County Republicans gathered April 11 to raise funds and celebrate gaining the majority in the Iowa Senate and House and in Congress, as well as putting Republican Donald Trump in the White House. The spring fundraiser was held at the Re-Creation Center at Abundant Life Ministries in Jefferson. About 60 persons attended.
Congressman Steve King, who represents Greene County in Washington, and Lt Gov Kim Reynolds spoke, as did state auditor Mary Mosiman, Tamera Scott and Steve Sheffler, both members of the Republican National Committee, Colby DeWitt, regional political director of the Republican Party of Iowa, representatives of Personhood Iowa and the Iowa Firearms Coalition, and Greene County board of supervisors chair John Muir.
State Rep Chip Baltimore and Sen Jerry Behn were unable to attend because of legislative duties.
DeWitt noted that that in Iowa, 74 percent of the county supervisors are Republican and 68 percent of all partisan offices are held by Republicans. Several speakers mentioned “historic majorities,” and the backdrop for the speakers portrayed “a clean sweep from the county courthouse to the White House.”
Greene County High School junior Haley Hall introduced Mosiman. Mosiman spoke briefly about the duty of the state auditor to serve as “the taxpayers’ watchdog.” She said Greene County is considered to be “a well-run county.”
Levi Larson, Greene Co HS class of 2013 and a Drake University graduate, introduced Reynolds.
Reynolds said Gov Branstad is uniquely qualified to serve as ambassador to China because of his 20-year relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. She said Gov Branstad will likely resign as governor in May to take his new post as ambassador, and that she expects “a seamless transition.”
King opened his comments with his opinion on Chinese food. He said he asked Gov Branstad to take with him to China “a whole lot of rib-eyes and whole lot of Iowa chops so when I stop to visit you there I don’t have to eat that slime they serve over there.”
He spoke about the political jockeying on the Affordable Care Act, reminding Republicans that he has supported a total repeal of the act. He said he had conversation with President Trump and with Sen Ted Cruz about pushing in the Senate a resolution to appeal the act that he had written for the House. He said his resolution had a better chance of being passed in the Senate, and that he promised to vote for the House resolution that left parts of the ACA in place in exchange for support for total repeal in the Senate.
He said there remains a split between moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans on the issue and had no comments about a next step.
King said he supports the recent air strike in Syria, that Kellyanne Conway is the most powerful woman in Washington, and that Democrats “want to marginalize people who love their country and love God.”
