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Friends,

Over the last district work period, I had the great privilege of traveling throughout the Third District and meeting with folks in every corner of Southwest Iowa. With 95 total stops, I visited 16 counties, 28 towns, held 10 town halls and traveled more than 1,000 miles to connect with you. I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to meet with me. 

I wanted to update you on some of the stops I made and what I heard from Iowans during the past six weeks.

Town Halls 

I have now hosted my 40th town hall since taking office in January. I held “Connect with Your Congresswoman” events across the district and two large town halls, one at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and one at Drake University in Des Moines. Town halls are a great opportunity not only to provide constituents with an update on the work I’m doing in Congress, but also to hear directly from you.

At Iowa Western Community College, folks asked great questions on my work to help Iowans recovering from the flood, keeping our children safe, supporting our farmers, and expanding access to rural broadband. At Drake University, I held a town hall that was focused on health care. I discussed my legislation to remove burdensome regulations on rural hospitals, as well as the steps I’ve taken to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

Discussing my work in Congress with constituents

The most important part of my job is listening to constituents, which is why I’m proud to say that I was recently highlighted by the Town Hall Project for holding more public town halls than any other freshman Member of Congress between January and April.

Roundtables

During the six week district work period, I held three roundtables to hear directly from Iowans about issues across the district: skills training, challenges women face as entrepreneurs and how to farmers and our rural communities. Roundtables provide a forum for open communication, idea sharing and brainstorming solutions. These events promoted practical education and I look forward to continuing these conversations back in Washington.

Skills Training Roundtable in Council Bluffs
I convened leaders from around Council Bluffs involved in various aspects of skills training and STEM fields. We discussed the issue of good-paying jobs going unfilled, building a pipeline for qualified employees, how to encourage and recruit young people into STEM fields and funding. We had folks representing training programs, education (both high school and local community college), state public officials and area employers at the table. One of my top priorities in Congress is making sure every Iowan has the skills they need for a good-paying job.

Women Business Owners Roundtable in Des Moines
I worked with the SBA, Iowa Women's Business Center, and the Iowa center for Economic Success to host a women small business owners roundtable with entrepreneurs from greater Des Moines. I heard directly about the challenges they face in starting, owning and growing their businesses. We talked specifically about expanding access to capital for female entrepreneurs and removing regulatory burdens. 

Discussing my work to support female entrepreneurs in Congress

USDA Roundtable with Farmers and Agricultural Leaders at the State Capitol
I was joined by USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey for a roundtable at the Iowa State Capitol to hear from farmers and agricultural leaders about how we can better support our producers, rural communities and Iowa's ag economy.

Meeting with constituents and USDA Under Secretary about how Congress can better support Iowa farmers and rural communities

 Farm Tours

In August and September, I made stops at multiple farms to hear from our producers and learn more about how they are practicing conservation and incorporating state-of-the-art technologies to increase yields and maintain the legacy of their family operations. I will continue to work in Washington to support our farmers, producers and rural communities.

Discussing my legislative work to support farmers and rural communities

Iowa State Fair

In addition to all of my meetings, roundtables, and town halls, I had the opportunity to meet so many hardworking Iowans at the State Fair in Des Moines! I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with constituents and taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Iowa’s greatest celebration. This year, a record 1,170,375 people visited from all around the country during the 11-day event!

Discussing constituent services with Iowans at the Iowa State Fair

After a busy few weeks at home, I’m ready to take your stories and concerns back to Washington and make progress on issues that matter. It’s an honor to serve as your voice in Congress and I’ll continue to advocate for what’s best for constituents in Iowa’s Third District.

Thank you,
Cindy 

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