Friend,

This week, I completed my third 22 County Tour of the year! We have been everywhere across the district — we hosted seven in-person town halls, visited farms and met with producers ahead of the upcoming Farm Bill, walked down Main Streets and heard from the small business community, met with Iowa families and organizations who provide resources to those in need, and had meaningful conversations with Iowans of all walks of life.

I will continue coming directly to you and traveling to every corner of our communities as I work to make D.C. run more like the great state of Iowa.

Best,

TSA Screening Demonstration

with Sergeant Trent Dirks and Tracer

This week, I participated in a security demonstration with Iowa veteran, Sergeant Trent Dirks, his service dog, Tracer, and TSA officials at the Eastern Iowa Airport.

Earlier this year, Sgt. Dirks told me about difficulties veterans and their service dogs face when traveling that can be stressful for the dogs and potentially traumatic for veterans. After raising this issue with TSA Administrator David Pekoske, he committed to working with me to ease this process for our veterans. The security demonstration was productive, and we’ll keep working to improve air travel for veterans and others with disabilities. 

Lunch at Murph's Creamery & Grill

No 22 County Tour is complete without a stop at Murph’s Creamery & Grill in Tama County! I always love supporting local spots in between 22 County Tour stops.

Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank

Diapers for one child can cost $1,000 a year or more and some parents are spending 14% of their paychecks on diapers alone. I’m grateful for the team at YPN and the Eastern Iowa Diaper Bank for their work to provide diapers to families in need. They are making a huge impact!

Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary Club

It is always great to catch up with my friends at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary Club! We discussed my recent work in Congress and I heard more about their latest efforts to improve the Cedar Rapids community.

Collins Aerospace

I had the opportunity to meet with the team at Collins Aerospace this week and heard more about their recent investments in Cedar Rapids to support military communications. We take a lot of pride that cutting edge defense technology is produced right here in Cedar Rapids!

John Deere Waterloo Works Factory Tour

I toured the John Deere factory in Waterloo this week. Most Iowans have a personal connection to John Deere. Their tractors represent generations of hard work and agriculture in Iowa – it’s a symbol of our grit and passion for feeding and fueling the world. To the John Deere team that has long powered our Iowa economy, thank you!

NAIFA Iowa Meeting

I appreciate the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) Iowa team for helping Iowans improve their financial literacy and start saving for the future so they are able to retire comfortably. With inflation eating into paychecks, it’s critically important that we help Iowans achieve financial security!

STAR4D Program

The University of Northern Iowa's Spray Technique Analysis and Research for Defense (STAR4D) program is something to be proud of – their military painting training program has provided over 1,000 certifications to painters in each military branch. Efficient painting and coating of our military vehicles and equipment helps save taxpayer dollars and ensures our military can do their job effectively. Thanks for the tour!

Headline Highlights

KWWL: Rep. Ashley Hinson visits UNI's STAR4D military painting program

Manchester Press: Hinson meets with pork producers

KCRG: Army veteran works with Rep. Ashley Hinson to make travelling with service animals easier