REINBECK – The Grundy County Republicans held their biennial fundraiser at the Reinbeck Memorial Building this past Friday with headlining speaker U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson.
Republican candidates from around the state were also in attendance to make one final appeal to voters before the June 7 primaries.
Rep. Hinson kicked off the slate of speakers and began her remarks by saying, “I had three main goals when I went to Washington D.C.; Number one: to fight for taxpayers and accountability. Number two: to stand up for rural America and number three: to fight for safety and security.”
Throughout her speech, Hinson leveled continuous criticism at President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress on a variety of issues.
“This administration has been a hundred percent reactive instead of being proactive. That is true of foreign policy and that is true with what is happening with the economy,” Hinson said. “They want to double down on these policies right now so that is why I think this election is the most critical election of our time.”
The crux of Rep. Hinson's speech however, would focus around her second trip to McAllen, Texas where she surveyed the ongoing immigration efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We have a raging crisis at our southern border and the vulnerabilities are being exploited by the cartels,” Rep. Hinson said. “It's a true travesty what is happening. This is a direct result of this administration’s policies.
“I think everybody should be concerned because this is a safety and security issue, not just for Texas, but for Iowa. … It's the dangerous drugs, its the meth, the fentanyl, its the human smuggling, the sex trafficking. That is in our backyard.”
U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin from Sioux City immediately followed Hinson during the program. Carlin has served as the Iowa State Senator in District 3 since 2017.
Carlin is challenging U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley for the Republican nomination. Grassley has held the Senate seat for over 40 years and is once again seeking reelection at 88 years old.
Sen. Carlin said he was motivated to run for the U.S. Senate after the 2020 general election.
“I don’t know about you guys, but on the other side of that election, I really thought I had been robbed. It just didn't pass the smell test,” Sen Carlin said. “I kind of took that personally, and like most of you guys, I was waiting for something to happen, and nothing did.
“And that's the problem because if the government is not accountable to us, you incentivize criminal behavior.”
Carlin posited that he had “some suspicion about being ruled by criminals” while referencing Hilary Clinton’s recent fine by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for her campaign’s lack of disclosure of money spent on opposition research that would lead to the Steele Dossier.
The Steele Dossier alleges that former President Donald Trump conspired with the Kremlin to win the 2016 election and that Russia had compromising information on him.
In recent years, a series of investigations and lawsuits have discredited many of its central allegations and exposed the unreliability of Steele's sources.
“The currency of our republic is trust, and once the trust is gone, the anticipation ends, then the bad guys really take over,” Carlin continued. “So, when we talk about criminals running this country, have you guys noticed that criminals don’t want you to have guns?
“They’re not really much for private property rights either. Criminals really aren’t big on boundaries like private property or life.
“They’re not real big on free speech while they’re robbing you either. They just want you to shut up and let them take whatever they darn well please. Sounds a hell of a lot like the Democratic platform to me.”
Carlin finished his speech by saying, “We have reason to be concerned. And the thing that I will do, is I will stand up for you in a real way, and I think that’s the job, you’re supposed to protect people, their boundaries, their lives, their interests, and the value of the dollar.”
Iowa State Senator Annette Sweeney rounded out the list of candidates speaking at the dinner. Sen. Sweeney is running for reelection for the State Senate District 27 seat.
Sen. Sweeney spoke to the gathered community members about Sen. Chuck Grassley and his recent actions in the U.S. Congress.
Sen. Sweeney explained his hotly debated vote to pass the Democrat-led Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“Senator Grassley sent me this note, ‘As long as I serve in the U.S. Senate, I’ll work with anyone on any policy that is good for Iowa,’” Sen. Sweeney said in Sen. Grassley’s stead. “‘Iowans who I serve deserve better roads, bridges, and broadband to commit to our people, products, and places. This investment will keep our state’s economy, population, and productivity growing.’”
Sen. Sweeney also pointed out Sen. Grassley’s efforts to prevent the nomination of Merrick Garland as a Supreme Court justice in 2016.
“Senator Grassley stood in the way of having a Supreme Court Justice that was liberal,” Sen. Sweeney said. “That Supreme Court Justice, more than likely, would have voted to kill babies, and Senator Grassley alone stood there in that way, so now today, we have a chance to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
