent on erasing the votes of millions of Americans."
"Axne and Finkenauer are the deciding votes in Pelosi’s plan, and they will stop at nothing to overturn the will of their constituents who voted for and strongly support President Trump," he said.
In a news release Tuesday, U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley criticized Democrats' process in investigating Trump's call with Ukraine: "The president said he will release tomorrow the full, unclassified transcript of his phone call with the Ukrainian president. That level of transparency is extraordinary from any White House. The leadership of the Senate intelligence committee is also working to do its part and hear from the alleged whistleblower and intelligence officials."
"Unfortunately, instead of waiting to learn the facts by reviewing that transcript or hearing from the whistleblower, Democrats have moved straight to starting the impeachment process," the Republican added. "Democrats have been searching for any reason to impeach President Trump since his inauguration because they couldn’t accept the results of the 2016 election."
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, also a Republican had a similar message: "Shame on the House Democrats if they use impeachment as an excuse to play politics instead of focusing on issues that affect the livelihoods of Iowans across our state.”
U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa's 4th Congressional District said in a statement: "They’re putting the Constitution at risk by trying to unseat a duly elected President of the United States through a vicious impeachment movement that came sooner than I expected, and I think it’s going to end up in a flop, and there will be a price paid at the election box.”
Asked about impeachment talk and Ukraine, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday morning the details of the call between Trump and the Ukrainian leader are not yet known but Congress should focus on other issues.
"Congress, do your job. Get USMCA ratified. Let’s start to do something that continues to grow this economy and provide predictability and stability, not only to our farmers, but our small businesses, our families and our manufacturers. Get in there and get that done. Immigration reform — let's focus on that let's focus on some things that can be productive and can actually have an impact on this country and on families and farmers and businesses and manufacturing," the governor, a Republican, said Tuesday. "That's where I would like to see them really focus. They can do both, but they completely put everything else off the table."
https://www.press-citizen.com/story...ncy-pelosi-whistleblower-house-us/2432127001/
Democratic House leadership has brought impeachment proceeding to the front of the fore following allegations Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who was on the board of Burisma Holdings, an energy company in Ukraine.
Reports say Trump threatened to withhold U.S. military assistance from the country if the president did not cooperate.
More: House Democrats mull impeaching Trump: Here's what we know so far
A whistleblower filed a complaint on Trump's call, but acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire did not send the complaint to Congress after consulting with Justice Department officials. On Wednesday, Trump said he plans to release "fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of the call.
The Ukraine phone call reinvigorated Democrats' calls for impeaching Trump.
Iowa Democrats condemn Trump
Iowa's Congressional Districts (Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK GRAPHIC)
All three of Iowa's Democratic representatives have released statements condemning Trump's reported actions and calling for a full investigation into the call, in addition to releasing the whistleblower's full complaint. But none have publicly called for the president's impeachment.
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, who represents Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, said Tuesday that Congress should launch an impeachment inquiry.
"For the sake of our national security and our democracy, these serious allegations require independent Congressional investigation unobstructed by this Administration," Axne said in a news release. "Congress has a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and to take appropriate steps to open an impeachment inquiry."
ADVERTISING
Launching an impeachment inquiry is the same strategy U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to take to address the issue. An impeachment inquiry would not launch the official impeachment process, but would direct a House committee to investigate whether the House has grounds to impeach.
U.S. Rep. Dave Loesack's office did not respond when asked whether the representative wanted to impeach the president. But in a news release Monday, Loebsack, who represents Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, decried Trump's refusal to release facts surrounding the allegations.
"The president and his administration continue to stonewall any investigations, including refusing to release the full Mueller report on Russia’s interference in our elections," he said in the release Monday.
U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who represents Iowa's 1st Congressional District, also did not invoke the word "impeachment" in her response to the whistleblower allegations in a Monday news release.
"I continue to support the work of my colleagues on the designated House committees that are doing their jobs and investigating this situation and other attacks on our democracy," she said in the release. "We must continue these important investigations and get all the facts."
Iowa Republicans say Democrats ignoring their constituents
Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Iowa says the liberal legislators are trying to override Democracy through impeachment proceedings. Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a news release Tuesday that Democrats are "hell-bent on erasing the votes of millions of Americans."
"Axne and Finkenauer are the deciding votes in Pelosi’s plan, and they will stop at nothing to overturn the will of their constituents who voted for and strongly support President Trump," he said.
In a news release Tuesday, U.S. Sen Chuck Grassley criticized Democrats' process in investigating Trump's call with Ukraine: "The president said he will release tomorrow the full, unclassified transcript of his phone call with the Ukrainian president. That level of transparency is extraordinary from any White House. The leadership of the Senate intelligence committee is also working to do its part and hear from the alleged whistleblower and intelligence officials."
"Unfortunately, instead of waiting to learn the facts by reviewing that transcript or hearing from the whistleblower, Democrats have moved straight to starting the impeachment process," the Republican added. "Democrats have been searching for any reason to impeach President Trump since his inauguration because they couldn’t accept the results of the 2016 election."
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, also a Republican had a similar message: "Shame on the House Democrats if they use impeachment as an excuse to play politics instead of focusing on issues that affect the livelihoods of Iowans across our state.”
U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa's 4th Congressional District said in a statement: "They’re putting the Constitution at risk by trying to unseat a duly elected President of the United States through a vicious impeachment movement that came sooner than I expected, and I think it’s going to end up in a flop, and there will be a price paid at the election box.”
Asked about impeachment talk and Ukraine, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday morning the details of the call between Trump and the Ukrainian leader are not yet known but Congress should focus on other issues.
"Congress, do your job. Get USMCA ratified. Let’s start to do something that continues to grow this economy and provide predictability and stability, not only to our farmers, but our small businesses, our families and our manufacturers. Get in there and get that done. Immigration reform — let's focus on that let's focus on some things that can be productive and can actually have an impact on this country and on families and farmers and businesses and manufacturing," the governor, a Republican, said Tuesday. "That's where I would like to see them really focus. They can do both, but they completely put everything else off the table."
https://www.press-citizen.com/story...ncy-pelosi-whistleblower-house-us/2432127001/
