Update for IA-01
Friend,

I'm so happy to be back in our district this week talking with Iowans on the ground about issues important to them. On Tuesday, I had an incredible day holding town halls in Benton, Fayette, and Delaware Counties.

We had Iowans from all walks of life, backgrounds, and of different political ideologies in attendance at each town hall. We had some great conversations about how policies in Washington are impacting people in Iowa. Questions were not screened or filtered - each town hall was an unscripted conversation about policies and issues that matter to our district, so I could get honest feedback in real time from Iowans. 

In Benton County, we talked about the need for a targeted infrastructure package, my recent legislation to improve access to maternal health care for expecting moms in rural areas, and Democrats' attempt to federalize our elections through H.R. 1. Of particular note, it was great to have two high school classes attend to experience our democratic process firsthand and hear about my work on their behalf.

In Fayette County, we discussed ending additional federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits, the minimum wage, and policies that will help our economy come back stronger after the pandemic. I took questions about the latest movement on an infrastructure package and the need to ensure rural broadband is prioritized in the final bill. I also addressed concerns about censorship by Big Tech and the need to reform our legal immigration system amidst an influx of illegal immigration at the Southern Border. We also talked about how potential tax increases would hurt our rural economy.

In Delaware County, we talked about why critical race theory should not be a part of school curriculums, challenges facing the cattle industry, securing our border, child care access, and how we should turn to biofuels to help solve our fuel supply challenges.

I received invaluable feedback from everyone who came out and shared their experiences, ideas, and opinions. I’m looking forward to telling these stories at the policymaking tables in D.C. to ensure that Iowans’ voices are heard.

My biggest takeaway from the town halls is that Iowans are sick of the chaos and dysfunction in D.C. They want their leaders to cut out all of the nonsense and focus on getting our economy back on track, keeping prices down, and finalizing a real infrastructure package – and that’s what I will continue to work on in Congress. 

Read more about my visits and outreach around our district this week, as well as other important updates about my work on your behalf!


Best,
Hearing from IA-01
Thank you to all who took time out of their day to stop by my town halls in Vinton, Oelwein, and Manchester!
Paying Tribute to Our Fallen Heroes
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Ahead of Memorial Day, I was honored to lay wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Waterloo. Even with the rain, it was amazing to see so many from the community there volunteering and paying respects to all of our local fallen heroes. We must always remember those who served and sacrificed for our country. We are only the land of the free because of the brave!
Mental Health Care for Vets in Rural Areas
This week, I testified before the Veterans' Affairs Committee at its Member Day hearing. I told the story of Sergeant Trent Dirks, a veteran from our district, and his service dog Tracer. Upon his return to Iowa, Sergeant Dirks struggled with depression and PTSD. He watched two friends with whom he was deployed take their own lives. He contemplated it himself. And then, he found Retrieving Freedom, where he was paired with Tracer. As Sergeant Dirks told me, Tracer saved his life. Now, Sergeant Dirks is helping veterans connect with service animals through his work at Retrieving Freedom in Waverly. In my testimony, I called on my colleagues to work with me on innovative solutions to help our nation's veterans once they return home, and to ensure veterans in rural areas have access to mental health care services. Watch my full testimony HERE.
Advocating for Rural Communities
Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act
I am proud to co-lead legislation that would extend the Biodiesel Tax Credit to provide certainty for our biofuel producers in Iowa, as well as truckers who keep our supply chain up and running. Our recent fuel supply challenges showed the need to increase the use of biofuels as a reliable and clean energy source. I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to advance policies that support and provide certainty to Iowa's ever growing biofuels industry.
Letter to President Biden to Support Biofuels
President Biden pledged to support the biofuels industry as a reliable source of clean energy, yet his infrastructure proposal would spend billions on electrical vehicle subsidies, ignoring biofuels altogether. That's why I joined my colleagues in the Iowa delegation in urging President Biden to include biofuels in the final infrastructure package and to ensure rural America isn't left behind. Read the full letter HERE.
Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative
I had a productive meeting with the Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative to hear about their success in bringing fast and reliable fiber internet to their members. Now more than ever, access to high-speed internet is critical, and we discussed how bringing that service to rural areas is vital to economic development and quality of life in our small towns. I’m grateful to have leaders like these who are looking to the future and making lives better for the communities they serve.
ICYMI: FB Live with Former Trump Admin. Economist
I hosted a conversation with Dr. Vance Ginn on Facebook Live to discuss skyrocketing prices, inflation, and the right policies that will get our economy back on track. Dr. Ginn is a former Trump Administration Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official, where he helped shaped economic and fiscal policy. I'll continue to bring in experts to explain how policies impact the every day lives of Iowans. Watch the full video HERE.
See the Crisis Act
Law enforcement officers stationed at our Southern Border are asking the Administration for help to deal with the illegal immigration crisis, but it is falling on deaf ears. It’s unacceptable that Vice President Harris has been in charge of handling the crisis at our border for over two months and still hasn’t even been there. I joined Todd Starnes to talk about my new bill to prevent Vice President Harris from traveling internationally using taxpayer dollars until she visits the border to see the crisis for herself. 

Listen to the interview HERE.
ICYMI: Headline Highlights

Read about my work for IA-01




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