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Ringing in America250

As we wind down the year, America is winding up to celebrate an important milestone in our nation’s history. On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, America inches closer to our Semiquincentennial — a Latin-derived term meaning 250 years — with special celebrations to commemorate our storied history in communities across the country. Throughout our history, Americans from all walks of life have shaped our story, including the 56 colonists who signed the Declaration ...

Have a hands-free holiday driving season

Think what life was like 100 years ago. Most of us living today won’t recall anything about 1925. Those were the days of great American prosperity known as “the roaring 20’s”, when Babe Ruth played for the New York Yankees, the 18th amendment to the United States Constitution outlawed transport and sales of alcoholic beverages across the nation, Calvin Coolidge was the first president to deliver his inaugural address over the radio, the ladies wore flappers, the guys wore zoot suits and fedoras. Jazz music played in the speakeasies, and Henry Ford’s Model T dominated the ...

Home for the holidays

Christmas has always been a season of coming home. For a long time, that meant flying from New York or driving from Chicago back to Fort Dodge. I would walk in the door, drop my bags, and find my dad sitting on the couch with his hand on the remote, already impatient for me to put my stuff away so we could start watching “The West Wing” together. That was our thing. It didn’t matter how long the drive was or how tired I was. The tradition started as soon as I sat down. When I moved back to Iowa in 2014, coming home meant something different. My dad was living with Parkinson’s, ...

National defense matters

Q: Why is the national defense bill an annual priority? A: National security is the No. 1 responsibility of the federal government. For 65 years in a row, Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act that shapes defense policies, from nuclear weapons to cybersecurity, drones, troop pay and military construction. As customary, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees conducted a series of hearings throughout the year to dig into the details of the massive legislative package that forms the blueprint for America’s national defense. The $900 billion, 3,086-page ...

Q and A: Shoppers beware of online scrooges

Q: How concerned should holiday shoppers be about counterfeit products? A: Unfortunately, the season of giving is prime time for rip-off artists to worm their way into the wallets of American shoppers during the holidays. As co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, I lead an annual dialogue in December to raise public awareness about counterfeit products to help educate consumers, particularly during the holiday shopping season. Families work hard for their money and when buying presents for friends and loved ones, you don’t want to end up gifting them with imposter products ...

Lowering costs for Iowa small businesses and taxpayers

When I’m traveling across Iowa, I’ve had important conversations with Iowans from communities large and small about how we can make life more affordable for our families, farmers, workers, seniors, and small businesses. From health insurance to housing to grocery bills, I’m working with President Trump and my Republican colleagues to lower costs and ensure that Iowans can keep more of their hard-earned money — just the way that it should be. Affordability is a top priority for me as Iowa’s voice in Congress. One way that we can help Iowans keep more of their paycheck is by ...