In 2024, I stood at an Iowa grave site as Joseph Chedester, a Union soldier, was finally laid to rest with full military honors, nearly a century after he died. For decades, his remains sat unclaimed in a central Iowa funeral home after his death...
🌱 Same Label, Same Standards
When Iowa families pay extra for organic products, they expect that label to mean something. And when Iowa farmers spend years of hard work meeting rigorous organic standards, they deserve a level playing field to bring their crop to market. Right...
🛠️ Keeping Talent in Iowa
In Iowa, not every successful career starts with a four-year degree. Manufacturing, construction, and the skilled trades are driving southwest Iowa’s economy — but employers across the region can’t find enough workers to fill good-paying jobs....
🚜 The Hardest-Working Road in Guthrie County
White Pole Road is the hardest-working road in Guthrie County. It carries grain to the elevator, ethanol from the plant, kids to school, and first responders when every minute matters. But after years of heavy traffic and tight county budgets, the...
✈️ Investments Iowa Families Can See
For Iowa families, getting where you're going is part of everyday life — whether it's a flight out of Des Moines for a family vacation, or a bus across the metro to a job or a class. Yesterday, we hosted U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to...
🛡️ The Wrong Week to Go Dark
The World Cup is here, and America's 250th birthday is just weeks away. Iowa families are already making plans: tickets to a match, a road trip, or a spot on the blanket for the backyard fireworks. The problem: That also makes the next few weeks...
🚧 A Road That Couldn’t Keep Up
Drive Alice's Road between Clive and Waukee and you can watch Iowa's fastest-growing county rising around you — new rooftops, new businesses, more cars every month. But the road underneath it all hasn't kept pace. What's new: We secured $1 million...
📣 You Asked. We Answered.
This week, more than 5,000 Iowans joined me live from Washington, D.C., for another one of my listening sessions. We went rapid-fire, taking questions from moms, dads, farmers, seniors, and small business owners across Iowa. And once again, it...
🇺🇸 250 Years. One Iowa Symbol.
In just a few weeks, the greatest country the world has ever seen turns 250. That’s two and a half centuries of freedom defended, sacrifices made, and generations of Americans answering the call to serve something bigger than themselves. The men...
🏠 They Lived It. Now They’re Changing It.
Brianna, a political science student from Pella, is fighting for foster youth aging out of the system. Melvin serves on Iowa's Juvenile Justice Advisory Council after being appointed by the governor. This week, they brought their experiences to...
🪞 Why is this controversial?
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is clean for the first time in years. That might sound like a small thing, but if you’ve seen photos from the last few years — green water, algae everywhere — you know how bad it got. One of the most...
💰 Keeping Your Hard-Earned Money
Iowans don’t quit just because the shift ends. Whether it’s a nurse pulling a double shift to care for patients, a construction worker finishing the job before a winter storm rolls in, or a deputy sheriff covering an extra shift on a holiday...
🌽 Certainty for Iowa Farmers
Iowa farmers make decisions years in advance. They borrow against crops that are still in the ground, invest in equipment before they see a return, and plan for the next generation long before harvest season arrives. When I started my Farm Bill...
🌎 Stopping China’s Trade Takeover
Last month, I joined Vice President Vance at a manufacturing facility in Des Moines to highlight what Iowa does best: building products, creating jobs, and competing in markets around the world. But we also discussed a growing threat to that...
👏 Meet an Iowa Hero
On Mother's Day evening, 17-year-old Marek Dessimoz was playing golf with his family at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston when his mother glanced up from her putt and noticed smoke billowing from a nearby house. His stepdad called 911. Marek jumped a...
🏠 HUD Secretary Comes to Iowa
Last Friday in Waukee, Habitat for Humanity crews were hard at work framing up homes for families who've waited years for the chance to own one. It was a powerful reminder of what homeownership means to Iowa families as we welcomed HUD Secretary...
🏥 A New Door Opens in Ottumwa
For families in rural Iowa, getting to a doctor’s appointment can mean a long drive, a long wait — or both. For working parents, that can mean losing a day’s wages. For seniors without reliable transportation, it can mean putting off care...
💰 Investing in Ottumwa’s Next Generation
When students in Ottumwa looked around their community, they saw a gap: there wasn’t a dedicated space outside the classroom where young people could connect with mentors, explore career opportunities, and build real-world skills before graduation....
🇺🇸 Keeping Our Promise
As a combat veteran who spent over two decades in uniform, I've seen firsthand the sacrifices our servicemembers make — and the burdens their families continue to carry long after the deployment ends. Some return home with injuries that require...
🏠 Housing Bill PASSED
In many Iowa communities, the biggest barrier to growth isn't a lack of jobs or schools — it's housing. Too often, the beautiful Victorian on Main Street that should welcome a new family is sitting empty and deteriorating because federal programs...
