Fourth District Focus: Talking domestic manufacturing at Sudenga Industries in George
Meeting with Iowans, listening to their ideas, and talking about policy proposals that can benefit our families, farmers, businesses, and manufacturers is a top priority for me. It’s why I travel to all 36 counties in the 4th Congressional District at least twice each year as part of my biannual 36 County Tour. Accountability and transparency are foundational to our representative system of government.
Over the years, I have made many trips to Lyon County on my 36 County Tour, and I always enjoy my conversations with our neighbors. Among several stops, I have spoken with the young farmer leadership program at Cooperative Farmers Elevator in Larchwood, visited Dutchland Frozen Foods in Lester, met with Lyon County hog farmers, talked to representatives from Missouri River Energy Services in Rock Rapids, checked out Stensland Dairy in Larchwood, spoken with students at Central Lyon High School, and surveyed flood damage in Rock Rapids following last summer’s catastrophic floods.
On my most recent stop in Lyon County, I toured Sudenga Industries – which manufactures grain, feed, and seed handling equipment – in George. While meeting with employees, we discussed the importance of domestic manufacturing and making products right here in Iowa. I also got to check out an impressive grill that one of the welders made for an employee competition. This is the type of innovation that we want happening at home.
Investments in local manufacturing keep our main streets strong and bring good-paying jobs to our rural communities all while strengthening local economies. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I’m committed to advancing policies that support our businesses, job creators, and manufacturers.
That’s why I’m working with President Trump to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) before this pro-growth, pro-family, pro-worker law expires at the end of this year. It’s no secret that our business community greatly benefited from the TCJA. The creation of the 199A 20% deduction on qualified business income let our small businesses keep more of their hard-earned money and hire and retain a quality workforce, the doubling of the Section 179 expensing limit allowed job creators to invest back in their operations and their communities, and full expensing of R&D expenditures promoted innovation in Iowa and nationwide. Protecting these pro-growth tax provisions will allow our manufacturers and businesses to flourish and create jobs.
Additionally, we talked about the urgent need to open new export markets, especially for our agricultural commodities. Unfortunately, for four years, our country did not negotiate a single new trade agreement, nor did the Biden administration hold our trading partners accountable for violations. This indifference toward Iowa farmers and producers left our agricultural economy weakened and emboldened foreign nations – especially our enemies – to take advantage of our country. To increase demand for our agricultural goods, I recently introduced the FRIDGE Act to build refrigeration infrastructure and make port improvements domestically and internationally to ship perishable Iowa commodities – like pork, turkey, beef, chicken, and other goods – across the globe. Furthermore, I cosponsored legislation to double funding for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program to promote our agricultural products in foreign markets and put more money into the pockets of our producers.
Meeting with local manufacturers and small businesses is important to me. These enterprises power our economy forward, strengthen our rural communities, and bring investment and jobs to rural Iowa. As the only member of Congress serving on both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, I will continue to advocate for policies that support our workers and job creators. I look forward to being in Lyon County again soon.