Conservatives should be proud of living in Iowa

For me and my family, Iowa has always been home. My parents raised my siblings and me in Hull, instilling in us our faith in God and the values of hard work, humility, and service to others. My wife and I raised our kids in Hull, too. We prioritized those same values — faith, compassion, respect, honesty, and responsibility — that make our rural communities safe, strong, and successful.

When I think of states like New York and California — where liberal policies have forced families to flee, encouraged illegal immigration, defunded the police, and made life unaffordable for hardworking Americans — I’m even more grateful to live in Iowa. We help our neighbors, give back to our communities, and proudly uphold our conservative principles. As Iowa’s voice in Congress, I’m working to protect our conservative values and build a brighter future for our children and our families.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New York led the nation in population loss with more than 545,000 leaving the state in 2022. The story is the same in California. Between 2021 and 2022, roughly 820,000 people left for places like Iowa, Florida, and Texas. It’s easy to understand why. For starters, liberal states like New York and California are unaffordable. New York has one of the highest income-tax rates — 10.9% — in the nation; second only to California, which imposes a top income-tax rate of 13.3% on its residents. Meanwhile, the average price of a home in New York is $450,000, and in California, that figure nearly doubles to roughly $840,000.

While Californians and New Yorkers face a cost-of-living crisis and fork over more of their hard-earned paychecks, we do it differently in Iowa. We’ve cut taxes so that our families have more breathing room in their budgets. In 2026, our personal income-tax rate will drop to a mere 3.9%, which will help us attract new residents and grow our economy. As opposed to New York and California, young people can actually afford to buy homes in Iowa. The average price of a home in our state is roughly $230,000. In Iowa, thanks to conservative solutions, our dollar goes farther and our families and businesses benefit as a result.

New York and California also actively worsen our border crisis and undermine the rule of law in our country. From San Francisco to New York City, sanctuary cities have rolled out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants. Since the middle of 2022, about 160,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in New York City. Instead of deporting individuals who enter our country unlawfully, the Governor of New York housed illegal immigrants in school gyms and local hotels — all at taxpayer expense. That’s why I voted for the Schools Not Shelters Act, which bans public schools and colleges that receive federal funds from housing illegal immigrants. It’s also the reason that Governor Reynolds deployed the Iowa National Guard to help secure our southern border and counteract the ridiculous policies of New York and California.

We further know that drug traffickers have flooded New York City with deadly drugs like fentanyl, which tragically end up in our rural communities, too. The smell of marijuana also fills the subways and back alleys while garbage lines the streets. That’s why I introduced the Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl to seize money from the drug cartel to finish the border wall and fund fentanyl treatment services for our families. While liberal policies have left our border wide open, I’m working to secure our border, keep deadly drugs away from our children, and enforce our nation’s laws.

Finally, liberals in New York and California led the charge to defund the police. In turn, the Los Angeles Police Department has lost 1,000 officers since 2019 and the New York Police Department lost over 2,500 officers last year alone. This mass exodus of our nation’s finest heroes has converted these cities into havens for crime. Criminals aren’t held accountable and police officers receive very little support from the elected officials who are supposed to protect them. It’s shameful.

In Iowa, we proudly back the blue and fully fund our police and law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep our families safe.

I could go on and on, but the facts are clear. New York and California have shown the nation what the failed liberal agenda looks like. In Iowa, we’ve done things the right way and delivered for our families, farmers, small businesses, and rural communities. We believe that tax cuts — not tax hikes — help our families and keep our economy strong. We believe that supporting our police — not defunding them — keeps our communities safe. We believe that securing our border — not forcing taxpayers to pay to house illegal immigrants — keeps our nation strong.

I will continue to fight every day to make our country more like Iowa and less like New York and California.

This op-ed was originally published in the Northwest Iowa Review on January 17, 2024.