Op-Ed
American fuel retailers, corn growers, ethanol producers, and our families face unnecessary uncertainty year after year awaiting the Environmental Protection Agency’s arbitrary, last-minute waivers to allow for the summertime sale of E-15 at gas stations nationwide. This unpredictability raises gas prices for American families, prevents fuel retailers from consistently marketing low-cost, low-carbon E-15, and threatens the livelihoods of corn growers and ethanol producers not only in Iowa, but across the Midwest.
Every year, filing taxes is both frustrating and confusing for millions of Americans. Not only is the process time-consuming and complex, but also discouraging as taxpayers see a large percentage of their earnings disappear into the depths of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Blessed with an abundant supply of domestic energy sources, American families should always have access to affordable gasoline 365 days a year. In the United States — where we used to produce more energy than we could consume — filling up at the gas station shouldn’t break the bank, energy shortages shouldn’t be common, and our Strategic Petroleum Reserve shouldn’t be drained for political purposes.
Small businesses are struggling in the Biden economy. Inflation remains at record highs thanks to trillions in wasteful spending, labor shortages persist due to taxpayer-funded handouts that reward welfare over work, and burdensome compliance costs continue to squeeze already thin profit margins. When our small businesses – which employ nearly 62 million American workers – endure tough times, our families tighten their budgets and our economy stagnates.
Rural America is the backbone of the American economy. Our farmers feed and fuel our country, act as good stewards of our land, and have represented the American identity for generations. They value hard work, live within their means, and support our communities. They never ask for recognition, but the result of their hard work is on display in every grocery store and meat counter across the country.
During the first two years of his administration, President Biden’s reckless policies epitomized his tax-and-spend proclivities and complete disregard for fiscal responsibility. Despite repeated calls from Republicans to abandon his wasteful spending agenda, he approved roughly $6 trillion in new government spending that fueled inflation, forced the Federal Reserve to expedite its aggressive rate hikes, and accelerated the insolvency of Social Security and Medicare.
From the plains of Iowa to the mountains of Utah and everywhere in between, millions of American families sit around the kitchen table to talk about their budgets for the week, month, and year. This is common practice in any household, especially as families attempt to manage their finances in the face of record inflation, high energy prices, and economic uncertainty at no fault of their own.
Agriculture is the beating heart of the American economy and the lifeblood of our rural main streets in Iowa.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the greatest geopolitical threat that we face, and their threats have been growing exponentially in recent years.
Between record inflation, high energy costs, and regulatory uncertainty, independent Iowa cattle producers face major challenges to make a living and raise high-quality beef. Egregious WOTUS regulations threaten to saddle producers with costly red tape, sky-high feed prices drain cash reserves, and the cyclical nature of droughts and floods contribute to constant unpredictability. However, the greatest concern that we hear from Iowa cattlemen is the growing power and outsized influence of the Big Four meatpackers.