Dear Friend,

In this week's roundup: Demanding accountability from USDA on the Pure Prairie Poultry fiasco and lessons from my 36 County Tour. That and more – remember to follow my Facebook page by clicking here and my Twitter page by clicking here to stay up-to-date throughout the week!

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY FROM USDA IN PURE PRAIRIE POULTRY FIASCO

Iowa taxpayers deserve to know the full story behind the Pure Prairie Poultry bankruptcy and how the USDA approved nearly $46 million in taxpayer dollars for a company that left millions of chickens uncared for.

I'm working with my colleagues to get answers.

SUPPORTING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

This week, my Ag and Manufacturing Liaison — Wes — attended the ground breaking for Angeline’s Wing, a new addition to the Catholic Charities facility in Sioux City.

This project will provide offices for specialized youth mental health therapists and complement current services.

WE MUST PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS

It was recently reported that a student from China who attends the University of Michigan illegally voted in the presidential election.

This is just another example of why I voted for the SAVE Act.

Noncitizens have no right to vote in our elections and should have no say in picking our leaders!

FOURTH DISTRICT FOCUS: TOURING LINEAGE IN DENISON ON MY 36 COUNTY TOUR

In a recent Fourth District Focus, I recount my visit to Lineage — a cold storage facility — in Denison.

We talked about my FRIDGE Act, which will help build refrigeration infrastructure at home and abroad so that we can ship Fourth District ag products globally.

RECOGNIZING SCOTT TAYLOR AND HIS SUPPORT OF STUDENTS AT WESTERN IOWA TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

This Wednesday, my Ag and Manufacturing Liaison, Wes, attended the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Coffee at Total Motors.

Scott Taylor, the owner, was recognized for his support of the Auto Repair program at Western Iowa Technical Community College.

WITCC students restored a beautiful 1966 C-10 pickup!

IOWANS STAND WITH ISRAEL

Last night, my District Director — Emily — attended an event hosted by Iowans Supporting Israel in honor of those who tragically lost their lives on October 7th and those who are still being held captive by Hamas.

Iowa stands with Israel.

DELIVERING RELIEF FOR IOWA FARMERS

President Biden and Vice President Harris approved trillions of dollars in reckless spending that sent inflation skyrocketing.

High interest rates and high input costs are seriously hurting our producers.

I’m proud to support the FARM Act to deliver needed relief for our farmers.

STRENGTHENING OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES

Today, my Legislative Assistant — Josh — and my Regional Director based out of Council Bluffs — Abby — met with the Midwest Assistance Program and the Galva City Clerk to talk about economic development and other priorities.

I’ll always work to strengthen our rural communities!

BRINGING CONGRESS TO IOWA

In August, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a field hearing at the Iowa State Fair to hear directly from Iowans about tax and agricultural policy, particularly the looming expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Read more about this important hearing below!

CELEBRATING SIBLEY'S CONNECTION TO LEWIS & CLARK!

On Monday, my Agriculture and Manufacturing Liaison — Wes — spoke at the ribbon cutting celebrating Sibley’s connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System.

I thank everyone who played an important role in making this vision a reality for our rural communities.

ONE LAST THING: TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVATE MEDICAL INFORMATION

Medicare will never call seeking personal information. If anyone receives an unsolicited phone call, they should hang up immediately and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report any fraud concerns.

Here are some tips from the FCC:

• Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately.
• You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be aware: Caller ID showing a "local" number does not necessarily mean it is a local caller.
• If you answer the phone, and the caller or a recording asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.
• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with "Yes."
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls, if you are at all suspicious.
• If there is an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up, and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you gets a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
• You should use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
• If you have a voice mail account with your phone service, you should make sure to set a password for it. A hacker could spoof your home phone number and gain access to your voice mail if you do not set a password.
• You can talk to your phone company about call blocking tools they may have, and check into legitimate apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls.
• If you use robocall-blocking technology already, it often helps to let that company know which numbers are producing unwanted calls so they can help block those calls for you and others.
• If you suspect Medicare fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

MY WEEKLY COLUMN: WHAT I LEARNED ON MY 36 COUNTY TOUR IN 2024

In October, I completed my fourth biannual 36 County Tour, which takes me to all 36 counties in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District at least twice every year. My visits, meetings, and conversations contribute greatly to my work in Congress for our families, farmers, businesses, and rural communities. It’s through my discussions with Iowans that policy ideas take shape, and we begin to roll out solutions to the challenges facing our communities, state, and nation. On this year’s 36 County Tour, we had much success pinpointing potential legislative fixes to a variety of obstacles and I worked back in Washington to deliver actual solutions that help our communities prosper.

It remains my promise to Iowans that I will be transparent and accessible. It’s why I’ve hosted town halls in communities like Pocahontas, Treynor, and Manson to answer questions and provide updates on my work in Congress. I look forward to kicking off the fifth iteration of my biannual 36 County Tour in January and meeting with Iowans across our incredible district. 

Read more in my weekly column below.

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS: Do you frequently use the United States Postal Service (USPS)



Yes - 79%

No - 9%

At times - 12%

If you have more thoughts on this week's question, feel free to leave your comments on my official website HERE.