Op-Ed

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down President Joe Biden’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. With no congressional, stakeholder or farmer input, the Environmental Protection Agency made slight revisions to that rule last week, which was an overt federal government overreach by the Biden administration.

Crop insurance remains the most vital tool in the farm safety net toolkit. From droughts and derechos to economic hardship and unstable commodity prices, crop insurance is a lifeline for our producers and their families. Serving on the House Agriculture Committee, I believe the upcoming Farm Bill must protect, promote, and enhance the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) program to support the needs of our young, beginning, and veteran farmers who are the future of agriculture in Iowa and across the country.

China constitutes a serious threat to American prosperity and our national security. In their attempts to diminish our strength on the world stage, the Chinese Communist Party has deployed spy balloons in our sovereign airspace to surveil our military bases, unleashed the COVID-19 virus on the world, and continuously flouted international security norms. China has even set their sights on rural America and our most vital, yet finite resource – our farmland.

Food production is an arduous industry. Between high input costs and regulatory barriers to economic uncertainty and supply-chain bottlenecks, farming has only become more difficult than it already is, pinching our producers’ bottom lines and making every dollar earned worth less. However, in Iowa, even as other states attempt to regulate how we raise our animals, our farmers don’t complain. They work long hours on tight budgets to feed our country and the world.

On June 28th, President Biden traveled to Chicago — the epitome of failed liberal policies — to tout the so-called successes of his economic agenda, which he has coined “Bidenomics.” According to the President, “Bidenomics” has unleashed the greatest economic boom in American history. Allegedly, thanks to his economic plan, prosperity abounds, families thrive, our economy grows, and small businesses succeed. Those who don’t see the benefits of “Bidenomics” just haven’t been watching — according to Biden, of course.

Homeownership forms the core of the American dream. A home allows families to build equity, plant their roots and, most importantly, make lasting memories.

However, due to the bleak state of our economy, that dream is out of reach for too many families in rural Iowa.

Exports are essential to our agriculture community and rural economy in Iowa. In 2021 alone, Iowa exported nearly $14.3 billion worth of agricultural goods, including $3.7 billion in soybeans, $3.1 billion in corn, $2.7 billion in pork, and $592 million in beef. However, every producer fears a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak that could devastate flocks and herds, preventing our farmers from selling their high-quality product on the global market.

Iowa and California are very different places — and that’s a good thing.

While California families pay upward of 13.3 percent in state income tax, Iowans enjoy substantially lower and fairer tax rates.

California boasts the most expensive real estate market in the nation, with an average home price of roughly $737,000. In Iowa, affordability is paramount. The average home price in our state is roughly $168,000.