Weekly Script August 20th, 2023 WEEKLY SC℞IPT Friends, Thank you for taking time to read my weekly update. Below you'll learn more about what I'm doing in Washington to support Iowans in the first district. Visit My Website The Best Time of the Year The month of August holds a special place in the hearts of Iowans. It is a time to celebrate traditions that we hold dear, and also a time when I have the pleasure of meeting and connecting with the individuals and communities in my district that I have the privilege of representing in Congress. One of the ways to connect with Iowans in August is attending the Iowa State Fair. Since its inception in Fairfield in 1854, the Iowa State Fair has been a yearly tradition that all Iowans enthusiastically anticipate. It is always wonderful to see Iowans travel from across the state to support their community, kids showing their animals they worked so hard to raise, and enjoying the wide variety of food and attractions that draw millions of visitors from around the country. The State Fair also serves as one of the largest and best agricultural and business expositions in the country, offering our farmers, businesses, and community leaders, that are the backbone of our state, an opportunity to highlight their work and showcase what makes Iowa a unique and special place to live. This week, I have been to the Iowa State Fair for as many trips as I can fit in - making sure I get to experience all the wonder our state has to offer. I was especially excited to try many of the 64 new foods at the state fair, including the people’s choice winners: “the Deep-Fried Bacon Brisket Mac-n-Cheese Grilled Cheese” and the “Iowa Twinkie”. This year’s fair also featured a three-thousand-pound bull named “Mean Gene” whose owner hails from my district and the perennial crowd favorite “butter cow” and new favorite Caitlin Clark. I was also delighted to volunteer at the Iowa Egg Council booth and the Pork Producers tent serving up the best boiled eggs and grilled pork in the country to fellow fairgoers. As a Congresswoman, the State Fair and the month of August have become a central point to interact with the constituents I have the honor of representing in Congress. During this August recess, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with businesses and community leaders throughout my district, learning about their priorities, successes and struggles to understand how I can better represent them and Iowa’s first district in Washington. On top of meeting with numerous businesses and leaders in my district, I hosted a town hall in Iowa City to speak about my experience in Congress and hear directly from constituents on both sides of the aisle. Hearing from Iowans from every background in the first district helps inform and guide me in Washington and I look forward to hosting more in-person and telephone town halls in the coming months. As a veteran, I also had the pleasure of attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Coralville VA Outpatient Clinic. This updated, modern facility will allow those who have served our nation to receive quality, coordinated care from highly skilled physicians and providers. The new location is over 7,000 square feet larger than their old building, which will shorten wait times and increase access to care for our heroes. In Congress, I will continue fighting for our Veterans healthcare, supporting modernization projects like the new Coralville Clinic in my district and around the country to provide our Veterans the care they need and deserve. Spending time with my constituents all throughout the first district and at the State Fair during August recess is one of the most fulfilling parts of serving in Congress, offering me an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with the individuals and communities that make Iowa the best place in the country to live, work, play and raise a family. District Events Thank you to everyone who took time, shared their points of view, and came out to the town hall in Iowa City this week. Iowa State Fair It's always great to see the variety of butter sculptures featured at the fair. Everyone in Hawkeye Nation and the country knows that there’s no one better than University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark! Delighted to help hand out excellent low calorie, high quality protein eggs at the Iowa Egg Council booth! I enjoyed kicking off the “Civics Bee” at the Iowa State Fair. Thank you to the students, judges, parents and sponsors for a great event. I hope it continues to grow. Iowa corn feeds and fuels the world. It's always great to stop by the corn booth on Iowa Corn Day at the fair! 20 County Tour It is always great to meet with Iowans as I travel across the first district! It truly is my favorite part of serving in Congress. Speaking to Iowans allows me to stay informed about what is happening in their communities and what I can do to help. This week, I hosted a Sigourney Small Business Roundtable where we discussed the need for affordable and accessible child care and more. Thank you to everyone who attended the roundtable. I visited Washington County Hospital this week to discuss rising healthcare costs, increasing access to Telehealth services, and how we can better serve the healthcare needs of our rural communities. This week, I visited the Treated Wood Council. Thank you for the tour of your operation and discussion about supply chain issues and labor shortages. It was great to tour Clinton and see the exciting revitalization projects. Thank you Mayor Scott Maddasion and Matt Parbs, for the tour and discussion. I had a great tour of Plastics Unlimited with owners Dakota and Travis Kieffer, and their parents Terry and Nancy who started the company. We discussed growing local family-owned businesses and investing in Jackson County and Iowa. Thank you for having me! It was an honor and a pleasure to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Iowa City VA Health Care System in Coralville. This state of the art facility is a big step in the right direction to provide Veterans the care they need and deserve. I toured the Louisa MidAmerican Energy generating plant, an energy powerhouse that produces electricity for approximately 600,000 homes in eastern Iowa and Illinois homes and numerous businesses in Louisa. They keep the lights on and AC going! Thank you to the team at Van Buren County Hospital for the tour of the hospital and discussion about rural healthcare and supporting rural communities. It was great to spend the morning at the Cambridge Little Achievers Center in Jefferson County. Thank you to the staff and board members for the discussion about supporting and enhancing existing childcare systems and delivering quality childcare. Sincerely, Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more updates. ### Rep. Miller-Meeks | 1034 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]