Over the past month, I have been traveling across Iowa’s Third Congressional District meeting with my bosses. I’ve been out working for you even while the U.S. House of Representatives was in its August work period.
As a co-founder of the Congressional Food Waste Caucus, I learned what folks in Iowa are doing to help end hunger and reduce food waste. I helped Eat Greater Des Moines deliver food to those in need and saw firsthand how PDI in Ankeny is repurposing millions of pounds of waste every year.
I spoke with folks at Rotary Club meetings from Red Oak to West Des Moines and with employees at many businesses benefitting from tax relief. I also helped cut the ribbon at the ZFS facility in Creston which is starting to process soybeans and will ship their goods to consumers near and far.
I welcomed multiple administration officials so they could hear directly from Iowans. I was with Vice President Mike Pence in Des Moines here in the Third District where Iowans shared with him how important trade is for Iowa’s economy and the need for more certainty in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. I stressed to him the need for new markets for Iowa’s goods and asked him and President Trump to move quickly to finalize NAFTA and a deal with China.
That is the message I also shared with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue when he was also in the Third District last week. Secretary Perdue and I toured a conservation project near Panora and held a town hall on trade in Atlantic. We heard directly from many concerned farmers about trade and renewable fuels.
When I hosted Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler at the Iowa State Fair, we held a roundtable with stakeholders affected by the EPA’s policies. Many shared with Acting Administrator Wheeler the need for the EPA to quickly authorize year-round E-15 and to take the input of stakeholders here in Iowa on any upcoming rules or regulations.
And of course, I went to the Iowa State Fair each day! For 11 days, I was able to meet with Iowans from many different backgrounds and each with different ideas and stories. The State Fair always makes me cherish the hard work and kindness Iowans are known for across the country. I hosted House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy from California at the State Fair where I was able to make sure he heard from farmers in Fremont County and laborers from Polk County. Many shared their concerns about current events and federal policies, and many shared their optimism for the future and their love for the state we call home.
It’s your voices which make the most difference on Capitol Hill which is why I travel to each county in the Third District every month to gather your input and take it to Congress. As I return to the House of Representatives to advance the priorities of my bosses in the Third District this month, I will share the stories and ideas you all gave to me over the August work period.