Capitol Letters: Fourth District Focus

Since I was first elected to Congress, I made a pledge to Iowans that I would visit every county in the 4th Congressional District at least twice a year to hear directly from my constituents about the issues that matter most to them. Dubbed my 36 County Tour, I have made several stops in Pocahontas County over the last several years to tour main-street businesses, pharmacies, and manufacturers as well as chat with local residents. Meeting with Iowans and having real, candid discussions remains a top priority for me in Congress.

In 2021, Senator Ernst and I met with local businesses in Havelock to discuss ways that we can expand broadband access in our rural communities, and later that year, I visited Jack Link’s in Laurens to chat with employees and see the company’s operations firsthand. In 2022, I stopped by Wells Ag Supply in Fonda to talk about agricultural policy and Thrifty White Pharmacy to discuss the need to keep our rural pharmacies open and lower prescription drug costs for our seniors. In 2023, I visited both Positech and Heart n’ Home in Laurens, and earlier this year, I made a trip to the Kaleidoscope Factory in Pocahontas.

Just the other week, I made it back to Pocahontas for a town hall on the state of our economy and our growing $35-trillion national debt. We had productive conversations about a wide range of issues, and I appreciate everyone who took time out of their day to attend.

A major topic that we covered was the Farm Bill. More than 100 days ago, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee – of which I am a member – passed the Farm Bill out of committee. With a looming expiration date of September 30th, we cannot wait any longer to get this critical legislation signed into law. I was able to secure 10 of my own bills in the Farm Bill, such as lowering the cost of crop insurance for the next generation of Iowa farmers, opening new export markets for our agricultural commodities, strengthening oversight over purchases of American farmland by foreign entities, and reforming the Livestock Indemnity Program to deliver fair market prices for our cattle producers.

We also touched on our $35-trillion national debt, which is increasing at an alarmingly rapid pace. I noted that, to reduce our debt, we need to end reckless government spending, balance our federal budget, and grow our economy. The main problem now is that, this fiscal year alone, nearly $900 billion will be drained just to pay the interest on our national debt. That figure is expected to approach $2 trillion over the next decade. These are precious dollars that cannot be used to invest in education, rebuild our infrastructure, or fund our troops. We must restore fiscal sanity to the core function of government before more foreign countries buy up our debt and we leave our children and grandchildren with insurmountable levels of debt.

Additionally, we talked about the importance of extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) before its 2025 expiration. Before 2017, our tax code was burdensome for our families, farmers, and small businesses. The TCJA made important changes that revitalized investment in American businesses, cut taxes for our families, and help our farmers invest in their operations. Without congressional action, our families, farmers, and businesses will face a combined tax hike of $7 trillion. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I am working to prevent these massive tax hikes and preserve important pro-growth tax policies that will support our economy.

There are many more visits to Pocahontas County to come. In the meantime, I will continue to listen to Iowans, take their ideas and concerns to Congress, and advocate for our families and rural communities.