U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood wants the Trump administration to find an exit ramp to the war in Iran. The Peoria-area Republican representing parts of Bloomington-Normal won’t commit to green lighting a request for an additional $200 billion from Congress to fund the ongoing conflict.
“It’s a lot of money,” he said during a visit to the Bloomington Police Department on Monday. “It has not been put into a piece of legislation. There’s nothing [that’s] been presented to Congress—but I remain skeptical.”
LaHood said he’s concerned about escalating fuel and fertilizer costs as Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, which greatly impacts global supply chains.
“Winding down the conflict is, I think, the approach we should be taking,” he said. “When I talk to constituents in my district, I don’t think they support boots on the ground—that’s not something, I think, that they anticipated happening.”
LaHood said weakening Iran is a worthwhile cause, “and they’ve never been weaker than they are now.”
The President has sent mixed messages about the objectives of the war, offering conflicting statements about whether he intends to wind down or ramp up the military operation with Israel.
LaHood said removing the Iranian regime is a “good thing for the world and the country.
“But the longer it goes on and the ripple effect and the ramifications—I think you’ve got to think long and hard about that. That’s why I believe we should have a winding down phase.”
Partial DHS shutdown
President Trump has announced plans to station Immigrations and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents in airports to ease long lines and understaffed security checkpoints.
Transportation Security Administration [TSA] agents have increasingly called off work as a partial shutdown blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] extends into its second month.
“I have voted three different times to fund DHS in its entirety,” LaHood said. “We should be funding them. That should have been done 36 days ago. It’s ridiculous.”
Democrats have called for ICE reforms before agreeing to fund DHS, which contains TSA, the Coast Guard, disaster funding, TSA and immigration and border control.
“Having ICE officers go to the airport—I hope that relieves a little bit of the burden that we’ve seen in our airports. But what we really need to do is fund TSA.”
LaHood previously aired reservations about some of the enforcement tactics used in immigration operations in Minneapolis and Chicago. President Trump has suggested ICE agents might specifically target undocumented immigrants passing through airports.
“Like I said before, I think the best approach is funding TSA,” LaHood said. “I’m not convinced that bringing ICE agents in is the right approach for security protocols at our airports.”
Data centers
LaHood was in Bloomington Monday to deliver grant money to ramp up technology used in real-time data collection for police investigations. That includes use of artificial intelligence [AI] in conjunction with license plate reading cameras.
State lawmakers have conflicting views on building data centers in Central Illinois, which can drain power grids and tax the environment.
LaHood supports measures which keep the United States competitive against China, including incentives that stimulate growth in the private sector.
“We need to win when it comes to AI,” he said. “We need to win when it comes to quantum [computing]. That is the future for our country.
“People wouldn’t dispute that nine of the 10 tech companies in the world are in the United States—Apple, Microsoft, Amazon—because we allowed the private sector to flourish.”
LaHood said there are roughly 35 pieces of legislation making their way through Congress that would regulate AI.
“I think you’ve got to do it in a smart way,” he said. “AI has so much promise, but there’s also peril there. Finding that appropriate balance is, I think, the way we ought to look at that—but always remembering we have to win the strategic competition against China.”
SAVE America Act
LaHood has voted several times to advance a bill aimed at reinforcing citizenship requirements in voter registration. President Trump has said he won’t sign any additional legislation until the SAVE America Act passes.
“From my perspective, requiring I.D. to vote, I think, is fundamental to the protection of our democracy and making sure people have faith in our electoral system,” he said. “As you know, you need an I.D. to buy a 6-pack of beer. You need an I.D. to rent a car. You need an I.D. to get on an airplane.”
But the bill requires voters to present proof of citizenship at polling places and registration sites, which drivers’ licenses, state identification cards or military I.D.s don’t do. Critics of the bill suggest requiring a birth certificate or U.S. passport will suppress voting among those who may have difficulty easily proving citizenship status, such as married women whose last names do not match the name on their birth certificate.
LaHood said he’s open to compromises on some of the impracticalities of the bill and would entertain allowing other forms of I.D., such as a Social Security card.
“I think there are ways to work through some of that,” he said. “But again, it doesn’t get away from making sure people have full confidence in our voting system. I think the SAVE Act does that.”
