Sunday Talk: Feenstra Talks About This Past Week

As part of my 39 County Tour, I visited several successful manufacturing businesses, including Wetherell Manufacturing in Cleghorn, Johnson Propane Heating and Cooling in Battle Creek, and Unverferth Manufacturing in Shell Rock.

At every stop, I heard a similar pattern from business owners. Record-high inflation, supply chain bottlenecks, and the persistent workforce shortage are hurting their operations and stifling economic growth in rural Iowa. We also talked about ways that we can cut bureaucratic red tape in D.C., especially addressing the trucker shortage by easing restrictions for young people to get a commercial driver’s license. This is an important step to fix a pinch point in our broken supply chain.

Last week, I spoke to local farmers in Sac City and Lake City about so many issues important to rural Iowa. We talked about California’s Prop 12 assault on Iowa hog and chicken farmers, the upcoming Farm Bill, my Cattle Market Discovery and Transparency Act, and burdensome WOTUS regulations.

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues on this year’s Farm Bill to ensure that Iowa’s farmers and producers have an equal say on crop insurance, flood protection, and so much more.

The bottom line is Iowa farmers feed the country and the world and I will always have their backs.

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to tour Iowa Specialty Hospitals and Clinics in Belmond. I was very impressed by all of their team members and the countless services they offer to rural Iowans and their families.

Due, in part, to the pandemic, they have successfully developed their telehealth services, which have been a lifeline for rural communities. This, of course, further underscores the need to expand rural broadband across Northwest Iowa, which I completely support.

Last Friday, I participated in a public Q&A session in Fort Dodge with my colleagues in the Iowa State House and Senate on the work we are doing at the state and federal levels to keep Iowa moving forward.

We talked about my efforts to promote biofuels, streamline our broken supply chain, support our police, and cut the pork out of wasteful spending in D.C. We had a ton of great questions from folks who are concerned about everything from income taxes to renewable energy. I look forward to participating in more of these public forums in the future!

Yesterday, I spoke on the House Floor as our national debt reached $30 TRILLION for the first time in our nation’s history. This enormous figure should scare us all.

Since 1990, our debt has grown tenfold and there is no indication that $30 trillion is the ceiling.

In Iowa, I helped pass the state law that rightfully requires that we spend no more than 99% of the revenue that we bring in, creating a balanced budget each year. This is exactly what we should be doing in our federal government.

We cannot continue to print money, increase our debt, and ask Iowans to foot the bill. As a strong fiscal hawk, I will continue to fight against wasteful, pork-barrel spending that fuels inflation, raises taxes, and increases the cost of living on every family.

On Wednesday, JBS Foods – one of the largest meat suppliers in the world – was ordered to pay $52.5 million in a price-fixing settlement for illegally limiting the supply of beef to inflate prices. I have repeatedly called on the Department of Justice to investigate anticompetitive behavior by the Big Four Meat Packers. As of today, we still have no answers.

JBS may think it can sweep its price-fixing shenanigans under the rug, but they can’t hide what we’ve known all along. These Big Packers are illegally distorting the market to increase their profits at the expense of Iowa family farmers. It’s shameful and it’s wrong.

That’s why we need to pass the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which I helped introduce, to finally hold big packers accountable and help Iowa’s small, independent producers compete on a level playing field.

Today, I voted NO on the Democrats’ so-called America COMPETES Act, which is unfortunately a partisan “solution” to a bipartisan priority.

We need to do everything we can to maintain our status as the world’s greatest superpower. Unfortunately, House Democrats have prioritized unrelated provisions over real, bipartisan solutions to compete with China. That’s not how we’re going to stand toe to toe with China in the long run.

China is our greatest geopolitical foe. We need to treat them like it.