Corbett robocalls urge Northey confirmation

By James Q. Lynch, The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — Republican gubernatorial hopeful Ron Corbett is urging Iowans to tell Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to stop playing political games with an Iowan's nomination to a federal position.

The nomination of Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is 'being held hostage by big oil interests in some sort of political payback,' Corbett, the mayor of Cedar Rapids and a candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, says in a recorded phone message to Republican voters in about 35,000 homes.

'If you're like me, you're sick and tired of the dysfunction we have in politics,' Corbett says in the robocall. 'The DC swamp is winning.'

Northey's nomination by President Donald Trump to be undersecretary for farm production and conservation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture is being held up by Cruz, who is seeking changes in the Renewable Fuel Standard to be more favorable to oil-producers and refiners. His hold is seen as retaliation for the efforts by Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and Gov. Kim Reynolds — Corbett's foe for the GOP nomination — to reverse potential rule changes that would have hurt corn- and renewable fuel-producing states like Iowa.

Reynolds has been supportive of Northey's nomination. He is a co-chairman of her 2018 campaign and, as governor, she's been advocating for his confirmation. Like Corbett, she believes Cruz is playing politics and has called for him to release his hold on Northey.

Corbett's call ends with him urging people to either call Cruz at (202) 224-5922 or sign an online petition at roncorbett.com to tell Cruz to 'stop the political games.'