Friend,

We were back on the 22 County Tour this week, and it felt great to connect with so many Iowans after a few weeks in DC. I had the opportunity to hear from small business owners and community leaders, tour one of our community colleges, and learn more about tourism in our district. Before heading back to DC, I also held a town hall meeting in Benton County to provide an update on my work in Congress and take unfiltered questions.

For those of you who were not able to make my in-person town hall this week, I will be holding a telephone town hall next Monday, November 6th, to answer your questions. To join the call, dial the number below and stay on the line to be connected. I hope to talk to you on Monday!

Telephone Town Hall

Monday, November 6th

7:00 PM CT

Call: (833) 364-1469

Best,

Farm Bill Letter

Last week, I joined my colleagues in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging timely passage of a strong Farm Bill. It’s critical that the upcoming Farm Bill bolsters crop insurance, promotes farmer-led conservation, and supports our producers who feed and fuel the world. Read the full letter here.

There is no time to waste!

Border Update

The crisis at our Southern Border is dire. On day one of his presidency, Joe Biden enacted policies that incentivized illegal immigration, undercut Border Patrol, and severely weakened immigration enforcement and deportation efforts. The worsening situation at our Southern Border is the predictable consequence of Joe Biden’s policies that have made our entire country less safe.  

In September, there were 269,735 illegal immigrants apprehended at our Southern Border. For perspective, I hosted a town hall meeting in Atkins earlier this week. The population of Atkins is 2,098. September's numbers are the equivalent of the population of Atkins crossing the border six times per day, every single day, for a month. Border Patrol also reported that there were 900,000 "gotaways" this Fiscal Year -- those who escaped apprehension at the border and are now in our country. Enough is enough.

While the Biden Administration continues to take an out of sight, out of mind approach to this self-inflicted crisis, I’m working to secure the border, support our law enforcement, and keep our communities safe.

Workforce Roundtable

As I ask Iowa small business owners about the challenges they face, I frequently hear: “workforce, workforce, workforce.” Thank you to the Dubuque Chamber for bringing together business owners and community leaders for a conversation on how we can engage and sustain the local workforce. I'm looking forward to more productive conversations as we work on solutions.

Black Bird Coffeehouse

Mistie and Markus Mullen moved their family from California to Iowa (for obvious reasons!) and now own Black Bird Coffee in Oelwein. It was great to sit down with them, hear how Black Bird has become a popular local spot, and learn more about their plans for the future! 

Bradford Guest House 

Just down the road from Cedar Lake, the newly renovated Bradford Guest House is a gem. It was great to meet with owners Paul and Heather to hear about their growing business, tour their property, and check out the coffee shop!

MBS Family Farms

I enjoyed visiting the Mehmen Family and MBS Family Farms. With drought conditions this year, innovation in conservation, precision ag tools, and seed technology advancements have been more important than ever.

During my tour of the farm, I joined owner, Kyle Mehmen, for a "Live from the Cab" conversation. We rode in the combine cab and discussed the importance of precision ag technology and cutting red tape. Watch the full video here!

Ellsworth Community College

Students at Ellsworth Community College have access to a variety of educational opportunities, including nursing and their new welding program. It was great to tour their beautiful campus and learn how students graduate with marketable skills and can land high-paying jobs in Iowa! 

 Grundy Community Preschool & Childcare Center

I enjoyed touring the Grundy Community Preschool and Childcare Center. It was great to hear how the community came together to renovate the building to open up more child care spots in Grundy Center! We’ll keep working together to expand child care access.

Benton County Town Hall Meeting

I hosted a town hall meeting in Benton County this week! I provided an update on my work in Congress and 22 County Tour and took unfiltered questions on border security, conservation and more. Thank you to everyone who came out bright and early to join the conversation. I will continue hosting regular town hall meetings to hear from you.

Happy Halloween!

We hope you had a great Halloween! We highlighted some spooky spots around IA-02 this year. If you missed it, check it out here:

Headline Highlights

Telegraph Herald: Hinson, Dubuque leaders discuss workforce barriers

Oelwein Daily Register: Black Bird Coffeehouse owner's family visited by lawmaker

The Courier: Hinson, Ernst press feds to crack down on US 'pro-Hamas' activity