Legislature allocates opioid funds

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by the opioid crisis. Daughters, sons, neighbors, and loved ones are dying every single day and so many are grappling with opioid addiction.

As the opioid and fentanyl crisis rages throughout our communities, record amounts of settlement funds are being distributed to states, counties, and municipalities. Unfortunately, in some cases these funds have fallen short actually addressing the opioid crisis.

We are doing it right in Iowa. Our legislature allocated settlement funds through the Iowa Opioid Memorandum of Understanding to ensure they are used for opioid abatement activities.

However, Greene County in Tennessee put $2.4 million of opioid settlement funds toward paying off the county’s debt and another $50,000 to buy a “litter crew vehicle.” That is unacceptable.

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The federal government needs to ensure that opioid settlement money is used to fund efforts to curb this tragic crisis.

That's why I introduced the bipartisan Opioid Settlement Accountability Act with Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). This will serve as a guardrail to ensure opioid settlement money is being used for treatment, prevention, education, and enforcement and prevent the funding from being used for other matters.

I’ve heard from families who have lost loved ones to the opioid crisis, from concerned moms who know these drugs are in our neighborhoods and even coming to our schools, and law enforcement who are desperately trying to get these deadly drugs off our streets.

It is vital that we ensure every dime of these settlement funds goes to help curb the deadly opioid epidemic, and I’m proud to lead this important legislation

I am excited to announce that my Pregnant Students' Rights Act passed the House.

Women should never be told they have to choose between continuing their pregnancy or getting their degree. Unfortunately, pregnant women on college campuses are often pressured to end their pregnancies or risk academic failure, despite protections.

I introduced the Pregnant Students' Rights Act to ensure that pregnant women on college campuses know about existing protections that will allow them to continue their pregnancy and their education so they are empowered to create the best possible future for themselves and their child.

Thank you to the Iowa Department of Transportation and county drivers who plowed the roads during last weekend’s storms and to local officials who kept the public informed. I am grateful for your work to keep Iowans safe.

Last week, we celebrated National Milk Day. Thank you to our hardworking Northeast Iowa dairy producers for providing families like mine with nutritious and delicious dairy products.

I will continue to work to protect dairy farmers in Iowa and across the country from inflation and help them navigate market uncertainty. This week, I joined Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04) and Rep. Brad Finstad (MN-01) in a letter urging the USDA to immediately open the sign-up period for Iowa dairy farmers to enroll in key risk management tools.

Iowa farmers need certainty and I will continue to call on the Biden Administration to stop dragging their feet and ensure our farmers have necessary resources

It was great to have Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell in D.C. this week. We caught up on the latest in Cedar Rapids and our shared efforts to keep this community a great place to live, work, and raise a family.