Op-Ed
American farmers and ranchers undertake incredible responsibilities to feed and fuel our country and the world. They work long hours from sunup to sundown to ensure that our grocery stores and meat counties are fully stocked and we can enjoy nutritious meals. Yet, American agriculture faces a multitude of threats to this core mission.
Last year, our country witnessed unthinkable tragedies at the hands of illegal immigrants. The murder of Laken Riley – a 22-year-old nursing student – shook our nation to its core and eroded an important sense of security that every American deserves. And to think, this all could have been avoided.
Fuel costs are a consistent and fluctuating part of any family budget, and Americans with lower and fixed incomes face the largest burden when prices spike.
In October, my biannual 36 County Tour took me to the 185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) in Sioux City to meet with members of the Iowa Air National Guard and receive an update on ongoing military construction projects at the base. While I’ve been fortunate to tour the 185th on several occasions, this visit was especially memorable.
When I’m out on the road traveling on my 36 County Tour, Iowans tell me their legitimate concerns that illegal immigrants are voting in our elections. It’s a concern that I share as well, and I agree that we must ensure that only American citizens vote in American elections. Secure elections are a vital component of our representative form of government.
In August, I stepped back on campus at Iowa State where I graduated with my master’s degree in public administration years ago.
This year, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a major blow to the federal bureaucracy.
One of the best parts of my job representing Iowa in Congress is meeting with familiar faces on Capitol Hill. It’s a reminder of why I am grateful to serve our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities – a responsibility that I take very seriously. The other week, I had the chance to do just that when the Sioux Center Chamber of Commerce made the trip out to Washington, D.C.