Agriculture

When I was elected to represent Iowa’s 4^th Congressional District, I made a solemn promise to Iowa farmers and producers that I would be the strongest voice for agriculture and our farm families in Congress. From the Farm Bill to energy policy, I believe that the hardworking men and women who feed and fuel our country deserve a loud voice and a seat at the table when lawmakers craft legislation that impacts their livelihoods and pocketbooks.

Crop insurance remains the most vital tool in the farm safety net toolkit. From droughts and derechos to economic hardship and unstable commodity prices, crop insurance is a lifeline for our producers and their families. Serving on the House Agriculture Committee, I believe the upcoming Farm Bill must protect, promote, and enhance the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) program to support the needs of our young, beginning, and veteran farmers who are the future of agriculture in Iowa and across the country.

China constitutes a serious threat to American prosperity and our national security. In their attempts to diminish our strength on the world stage, the Chinese Communist Party has deployed spy balloons in our sovereign airspace to surveil our military bases, unleashed the COVID-19 virus on the world, and continuously flouted international security norms. China has even set their sights on rural America and our most vital, yet finite resource – our farmland.

Food production is an arduous industry. Between high input costs and regulatory barriers to economic uncertainty and supply-chain bottlenecks, farming has only become more difficult than it already is, pinching our producers’ bottom lines and making every dollar earned worth less. However, in Iowa, even as other states attempt to regulate how we raise our animals, our farmers don’t complain. They work long hours on tight budgets to feed our country and the world.

Exports are essential to our agriculture community and rural economy in Iowa. In 2021 alone, Iowa exported nearly $14.3 billion worth of agricultural goods, including $3.7 billion in soybeans, $3.1 billion in corn, $2.7 billion in pork, and $592 million in beef. However, every producer fears a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak that could devastate flocks and herds, preventing our farmers from selling their high-quality product on the global market.

Iowa and California are very different places — and that’s a good thing.

While California families pay upward of 13.3 percent in state income tax, Iowans enjoy substantially lower and fairer tax rates.

California boasts the most expensive real estate market in the nation, with an average home price of roughly $737,000. In Iowa, affordability is paramount. The average home price in our state is roughly $168,000.

Agriculture is a capital-intensive industry. From buying fertilizer, seed, feed, and pesticides to purchasing new machinery, Iowa farmers and producers must maintain a tight budget to turn a profit and feed our country and the world.