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Friends, 

It's been a busy few weeks — and we've made some great progress on legislation that will help protect Iowa families, agriculture, and small businesses! I also traveled around Southwest Iowa to see some amazing examples of Iowa's innovations in clean energy and meet Iowans at town halls in Glenwood and Des Moines.

Read on for updates on some of what was accomplished this February!

A Note on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Before that update, I want to make a quick note about the spread of coronavirus. While Iowa currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, I'm constantly monitoring for changes in reported cases in the U.S., and will fight for federal resources to empower our local public health professionals.

A reminder that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Iowa Department of Public Health both say that the best strategy for prevention is for everyone to practice good hygiene: cover your coughs and sneezes, wash your hands thoroughly and often, and avoid exposing others if you are sick. You can find more information and follow any updates here.

Expanding Iowa's Access to Child Care through Bipartisan Legislation

Across this country, we are experiencing a child care crisis. New parents in Iowa are paying an average of $10,400 a year for care with too few child care providers in our communities. That why I’m working to find ways to expand access to and lower the cost of child care for families.

Earlier this month, I teamed up with Iowa Representative Abby Finkenauer to introduce bipartisan legislation to increase access to child care by expanding eligibility for loans to child care providers. Under the current law, only for-profit child care providers have access to the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs, leaving out our non-profit counterparts. The Small Business Child Care Investment Act would expand loan access for those non-profit providers. 

We need to encourage new child care providers to start up a business that will have direct benefits in our communities. By allowing our local non-profits to utilize these SBA loans, we can ensure all child care providers can access support to grow their operations — creating jobs and allowing more families to utilize their care.

My Bill to Keep Iowa Protected from African Swine Fever is Headed to the President's Desk!

I spoke to AgriTalk radio about my bill to protect our nation's pork industry. Listen here.

It’s critical that we ensure there are enough resources to protect our borders from the spread of disease — and we’ve seen animal diseases such as African Swine Fever destroy hog populations throughout the world.

That's why I led legislation last September to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire and train hundreds of new agricultural specialists to prevent this dangerous disease from reaching our food supply. I'm proud to say that legislation passed the House unanimously last month and is headed to the President's desk to become law. 

Iowa leads the nation in producing nearly one-third of all U.S. hogs. An outbreak here would be devastating to an industry that is an economic driver and job creator across our state. We must do all that we can to prevent that from happening; I’m proud to have helped introduce this important legislation and look forward to seeing it signed into law.

Working with Raygun's Mike Draper to Hold Corporations Accountable for Use of Tax Havens

Watch the introduction of the legislation we held at Raygun in Des Moines here.

Iowa’s small businesses shouldn’t be put at a disadvantage to large multinational corporations who can avoid U.S. taxes and shift profits to tax havens overseas. In addition, U.S. investors and the public have a right to know which companies are draining the U.S. tax base.

That's why I teamed up with Mike Draper, the founder of iconic Iowa clothing manufacturer Raygun, to introduce the Disclosure of Tax Havens and Offshoring Act. The new legislation mandates public disclosure of country-by-country financial reports by corporations with annual revenues over $850 million.

Shining a light on these practices will help investors and the public understand the risks that public corporations are taking to try and squeeze out extra profits.

We introduced the bill at Raygun's headquarters in Des Moines. Watch the press conference here.

Working Toward a Clean Energy Future through the Innovations of Local Ethanol Producers like Atlantic's Elite Octane 

I'm always proud to see Iowa small businesses and energy producers leading the way in sustainable and clean energy solutions. When I toured the Elite Octane ethanol plant in Atlantic, they showed me their work to create a self-sustaining water source and reduce their carbon footprint — all while helping to supply ethanol to refineries all over the United States.

I've worked hard in Washington to defend the Renewable Fuel Standard and invest in the next generation of biofuels to grow our clean energy economy. Last year, we were able to revive the biodiesel tax credit (which had expired in 2017) and provide tax incentives for producers of second generation biofuels.

Innovations like those being made at Elite Octane are also undermined by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that has continued to abuse the use of small refinery waivers over the last three years. That's why I teamed up with the House Biofuels Caucus to successfully lobby the Government Accountability Office to investigate the EPA's use of these waivers.

It's Time for the 2020 Congressional Art Competition!

Submissions for the the 2020 Congressional Art Competition are now open!

If you are a high school student in Iowa's Third Congressional District, I'm inviting you to submit your artwork online or to my district office for the chance to have your artwork hung in the U.S. Capitol for one year! The first place winner will also win two round-trip tickets to attend a reception in Washington, D.C. in your honor.

For instructions on how to submit your artwork, click here.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the great examples of Iowa's artistic talent. The deadline to submit artwork is April 22nd.

Have You Come to a Town Hall Yet?

Last month, I was so happy to see standing-room-only attendance at my "Connect with your Congresswoman" town halls in both Glenwood and Des Moines.

If you haven't made it to one of my 63 town halls yet, I encourage you to join me for one — it's a great opportunity to share your concerns with me directly and hear an update on what I'm working on in Washington.

To find a town hall near you, sign up for my newsletter or click here.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you, 

Cindy