“A Few Words”
We had dinner with friends last night.
There is nothing unusual about that, except these were all people I did not know; people my husband, Peter, had met while taking his daily hike in Mexico.
Opinions
Q: Why did you push for the USDA to open up CRP acres to emergency haying and grazing?
A: During my annual 99 county meetings, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) often gets raised by Iowa landowners and farmers. This year, I’ve heard from producers who are struggling to access enough hay to...
“The Painter”
I see him painting every afternoon.
Every day I take a walk and, when I am in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, my walk usually takes me through an old fabric mill that has been converted into gallery space. Most of the galleries sell the work of artists from Mexico City and beyond....
Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s “medical event” during a live press conference once again brought to the forefront a critical issue that has long demanded our attention.
Aging is a natural process that we will all inevitably experience, and it should never be a source of shame...
In 2022, nearly 110,000 Americans died from a drug overdose, including 75,000 people who lost their lives at the hands of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. On my biannual 36 County Tour, I have heard too many stories of parents who have lost a child to an overdose‚a senseless tragedy that can be...
You may be among the 35 percent of Americans who have never heard the term “white Christian nationalism.” But, of those citizens who are knowledgeable of the concept, it carries a decidedly negative view. The belief is becoming more and more important to understand as cultural diversity, racism,...
“A Boring Life”
I’m writing this on my birthday and feeling more than usually grateful.
“What do you want to do?” my husband, Peter, asks, as he always does on my birthday.
Peter refuses to celebrate his own birthday, but he only applies the no-birthday rule to himself. I am free to celebrate...
Have you seen Barbie?
If not, and you plan to, maybe save this column for a later read.
If yes, or if you don’t plan to, read on.
So, the reason I want to talk about a movie in this column has to do with, of course, the insane amount of controversy surrounding it.
Since the Barbie movie seems...
Q: What is Whistleblower Appreciation Day?
A: Throughout my work on behalf of Iowans in Congress, I take seriously my constitutional oversight responsibilities to ensure the government works for the American people, not the other way around. Whistleblowers play a crucial role by shining light on...
The integrity of our elections and the power of our vote are vital to the health of our democracy. The United States remains a beacon of hope and promise because the people – not politicians – determine the outcome of elections with their voice and their vote.
We have witnessed this firsthand in...
For the past decade, the media has been obsessed with the idea of a growing divide between rural and urban areas, often portraying it as a deep chasm separating the nation’s citizens.
A recent example of this coverage took it a step further. Not only are we portrayed as divided, but there are now...
