When I was sworn in as a member of Congress, I promised 4th District Iowans that I would work tirelessly to bring their voices to Washington. It has always been a top priority to ensure my constituents have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect our farmers, families, and rural Main Street businesses. This simply cannot be accomplished without traveling the district, meeting folks where they are, listening to concerns, and taking thoughts and ideas straight to Washington. That is why I recently announced my plan to visit all 39 counties in the 4th District at least twice every year.

Visiting with farmers, health care providers, manufacturers, small business owners, families, and students throughout the district will allow me to be an effective voice in the halls of Congress for all Iowans. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the senior Senator from Iowa, Sen. Grassley, for setting the gold standard in meeting with Iowans. Now infamously known as the “Full Grassley,” he has set a great example and shown elected officials how representative government should work. We are here to serve you.

In February, I sponsored an amendment to the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. The proposal would give students in mentorship programs more opportunities to find employment by incorporating those programs into the national apprenticeship system. I was very pleased that my amendment passed the House with unanimous support. I never would have known about this oversight had I not met with members of Iowa Mentoring Partnership just a couple of weeks earlier, and I appreciate them informing me on this critical issue. It is crucial to maintain an open dialogue between constituents and their representatives, and this is just one excellent example.

In 2021, I have already visited over a dozen counties in our district, from Siouxland Community Health Center in Woodbury County, to a manufacturing facility in Emmet County — and as our spring district work period continues, I will visit nearly two dozen more. I have heard from Iowans and what concerns them most, including affordable child care, finding workers with proper skills training, pricing transparency for our farming community, skyrocketing health care and prescription drug costs, and expanding high-speed internet access. These are concerns I do not take lightly, and I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to find common ground where possible to provide solutions on these critical issues.

I am here to serve you; after all, you elected me to be your voice in Congress. We are government together. I will continue being a passionate advocate for all Iowans in the 4th District, and I look forward to meeting Iowans and learning from them as I visit all 39 counties, twice a year.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, serves Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District.