Protecting Social Security, Medicare, and other vital services for our seniors
When I was first elected to Congress, I pledged to visit every county in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District to hear directly from Iowans about not only the challenges they face, but also see firsthand the amazing investments being made in our communities. My conversations with our families, farmers, small businesses, seniors, and local officials inform my work in Congress to create solutions to the problems confronting our communities. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously.
Since 2021, as part of my 36 County Tour and Feenstra Agriculture Tour, I have been to Carroll County several times. That same year, I toured an Iowa Corn Processors facility in Glidden to check out the various ways that corn can be used and emphasize the importance of supporting our corn growers. In 2022, I visited the St. Anthony Regional Hospital where we had a productive conversation about protecting access to healthcare in rural Iowa and, later that year, I spoke with nurses at Carroll Area Nursing Service about the national nursing shortage. In 2023, I met with local residents and small business owners in Manning to discuss how we can keep our rural main streets vibrant and caught up with the Coon Rapids Rotary Club to talk about the Farm Bill, my work on the House Ways and Means Committee, and my strong support of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which would help build and rehabilitate more homes in rural Iowa. Earlier this year, I held a roundtable discussion with folks from Northwestern Mutual in Carroll about the long-term solvency of Social Security and the urgent need to help more Iowans save for retirement.
Just the other week, I kept my 36 County Tour going in Carroll County with a meeting with seniors and advocates from the Elderbridge Agency on Aging in Carroll. We specifically talked about the looming expiration of the Older Americans Act – which supports Meals on Wheels, transportation for the elderly, and in-home services for our seniors – and the impact of the recent floods on our communities. As I told them, I am committed to protecting Medicare and Social Security as well as working to keep our rural pharmacies open and lower prescription drug costs for our seniors.
In May, to support quality healthcare in rural Iowa, I introduced two bills that protect rural hospitals and preserve access to care for our seniors and rural communities — the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act, which would help keep our rural hospitals open, fully staffed, and offer high-quality care to patients, and the Audio-Only Telehealth Access Act, which would make Medicare’s coverage of audio-only telehealth services permanent.
As I continue my travels across the 4th District and speak with Iowans, I remain focused on finding solutions to the challenges facing our communities and working on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee to serve our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities. Iowans have a knack for taking care of our neighbors – a good lesson that Congress could learn.