Fourth District Focus: Recapping my town hall with the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce
On Friday February 21st, my fifth biannual 36 County Tour brought me back to Sioux City for a town hall with local community members and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, I have made several trips to Woodbury County, including visits to Siouxland Community Health Center, a stop by Bishop Heelan to meet with students and educators, a morning spent with agriculture students at Morningside University, and a tour of Aberdeen and Everett apartments. I also visited the Sioux City Schools Career Academy and flew onboard a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 185th Air Refueling Wing. Being accessible to and transparent with Iowans is important to me, and it’s why I have upheld my promise to travel to all 36 counties in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District at least twice per year.
During our town hall in Sioux City, 40 Iowans joined me for a productive and engaging conversation on a wide array of topics ranging from tax reform, FAFSA, and the Farm Bill to rural healthcare, maternity care, and the 185th.
At the end of this year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will expire, and 207 million Americans will face a tax increase absent congressional action. That means that the average U.S. taxpayer would face a 22% tax hike, tens of millions of small businesses would see their 20% tax cut on qualified business income end, families would not benefit from the increased child tax credit or the doubled standard deduction, and our farmers and manufacturers would be forced to pause investments and equipment purchases due to a lapse in investment incentives – giving China a competitive advantage over American workers. Serving on the House Ways and Means Committee, I have been a vocal advocate for protecting and extending these tax provisions that benefit our families, farmers, and businesses. Alongside Senate Majority Leader John Thune, I have also introduced legislation to permanently repeal the death tax on our family farms and small businesses. Death should not be a taxable event, and families grieving the loss of a loved one should not receive a massive tax bill as condolences from the federal government.
We also discussed the increasingly urgent need to pass a five-year Farm Bill. Last year, our country saw a 55% jump from 2023 in Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings for farms, farm debt eclipsed its highest level ever at $540 billion, and cash receipts for corn and soybeans declined by more than $12 billion and roughly $9 billion, respectively, from 2023 to 2024, according to the USDA. These are just a few figures that underscore the importance of getting the Farm Bill passed and signed into law as soon as possible. Last May, I voted for, and the House Agriculture Committee passed, the Farm Bill, which included ten bills that I introduced, such as lowering the cost of crop insurance for the next generation of producers, investing in refrigeration infrastructure to ship perishable Iowa commodities worldwide, and protecting our farmland from our foreign adversaries. I look forward to working with my colleagues again to pass the Farm Bill and deliver relief for our farmers, producers, and rural communities.
Another topic that we covered at length was rural healthcare. Born and raised in small-town Iowa and having volunteered as an EMT in my hometown of Hull for 15 years, I am very passionate about protecting and expanding access to healthcare in our rural communities. Last Congress, I introduced the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act – which passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee – to ensure that our rural hospitals have the resources and support that they need to keep their doors open, keep healthcare providers on payroll, make needed equipment purchases, and deliver the best possible care for patients. I also led the Audio-Only Telehealth Access Act to ensure that Iowans – especially our seniors – continue to benefit from over-the-phone healthcare. This is a critical service for our seniors who can easily access care from the comfort of their homes, and for all Iowans when nasty weather prevents us from traveling. I’ll continue to be a strong voice for our rural hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patients in Congress.
Finally, we talked about the 185th Air Refueling Wing, which is the pride and joy of Sioux City. I noted that, in January, I sent a letter to Acting Director of the Air National Guard, Major General Duke Pirak, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting that ongoing runway and ramp projects at the 185th be included in the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). I have also consistently led a letter to the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee asking that the FAA Central Region receive more flexibility and resources to fund military construction projects at locations like the 185th.
While this is not an exhaustive list of topics that we covered, it gives a good overview of our constructive and valuable town hall. Having now made nearly 330 stops on my biannual 36 County Tour since 2021, meeting with Iowans and taking their policy ideas to Congress will remain a top focus for me. I look forward to being back in Woodbury County soon to continue speaking with Iowans.
This op-ed was originally published in the Sioux City Journal on March 8, 2025.