Washington, DC — The four Republicans representing Iowa in the US House have voted for a massive package that extends the tax cuts Trump signed into law in 2017, eliminates the federal tax on overtime and tips, and provides more money for the defense department and Trump’s deportation plans. It also tightens eligibility rules for federal food assistance and Medicaid. Fourth District Congressman Randy Feenstra, who is a candidate for governor, says the bill aligns federal policy with taxpayer priorities.
Feenstra, who recently launched a campaign for governor, says Trump promised voters a strong economy and Iowa will lead the way.
Third District Congressman Zach Nunn spoke on the House floor early Thursday morning.
Nunn disputes a Congressional Budget Office estimate that the national debt will increase by three-point-eight trillion dollars over the next decade if the bill becomes law.
First District Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks and other members of the House “Main Street Caucus” touted the bill during a news conference outside the Capitol this week.
Miller-Meeks says the bill preserves Medicaid for those it was intended for.
And Miller-Meeks says it is unacceptable to let Trump’s 2017 tax package expire at the end of the year.
Second District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the American people gave Republicans a mandate, and the legislation will fast-track the country back to prosperity. Democrats say the bill makes hundreds of billions of dollars worth of cuts to Medicaid that will endanger rural hospitals and nursing homes. Twenty percent of Iowans are currently enrolled in Medicaid, and about 86-thousand Iowans will no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage if the bill becomes law. The bill also requires the State of Iowa to pay at least 26 million dollars to cover SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, that have been fully financed in the past by the federal government. The bill now goes to the Senate, where some Republicans have said the bill does not do enough to cut federal spending.
