Iowans are resilient, fair, and know how to pull together, taking care of each other in a crisis. That’s why there has been overwhelming bipartisan support for pandemic relief this past year, including for the American Rescue Plan that passed today. We are grateful for Rep. Cindy Axne and the Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate for passing such a widespread plan which will mean direct payments to Iowans in need, jobs for those out of work, unemployment benefits for people struggling to find a job, and, most importantly, better distribution of vaccines in our communities.
It is shameful that the three Republican members of Congress voted multiple times against our Iowa values of pulling through by pulling together. If it were up to Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Randy Feenstra, and Senators Grassley and Ernst, Iowa families and frontline workers would be left with more questions than answers and more worries than solutions.
Thankfully Democrats not only have the majority at the federal level, they are leading by delivering support to Iowa families, and funding the frontline workers that are often called heroes before conveniently being forgotten. Those vital public workers and every Iowa family will now know what it looks like when our government joins together, across our differences, to do what must be done in order to care for us all.
It’s what Iowans believe, what we want, and we will remember who voted to make it happen, and those who did all they could to stop it.
Matt Sinovic is the executive director of Progress Iowa.