Traveling to each of Iowa’s 99 counties every year, I hear from Iowans on matters ranging from health care, taxes, agriculture, immigration, child care and labor shortages, natural disasters and infrastructure.
One common theme surfaces at nearly every meeting: “How come Washington can’t get along and get anything done?” Iowans are fed up with dysfunction and gridlock in Washington.
This week, the Senate showed that we are capable of working together. Unfortunately, the Democrats refused to turn the page on partisanship and pivoted to a reckless $4.2 trillion budget.
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It was a longtime in the making. President Trump first proposed as much as $2 trillion for infrastructure, and the Biden administration also made it a priority. I’ll work with anyone on any policy, as long as it’s good for Iowa and ensures government serves the people, not the other way around. I also know that building consensus requires give and take, no side gets everything it wants or likes everything in the final product. In the end, I supported the plan.
The bipartisan infrastructure package includes surface transportation projects, energy grid upgrades and water quality investment vetted through the committee process. It will help connect Iowa’s people, products and places for generations to come.
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Here’s some of what’s in it for Iowa:
*$4.2 billion to pave, build and upgrade roads in Iowa, with additional competitive grant funding available, such as the new rural transportation program.
* $431 million for bridge repair across the state, with additional competitive grant funding available. Our network of bridges rank among the most structurally deficient in the country.
* $227 million for Iowa for clean drinking water and wastewater treatment to build on years-long work to improve water quality.
*$17 billion for river management, including improvements on the Mississippi River to boost farm exports and mitigate flooding on the Missouri River.
*$65 billion for broadband to connect underserved and unserved areas. Expanding access to high-speed internet is vital for online telehealth, remote work, digital learning, and boosting opportunities for farms and small business.
*$25 billion for airport modernization, for runways, gates and taxiways.
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Here’s what we kept out:
*New taxes on Iowa families
*Economy-crushing “Green New Deal” policies
*Mass amnesty for undocumented immigrants without investment in border security
*A slate of costly social welfare programs that increase dependency on big government.
All told, our bipartisan bill focused squarely on real infrastructure needs.
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Immediately after the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed, Democrats whipsawed to a partisan $4.2 trillion tax and spending spree. They made no attempt to court Republicans. At that price tag, moderate Democrats must decide if they support big government giveaways that shift greater burden to the taxpaying public.
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As a champion for Rural America, I work hard to ensure Iowa gets our fair share, I won’t settle for table scraps. That’s why I voted for a bipartisan victory that invests in infrastructure good for Iowa’s productivity and prosperity. I’ll always work to make life better for Iowans. And I’ll work just as hard to stop reckless policies that take more tax dollars and strip away our freedoms.
Original source can be found here.
