My Weekly Column

As the only member of Congress serving on both the House Agriculture Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, it is important to me that we support the next generation of Iowa farmers and producers. The volatile nature of input costs, insurance rates, regulations, and international affairs makes farming – an already challenging industry – even more difficult.

Nine years ago, on January 31^st, 2016, tragedy struck the Root family. 21-year-old Sarah Root, who was driving home to celebrate with her family and friends after graduating from Bellevue University in Nebraska, was hit and killed by an egregiously drunk driver. Instead of answering for his crimes, Edwin Mejia—an illegal immigrant driving three times over the legal limit—posted bail, fled our country, and was not seen from again. 

The core principle of the American Republic is that it functions at the will of, and with the consent of, the people of the United States. This is outlined in the preamble of our Constitution. It’s a deeply American principle that the rest of the world has admired since our nation’s birth. In the 119^th Congress, the people are making their voices heard.

In 2014 and 2015, our producers were ravaged by a devastating outbreak of avian influenza. This outbreak, and corresponding depopulation efforts, killed roughly 43 million chickens and more than 7 million turkeys in flocks across 21 states while also impacting more than 960 dairy herds nationwide. Iowa—the number one egg-producing state in the country— alone accounted for about 30 million birds. The spread of this disease was rapid, and the effects were widespread. In a short period of time, the price of eggs shot up nearly 120%.

Like the rest of the Trump administration, our new EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, is already off to a roaring start. Last week, he announced the EPA’s newest initiative – “Powering the Great American Comeback.” The five pillars of this plan outline the administration’s intent over the first 100 days to restore American energy dominance, bolster our own domestic production, and reduce our reliance on foreign energy resources.

There’s no denying that the United States has an opioid crisis. Unregulated, deadly drugs have found their way into our urban centers, our suburbs, and even our rural main streets. Every year, these fatal substances indiscriminately kill hundreds of thousands of Americans regardless of age, race, or creed. There is no questioning what needs to be done. We must cut the flow of these drugs, often manufactured by foreign adversaries like China, and secure our borders.

Earlier this month, I joined more than 120 of my colleagues in introducing H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. In 1791, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Congress. One of our great Founding Fathers — James Madison — believed that the security and longevity of the American Republic depended on free, well-armed citizens. The 2^nd Amendment reads, “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

On Wednesday January 22^nd, I voted for, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed, the Laken Riley Act, which included my legislation with Senator Joni Ernst – Sarah’s Law – as an amendment. This important bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature and will truly save countless innocent lives that would have otherwise been lost due to blatant loopholes in federal law.