Republican Rep. Steven Holt hosted a group Zoom call with colleagues from the Iowa House who all expressed their thoughts regarding vaccine mandates. We’re going to highlight each of those individuals, and we’ll start with Rep. Holt’s comments.
Holt prefaced his comments by stating that House members who failed to appear are not necessarily opposed to stopping vaccine mandates or doing something — but they might prefer to work behind the scenes or the time simply did not work for them to appear.
“The challenge is how to best respond to the federal overreach when the rules have not yet been issued,” Holt said. “It is nearly impossible to legislate against what at this point is only a press release, but we are working hard to find a way.”
He acknowledged there is “disagreement” on the issue of whether a government should dictate to businesses on either side of the issue.
“I see this as a civil rights issue that requires government intervention,” he said. “Many of us on this panel see it that way. But there are good people that see it differently, and the discussions continue.”
There are a “number of options” on the table, he added.
“It sometimes looks like nothing is happening, but that is not true,” he said. “Lawsuits are being prepared for when the mandates are finally issued. And we are working on ways to address the bigger issue of how to protect our citizens against COVID vaccine mandates that are shattering many lives.”
Holt said the House Republican caucus has stood up “numerous times” to stand up for freedom and the Constitution. He noted legislation to stop sanctuary cities, constitutional carry, passing a Second Amendment resolution, eliminating the inheritance tax, fighting for unborn children, banning Critical Race Theory, standing up for free speech rights on college campuses and tax cuts all as examples the House Republicans have proven they are “freedom-loving.”
“This current issue before us — vaccine mandates — is complex and we want to take action that will actually make a difference,” he said. “We are working hard to get there, and we appreciate our leadership’s effort to find a path forward.”
Holt credited Gov. Kim Reynolds for having Iowa as one of the top six states in the nation at respecting liberty during COVID.
