D.C. Dispatch: Lawmakers passed a government funding bill. What does that mean for Iowa?
The U.S. House and Senate moved quickly this week to approve $1.5 trillion to fund the government and an additional $13.6 billion to aid Ukraine. The Senate passed the package Thursday night, squeaking past a Friday deadline for government funding.
Members of Iowa’s delegation celebrated the funding bill’s investments in their districts and the inclusion of certain legislative priorities. The delegation also focused on Ukraine, rural access to federal programs, and maternal health.
Here’s what went down in D.C. this week:
Iowa delegation highlights funding bill earmarks
The bill to aid Ukraine and fund the U.S. government through September received bipartisan support in Congress. Several members of Iowa’s delegation voted for the package, pointing toward local projects that will receive funding through the legislation.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, a Republican representing Iowa’s 1st District, touted federal funding for airport improvements, road construction, and a $45 million project to modernize locks and dams in the Upper Mississippi River System. She said the investments “will have a transformational impact.”
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks highlighted 2nd District projects, including over $4 million for sewer projects in Ottumwa and Burlington. The bill included Miller-Meeks’ VET TEC Act, a bill to increase job training opportunities for veterans.
“I was able to work with leaders across the district to ensure that important programs and projects received the funding they deserve and will continue to fight in Congress for the benefit of all Iowans,” Miller-Meeks said.
Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat, said over $10 million would go toward projects in Iowa’s 3rd District, including bridge repair, affordable housing, and child care centers.
“I’m so glad to know that these projects, which will help the Third District tremendously, will finally come to fruition,” Axne said.
The project funding was made possible through earmarks, a political bargaining chip that Republicans forbade in 2011. Earmarks allow lawmakers to seek funding for projects in their district, sometimes in exchange for support of a certain bill. Democrats reintroduced earmarks in 2021 with new guidelines to keep the process fair and transparent.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Iowa’s 4th District, voted in favor of the Ukraine aid but against the domestic spending package and its earmarks.
“I could not support the nondefense portion of the omnibus. It included wasteful, pork-barrel spending and billions of dollars to let the IRS harass law-abiding taxpayers,” Feenstra said in a statement. “These provisions are bad for our rural communities and bad for Iowa.”
The package also included several priority bills for Iowa lawmakers. At the top of the list: the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which lapsed in 2019. Sen. Joni Ernst led the effort to pass a new version of VAWA.
“For three years, I’ve worked diligently with Democrats and Republicans to modernize the Violence Against Women Act to ensure my fellow survivors are empowered and have access to the support they need,” Ernst said in a statement. “I’m thrilled this important legislation is one step closer to becoming law.”
Senators want more aid to Ukraine, propose biofuel solutions
Even with the passage of $13.6 billion to Ukraine, Iowa’s senators were asking for more. Ernst and Sen. Chuck Grassley signed onto a letter asking President Joe Biden and the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine.
“We implore you to act without delay to provide urgently needed airpower that will bolster the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to defend their country and help save civilian lives,” the letter reads.
Grassley and Ernst promoted home-grown biofuels as a replacement to Russian oil. Biden banned the import of Russian oil to the U.S., which he warned would contribute to high gas prices.
“It’s very clear that biofuels provide a quick and easy solution for lowering prices at the pump,” Grassley said Wednesday.
The entire delegation, including Democrat Axne, wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, asking the Biden administration to promote biofuels when considering energy sanctions on Russia.
“As a domestically produced, renewable fuel source, ethanol, and other biofuels strengthen our national security and achieve the Administration’s climate goals,” the letter reads.
Delegation proposes Office of Rural Prosperity
Several members of Iowa’s delegation proposed the Rural Prosperity Act, a bill to streamline federal services for rural Americans. The proposal would create an Office of Rural Prosperity to coordinate programs for rural communities.
“Far too often I hear from folks in rural Iowa who are concerned that the issues they’re facing aren’t being prioritized at the very top,” Axne said in a statement. “Overwhelmed and inflexible programs make it difficult for rural Iowans to get the help they need, which is why I’m proud to be introducing the Rural Prosperity Act.”
Axne, Feenstra, and Hinson cosponsored the legislation in the House. Ernst and Grassley are cosponsors in the Senate.
Hinson proposes stillbirth prevention bill
Hinson led the introduction of a bipartisan proposal to promote maternal health and prevent stillbirths.
“Ensuring women have access to maternal health care throughout pregnancy is critical and helps prevent stillbirths — the unexpected loss of a baby 20 or more weeks through pregnancy — and maternal mortality,” Hinson said in a statement. “This is particularly important in rural areas, where women may have to drive over an hour to their doctor’s office.”
The bill would allow an annual appropriation to be used for researching and reducing the rates of stillbirth.
Delegation reacts to East High shooting
A Des Moines shooting on Monday left one teenager dead and two others wounded. Des Moines police arrested six teenagers in connection with the death of Jose David Lopez, 15, who was killed outside of East High School.
Biden issued a statement Tuesday, calling for Congress to take action against gun violence.
“Enough. Our young people should be safe in and around school, in their neighborhoods, and in their homes,” Biden said. “Every American should be able to visit a house of worship, a grocery store, a night club, or any other place without fear of being gunned down.”
He urged Congress to pass legislation to require universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and to repeal liability shields for manufacturers.
Members of Iowa’s delegation issued statements in the wake of the shooting.
Axne, who represents Des Moines, said she was “deeply saddened” by the incident.
“Instances of gun violence and school shootings happen far too often in this country and our kids deserve better,” she said in a statement. “There are no words to express how it feels to see something like this unfold in your own community.”
Grassley tweeted that he would pray for the victims.