For the first time since the 1950s, Iowa’s DC delegation will be made entirely of Republicans when U.S. Congressman Zach Nunn is sworn into office on Tuesday.
This is the result of a strong Iowa Republican midterm election cycle. Nunn won his November election for Iowa’s Third District seat, ousting two-term incumbent Democrat Cindy He ousted Axne. The Republican incumbent was reelected to his three other seats in the state.
Nunn expects Iowa’s four Republican votes to give the state more power in the House, which will have a Republican majority in 2023.
“This is basically the loudest voice Iowa will have in Washington since the Eisenhower administration,” Nunn told the Des Moines Register.
The Iowans also re-elected U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley for an eighth term. He will join Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who has four years left in his term.
But Iowa’s “red wave” was an anomaly in a country where Democrats cling to seats and control of the U.S. Senate. After her three-party coalition of Democrats lasted his two years, Congress will split in her 2023, making it difficult for either party to push its priorities forward.
more:Republican Red Wave Collapsed Nationwide, But Wiped Out Democrats In Iowa
In pre-election candidate polls, recent statements, and interviews with the Register, Iowa legislators have outlined goals for the upcoming term: curbing inflation, tackling illegal immigration, and promoting year-round sales of biofuels. They also highlighted potential bipartisan initiatives, such as bills to lower prescription drug prices and support community colleges.
Lawmakers vow to focus on biofuels, economy, ‘reduce government interference’
Incumbent US Congressmen Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Mariannett Miller-Meeks each said in their pre-election polls: Promoting and legalizing the year-round use of biofuels will be a top national priority in 2023.
Under current legislation, high ethanol blends may not be sold during the summer months due to concerns about increased air pollution. President Joe Biden temporarily abandoned that standard in 2022 to combat rising fuel prices, but Iowa leaders have called for a more permanent change.
“I am committed to using Iowa as a framework to prove that clean, renewable energy is viable in any state,” said Miller-Meeks. .
Hinson argued that the focus on biofuels would help deal with inflation, which appeared to be skyrocketing before the election.
“I support all of the above energy strategies prioritizing Iowa’s biofuels to lower gas costs and restore energy independence while boosting Iowa’s agricultural economy. ‘ said Hinson.
Nunn said his top domestic priorities were to deal with inflation and “reduce government interference in our lives”. As he did in his campaign, Nunn called on the federal government to mirror Iowa, where the Republican-led Congress championed tax cuts and budget surpluses.
“That was the number one problem I heard when I knocked on the door,” he said. “This is the biggest issue I’m still getting emails about.”
Grassley, meanwhile, said Friday that he is calling on the Biden administration to pass a New Year’s resolution on “border security.”
“The Biden administration’s border policies are allowing Mexican drug cartels to control their dens along the southern border, which has caused serious harm to the fabric of American society,” Grassley said in a statement. “Let’s start the new year with a commitment to stop once and for all the humanitarian and drug trafficking crises on our borders.”
“Our national security and defense remain our top priority,” Ernst said as he entered the 2023 session.
“While we have secured many strong priorities in this year’s defense package, I will continue to push for legislation that ensures our military remains the deadliest fighting force on earth,” Ernst said Thursday. said in a statement.
more:Republicans seem poised to extend majority in Iowa legislature after election red wave
Iowa may be red hot, but “there are still plenty of opportunities to do good bipartisan work.”
Republicans win a majority in the US House of Representatives — a power shift that includes Nunn’s reversed Third District seat.
But with Democrats in control of the Senate and Biden still in office, Iowa’s red-hot delegation will have to work across the aisle to get the bill signed.
“I’m not naive,” said Nunn. “I think it’s challenging…but there are still plenty of opportunities for good bipartisan work to happen.”
Nunn and Grassley said they were interested in working with Democrats to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. Grassley pointed to his 2019 bill, which he introduced with Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, to cap out-of-pocket prices for medicines. The bill passed the vote of the Senate Finance Committee that year, when Republicans ruled the Senate. Since then it has not progressed.
“Our bipartisan bill will cut costs without undermining the life-saving treatments and treatments that Americans have come to expect,” Grassley said.
Ophthalmologist Miller-Meeks also hoped lawmakers could find common ground on medical issues.
Ernst said he plans to use his role on the Democratic-led Senate Small Business Committee to address childcare shortages. She also stressed the importance of the annual farm bill, pledging to “prioritize the needs of Iowa farmers and producers in the Senate Agriculture Committee.”
Hinson said he wants to work with Democrats on expanding community college programs and Pell grants. Feenstra said he will continue to push for bipartisan legislation that would require major meat processors to be more transparent about their prices.
Katie Akin is a political reporter for The Register.contact her kakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter. @Katie Akin.
