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Friends, 

We continue to mourn the innocent children and teachers murdered during a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

As a mother of two boys, there hasn’t been a day since Sandy Hook occurred that I – along with mothers and fathers across this country – haven’t wondered whether it will be my child murdered today.

My heart is broken as I pray for the children and innocent victims in Uvalde following this unspeakable tragedy. We cannot accept this epidemic of gun violence as our reality, which is why I'm calling on the Senate to follow the House's lead and swiftly act on background check legislation to defend the people of this country. 

I'll continue to do everything in my power to address this crisis and save lives. The safety of our children, families, and communities depend on it.

To learn more about how I've been working for you over these last two weeks, keep reading.

Addressing the Infant Formula Shortage

As a mom, I cannot imagine not knowing if there was formula available for my child. I know firsthand just how critical it is for families to have access to safe baby formula, and the current crisis is leaving families in Iowa and across the country without anywhere to turn. I’ve heard stories from parents in my district who are spending hours trying to hunt down formula and it’s unacceptable and heartbreaking. 

I wrote to the Food and Drug Administration and voted to pass two much-needed bills to help us get formula in the hands of families and get the shelves stocked again. President Biden signed one bill into law over the weekend and invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure infant formula producers have access to the resources they need to increase supply.

I’ll continue working hard to address the practices and breakdowns that got us here so no family ever has to go through this again.

Disaster Relief Headed to Impacted Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that farmers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021, including the 2020 derecho, will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses. 

I am pleased to see that Iowa’s farmers will finally get the relief they need after suffering unprecedented losses from these emergencies.

Ever since the 2020 derecho swept across the state – resulting in billions of dollars in damage – I’ve fought hard to ensure farmers would have the support they needed from USDA. Unfortunately, Iowans continue to experience dangerous and unprecedented weather, and as unpredictable disasters become much more common, we must act quickly to get aid out. I’m glad these resources are now available to make farmers whole again.

My Bill to Support Student Veterans Passed the House

Right now, only veterans enrolled full time in a college/vocational school can get VA Work Study. But many student veterans have families or full-time jobs. We don’t need to put limits on veterans’ education when they have families to take care of or mortgages to pay. These programs have left too many veterans unable to use the education benefits they’ve earned.

Recently, the House passed my bipartisan bill to help ensure full-time AND part-time student vets can access VA programs. This way, we're setting EVERY student veteran up for long-term success.

Supporting Police Recruitment Efforts

I have heard from a number of local police departments in Iowa, as recently as just two weeks ago, who are facing officer shortages and are struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels. I was proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Pathways to Policing Act to help recruit more officers to protect our communities, especially folks who are traditionally underrepresented in law enforcement. Communities and police departments are both better served by having a diverse force. I will always have the backs of our law enforcement officials who work hard to keep us safe.

Be well, 

Cindy