Friend,

I'm excited to share that I just completed my fourth 22 County Tour of this year and eighth 22 County Tour of this Congress!

From discussing access to child care with working parents and small businesses, meeting student leaders in our communities, and hearing from farmers about harvest, I've connected with Iowans from all walks of life to hear about what matters most to them and learn how I can be their best advocate in Congress. I will continue to bring Iowans' stories to Washington and work on real solutions to the real challenges Iowans face.

It's an honor to be your representative and serve Iowans. Watch a recap video of my recent stops here and read on for more on my 22 County Tour stops!

Best,

Policy Highlight: Expanding Child Care

In Iowa, 63% of children under the age of six have working parents. I frequently hear from employers that one of the biggest challenges they face in addressing workforce shortages is ensuring parents, regardless of zip code or income-level, have access to the child care that makes sense for their family. This is especially difficult for families in rural communities, who may have to drive 45 minutes in one direction for child care, and then 45 minutes in another direction to get to work. It comes to a point where people are asking themselves, “does it make sense for me to keep working?”

Not only does this result in parents leaving the workforce, it results in kids missing out on early learning opportunities that are vital to their social and emotional growth. This isn’t a challenge that can be solved by government alone, this will take innovative solutions and partnerships across the public and private sector. As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and as co-chair of the bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, I’m working on solutions to ensure every family can access convenient, high-quality child care they can trust and afford.

Supporting and protecting funding for key programs like the Child Care and Development Block Grant continues to be a bipartisan priority. These grant dollars provide the necessary flexibility to send these dollars where they are most needed and tailor how they are used at the state and local level. The last thing we need is red tape that slows down investments in child care.

Additionally, I introduced the bipartisan After Hours Child Care Act, legislation that will expand child care access for those who don’t work traditional 9 to 5 hours, like nurses, law enforcement officers, and store clerks. These roles are essential to the health and safety of our communities, and the parents who fill them deserve access to quality, affordable child care options during their work hours. We must make it easier for hardworking Americans to stay in the workforce while raising their families, and that means having child care options that fit real family schedules.

I will continue working to expand affordable child care access for working families.

Beck's Hybrids

The team at Beck’s Hybrids is dedicated to helping Iowa farmers feed and fuel the world. Thanks for showing me the ropes last week!

The Flour Shop Bakery

The Meyeraan family opened The Flour Shop Bakery in Iowa Falls in August. While touring this family-owned business, we discussed their efforts to buy American-made baking equipment rather than products made in China, and ways we can help small businesses purchase USA-made equipment.

Mason City's YIELD Program

Mason City’s YIELD program is very cool. It connects the business community with high school students through leadership training and community service, empowering the next generation of Mason City leaders. What an impressive group of young people — thanks for including me!

Zip's Truck and Equipment

Headquartered in New Hampton, Zip’s Truck and Equipment provides world-class trucking equipment with a strong focus on tow truck driver safety. It was great to visit to learn about their growth and how they empower their employees!

Investing in IA-02: Clayton County Affordable Housing Project

I am proud to share that I secured $500,000 in federal funding to support Clayton County's Affordable Housing Project. This funding will help working families achieve their dream of homeownership and support the local workforce through the construction of new affordable housing in the county. I will continue to advocate for investments in our rural communities, local workforce, and Iowa small businesses.

Headline Highlights

KWWL: Hinson, Ernst seek more rural birth control options

Brownfield Ag: Rep. Hinson seeks federal foreign ag land ownership solution

Community Newspaper Group: Congresswoman Hinson Discusses Election Integrity with Hayley Rippel