Most of us can agree that when a trusted steward of constitutional rights and responsibilities over a span of 50 years of service to his constituents suddenly changes his direction to an agenda that hurts our state and our country, we wonder what is going on.
Since January of this year, Sen. Chuck Grassley watchers have noted a departure from his conservative and principled Republican voting record to voting in lockstep with the current administration. Additionally, he has not adhered to traditional decorum in supporting surprising choices, nor has he maintained decorum when chairing an oversight hearing. Did he forget his constituents and bend the knee to President Trump?
Despite Trump's claims, in a free market system, tariffs are a tax on the people. Because of Senator Chuck Grassley's 50 years in United States Congress -- including three stints on the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees taxation, medicare, medicaid, reciprocal trade agreements, customs, port of entry, and tariffs -- Grassley knows these "deals" or "no deals" made by the administration shift higher prices onto the taxpayer. The farmer's see that China is buying Argentina's soybeans instead of ours, and bailing them out to the tune of 20 Billion dollars in our taxpayer money.
On the subject of decorum and respect for the institution of the United States Senate, Senator Grassley recently chaired an oversight hearing with United States Attorney General Pam Bondi and let her avoid answering questions posed by democrats and instead allowed her to challenge them on different subjects altogether to avoid answering. Grassley, as chairman, let this continue throughout the hearing.
Is this the kind of behavior that we expect of our legislators and our attorney general? I think not. The Senator's legislative actions and oversight inactions provoke doubts and questions regarding his representation. Taken altogether, Senator Grassley does not appear to be the same Senator Grassley we have voted into office for the past 50 years. I, for one, and I know many other constituents, are deeply disappointed in his representation. So I ask, What's Up, Chuck?