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Every month, when Iowa families look over their finances and put together a budget, the price of gas is always an unpredictable factor in spending decisions. While people in urban centers have access to other transportation options, in rural Iowa, we drive – everywhere. Going to work, driving to church, seeing friends in other communities, and taking our kids to school and practice all require a car – and in the wintertime, an electric vehicle just won’t cut it.

Personal responsibility and accountability are virtues fundamental to any functioning society. Everyone makes decisions based on different goals and aspirations, and we are all ultimately responsible for the choices that we make. Yet, contrary to common sense, President Biden has decided that people who signed paperwork to take out student loans and have a legal and financial obligation to repay them are entitled to debt forgiveness at the expense of American taxpayers.

The U.S. biofuels industry is a critical component of our economy, an important economic engine in rural America, and a vital source for good-paying jobs. These low-cost, low-carbon fuels support American energy independence, help our farmers, and lower prices at the pump for our families. While many Midwestern states tout strong biofuels production, our home states stand out. Iowa leads the nation in growing corn while Illinois leads in growing soybeans.

On my 36 County Tour, workforce issues and labor shortages are topics of constant and repeated concern when I’m meeting with farmers, small business owners, manufacturers, childcare centers, hospitals, and other enterprises. With so many job openings in Iowa and nationwide, we need to do everything possible to help our businesses, manufacturers, and hospitals hire, train, and retain quality employees.

In 1933, the federal government established the foundation of what would eventually become the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – better known as SNAP – when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Agricultural Adjustment Act during the Great Depression. Now, almost 100 years later, 42 million people receive SNAP benefits, which costs American taxpayers approximately $145 billion every year. Naturally, as this government program has grown, waste, fraud, and abuse have also grown with it.

March is National Severe Weather Awareness Month, which is an opportunity to prepare for severe weather events and take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe. With spring upon us, now is the perfect time to stock up on bottled water, keep flashlights and batteries in accessible places, and buy an emergency medical kit for minor cuts and injuries.

When I’m visiting with farmers and producers on my Feenstra Agriculture Tour, excessive overreach by the federal government is a topic of great concern. From proposed bans on pesticides to unworkable green energy mandates, our producers face higher costs, more red tape, and ridiculous regulations that squeeze their bottom line and hurt our economy. There is no more glaring example than President Biden’s expansive and intrusive Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.

The long-term success of American agriculture depends on robust access to new and developing markets. As the breadbasket to the world, our farmers grow and raise far more product than we can consume and use here at home. Therefore, we must actively work to open new export markets for American agriculture and eliminate trade barriers – both tangible and intangible – that prevent our agricultural goods from reaching foreign markets.