Congress considers rural health bill

[Last] week, I introduced bipartisan legislation — the RNs for Rural Health Act — with my Democratic colleague, Hillary Scholten. This legislation will expand and strengthen rural health care access by updating Medicare policy to allow registered nurses at Rural Health Clinics to facilitate and be reimbursed for Medicare Annual Wellness Visits. These annual visits are critical for preventive care.

Currently, Medicare reimburses registered nurses performing these visits in provider-based settings, but not at rural health clinics, which are more accessible for many rural Iowans. This red tape has created a major disparity in access to preventive care for rural beneficiaries, and this common sense change ensures adequate Medicare coverage of AWVs at rural health clinics — allowing RNs to deliver high-quality care to more Iowans.

I recently hosted a roundtable at Emplify Health by Gundersen West Union Hospital in Fayette County to share more about this legislative idea before formally introducing it. We discussed how RNs play an extremely important role in a patient’s care team and that they should be reimbursed as such by Medicare.

Not only would this help more rural patients receive preventive care, but it would also help ensure RNs can utilize their skills and experience to the fullest amid a shortage of health care professionals.

As I like to say, the best legislative ideas come from Iowa to D.C., not the other way around. I’m grateful for the feedback and input I received as I worked on this bipartisan legislative solution, and I hope to be able to get this across the finish line.

I proudly voted in support of President Trump’s first rescission package to codify $9.4 billion in DOGE cuts, including $4 million to “sedentary migrants” in Colombia, $500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda, $3 million to fund sexual reproductive health in Venezuela, $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street, $6 million for "Net Zero Cities" in Mexico and $1 million for voter ID in Haiti — not in the United States.

We are only scratching the surface, but imagine redirecting that to veterans’ care or support for Iowa farmers.

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This package also rescinds funds for NPR and PBS. For decades, public broadcasting has not adhered to objectivity standards enshrined in law. It has pushed biased narratives and forced inappropriate content on children, like a movie celebrating the sex change of a child and a feature on the racial origins of fat phobia.

Children should not be fed woke propaganda — certainly not on the taxpayer dime — and that is coming from a former broadcaster and a mother.

I'm thankful to President Trump for exposing this waste and working to protect Americans’ hard-earned dollars.

[Last] week, I had a great meeting with the Iowa Bankers Association. I appreciate the work our community banks do to keep opportunity rooted in our communities — supporting small businesses, Iowa families, and fueling our economy.

I was happy to welcome the Iowa Home Builders Association to my DC office. Iowa's homebuilders do incredible work across our state — from creating good-paying jobs to building the affordable housing our communities rely on. I'm thankful for their partnership in supporting and growing housing availability in Iowa.

[Last] week was the fly-in for the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. It's always wonderful to see Mayor O’Donnell and the team from Cedar Rapids. I look forward to our continued partnership in ensuring Iowa is the best place to work, live and raise a family.

I recently had the honor of participating in the send-off ceremony in Cedar Falls for the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment of the Iowa National Guard as they deploy to the Middle East to assist in Operation Inherent Resolve.

Please keep them and their loved ones in your prayers as they carry out their mission.

While I was in Washington, my staff recently traveled to Des Moines to attend a West Wing Dedication Ceremony and ribbon-cutting for the Iowa Motor Truck Association and Iowa Motor Carriers Foundation. Iowa relies on our truckers to move our economy, and I'm proud to advocate on their behalf in Congress.