Iowa House Speaker Calls On Democrats to Stop Politicizing COVID-19

NEW HARTFORD, Iowa – On Wednesday, Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, called on Iowa Democrats and Better Democracy PAC to stop politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic and suspend all attempts to raise campaign money while using the public health emergency to attack Republicans.

Since the legislative session has been suspended, Better Democracy PAC, a collaborative PAC founded by Fred Hubbell that coordinates campaign efforts with House Democrats, has sent out multiple fundraising emails politicizing the Legislature’s bipartisan COVID-19 response. Speaker Grassley is urging Democrats to publicly denounce the tactics used by Better Democracy PAC and is asking them to pledge not to use the state’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 for political purposes.

“At a time when Iowans are worried and scared, the last thing Iowa’s leaders should be doing is exploiting their fear. If a public health emergency isn’t the time to stop the Washington DC-style political games, then I don’t know what is,” Grassley said.

While debating the Legislature’s COVID-19 emergency response legislation, Minority Leader Todd Prichard (D-Charles City) and Rep. Chris Hall (D-Sioux City) spoke about their appreciation for working with Republicans on the plan, having a unified voice at a time of crisis, and urged bipartisan collaboration to continue:

Prichard: “Finally, we will face this emergency together, whether we like it or not. It knows no party, it knows no race or ethnicity or religion. The best way to go forward is to work together for all Iowans.”

Hall: “I appreciated being able to spend some time earlier this afternoon with members the Republican Caucus House Leadership to talk through real concerns and also make sure this conversation shows people at home who look at us as community leaders and legislative leaders showing a united front to the best ability that we possibly can.”

Hall: “There are things that we do believe could be improved upon and it’s not to say in any context that these improvements are ones that we would factor as political or partisan in nature.”

“As Leader Prichard said in his floor remarks when we suspended the legislative session, this virus ‘knows no party,’” Grassley added. “Iowans are expecting us to put aside our differences and work together to respond to this challenging time. We have to be leaders right now and focus on serving Iowans, not scoring cheap and inappropriate political points.”

Copies of the Better Democracy PAC fundraising emails can be found below.