Politics & Government
Iowa Politicians “Break In” to WWII Monument for Veterans
The federal government shutdown has caused some memorials to be barricaded during an annual veteran visit to the Washington D.C. monuments. Politicians like Tom Harkin and Steve King have broken through so veterans can continue their visit.
The federal government might be shut down, but that hasn't stopped various politicians such as Sen. Tom Harkin and Congressman Steve King from breaking through barricades so that war veterans can visit the World War II and other monuments in Washington D.C. on Tuesday
CNN is live blogging the visit.
“Some Republican members of Congress and a Democratic senator were on site, blasting the federal government for fencing off the memorial. Outraged and baffled, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, crossed through an opening in the railing earlier in the morning–before the breach–and got on the phone to try and reach the secretary of the Department of Interior.
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"I don't get it. I'm furious. I'm trying to get a hold of people," he said, standing on the other side of the barricade and looking around for help. "But I can't seem to get a hold of anybody."
And Steve King was one of several Republicans who removed steel barricades to allow the veterans to pass through. The National Parks Service closed the memorials along with other national parks due to the federal government shutdown.
Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A contingent of Story County Veterans left the Ames area Tuesday to visit the memorials for the annual Freedom Flight and the Ames Tribune plans to report on that as well.
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