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Keeping deadly drugs out of our communities

On Wednesday July 16, I had the privilege of being at the White House when President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law. Joined by families who have tragically lost loved ones and children to an overdose, the ceremony was a sobering reminder that too many Americans – especially young people – still lose their lives to the illicit drug trade orchestrated by criminals who have no regard for human life. We need real solutions to the opioid epidemic and rapid action to protect our children and neighbors. Fortunately, with the stroke of his pen, President Trump ensured that we ...

Washington going bankrupt while wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on unused and unneeded properties

Despite being the nation’s largest landlord, Uncle Sam will never win a round of Monopoly, the classic boardgame where players try to make money—and avoid going bankrupt—by buying, renting, and selling property. That’s because Uncle Sam, who is already $36 trillion in debt, refuses to sell off unused and unneeded properties that are nothing but money pits. Washington is paying out over $81 million maintaining underutilized offices every year. This includes nearly 7,700 vacant buildings and another 2,265 that are largely empty. Many of Uncle Sam’s properties are also fixer ...

Working with President Trump’s administration to protect our farmland

On Tuesday, July 8, the Trump administration announced the rollout of the National Farm Security Action Plan. This is a comprehensive, seven-point initiative to defend American farmland from foreign adversaries, secure our agricultural supply chains, and ensure the long-term success of family farms and agriculture in Iowa and nationwide. At a time when countries like China are deploying shady tactics to undermine our agricultural dominance, this proposal puts farmers and rural communities first — a promise that President Trump and his administration have upheld over and over ...

Q&A: Wins for rural America signed into law

Q: How did you leverage your leadership for alternative energy? A: More than three decades ago, I helped launch Iowa’s rise to dominance in alternative energy with the first-ever federal wind energy tax credit. Wind energy supports more than 9,000 jobs in Iowa and generates more than 60 percent of our state’s electricity, making it the largest source of electricity in Iowa. During negotiations on the One Big Beautiful Bill, I fought tooth and nail to secure a 12-month runway that allows planned wind and solar projects to begin construction after the law’s enactment. This victory ...

Behind the headsets

Two weeks ago, I spent a couple of hours visiting the Webster County 911 Center. I'd always known that what they do was essential, but sitting in the room and listening to them take call after call, I saw it in a completely different way. The dispatchers are the voices on the other end of 911 that remain cool. They're speaking with folks on potentially the worst day of their lives, and they must remain alert, ask the correct questions, and keep rescue crews informed in real time. It's high-pressure, multitasking at its finest, and relentless. And they do it all with professionalism and ...