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Friends,

I have been hard at work in Washington, D.C. voting to codify rights that are in danger following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and introducing legislation to protect workers rights, control the cost of prescription drugs, and ensure Iowa's veterans have access to the health care that they need.

It has been a busy month in the halls of Congress, and I hope you will keep reading to learn more about what I've been working on.

Codifying Rights to Marriage, Access Contraception and Abortion Care

On July 6, I hosted a roundtable at at Planned Parenthood in Des Moines to discuss the impact the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will have on women and families.

This week, I voted with a bipartisan majority of Congress to enshrine marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples for the purposes of federal law, and establish a statutory right to obtain contraceptives.

I also voted to restore access to abortion care nationwide. 

These are important steps because in it’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court brought up the idea of revoking other privacy rights guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment, including the right to contraception and same-sex marriage. 

I will always stand up and make sure folks aren't discriminated against for loving who they love and to ensure women have control over their own bodies and medical decisions. There's more work to be done, but these pieces of legislation are a big step forward.

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs 

I recently joined 181 of my colleagues in a bipartisan letter pressing President Biden's Administration to prevent reckless prescription drug costs hikes by defending the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the face of illegal actions from pharmaceutical companies. 

The 340B Drug Pricing Program requires pharmaceutical companies to give safety-net and rural health care providers discounts on their drugs in exchange for Medicaid to cover their drugs. This program has served as a lifeline for both low-income and rural patients, as well as those living with pre-existing conditions, for 30 years.

Despite the program’s success and contractual agreements, 17 drug manufacturers have recently stopped honoring 340B discounts – sending prescription drug costs skyrocketing for safety-net health care centers and their patients to boost their profits.

This is an important program that keeps prescription drug costs affordable for Iowans. Drug manufacturers who have unlawfully ignored the 340B Drug Pricing Program and have overcharged safety net health care providers should be held accountable.

Ensuring Health Care for Iowa's Veterans

Brave veterans who have served our country honorably deserve access to the health care they deserve. That's why I voted on the bipartisan Honoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which would ensure Iowa veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and toxic substances receive the medical treatment they need.

The Honoring our PACT Act will provide access to VA health care to millions of veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances. It also directs the VA to presume veterans with certain conditions have been exposed to toxic substances, rather than forcing veterans to prove their exposure as the current process requires. 

This legislation will now head to the Senate, and is expected to be signed into law later this month.

Protecting Workers Rights

I have introduced two new pieces of legislation to protect workers' rights. The first of the bills, the Locked Out Workers' Healthcare Protection Act, would create a separate unfair labor practice category for employers that take away healthcare benefits from workers they have locked out, punishable by fines.

This bill targets employers who use this tactic as means to force their unionized employees back into the workplace as opposed to negotiating in good faith to resolve disputes.

Workers have the right to collectively bargain for better wages, better working conditions and better benefits, and I will always stand up to companies that don't respect these rights.

A second bill I helped introduce with over 100 of my colleagues this week would end tax breaks for corporate activity that discourages workers from forming a union.

While the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects the right to collectively bargain, corporations are spending an estimated $340 million a year on union-busting campaigns – with activities including hosting “captive audience meetings,” hiring expensive “union avoidance” firms, threatening to withhold benefits, firing pro-union workers, and more.

These expenses are currently tax deductible and are regularly written off as business expenses.

Taxpayer dollars should never finance corporate greed and actions that prevent workers from securing higher wages, better working conditions, and better benefits, which is why I was proud to support this legislation.

Be well, 

Cindy