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Iowa GOP women rally behind Trump, Israel ceasefire and call to end government shutdown
Hinson, Miller-Meeks praise ceasefire, blame Democrats for ‘Schumer shutdown’
Oct. 14, 2025 12:45 pm, Updated: Oct. 14, 2025 1:52 pm
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IOWA CITY — Republican women seeking state and federal offices in 2026 headlined a Johnson County Republican Women event Monday night, with U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks focusing their remarks on the release of Israeli hostages under a ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump and the ongoing federal government shutdown fight.
Hinson, a Marion Republican vying for the GOP nomination to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, said her Senate run is “personal.” She pointed to conversations with women who say they lost athletic opportunities to transgender competitors, Iowans burdened by “overregulation and taxes,” and crime victims harmed by people “who shouldn’t have been here.”
Casting herself as a “mama bear,” she vowed to stop what she called a “crazy, woke dystopia” and said she’s “proud” to have Trump’s endorsement. She urged Republicans to hold the Senate seat and all Iowa House seats, warning that if Democrats retake the U.S. House under Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, it would be “impeach … investigate … subpoena” and stall the president’s agenda.
She criticized the ongoing government shutdown, highlighting its impact on women, children and the military, and called for Democrats to negotiate and pass appropriations bills.
Democrats have demanded that Republicans agree to extend tax credits that help people pay for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and that they reverse cuts and changes to Medicaid passed earlier this year as part of Republicans’ sweeping tax cut and spending bill.
Republicans control the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House, but they need some Democrats in the Senate to agree to extend federal funding.
Hinson repeatedly blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for the current federal government shutdown, accusing Democrats of “holding the government hostage” for “a liberal wish list” that she said includes more spending, “health care for illegal immigrants” and “funding for woke NPR.”
Republicans argue Democrats’ proposal would repeal safeguards contained in the GOP’s tax and spending law against unauthorized immigrants accessing federally funded health care — a claim Democrats dispute, noting federal law already bars such coverage and that extending ACA subsidies would protect more than 110,000 Iowans from steep premium hikes. ACA enrollment begins Nov. 1.
Hinson said her priorities in running for U.S. Senate are to: keep taxes low, protect Social Security and Medicare for seniors, close the southern border and enforce existing immigration laws, and help young families achieve the American dream by reducing government interference in their lives.
Miller-Meeks praises Israel hostage release, defends Medicaid reforms
Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa seeking a fourth term in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, recounted staying awake through the night to watch reports confirming the release of Israeli hostages, calling the moment “historic” and “something that, beyond political party and political factions, we should absolutely applaud.”
She recalled being in Saudi Arabia with Sen. Joni Ernst on Oct. 6, 2023, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the Abraham Accords when news broke of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel. Since then, she said, she and Ernst have met repeatedly with hostage families and foreign leaders in efforts to secure their release.
“We hope that the bodies and remains are returned to their families so they can be properly buried,” Miller-Meeks said. “And we hope there is lasting peace in the Middle East.”
She said she and other members of Congress plan to introduce legislation to award Trump the Congressional Gold Medal — the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress — in recognition of his role in advancing the ceasefire.
Pivoting to domestic politics, Miller-Meeks grew emotional as she recounted her own family’s struggles making ends meet when her father served in the Air Force, saying those experiences shape her perspective on the government shutdown.
“I voted for people. I voted against politics,” she said of voting for a seven-week extension of government funding with no new spending, calling it “a moral and ethical duty” for Congress to reopen the government and ensure service members and working families aren’t left wondering how to pay for rent, groceries or school lunches.
She blamed Democrats for the stalemate, and accused them of demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending. Miller-Meeks said Republicans have fulfilled promises to lower taxes, secure the border and protect seniors’ Social Security benefits. She also defended GOP-backed Medicaid reforms that bar benefits for unauthorized immigrants and implement work requirements for eligible individuals ages 19 to 64, who must prove they are working, volunteering, going to school or participating in job training at least 80 hours per month to maintain coverage.
Miller-Meeks drew on her own life story to defend linking government assistance to work or community engagement.
“I left home at 16. I worked, started community college, enlisted in the Army. … I’ve been financially independent since I was 16 years old,” she said.
She argued it’s fair to ask Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or participate in education programs at least 80 hours a month, saying such requirements promote accountability and preserve benefits for those truly in need.
“If you’re ineligible for Medicaid, you shouldn’t be on Medicaid,” she said. “You’re taking a slot that would go to somebody else.”
Democrats have denounced the Medicaid work requirements in the GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” arguing they would strip coverage from vulnerable Americans, burden states with red tape and punish low-income families who already face barriers to employment. They contend the policy would reduce access to care without meaningfully increasing workforce participation.
Miller-Meeks also highlighted her bipartisan Medicaid Program Improvement Act, which she cosponsored with Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., saying it would save an estimated $120 billion to $140 billion over 10 years by cutting “waste, fraud and abuse” without reducing benefits or provider payments. The bill would require states to regularly verify and update Medicaid enrollees’ addresses to prevent individuals from being counted in multiple states’ programs — a problem she said costs billions in duplicate payments.
“This is common sense, practical things, cutting out waste, fraud and abuse,” Miller-Meeks said. “And we promised we would do that, and we kept our promise.”
Tight security after national flashpoints
Johnson County Republican Women chair Carol Ann Christiansen said the group requested enhanced security for the event “in response to recent national events” and concerns about rising political violence in the wake of the Sept. 10 fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Christiansen said the club coordinated with law enforcement to institute multiple measures Monday. That included armed security on-site; police-erected temporary barricades at the hotel entrance to control access; a police K-9 sweep of the facility; and coordination with University Heights Police and Johnson County Emergency Management.
“The steps are being taken … to ensure safety,” she said.
Other GOP candidates make their pitches
The program also featured Iowa Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, Attorney General Brenna Bird, state Sen. Dawn Driscoll of Williamsburg, and Iowa County Supervisor Abigail Maas.
- Cournoyer, who is running for state auditor in 2026, said she would “audit the auditor’s office,” speed up overdue reports and deploy technology to spot waste, fraud and abuse. She touted her record in the Iowa Senate on tax cuts, state government realignment and data-privacy legislation, and said timely audits help agencies implement fixes before the next budget cycle.
- Bird highlighted a new cold-case unit in the Attorney General’s Office and tougher penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers. She praised the overnight news from Israel and said her office would continue to defend Iowa’s laws and “the rule of law” in court. Bird is seeking re-election in 2026.
- Driscoll, seeking another term in Senate District 46 (Iowa and Washington counties and parts of Johnson County), emphasized agriculture policy, noting Iowa’s “Meat Integrity” law has been adopted by more than 20 states, and said she will push further property tax reforms and ag tourism protections next session.
- Maas, also running for state auditor, argued the office should play a larger role in property tax accountability. She proposed annual audits for small cities, audits for townships, standardized statewide financial software and real-time public transparency on line-item spending.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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