Op-Ed
President Biden’s track record on the economy is abysmal. Spending trillions of taxpayer dollars on liberal nonsense plunged our economy into chaos, fueled 40-year-high inflation, and decimated American household wealth. His failed economic policies – which he has coined “Bidenomics” – have created uncertainty and headaches for our small businesses, forced families to dip into their savings to keep up with rising prices, and raised operating costs for our farmers.
The men and women who have served our country at home and abroad are heroes. Their sacrifices – many unseen and untold – have secured the blessings of freedom for generations of Americans. From missing important family events to facing unthinkable danger on the battlefield, their stories of resilience and patriotism are not only an inspiration, but also a sobering reminder that the price of freedom is not free.
Supply chain delays. Disorderly retirements of dispatchable electric generation. Complex regulations on power plant emissions. Regional warnings about a lack of generation capacity to cover electric demand. Permitting delays for needed electric transmission infrastructure.
Over the last two years, poor decision making in Washington has increased costs for our families, farmers, and small businesses. The average mortgage rate nationwide has nearly eclipsed 7% as the Federal Reserve continues its aggressive rate hikes, inflation remains at historic highs, and small business optimism has plummeted to a 10-year low.
Iowa’s pork industry is a vital economic engine for our families, farmers, main street businesses, and rural communities. Our 5,400 pig farms raise roughly 23 million hogs every year, which account for one-third of the nation’s total pork production, generate nearly $41 billion in sales across the entire pork supply chain, and support almost 150,000 Iowa jobs in production, processing, and harvesting. However, a critical, yet often overlooked, component of pork production is trade.
Every day, families in every community of every state in our nation receive the devastating news that a loved one has died from a drug overdose. I have heard these stories firsthand from heartbroken parents who have lost children far too young and from families that, to this day, endure the wrenching pain of the empty seat at the dinner table. As a father of four, it breaks my heart. Tragically, these stories are all too common.
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.
Traveling to All 36 Counties in the 4th Congressional District Iowa represents the very best of the Midwest and our nation’s rural values. We help our neighbors, serve our communities, feed and fuel our country and the world, and raise our families to respect and carry on our proud traditions. We are also home to 99 counties each with rich histories, thriving communities, and hardworking, honest people. From the world’s largest popcorn ball in Sac County to beautiful West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County, every community contributes an important chapter to Iowa’s story.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture marked another disappointing development in the Biden administration's lackluster trade agenda. It projected that our agriculture trade deficit—which already shattered records this past fiscal year—will climb to $27.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2024.
Over the last several months, President Joe Biden has desperately traversed the country trying to resuscitate his plummeting poll numbers and reassure American families that his economic agenda is working. He claims that multi-trillion-dollar investments in green energy and excessive government spending will propel our economy into unprecedented heights of American prosperity.