For regular updates on my work in Washington and information on when I’ll be in your neighborhood, sign up here for my e-newsletter. 

Friends, 

Friday was a tragic day for women and for all Americans. The Supreme Court's cruel decision to overturn Roe v. Wade takes the power away from tens of millions of American women to make their own medical decisions and threatens every American’s right to privacy.

Despite this unconscionable ruling, I remain committed to doing everything possible to make sure that women in Iowa and across the country have access to this right.

I also remain committed to tackling inflation, which continues to devastate Iowa’s families. Every day, I hear from Iowans about how the rising costs at the grocery store check-out lines and at the pump are breaking the bank. These financial burdens are dire and time-sensitive, which is why I voted to pass several bills to fight rising costs and introduced a new plan to fight inflation.

To learn more about how I’ve been bringing your voice to Washington over the last two weeks, keep reading:

Tackling Inflation

Iowa families can’t wait any longer as dollars continue to be stretched thin, and last week, the House took action to provide relief.

I voted to pass the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, which increases access to biofuels to lower costs at the pump, shores up the food and agriculture supply chain, addresses rising input costs for Iowa farmers, and increases competition in the meat and poultry sectors that have long been dominated by the four largest meatpackers.

I also voted in favor of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act to address congestion at U.S. ports, lower prices, and protect Iowa’s agricultural exports from supply chain disruptions. President Biden has since signed this bill into law.

While these two bipartisan pieces of legislation are steps in the right direction, there’s more to be done to lower the cost of living for Iowans.

That’s why, as a member of the New Democrat Coalition, I joined my colleagues in creating our brand-new Inflation Action Plan.

We created this plan that outlines steps federal policymakers can take to reduce prices on essential goods and services by continuing to strengthen global supply chains, lower energy and food prices, and get more people back to work by supporting workforce training.

I’m fighting hard to make sure these action items are accomplished quickly.

Keeping Our Children Fed

Many families in Iowa rely on schools for healthy, nutritious meals that their children need to thrive – especially as we continue to see a rise in food prices. No child should ever go hungry, which is why I helped lead the House in passing the Keep Kids Fed Act.

This much-needed bill extends flexibilities provided by the USDA to make sure schools can continue to provide meals for students. If these were allowed to expire, an estimated 75,000 kids in Iowa would lose access to meals. These waivers have been a lifeline for school districts looking to provide healthy food to students, navigate supply chain issues, and grapple with rising food costs, and I’m glad that families will continue to be able to access this resource.

Protecting Our Communities and Supporting Public Safety

We need to make sure that law enforcement officers and departments have the resources they need to keep our communities safe, and there are bipartisan actions that we can be taking in Congress right now to help make that happen.

Last week, I led a letter with more than 30 Members of Congress urging House leadership to bring bipartisan, commonsense bills to the floor for votes — to invest in local police departments to boost the numbers, retention, training, mental health, and accountability of law enforcement officers.

Read the full letter here.

Be well, 

Cindy