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,

I hope you had happy and healthy holidays, and that you are enjoying your first days of the new year. I wanted to give you an update on the progress for Iowa we made in the last month of 2019, and tell you about some resolutions I have for the coming year.

Also, a note on the ongoing situation with Iran in Iraq. I am thankful that recent strikes at U.S. bases did not result in American casualties — and my primary concern remains the safety of Americans serving abroad and here at home. I received a classified briefing from our military and intelligence leaders on Wednesday, and will continue to monitor the changing events and push for a strategy that keeps America safe.

Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs and Cutting Medical Red Tape

My unanimously-approved amendment to the Lower Drug Costs Now Act cuts red tape and increases time that patients spend with their doctor.

Every week, I hear stories of Iowans skipping meals, rationing their drugs, and depleting their retirement savings just to afford the medications they need to live. That’s why I’m proud that the House passed legislation in December that will lower prescription drug prices and improve the quality of health care for Iowa seniors and families.

I’m also proud that before the House passed the final bill, they voted unanimously to include my amendment that tackles excessive health care administrative costs and the mountains of paperwork at doctors’ offices. As a mother of two, nothing frustrates me more than when I take my sick children to the doctor and I spend more time filling out paperwork than they do seeing my kids, and my amendment will save everyone time and money by allowing doctors and nurses to focus on their patients. You can watch my speech about the amendment here.

The Lower Drug Costs Now Act allows Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs every year, creates a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for seniors and increases investments into more innovative, affordable cures and treatments. You can learn more about the legislation here.

Advancing A Stronger, Bipartisan USMCA Trade Deal

Before returning home for the holidays, I voted with nearly 400 of my House colleagues to advance the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement, a trade deal that will provide market certainty for Iowa farmers and manufacturers by ending the threat of back-and-forth retaliatory tariffs, protect Iowa jobs and ensure Iowa families will not face high costs for certain drugs.

I’ve been calling for my colleagues to finalize an agreement with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and trade representatives from the Mexican and Canadian governments, and the final deal reached through bipartisan cooperation is a deal that all Iowans can be happy about.

Before the bill passed, I spoke on the House Floor about the deal’s great provisions for Iowa. You can watch it here.

Keeping Government Agencies Accountable for Money Spent on Iowa Flood Recovery

Find out how much federal agencies have been spending in Iowa here.

After devastating flooding earlier this year in Southwest Iowa, we fought to secure billions in federal funding to provide disaster relief and recovery assistance to Iowa and other affected Midwest states. But even after ensuring this funding is available, I still hear from constituents that flood areas are not getting the assistance they need. That’s why I launched my Iowa Flood Funding Tracker: to ensure transparency and allow Iowans to see where federal agencies are spending relief dollars in the flood-affected areas of Iowa.

Anyone who visits my website will see the Tracker (https://axne.house.gov/disaster/) and the updates that I’ve received from federal agencies that I asked in November to provide specific updates on the disaster relief funding being spent in Iowa.

So far, half of the agencies I’ve written to have provided an update for a total of $449.6 million of tracked spending. I will continue to hold federal agencies accountable — demanding they ‘show Iowans the money’ — and update our tracker to ensure the information is public for all to see.

My 2020 New Year’s Resolutions

In my first year in Congress, I’ve worked hard to make life better for Iowans across the sixteen counties that I represent. I’ve heard stories from families, small business owners, seniors, veterans, and our farmers about the issues that matter to them — and I’ve taken those concerns back with me to Washington to find solutions that work and make laws that help Iowa.

As I’ve met Iowans this past year, they just tell me their name and where they’re from. They know, like I do, that the letter next to the name shouldn’t matter. What matters is whether they can help their neighbors.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2020 is to make sure I leave the politics at home and go to work every week looking for the solutions that will help Iowans get a good education, affordable health care, a good-paying job, and the protections they need to have a healthy and happy new year. It’s an honor to serve as your voice in Congress, and I’ll continue to advocate for what’s best for the communities of Iowa’s Third District.

Thank you, and Happy New Year!

Cindy 

To unsubscribe from updates from my office click here.