Weekly Wrap Up
New Bills for Iowa Taxpayers
Friend,

The chaos and dysfunction in Washington were on full display this week. While Democrats played partisan games and voted to give themselves a blank check to spend your money until the end of 2022, I doubled down on my efforts to stand up for taxpayers and protect Iowans' hard-earned dollars.
 
The Protecting Financial Privacy Act
 
Yesterday, I introduced the Protecting Financial Privacy Act. Democrats are trying to include a provision in the reconciliation package that would require financial institutions to report transactions of $600 or more from Americans’ bank accounts to the IRS. This is an extreme invasion of privacy--the IRS doesn't need access to Americans' most basic personal information. Iowans don’t want the IRS to monitor when they pay their rent or utilities, or just make a big grocery store run.
 
Forcing financial institutions to turn over Americans' transactions of $600 or more would compromise individual privacy, shut down community financial institutions, and ultimately reduce Iowans' access to credit. My Protecting Financial Privacy Act would block this reporting requirement and safeguard taxpayers from government snooping.
 
Back to Work Act
 
I also introduced the Back to Work Act, legislation that would put the brakes on a recent proposal introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to extend federal unemployment benefits into 2022. With 10.9 million open jobs nationwide, record high prices as a result of massive overspending, and COVID-19 vaccines widely available, there is no good reason to spend more taxpayer dollars to pay people to stay home instead of going to work.
 
Federal unemployment programs were put together quickly during the pandemic to ensure that those who had lost their jobs could provide for their families, and I supported this targeted and temporary relief. Unfortunately, these programs were susceptible to abuse and exploited by bad actors in reportedly the largest fraud ever perpetrated against the U.S. According to an NBC news investigation, anywhere between $87 billion to $400 billion was stolen. Continuing these benefits without taking any steps to address rampant fraud is blatantly disrespectful to the taxpayers expected to fund this program and makes absolutely no sense. 
 
We don't need policies that disincentivize work, drag down the economy, and make the pandemic lifestyle permanent.
 
Read on below for more information on this week in Washington!
 
Best,
Fighting the $4.3 Trillion Tax & Spending Spree
Over the weekend, I participated in a House Budget Committee markup of Democrats’ reckless $4.3 trillion reconciliation package. I spoke against the package as a whole, and called out many of the worst provisions in the most expensive bill in U.S. history. For example, I called on my colleagues to explain why, amid an inflation crisis, taxpayers should have to fund $25 million to study endangered butterflies.

Click here for a summary of my efforts to stand up for taxpayers and fight wasteful pork spending during this marathon weekend markup!
Bipartisan Flood Briefing
This week, I hosted a bipartisan flood briefing with American Flood Coalition Executive Director, Melissa Roberts. Members in attendance received an update on FEMA's new Risk Rating 2.0 system and federal flood mitigation efforts. Flooding is an issue that impacts every American, and we must continue working across the aisle to improve both our disaster response and mitigation practices. I'll continue to lead this conversation at the federal level, and I'll be prioritizing prevention measures.
I recently completed my third 20 county tour across Northeast Iowa to hear more about issues that are top of mind for Iowans. One topic that came up repeatedly was the Administration’s desire to eliminate stepped-up basis to pay for its continued, out-of-control stream of spending.

As part of his most recent, reckless spending proposal, President Joe Biden asked Congress to eliminate stepped-up basis, and his Administration has since been in overdrive trying to hide the devastating consequences this would have on family-operated farms and small businesses across America.

In a misguided opinion piece, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack claimed that eliminating stepped-up basis wouldn’t hurt family farmers — that couldn’t be further from reality. This Administration is clearly out of touch with the farmers and rural small businesses this proposal would decimate.

Read my full op-ed in The Gazette HERE
Military Academy Nominations

I am excited that the nomination for appointment to four of the five for U.S. Service Academies is underway. These institutions offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for students to gain skills serving our nation, and I encourage all interested students to consider applying.

Students must receive a nomination for appointment to four of the five U.S. Service Academies: the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Military Academy. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment. Visit my website HERE for more information on the nomination application process and submission details.
Breaking Down the News
I joined Newsmax, KCRG, and Fox Businesses to break down everything that's been happening in Washington this week. You can watch each interview below.
Happy Harvest
Harvest is underway in Iowa! I am especially grateful for the long hours farmers and their families put in this time of year to put food on kitchen tables all around the world.

I’m wishing our Iowa farmers a safe and bountiful harvest!
Poll of the Week
The Remain in Mexico policy, established under the Trump Administration, requires that migrants wait in Mexico while waiting for an immigration court hearing. This policy helps ensure that legitimate asylum seekers can be processed but deters migrants from claiming asylum without meeting the criteria.

The Biden Administration’s reversal of this policy was one of their many signals that our border was open for anyone to come and has greatly contributed to the influx of illegal immigration.
Do you believe the Remain in Mexico policy should be put back in place?
Yes
No
2021 Congressional App Challenge
Calling all middle and high school students! My office has started to accept submissions for the 2021 Congressional App Challenge. The Challenge is specifically designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science and is open to all middle and high school students in IA-01.
 
Visit Hinson.House.Gov for more information and submission details.
Community Highlights
My team was able to attend the Health Care Hero Appreciation Day at the Field of Dreams last week. Members of the community came together to support our health care providers that go above and beyond for their patients at the University of Iowa's Stead Family Children's Hospital. We were honored to participate and show our support!
ICYMI: Social Media & Headline Highlights
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