‌ ‌ ‌ Weekly Wrap Up Friend, I've been hearing from Iowans who are concerned that the Biden Administration is planning to cancel student loan debt. Student loan debt can't be cancelled or erased, it can only be shifted to someone else. Truck drivers, electricians, and plumbers shouldn't have to pay off someone else's degree. Those who have worked hard and sacrificed to pay off their own student loans shouldn't have to take on others' debt. "Cancelling" student loan debt helps the wealthiest Americans on the backs of working families. If the White House’s proposal to give $10,000 in student loan forgiveness to individual borrowers moved forward, about 13 percent of the U.S. population would benefit at the expense of the other 87 percent. This proposal is backwards and out of touch, and I'm fighting it at every turn. I helped introduce the Student Loan Accountability Act, legislation that would prohibit the Administration from forgiving outstanding student loans. I have also backed a bill that would disqualify Members of Congress from participating in federal programs enacted during their time in office to cancel their own student loans. Members shouldn't be advocating for policies that will help their own pocketbooks at the expense of their constituents. I will continue working to stop the Biden Administration from recklessly and unfairly shifting student loan debt onto hardworking taxpayers in Iowa and across the country. Read on for additional updates about my work for you this week! Best, 2022 Congressional Art Competition Winner Congratulations to Natalie Olsen from Cedar Falls on winning this year's Congressional Art Competition with her piece, entitled Iowa Sunrise. Every time I walk by her piece, now hanging in the U.S. Capitol, I am reminded of home. Natalie is so talented and this recognition is well-deserved. Check out her artwork! Policy Highlights: Fighting Fentanyl & U.S. Energy Independence According to the CDC, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49. More than 100,000 people are dying per year from overdoses and fentanyl poisonings – opioids are claiming lives in every state and ripping families apart. Just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. 1,000 milligrams of fentanyl, about the size of a Splenda packet, is enough to kill 500 people. But this deadly drug is being shipped from China and across our Southern Border in droves. In Congress, I’m working across the aisle on solutions to stop drug trafficking at the source. My proposal to increase coordination between federal agencies and provide more resources to combat the illicit importation of opioids through the Southern Border and international mail facilities recently passed the House Appropriations Committee with unanimous bipartisan support. I am also a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Preventing Overdoses and Saving Lives Act, which would allow overdose reversal drugs to be provided alongside opioid prescriptions. Watch More Iowans are paying through the roof for gas. Commuting to work, taking kids to school, and taking trips to the grocery store has become unaffordable for many, especially for folks in rural areas. Gas prices are high because the Biden Administration has made it harder to produce oil here at home. Despite this energy crisis, the Biden Administration is shipping U.S. oil reserves overseas, including to Communist China, and telling Americans that while they can't afford $5 gas, they should buy a $50,000 electric vehicle. The President's energy policies are egregious, costly, and dangerous, not to mention out of touch. The Biden Administration must stop acting against U.S. interests and unleash domestic resources, including Iowa biofuels, to bring costs down and restore American energy independence. Watch More Golden Knights Flight I had the opportunity to fly with the U.S. Army Golden Knights last week and help them gear up for take off from the Dubuque Airport! Their parachute team is incredible and it was great to see them in action and thank them for their service to our country! ICYMI: MercyOne MilVet Program Launch MercyOne in Waterloo recently launched their MilVet program to provide care to veterans, members of the military, and their families. Too often, our servicemembers and veterans do not have reliable access to the high-quality care that they can rely on, especially those in rural communities. The MilVet health programs, launching at several of MercyOne’s facilities, will help expand access to care for those who have fought for our freedoms and their families. Watch my video celebrating the program's launch! Watch Here How Can We Help? I want to be sure you are aware of some of the ways my team can be of service to help you navigate the federal agency process and cut through the problematic red tape. From helping folks with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to helping with issues obtaining passports or visas--my team stands ready to assist. Please visit or reach out to any of my district offices in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Waterloo with any questions or to learn more about how we can serve you and your families. ‌ ‌ ‌ Cedar Rapids Office 118 Third Avenue SE Suite 206 Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Phone: (319) 364-2288 Dubuque Office 1050 Main St. Dubuque, IA 52001 Phone: (563) 557-7789 Waterloo Office 521A Lafayette Street Waterloo, IA 50703 Phone: (319) 266-6925 Blessed to Call Iowa Home We snapped this photo in downtown Cedar Rapids over the weekend. A beautiful sunset and reminder of how lucky we are to call Iowa home. 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