Statewide Iowa — As tens of thousands of Russian troops mass on the border with Ukraine, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is joining colleagues in calling for action by the Biden Administration to prevent a full-scale invasion.
Grassley, a Republican, favors the U.S. aiding Ukraine with supplies but stops short of saying America needs to put boots on the ground there.
Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Joni Ernst, sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and says without sanctions now, President Biden is only appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Iowa’s two U.S. senators are sending President Biden a letter, urging him to seek new trade agreements in the Indo-Pacific region. That includes roughly two dozen nations stretching from Australia to India and from Japan to the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. Senator Chuck Grassley says he and fellow Republican Joni Ernst point out in the letter that Biden initially said he would prioritize the domestic agenda before dealing with trade issues.
The U.S. is at a critical moment, Grassley says, especially after China made the formal request to enter the progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP.
The so-called Phase One agreement which then-President Trump signed with the Chinese has expired and Grassley says it’s unclear what steps the Biden administration intends to take regarding China. While China did make record purchases of agricultural products, Grassley notes that the nation failed to live up to its promised goals during the Phase One deal.
Iowa’s 86-thousand family farmers rely on exports, Grassley says, with about one-third of the state’s agricultural production going overseas.
