Op-Ed
We’re all familiar with the grief and pain that comes with losing a loved one. Whether a death is unexpected or occurs after a long battle with an illness, families must make funeral arrangements, settle an estate, and manage any outstanding personal or business debts. The last thing families need is an enormous tax bill – known as the death tax – from the federal government after a family death.
As any taxpayer knows, the federal government never misses an opportunity to tax income, assets, earnings, or real estate. Family farms, small businesses, and other multigenerational enterprises – which sacrifice and invest their time, talent, resources, and energy into their operations – are often the target of the Internal Revenue Service’s army of auditors.
For 15 years, I served as a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) in my hometown of Hull. From responding to emergencies to transporting patients to local hospitals, my time with the Hull Ambulance Service was both informative and eye-opening. To this day, my passion for preserving and expanding emergency medical services (EMS) in our rural communities stems from my experiences as a volunteer EMT.
President Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have created the worst border crisis in generations. Their open-border policies have left our nation vulnerable to evil forces and jeopardized the safety of our families and rural communities. Iowa families deserve a secure border and safe communities.
In the United States of America, every child deserves a loving family to call their own and a safe place to call home. Our foster care system plays an integral role in fulfilling this mission and connecting vulnerable children with families who are able and prepared to support their growth, health, and success. However, our foster care system also faces enormous challenges – from foster home shortages to low retention rates of foster families – that prevent vulnerable children from finding a caring home.
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.
Pregnancy resource centers are a vital lifeline for women in need. These organizations provide valuable services at little to no cost to expecting mothers and young families, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, parenting education, counseling, free diapers, and other necessities. I truly appreciate the work that pregnancy resource centers do to support Iowa families, promote the health and wellbeing of newborns, and defend the unborn. Their mission is worthy and necessary.
Every night, across our country, tens of thousands of veterans – our nation’s most cherished and honorable citizens – sleep on the streets. It’s wrong and unacceptable. The men and women who answered the call to serve our country in uniform deserve better, including a safe, warm place to call home.
The United States is in the midst of the largest foreign animal disease outbreak in our country’s history. Since the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus re-emerged in early 2022, over 66 million birds from more than 960 sites in 47 states have been impacted. More than 45 of those cases have been in Iowa, including several this fall. This continues to be a stressful and challenging time for our state’s poultry producers.
When it comes to American energy production, President Biden has made his agenda crystal clear. He prefers foreign oil over American energy, mountains of red tape over fewer regulations, federal mandates over individual choice, and higher prices at the pump over affordability for our families. Even worse, his actions confirm these preferences.