My Weekly Column

This week marks a victorious step forward for Northwest Iowa and our national security.

I am honored to share that I have secured $38.5 million in federal funding for the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City – an investment that represents one of the largest military funding construction wins in the country this year. This funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations package that has now passed the House Appropriations Committee, and it brings us closer than ever to delivering on a promise made more than two decades ago.

On April 15th, Americans will see the impacts of the Working Families Tax Cuts as they submit their tax filings for the year. For too long, many have seen Tax Day as a day of stress and uncertainty. But this year, Republicans are helping rewrite the course for millions of Americans, and many are already seeing real relief and real results. Congressional Republicans worked with President Trump to stop the largest tax increase in American history.

Over the last several years, farmers across Iowa have endured challenging market conditions as they dealt with weather, rising input costs, and other countries targeting American agriculture to gain unfair advantages. These conditions affect their families, operations, and our rural economy, which is built on our strong agricultural sector. Growth in our agricultural industry starts with strong markets.

Last week, during the Great American Agriculture Celebration, we saw the largest gathering of farmers ever hosted at the White House, and I was honored to join President Donald Trump in highlighting historic wins for farmers.

In Iowa, we recognize that our rich soil is one of our most precious resources, making our farmland the envy of the world. In drafting the Farm Bill in the House Agriculture Committee, it was critical to make protecting our food supply, rural communities, and national security one of its central pillars. We have seen how a previous lack of oversight of foreign ownership of agricultural land has created vulnerabilities that we simply cannot ignore.

Iowa farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our country, who wake before the sun rises to feed families and fuel our nation. However, while there is no more rewarding work, it can come with a series of unforeseen risks that can threaten our producers’ livelihoods. Farmers work long hours handling heavy machinery and working around unpredictable weather conditions with tight margins. These realities of farm work mean that one small mistake can change a life forever. 

For too long, Iowa’s hog farmers have faced growing uncertainty because of California’s egregious Proposition 12. This unfair mandate has imposed costly, unscientific regulations on pork producers across the country – even though California produces less than one-tenth of one percent of the nation’s hogs. That is why I was proud that the Farm Bill included the Save Our Bacon Act, which I introduced alongside Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, to overturn Prop 12 and ensure common sense in our agricultural policy. 

Historically, Congress would pass a Farm Bill every 5 years with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, we are now nearing a decade since the last Farm Bill and Iowa farmers need Congress to act now more than ever.