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WEEK IN REVIEW
Dear Friend,
I hope you had a great weekend. While the Senate continues on with the impeachment trial process, I’m also continuing to stay hard at work for Iowa.
Just last week, we finally got the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) across the finish line! But we didn’t stop there.
I also called out government waste by calling for eliminating a taxpayer-funded “welfare for politicians” program; advanced my veterans care bill one step further in the Senate; and sought answers about the traumatic brain injuries some of our servicemembers suffered from the Iran-led strike in early January.
Here’s a snapshot of last week:
A DONE DEAL: Joining Iowans, President Trump at the White House for Signing of the USMCA
At long last, I was glad to celebrate the official signing of the USMCA at the White House with President Trump and a number of fellow Iowans, such as Senator Chuck Grassley, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, among others.
The USMCA will have a tremendous impact on Iowa’s economy, given that we export more goods to Mexico and Canada than we do with our next 27 trading partners combined. I’m excited about the market opportunities and predictability this trade agreement will bring to hardworking Americans across the country.
Ending a Welfare Program for Politicians
You’ve probably never heard of it: the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. What is it, you ask? It’s a federal program that doles out taxpayer dollars to presidential candidates. Put simply, it’s a welfare program for politicians that’s doing nothing else but ballooning the federal deficit.
I awarded my January Squeal Award to Congress for continuing to pour taxpayer money into this archaic program that has been denounced by both Republicans and Democrats.
Click here or the image above to read my January Squeal Award.
Iowa taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for failed presidential campaigns. That’s why I introduced the Eliminating Leftover Expenses for Campaigns from Taxpayers (ELECT) Act of 2020 which would eliminate the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and redirect the money remaining in the fund to reducing the deficit.
Click here or the image above for an episode of Squeal TV to see why we need to redirect this money towards tackling our debt.
One Step Closer to Ensuring Quality Care for Veterans
Whether at a VA facility in Iowa or anywhere across the country, our veterans should be receiving the best quality care possibleit’s the least we can do. After urging my colleagues to support my Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans Act, I successfully moved the bipartisan bill through committee last week.
At a Veterans Affairs Committee hearing last year, I spoke on the importance of this bill, sharing the story of Iowa veteran Anthony French, who, while suffering from a brain tumor in 2017, received improper care from a VA provider with a history of substandard care.
Click here or the image above to watch my remarks.
Pressing the Pentagon for Answers on Traumatic Brain Injuries
Following reports of over 30 U.S. servicemembers suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a result of the Iranian-led strike on the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq, I pressed the Pentagon for answers.
In a letter to Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Matthew P. Donovan, I asked for “information on the security situation of our deployed forces who may be exposed to blast injuries in Iraq, and the plan of care to treat the injured servicemembers.”
In addition, as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, my letter “requests a briefing on the January 8 attacks and any associated issues related to the TBIs experienced by these servicemembers within 30 days of receiving this letter.”
For more updates on what's happening in Washington, D.C. and Iowa, be sure to 'Like' my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter @SenJoniErnst, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Thank you!
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