Iowa Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress Staci Appel opposed the idea of revoking passports of Americans who have admitted to joining and fighting with terrorist organizations during a televised debate last week, Breitbart reported.
Appel's remarks came after Republican candidate David Young said he would call on the State Department to revoke the passports of admitted terrorists.
"I would not be urging taking away their passports. I think we need to make sure that we work through the system and look through it on a very diligent basis," she said.
Anywhere from twelve to hundreds of Americans are currently believed to be fighting with terrorists overseas, according to various estimates. "Even if the number is as low as twelve - that's obviously too many radicalized traitors to be welcoming back to the homeland," according to Breitbart's Debra Heine.
Young, who previously served as U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's chief of staff, said he would call on the State Department to revoke the passports of admitted terrorists if he were elected to Congress, according to TheBlaze.
"Our State Department has that authority," he said. "Right now, they're not doing it. They're guising it under the gauge of religious freedom - that's absurd to me."
On Tuesday, Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann criticized Appel's answer in a released statement, Caffeinated Thoughts reported.
"Staci Appel was asked outright if she would confiscate passports from known American terrorists and inconceivably said she wouldn't. This is a dangerous and ignorant position, and it is clear she does not fully understand the threat posed by the new Islamic State."
"The security of the United States should be a top concern, and Appel has spectacularly failed this leadership test. It's simply shocking how naive she is on foreign policy issues," Kaufmann added. "In contrast, David Young understands the dangerous threat posed by Islamic radicals, and he will do everything in his power to keep Iowa families safe. We simply can't risk our safety and security with a vote for his opponent."
