DES MOINES, Iowa – U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, spoke with The Iowa Torch last Friday. The conversation initially focused on Afghanistan, which we published last week, but Hinson also discussed the $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget bill.
Hinson noted that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calf., lacked the votes to pass the budget bill because of disagreement within the Democratic caucus, so she “wrapped it up into a rule” and did not allow debate.
“But there were obviously some backroom dealings, exactly Washington as at its worst, to make that happen. They changed the rules to deem the budget resolution as being passed through a rule,” she said. “This is spending more money that we don’t have right now on policies that Iowans don’t want. I’m hearing from Iowans about this, and it’s the worst possible time to do this.”
She said Pelosi should have called the House back to ask questions about the Afghanistan evacuation and discuss ways to support the troops instead of pushing the spending bill through.
“I think it’s completely tone-deaf to the American people, and now Americans are dead,” Hinson stated.
She noted the bill would be written in committee. Still, She added U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a Democratic socialist who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, authored the Senate version, which House Democrats are likely to adopt at least in part.
Beyond the sheer size of the bill, Hinson said her biggest concern is the tax hikes.
“It’s one thing to object to spending. And I do, I think that this spending is out of control. But free community college for everyone? These climate initiatives that are included in the bill, they want to include the PRO Act in the bill, which would eliminate right to work in states like Iowa,” she said. “Right to work is something we pride ourselves on here for our workers. As we know, nothing is free, and they want to pay for this by taxing everyone.”
“That’s one of the things that I’ve been talking to folks about this is going to be decades of tax increases; the highest spending we’ve seen ever in this country, trillions and trillions of new spending, and taxpayers are going to pay for it. And I think the most frustrating thing is I believe they are deliberately misleading the American public on the tax elements of this bill,” Hinson added.
She noted as the committees do their work, they will have to answer questions, and Iowans deserve answers to those questions.
