Friend,
I hope you and your family are enjoying this holiday season and that you have a very merry Christmas!
It has been an honor serving Iowans in Congress this year and I'm so proud of all we have accomplished together for Northeast Iowa. Watch our year in review video here and read on for more details about my work for Iowans in 2021.
Legislative Work:
I’ve introduced 18 bills this year, including:
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The Child CARE Act: improves access to affordable child care for working families.
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The Defend the Blend Act: provides Iowa’s family farmers and biofuel producers with certainty and would help lower gas prices.
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The Protecting Financial Privacy Act: prevents the IRS from snooping in your personal bank account and monitoring your financial transactions.
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The Red Tape Reduction Act: makes the most impactful deregulatory Executive Orders from the previous Administration permanent to get government out of where it does not belong.
I cosponsored 247 pieces of legislation, 71 of which were introduced by Democrats, with many more having bipartisan support. I helped introduce three pieces of legislation that were signed into law by President Biden.
I will continue finding common ground where possible to deliver on priorities for our district, while always pushing back on policies that will harm our communities and don't align with our shared values.
Accessibility and Transparency:
There is nothing more valuable to me than hearing from Iowans. I've been to all 20 counties in Iowa’s First Congressional District at least four times this year to meet with families, farmers, small business owners, health care workers, community organizations, and veterans.
I’ve hosted 12 in-person town halls across our district this year where I take unfiltered questions from Iowans about anything that is on their mind. I've also held six virtual town halls, including telephone town halls focused on issues impacting senior citizens and the border crisis.
Whether we agree or disagree, you'll always know where I stand on issues, and I will always be accessible to you.
Constituent Service and Correspondence:
We are in the business of customer service, and our team has helped many Iowans solve problems they’ve had with the federal government this year. We’ve closed over 900 constituent cases–our team has helped people get back money they are owed by the IRS, collect missing Social Security and veterans’ benefits, and expedited passport cases to help people reunite with their families.
We've corresponded with over 30,000 constituents via phone and e-mail, including those who have contacted our team with questions. We look forward to answering more of your questions and providing additional updates going forward.
It is a privilege to tell your stories in Washington, D.C. and it is an honor to fight for you and your family. We’re just getting started–I can’t wait to build on these successes in the new year!
Best,
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