Op-Ed
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.
In the early morning on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, Michelle and Scott Root received the call that is every parent’s worst nightmare: Their daughter, Sarah, had been killed in a car accident.
Sarah, a 21-year-old from Council Bluffs, had graduated from Bellevue University in Nebraska the previous day and was headed home after celebrating with her friends and family. While stopped at a traffic light, she was struck and killed by Edwin Mejia, an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk — three times over the legal limit.
Public safety is the foundation of any free society. In the United States, our families deserve to live in safe communities without the constant fear of violent crime and lawlessness threatening their personal security.
In today’s volatile world, the best offense is a strong defense. Between war, disease, and financial uncertainty, America’s enduring status as the world’s economic and military superpower is critical to our national sovereignty, economic prosperity, and food security – and we must maintain it. But our adversaries – particularly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – are counting on us to let our guard down where we least expect, our own backyard.
During his recent State of the Union address, President Joe Biden shamelessly lied to the American people about the priorities of the House Republican Conference in the 118th Congress. His sorry accusations – while entirely predictable – couldn’t be farther from the truth. In our Commitment to America, House Republicans pledged that we would protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare so that our seniors can retire with dignity and live long, healthy lives.
With our total output ranking second in the nation, Iowa agriculture is truly a productivity powerhouse. We are blessed to grow and raise significantly more than we, ourselves, can consume. Therefore, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help provide for consumers all over the globe. And Iowans can be immensely proud of that. In our individual roles as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and as a Member of Congress on the U.S.
Commitment. It’s a word that evokes hope, promises leadership, and delivers results. No other word in the English language constitutes a more ironclad bond between individuals than a commitment. Roughly four months ago, House Republicans made our own commitment – a Commitment to America – that we would rebuild our economy, end wasteful spending, stand up to the Chinese Communist Party, and defend the American Dream for every person, family, and community who calls our great nation home.
Between July of 2021 and June of 2022, more than 107,000 Americans tragically died from a drug overdose, cementing opioids as the leading cause of death among people ages 18 to 45 in the United States. In Iowa alone, 210 lives were lost to these drugs in 2020. These individuals are not just statistics; they are parents, siblings, husbands, wives, grandchildren, friends, and loved ones.