Senator Grassley, Iowans Need Facts — Not False Blame

Here in Iowa, we believe in straight talk. We believe facts matter, responsibility matters, and leaders should deal honestly with the people they serve. For that reason, your recent newsletter — asserting that Democrats “shut down the government” — deserves a clear and factual response, because the record shows something very different. Your party currently controls the White House, the House, and the Senate — every tool needed to pass funding bills. With full control comes full responsibility. When one party holds all three branches, it cannot reasonably shift blame for a shutdown to the minority. Yet you continue to repeat the line that Democrats caused the 43-day shutdown, even though the majority party controls the agenda, the committees, and the timing of every vote. That narrative does not match reality, and Iowans know when a story doesn’t line up with the facts. The shutdown had real consequences for the people you represent. More than 131,000 Iowa households rely on SNAP to feed their families. During the shutdown, you issued a public statement claiming Democrats were “taking away Iowans’ food stamps,” even though your own votes supported what Iowa hunger-relief groups identified as the largest SNAP cuts in program history. Iowa farmers were also left waiting on essential USDA services. You acknowledged that USDA had to furlough 42,000 employees, leaving farmers “in limbo” on disaster-aid payments and loans. Despite recognizing this harm, you supported positions that prolonged the shutdown rather than resolving it promptly, allowing those delays to continue hurting rural communities. Federal workers across Iowa — including air-traffic staff, TSA officers, and USDA field employees — were forced to miss paychecks while the shutdown dragged on. You noted the hardship publicly but did not act to break the stalemate, even though the responsibility rested with the party that held full governing power. These outcomes were not abstract or distant. They affected our neighbors, coworkers, and families. After decades in office, your leadership carries weight. With that influence comes a responsibility to speak plainly, acknowledge who holds power, and base your public communication on verifiable facts. Iowans expect their senior senator to acknowledge that the party controlling the White House, the House, and the Senate bears full responsibility for preventing a shutdown; to be honest that the claim “Democrats shut down the government” is not true and repeating it erodes public trust; to take responsibility by working across the aisle and within your own party rather than shifting blame; and to lead with truth and accountability, grounded in facts and practical problem-solving rather than partisan deflection. You cannot vote for SNAP cuts, watch farmers lose access to USDA services, and see federal workers miss paychecks — then claim the minority party caused the shutdown. Leadership requires owning the consequences of both action and inaction. Iowans need you to focus on their issues and their solutions — not wasting time shifting responsibility and repeating party talking points that are not supported by reality.
Iowans have always expected their elected officials to tell the truth, take responsibility, and put the well-being of the people ahead of political messaging. In that spirit, I am asking — and firmly expecting — that you correct the record, stop repeating claims that do not align with the facts, and commit yourself to the honest, accountable leadership that Iowa voters deserve. Iowans show up. When something does not sit right, we speak up. When misinformation or political spin replaces honest leadership, we call for accountability. I respectfully ask that you base your communications on factual reality, acknowledge your party’s responsibility for the shutdown, and demonstrate the integrity and truthfulness that your constituents rightly expect.