Iowans Tired of a Congressman Putting his Extreme Personal Agenda Ahead of Them
SIOUX CITY, IA — J.D. Scholten yesterday held a press conference and released a statement on the need for new moral leadership for Iowa’s 4th Congressional District in response to the recent horrific hate crimes. In light of events in Kentucky, Pittsburgh, and an extremist using pipe bombs to target well-known public figures, it’s clear we need new leaders in Iowa who focus on bringing people together, instead of people like Steve King who seek to divide us.
Scholten is currently discussing his vision for putting the needs of Iowans first as he launched his “4 Days, 4 Highways: Still Showing Up Tour” starting on Highway 30:
“What happened on Saturday in Pittsburgh was horrific and tragic. Iowans stand in solidarity with the victims and their families in denouncing anti-Semitism and against hatred in all forms.
Unfortunately for us here in Iowa’s 4th District, we are once again in the national news. Because of his extreme failure to focus on the needs of this district, Steve King is a subject of controversy once again. But now, even Republican leadership and his corporate donors are calling him out.
Because Rep. King has refused to answer our request for a debate, this is how we are forced to hold him accountable. When you run for Congress and when you’re elected to Congress, you become a leader. You have a platform. You get to decide how you use your platform.
For 15 months, my campaign has used our platform to talk about how to get health care costs under control for Iowans. We’ve talked about building infrastructure to grow our technology community. To work with farmers to improve our agriculture economy. To clean up Washington from self interests and special interests. And more.
Steve King has used his platform to endorse a fringe candidate who is a known white nationalist in the Toronto, Canada mayoral race.
Steve King has used his platform to retweet Neo-Nazis.
Steve King used his platform to interview with an obscure extremist Austrian newspaper, but had no time to sit with Iowa’s largest newspaper, the Des Moines Register.
You know where he hasn’t used his platform? The Sioux City Rotary Club. Where I spoke to our local business community Monday but he’s refused to show up.
He’s not using his platform talking to Iowa voters since he won’t do town halls or public events.
I met a farmer in Chickasaw County who had an issue. He contacted Sen. Grassley and Rep. King. Grassley responded with a two page letter. Rep. King responded by saying “he’s not taking any questions from his constituents at this time.”
There’s only one Congressman where there is talk of expulsion.
There’s only one Congressman that Intel, Purina, and Land O’Lakes have decided to cut ties with because they looked at Rep. King’s public statements and determined that is not their companies’ values.
There’s only one Congressman that was denounced by his own National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers, who strongly condemned Rep. King’s behavior as completely inappropriate. I applaud Rep. Stivers for putting country over party.
This past week, Rep. King did talk about the need for civility. But that same day, his campaign’s Facebook page featured a meme that said, a person not loyal to his country is a Democrat. That should be unacceptable behavior by anyone, much less a 16=year Congressman.
As a result of all of this controversy, Steve King has long failed to be an effective advocate for the needs of Iowa’s 4th district, in part, because he chooses to use his platform to divide people and push his extremist views. Which is a big reason why the Sioux City Journal decided after 16 years it was time for change.
The Republican leadership didn’t allow King to be on the Farm Bill Conference Committee, the group that determines the Farm Bill. This is the 2nd most Ag producing district in America.
King could be using his platform to promote things to help this district. Heck, he could be the chairman of the Ag Committee with 16 years in office. Yet, he’s abdicated his leadership for his own personal agenda.
Monday, Republican Rep. Ryan Costello, from the 6th district of PA, mentioned that we shouldn’t expel Steve King, but we should vote him out.
This nation needs to come together. We do that by electing leaders who are willing to put their district first and are willing to reach across the aisle. And most importantly, treat the other side with respect and civility.
Democrats are not the enemy of Republicans and Republicans are not the enemy of Democrats. If we ever hope to have real progress in this country, we need to learn to come together. If you elect me, I vow to represent every citizen in this district equally without regard to race, creed, or partisan affiliation.
The Fourth District needs new moral leadership. We need a leader that people can look to during troubling times. We need a leader who doesn’t seek to divide us and who unequivocally states that anti-Semitism and racism must be, rejected.”
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A 5th-generation Iowan, born in the 4th District, J.D. grew up in Sioux City. All his life, as a teammate and a professional, he’s been surrounded by people who put others first. He’s played baseball in 7 countries and his paralegal career has taken him to Minneapolis and Seattle. But who he is has never changed: an Iowan who believes in hard work, civility and community and is committed to living those values through his campaign to beat Steve King.
For more information about J.D. Scholten, visit www.scholten4iowa.com or follow the campaign on social media @scholten4iowa.
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