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Friends,

Last week, as Congress proceeded with its Constitutional duty of counting the votes of the Electoral College, a violent mob descended on our nation's Capitol. The rioters beat Capitol Police officers while breaking in windows and doors. This was not a protest. This was an insurrection aimed at stopping our democracy from certifying the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

This violent attack on our democracy was no accident. For months, the President used the power and pulpit of his office to spread lies about the legitimacy and security of our elections. Then, in a desperate attempt to overturn his own loss, he pressed his supporters to convene and 'show strength' before turning them on Congress.

The President’s actions – the deliberate repetition of falsehoods and calls to ignore a democratic election – must have consequences. Incitement of an insurrection is a high crime against the United States, and the Constitutional consequence for such an act is impeachment.

And so, earlier this week I voted to impeach President Donald Trump to uphold my oath to the Constitution and to our democracy.

Regardless of the remaining time in the President’s term, this crime is too great for us to ignore. For the safety of our nation and its citizens, President Trump must be removed from office.

I ask any parent - what lesson do we leave our children if we do not hold the President accountable for the events of last week? What message do we send the world if its greatest democracy chooses indifference when under attack?

An attack on our democracy is a crisis we cannot ignore. I continue to believe that unity is possible – but unity cannot come before accountability.

While these events continue to demand our attention, here is a brief update on some other items I've been working on these first weeks of 2021:

What Issues Are Important to You?

The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage throughout our nation, our economy is losing jobs, and many families are still struggling.

I know that this new year and a new administration brings the opportunity for us to work on a wide range of issues – but I want to hear from you about which you believe should be my top priority.

Please make sure you've filled out my 2021 priorities survey! You can complete it by clicking here.

Ensuring Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines

As a Representative of many rural counties in Iowa, I know how important it is to have a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that doesn't leave rural areas behind.

This week, I wrote a letter to national health leaders with my new colleague from Northeast Iowa, Representative Ashley Hinson, urging them to improve our nation's vaccine strategy to better address the needs of Iowa's rural communities.

As I told the heads of the CDC and HHS, I recognize that the task ahead of us to vaccinate the majority of the American population is one of the largest public health initiatives this country has ever undertaken. That is why it's important to highlight the disparities within rural communities now so we can quickly remedy this situation as the rollout of the vaccine progresses.

Read our full letter here.

Protecting Iowa Biofuels from Further Harm

Reports that the Trump Administration is considering an eleventh hour approval of another round of illegal small refinery waivers are totally unacceptable.

I know that our biofuels industry cannot afford to have another broken RFS promise from this Administration – and for the sake of our farmers and biofuels producers, I'm urging them to reverse course.

This Congress, I'm serving as a co-chair of the House Biofuels Caucus - and I led a letter with them to President Trump urging him to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately reject the issuance of any illegal RFS waivers.

Read more about our efforts here.

I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy in these challenging times.

Be well, 

Cindy