D.C. Dispatch: Iowa lawmakers speak out on Israeli hostages, taxes, ag and health care

Congress again agreed to avoid a partial government shutdown by passing a bill with wide support, expected to be signed before the deadline of midnight Friday by President Joe Biden.

Iowa lawmakers saw some of their bills pass the House and also introduced new bills, as they continue into a recently begun second session of the 118th Congress. 

Lawmakers focused on egg and dairy issues, health care, Hamas hostages, the inheritance tax and more. 

Here’s what the lawmakers representing Iowa in Congress were up to this week:

Ernst takes aim at labeling of plant-based egg substitutes

Sen. Joni Ernst joined Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, in introducing a bill to regulate how eggs are labeled. 

Ernst said the bill is a way to maintain the integrity of “real eggs” on behalf of consumers and farmers. 

“Our egg producers and farmers work hard to put high-quality, nutritious eggs on consumers’ tables. Labeling plant-based products as ‘eggs’ undermines that hard work – it’s simply un-egg-cceptable,” Ernst said in a news release.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said imitation products are being deceptively marketed.

“Labeling plant-based liquid as egg is obviously inaccurate, so I thank Senator Ernst and her bi-partisan coalition of Senators for ‘cracking’ down on this misleading marketing,” Naig said in Ernst’s news release.

The Consistent Egg Labels Act would require the Food and Drug Administration to issue guidance to enforce “mislabeled” egg alternatives. 

Pregnant Students’ Rights Act passes House

A bill sponsored by Rep. Ashley Hinson, seeking to combat academic disparity faced by pregnant students has passed the House and moves to the Senate for a vote. 

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act would “ensure that young women know about the protections and options available to them,” like flexible class schedules, excused absences and child care assistance, according to Hinson’s office. 

“Women who choose to complete their studies while pregnant should be an inspiration to us all, and I find it sad that Democrats are so dug in on the pro-abortion agenda that they would oppose providing pregnant women on college campuses with resources,” Hinson said in a news release. “This life-affirming legislation will help save moms and babies and is a vital step toward creating a culture of life in this country.”

The bill passed the House along party lines, 212-207, with every vote for the bill’s passage being from Republican lawmakers, and all against, Democrats with some lawmakers not casting a vote.

All four House members from Iowa voted for the bill. All six of Iowa’s delegates were recently given an A+ rating on the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life Scorecard for pro-life efforts during the first session of Congress. 

Ernst also renewed her call to pass a bill to ensure Planned Parenthood can not receive second-draw loans, which came after the organization received Paycheck Protection Program loans, loans used to pay employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Inheritance tax bill introduced by large cohort

Rep. Randy Feenstra led 162 representatives in introducing the Death Tax Repeal Act, which would remove the tax on the transfer of property, land and other assets of a person who has died to an heir. 

“The death tax represents double taxation at its worst,” Feenstra said in a news release. “Iowa families grieving the loss of a loved one should not face an enormous tax bill from the federal government just to continue the family tradition of farming or keep their small business open and operational.”

Opponents of eliminating the tax say it would benefit only a few of the wealthiest landowners and that small businesses and family farms typically do not owe the tax.

Feenstra said eliminating the tax would encourage the next generation of farmers and business owners to plant their roots locally and encourage support of the economy. Feenstra also said the matter would “keep China away from our farmland,” a matter he has focused on by proposing multiple pieces of legislation. 

A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, and features 41 cosponsors, all Republicans. 

Hinson addresses opioid settlement funds

In an effort to expand oversight over opioid settlement funds, Hinson introduced a bipartisan bill that she said would prevent the funds from being used as a “piggy bank for other projects.” 

Instead, Hinson said her bill would ensure opioid settlement funds would be used to address the opioid crisis by funding treatment and wrap-around support, prevention and education of the dangers of opioid overuse in the fight against opioid misuse and abuse. 

“The deadly opioid epidemic continues to devastate families and ravage communities – everyone knows someone who has been impacted by this tragic crisis,” Hinson said in a news release. “To make matters worse, settlement funds dispersed thus far have too often fallen short of addressing the opioid crisis, and guardrails and accountability are needed.”

Hinson shared a photo of herself and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, to emphasize the bipartisanship of the bill. 

Ernst calls for greater efforts to free Hamas-held hostages

Ernst, in a nine-minute address on the Senate floor, made a call to bring home six hostages held by Hamas. 

“Every day that Hamas holds Americans captive is a win for evil,” Ernst said during her floor remarks. 

Ernst’s efforts have included leading two delegations to to the Middle East and a letter to Biden asking him to leverage the U.S. diplomatic relationship with Qatar to release the hostages. 

Ernst led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to the Middle East in October and early January, where she met with leaders and negotiators in Egypt, Israel, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as the hostages’ families in Israel.

“In Israel, we met with families in anguish after Hamas had taken our citizens, American citizens, hostage and had killed over 30 Americans in the initial assault,” Ernst said on the Senate floor. “Since then, I have remained in constant contact with these hostage families. I heard their calls on behalf of their loved ones: Bring them home! Bring them home now!”

Letter to Vilsack for dairy subsidies

Iowa’s four House members teamed up with seven other representatives to send a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux, asking them to “swiftly” open the sign-up period for the 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. 

The program has served as a risk management tool for dairy farmers since 2014 to help farmers adjust to milk prices and feed costs. The enrollment period for farmers to choose their coverage for 2024 has not opened. 

“This delay in DMC enrollment coupled with the already unpredictable nature of the industry is concerning for the farm economy and the constituents we represent,” the delegates wrote. “Transparency and communication are needed from USDA as the enrollment period continues to be delayed.”

The representatives called the program a “crucial program to hedge risk” and stated the importance of the program to ensure farmers have the risk management tools they need. 

“Certainty and predictability are essential in the agricultural industry, and this delay only causes frustration and economic strain for our producers,” the delegates wrote. 

The program is voluntary, and pays producers the margin between the national price of milk and the average cost of feed fall below a certain level selected by the farmer, ranging from single-person operations to commercial milk production operations. 

Miller-Meeks concerned with EPA ruling

Concerned that life-saving medical devices could see a sterilization capacity reduction of 30-50%, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and two other Republican House members wrote to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to contest a proposed ruling. 

Environmental Protection Agency proposed regulations would limit the release of ethylene oxide, a gas used for the sterilization of medical devices, into the outdoor air by certain types of industries. 

“This could have a significant impact on the ability of the Veterans Health Administration to procure a substantial number of sterile medical devices,” the representatives wrote. “This is because the United States lacks sufficient sterilization capacity to address any surge in demand likely to be caused by facilities shutting down for upgrades or being closed permanently due to the cost of compliance with stringent new standards.”

The proposed rules limiting the release of ethylene oxide are accompanied by proposed risk reduction requirements to protect workers using the sterilizer. 

The representatives warn that without ethylene oxide, there would be no commensurate sterilization alternative available, resulting in a significant sterilization shortfall. 

The lawmakers requested answers from the VA, including if the organization has studied the effect of limiting the use of ethylene oxide or created a written analysis and if the VA has communicated with other government agencies on the effect this proposed rule could have on veterans. 

Miller-Meeks and Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican who signed the letter, are both medical doctors, as is Shereef Elnahal, the under secretary for health at the VA, who the letter is addressed to. 

Hinson adds companion bill to address physician shortage

Hinson introduced a companion bill to a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Ernst in August, which would provide flexibility to states in need in hiring physicians. 

The legislation would reallocate unused slots for international medical students to remain in the U.S. on a three-year visa, on the condition they work as physicians in areas experiencing a health professional shortage. 

“Iowans in rural communities often have challenges accessing medical care, facing limited space in hospitals, and having to drive far distances to see specialists or receive treatments,” Hinson said in a news release.

Nunn anti-terrorism bill passes House

A bill introduced by Rep. Zach Nunn in November passed the House by a voice vote and awaits approval by the Senate. 

A bipartisan bill, the OFAC Licensure for Investigators Act, would start a pilot program to coordinate between governments and law enforcement agencies to monitor and investigate cryptocurrency financing for terrorists. 

“As new technology is developed, terrorists are doing more and more to evade sanctions and mask their funding sources,” Nunn said in a news release. “This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense approach to ensure that the United States can identify and prevent funding for future attacks.”

On a personal note

Sen. Chuck Grassley was discharged from the hospital Thursday after he was hospitalized Tuesday for an infection, according to news releases from his office. Grassley expects to be back to work next week, according to a Thursday news release.

A Tuesday news release included that Grassley, the longest currently serving senator, was receiving antibiotic infusions to treat the infection and that the 90-year-old was in good spirits. 

Grassley posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he is happy to be home.

Other members of Iowa’s delegation gave the senator their well wishes:

Miller-Meeks was involved in a car accident her office called “minor,” saying she was rear ended by another vehicle on Jan. 13, a day where there was heavy snow and near to blizzard conditions in all of eastern Iowa. 

Feenstra also celebrated a birthday on Sunday. 

©Copyright 2024, Iowa Capital Dispatch. Published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Read more at iowacapitaldispatch.com.