Fourth District Focus: My time with the Carroll Chamber of Commerce on Capitol Hill
The other week, I had the pleasure of welcoming the Carroll Chamber of Commerce to Washington, D.C. and meeting with Mayor Jerry Fleshner, City Manager Aaron Kooiker, County Supervisor Scott Johnson, Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Theresa Hildreth, Executive Director of the Carroll County Growth Partnership and Carroll Chamber of Commerce Kimberly Tiefenthaler, and President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Anthony Regional Hospital Allen Anderson. We had the opportunity to dig into several topics not only important to Carroll, but also families and communities across Iowa, including rural healthcare, EMS services, the Farm Bill, and support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. I always enjoy these visits because they allow me to hear directly from our communities about the issues facing our families, farmers, and businesses and brainstorm how I can support local needs through meaningful policies and legislative solutions.
A major issue that consumed a good portion of our conversation was access to high-quality, affordable healthcare in rural Iowa. We talked about the shortage of healthcare and EMS workers in rural areas that prevent Iowans from receiving timely, quality care – a problem that people in urban centers do not even consider. I pointed to a few bills that I have introduced to strengthen healthcare in rural Iowa and keep our families safe and healthy. For example, I led the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act – which passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee several months ago – to specifically help rural hospitals, like St. Anthony Regional Hospital, keep their doors open and doctors and nurses on staff. This is a tough challenge for rural providers, and statistics from the American Hospital Association confirm this bleak reality. Nearly 140 hospitals experienced complete or partial closures between 2010 and 2021, including a record 19 closures in 2020 alone, largely due to financial difficulty. We have to stop the bleeding, and more resources set aside for our rural hospitals will go a long way towards providing a long-term remedy.
We further talked about the lack of funding and volunteers for rural EMS. I served as a volunteer EMT in my hometown of Hull for 15 years, so I know firsthand the importance of these services for our rural communities, but I also understand the immense obstacles like recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers and professionals. It’s why I helped introduce the Preserve Access to Rapid Ambulance Emergency Medical Treatment Act or the PARA-EMT Act for short. It’s a straightforward approach to help our rural communities recruit, train, and retain paramedics, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians. This is an area that is personal to me, and I will continue to advocate for solutions to hire and maintain more EMTs in rural areas.
During our meeting, I also learned more about Carroll’s HUB 712 – a great new addition to the community and a phenomenal resource for entrepreneurs and small businesses. This center is focused on helping businesses grow and thrive in Carroll and surrounding communities, which is critical for sustainable economic growth and job creation. Kimberly Tiefenthaler gave a great explanation about the services provided and the vision for HUB 712 now and well into the future. These are the types of initiatives that we must promote and encourage, and I am glad to see Carroll leading on this innovative approach to supporting small businesses.
Additionally, we covered the status of the Farm Bill. I expressed my frustration that there has been little movement since the House Agriculture Committee – on which I serve – passed it in May, especially as prices for commodities like corn and soybeans have fallen substantially. Excuses are unacceptable. The Farm Bill includes stronger protections for crop insurance, increased reference prices, and resources for new export markets. It also supports the next generation of Iowa farmers and producers by investing in agriculture education, promoting agriculture at our community colleges, and lowering the cost of crop insurance for new and beginning farmers during their first ten years in business – the most vulnerable of any venture. I’ll continue to advocate for passage of the Farm Bill as soon as possible to deliver relief and certainty for our producers and agricultural community.
Finally, we chatted about cost-effective ways to remove and replace trees infested by Emerald Ash Borer. I learned that 100 trees in Carroll alone – which doesn’t include trees on private property – have been impacted by this invasive species and will eventually rot to a dangerous point. That’s why the City of Carroll has already removed about 480 trees and replanted 90, but the cost is high. We need to explore different avenues to remove and replace trees in a financially viable manner and determine how we can keep our trees healthy.
Meeting with organizations like the Carroll Chamber of Commerce keeps me updated on local issues and helps inform my work in Congress. There is much that we can achieve for our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities when we put our heads together and find solutions.