State Senator Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) rebuked Iowa Senate Democrats for intolerance after they blocked the nomination of Diane Clark and Hamed Tewfik, MD for a third term on the Iowa Board of Medicine.
Both were appointed by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad in 2011 to serve on the board. They were reconfirmed for a second term in 2014. Clark is a licensed nurse who is a retired physican administrator. She is the first public member of the Board of Medicine to be elected as chair.
Tewfik, a physician member of the Board, is a radiation oncologist at the Iowa City Cancer Treatment Center.
Both voted for rules related to telemed abortion in 2013 that effectively banned the practice. The Iowa Supreme Court later overturned that decision.
State Senator Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) spoke out against the nominations. When asked if she had contacted either nominee she said their voting record was enough for her to make up her mind and then accused the Iowa Board of Medicine of playing politics.
Feenstra spoke after Clark’s nomination was defeated 32-18 (confirmations require a 2/3 majority vote). He accused Iowa Senate Democrats of intolerance for opposing qualied nominees based on disagreement with their political agenda.
He introduced Tewfik’s nomination that was also blocked 32 to 18 after his closing remarks.