Chair honors two Iowans killed in Kuwait strikes, urges U.S. response to Iran

The Chair opened the meeting by framing American liberties as safeguarded by military service and sacrifice, saying, “The freedoms we cherish, the freedom to speak our minds, the freedom of the press, the freedom to vote and pursue the American dream are not guaranteed by words on paper alone.”

The Chair described personal ties to the military, noting he is a 24-year veteran, is married to a 30-year military veteran and has multiple family members who served, and used that background to introduce and honor two fallen service members from Iowa. He named Major Jeffrey R. O'Brien of Indianola and Sergeant Declan J. Cody of West Des Moines and said they “were among the American service members killed by Iranian strikes in Kuwait.”

Putting the deaths in a broader context, the Chair asserted Iran has been hostile to the United States since 1979, listing past attacks on U.S. Marine Corps barracks and U.S. embassies as part of that record. He framed those events as the reason for expecting a U.S. response, saying that military members “want to know that we, in fact, have their back.”

Addressing active-duty troops directly, the Chair said, “We pray that you have all of the training and the equipment that you need. And if you don't, contact us, and we will make sure that you get it.” He reiterated political support for service members and concluded by thanking troops and invoking a blessing before introducing Representative Nick Lodolotta to the podium.

The remarks served as the meeting's opening invocation and a formal handoff to the next speaker, Representative Nick Lodolotta.