WASHINGTON – Ahead of tonight’s State of the Union address, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, shared stories from Northeast Iowans on Twitter about the challenges they are facing in their daily lives as well as their concerns about the future. Hinson called on President Biden to present actionable solutions in his speech tonight.
“The conversations Iowans are having around their kitchen tables represent the challenges all Americans are facing. Ahead of the State of the Union tonight, I’m sharing Iowans’ stories in the hopes that President Biden will offer actionable solutions to these challenges,” Hinson said.
“I live and work in Waterloo. It’s challenging to budget for inflation on a single income. I drive a lot for work, and this has become increasingly expensive as gas prices continue to go up. On top of everything being more expensive, it’s frustrating to go to the store and see empty shelves.” – Meena Reisetter (Waterloo, Iowa)
“Many government regulations over the child care industry make it harder and more expensive to provide child care, especially for smaller providers. The increased cost of food is also a huge problem for us. There are serious strains on small child care centers that are making it difficult to provide the care kids and families need.” – Jan Kendall (Luzerne, Iowa)
“As a small manufacturer based in Northeast Iowa, our concerns continue to multiply daily. The rising cost of raw goods along with a daily increase in fuel prices affects our ability to stay cost effective for our customers. The supply chain breakdown has also negatively influenced our ability to efficiently produce our products. We love Iowa and are proud to produce Iowa made products, but the uncertainty of the economy is a growing concern for small businesses.” – Paul & Monica Tiffany (McGregor, Iowa)
“I’m a fifth generation farmer–my family has farmed in Parnell for decades. I want my kids, and their kids, to do this too. I’m worried about the Administration eliminating stepped-up basis and threatening the next generation of family farmers.” – Brandon Gingerich (Parnell, Iowa)
“I built Love & Lace in Waverly from the ground up–this store is my passion and I’ve poured my heart and soul into this business. Shipping delays and rising prices have gotten out of control. I only received 50% of my spring inventory. My focus is protecting my business and having the freedom to make the decisions that impact my work and my family.” – Deb Mummulthei (Waverly, Iowa)
“I’m a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque. Nurses are experiencing ‘compassion fatigue.’ We want to spend as much time as possible with our patients, but we are so short-staffed we don’t have the time or energy. The nursing community is burnt out and people are leaving jobs they’ve held for years because they’ve had enough.” – Annie Huguelet, BSN (Dubuque, Iowa)
“Rhetoric that casts law enforcement in a bad light has made it tough to recruit and retain deputies, jailers, and dispatchers. The fewer deputies we hire, the fewer officers we have out in the community protecting kids, families, and neighborhoods. Supply chain issues are also impacting small sheriff’s offices like ours as equipment we need is frequently delayed or out of stock. Our office needs more funding and resources to do our job.” – Sheriff Rob Rotter (Marengo, Iowa)
“We are very concerned by the Biden Administration’s energy policy–the EPA continues to diminish the Renewable Fuel Standard. Retroactive reductions to the RFS volumes – whether through small refinery exemptions or changes to finalized rules – undermine confidence in the RFS program, hobble small biofuel producers like Western Dubuque Biodiesel, and threaten to destroy demand for cleaner fuels. The Administration is turning on the spigot for foreign oil instead of investing in biofuels that will bring back U.S. energy independence, reduce emissions, and bring down costs.” – Tom Brooks (Farley, Iowa)
