Grassley excoriates Democrats for politicizing FBI amid law enforcement resolution fight

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday questioned a decision by Senate Democrats to prepare a bill condemning former President Donald Trump's calls to defund certain federal law enforcement agencies, pointing to their past support for the "defund the police" movement and the alleged politicization of federal law enforcement.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, earlier in April, announced that Democrats would put forward a resolution to condemn Trump's calls to defund the Department of Justice and the FBI.

"I will be introducing a resolution denouncing the former president’s call to cut funding to our federal law enforcement, and Senators will choose between standing with President Trump and his dangerous, dangerous view that we ought to cut funding for law enforcement and the FBI, or will they stand  with public servants who keep America safe," he declared.

On Tuesday, Grassley excoriated the Democrats for their alleged hypocrisy on the matter, saying "In 2020 'defund the police' became the rallying cry of the radical left." He further recalled that Democrats "blocked resolutions that condemned attacks against officers."

The Iowa Republican then recalled the stories of police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty despite their plummeting popularity and highlighted the death of Iowa Sergeant Jim Smith, who did in April of 2021.

"He never got to see this pro-FBI resolution. He didn’t witness the uptick in police popularity as blue cities descended into violent crime," Grassley said. "But I’d imagine that the folks who loved Officer Smith must be wondering where this all was back then and why the FBI seems to matter more than state and local officers."

"I would, however, like to know where our Democrat colleagues have been with respect to the blatant political bias in the leadership of the FBI and the Department of Justice.," he went on. Grassley then pointed to the FBI's failure to investigate violent attacks on Catholic churches and its efforts to target pro-life activists.

He further pointed to the DOJ's efforts to surveil the attendees of Latin Mass and recalled his own experiences with an allegedly politicized FBI.

Grassley further asserted that the FBI has worked to bury evidence of criminal activity by the Biden family and that whistleblower testimony had corroborated his allegation.

"So, let’s not kid ourselves right here and right now as we’re talking about a resolution to back law enforcement," he said. "The facts bear out that it’s our Democratic colleagues who have consistently used federal law enforcement to their political benefit and, in the process, they’ve degraded the trust the American people once placed in federal law enforcement."

"Accordingly, this resolution offered by my Democratic colleagues wreaks of political gamesmanship. It is not a serious effort," Grassley concluded. "Let’s truly honor the heroes in law enforcement and the daily sacrifices they make for the American people by offering more than a tone-deaf political resolution that further divides the country."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.