Statewide Iowa (RI) — The Republicans who represent Iowa in the U.S. House and Senate are praising the capture of Venezuela’s president, while top Iowa Democrats suggest the move may trigger another endless war.
Senator Joni Ernst and the four Iowans who serve in the U.S. House say Maduro and his cartels have illegally trafficked deadly drugs into our country for years, and President Trump took decisive action to hold him accountable.
Senator Chuck Grassley says the mission is not unprecedented. Grassley cites President George H.W. Bush’s order to deploy a much larger ground force to capture Panama’s president. Manuel Noriega, like Maduro, had been indicted for drug trafficking in the U.S.
Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart praised the soldiers who captured Maduro, but she says the U.S. should not start a war for oil.
Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican candidate for governor, thanked Trump for authorizing Maduro’s capture. Feenstra says the mission was flawlessly executed.
Second District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion who is running for the U.S. Senate, says it’s long past time for Maduro to be held accountable for drug trafficking and narcoterrorism.
State Representative Josh Turek, one of three Democrats running for the U.S. Senate, says Iowans are tired of never ending wars and Washington should be focused on fixing the U.S. economy.
Zach Wahls is a state senator from Coralville who’s also seeking the Democratic Party’s U.S. Senate nomination. He says Trump is trying to forcing regime change in Venezuela with no clear plan other than enriching big oil companies and defense contractors.
The other Democrat in the U.S. Senate race is a Marine veteran. Nathan Sage of Indianola says the American people are fed up with endless wars and the leaders who enable them.
First District Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, says Nicolas Maduro was a grave threat to American security who enabled deadly drug cartels.
Third District Congressman Zach Nunn says Madura was an illegitimate dictator. Nunn says moving forward, the mission in Venezuela must be time-bound and squarely aligned with U.S. national interests.
KIWA Staff Photo
