Vivek Ramaswamy challenges Gov. Kim Reynolds, GOP on Iowa carbon capture pipelines

Vivek Ramaswamy is calling out Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa lawmakers and his presidential rivals for failing to match his criticism of the use of eminent domain to build carbon capture pipelines across private land.

The Republican presidential candidate and entrepreneur called using eminent domain for building the pipelines was "illegal and unconstitutional," and criticized carbon capture as a "badly misguided" policy.

Republicans, he said, "have been trained to behave like circus monkeys" on both.

"I think that anybody who is implicitly or explicitly supporting the use of eminent domain for this carbon dioxide capture pipeline is on the wrong side of this issue," Ramaswamy told reporters at his campaign's Des Moines office Tuesday evening.

"I don't care if they have an R or a D next to their name, I don't care if they're a governor you're supposed to otherwise bow down to in the state of Iowa or not."

Ramaswamy's remarks represent the strongest foray by a 2024 Republican presidential candidate on the pipelines, several of which have bene proposed to be built through Iowa and neighboring states in recent years.

Iowa caucuses: Vivek Ramaswamy unfazed by Ron DeSantis' endorsements as he joins in Des Moines Turkey Trot

The pipelines serve to transport liquefied carbon dioxide emissions underground, and their construction requires eminent domain powers that force landowners to sell their property.

Proposals to build the pipelines, including by Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions, Nebraska-based Navigator CO2 Ventures and Wolf Carbon Solutions, have encountered weeks-long hearings that include criticism from affected residents.

Navigator withdrew its proposal in October; Summit is awaiting a regulatory decision that will likely come next spring.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he believes negotiation is the best path forward for the pipelines, arguing there is a "narrow" use case for eminent domain.

Former President Donald Trump, asked about the pipelines at an event in Council Bluffs this summer, said "we're working on that," and assured the questioner that "if we win, that's going to be taken care of."

And North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has defended eminent domain, arguing that the carbon pipelines "raise the value of corn for every farmer in America."

While an attorney for landowners has argued that one agribusiness magnate's access to the governor helped paved the way for the Summit pipeline's approval, a spokesperson for Reynolds has said that "concerns of 'undue influence' are completely unfounded and untrue.'"

Carbon capture pipeline: Iowa agribusiness magnate's access to Gov. Kim Reynolds paves way for pipeline, lawyer says

Ramaswamy said he'd spoken to a number of lawmakers and power brokers, including "backstage" interactions with Reynolds and conversations with Summit's Bruce Rastetter. He urged those people to be more public about their sentiments toward the project — arguing that it's too important an issue to be decided in private.

"Look at the voters across the state, especially the northern and western parts of the state, how important this issue is to them," Ramaswamy said. "That they get the deafening silence of other Republicans who have not even been able to articulate a stand on this issue says a lot about the broken, and I would go so far as to say corrupt, state of the Republican Party and Republican politics today."

Ramaswamy's campaign is holding an event with the Free Soil Coalition in Des Moines on Friday, titled "Speaking the Unspeakable," focused on discussing the issue.

Donnelle Eller contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa caucuses: Vivek Ramaswamy urges opposition to carbon pipelines