Grassley speaks on judicial fairness, illegal immigration

LENOX - During a town hall luncheon last Wednesday hosted by Senator Chuck Grassley, the Iowa senator gave his views on the federal government and how Iowans can remain confident in the information they receive.

Grassley reminded Iowans that receiving information through social media (using TikTok as an example) could distort or hide the intended messaging of politicians like him. He said his website, grassley.senate.gov, was the best way to receive information about his thoughts, with press releases and transcribed speeches available to Iowans.

Trump

A question presented to Grassley was said as a “simple, but personal” question. Is the judicial system fair? “I think the judges are fair, I think the prosecutors aren’t fair,” he responded.

However, when it comes to the heavily-publicized trial with former President Donald Trump, Grassley doesn’t agree the judge was fair. This comment was made before the Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of all 34 counts of criminal charges.

On Monday, Grassley on the Senate floor spoke on the conviction, saying that the effort to revive the “zombie case” was entirely politically-minded and the interpretation of the jury was unfair.

“I could go on and on about the defects in this political persecution,” he said. “What concerns me most is the damage it’s done to our American institutions.”

Immigration

Grassley’s major fight is in immigration laws, which he called the “number two problem he hears about.” One concern was aimed toward additional support those who entered illegally were receiving from the government, with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as an example.

This type of assistance was something Grassley said was illegal, saying that the only legal federal programs illegal immigrants would have access to was access to courts and access to medical help.

“Some of these cities are giving money, that’s federal money,” he said. “If they’re getting a cellphone from border control, I assume that’s taxpayer money.”

Grassley also said the people who enter the southern border illegally were “well-prepared,” saying they come into the country to take advantage of federal programs.

“I just hope there’s no taxpayer money going through nonprofit organizations to someplace down in Mexico to give resources to get them here in the first place,” he said.

Blame to the problem was given to the Biden administration for not enforcing available laws. “We got 10 million people in the last three years coming into the country illegally because the president’s not enforcing the law.”

EVs

With new funding given for electric vehicle infrastructure, concern was raised for how this would affect Iowa. Grassley called the initiative “unrealistic,” and called the administration’s efforts for environmental concern a “green scheme.”

Grassley said the choice for an electric vehicle is still up to the consumer even with the new attention toward EVs, but the administration’s efforts is causing unnecessary problems.

“Even if Biden is reelected, it’s still unrealistic to accomplish what he wants to accomplish,” he said. “He just wants to make life miserable for everyone else in trying to accomplish it.”