Iowa Senators fail to do their jobs

Legislative bills have to be passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. At present, bills passed by the House are still sitting on the Senate Majority Leader's desk. They are on a variety of problems, from dealing with election protections, and climate change, to preventing gun violence. The Violence Against Women Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act have many advocates but have been sitting on the Senate leader's desk for months. He has no plans to bring them to a vote. Bills on lowering Healthcare costs and Drug Prices are suffering the same fate. These bills are not up for discussion - they are in what Mitch McConnell calls ‘the graveyard' - his desk.

The House of Representatives is working, passing the legislation they were sent to Washington to do. The leader of the other half gleefully declares that any such bills will be dead on arrival in the Senate. It sounds like the Senate needs elected officials that will try to conduct the people's business, instead of ignoring it.

Call Sens. Ernst and Grassley and express your concerns for this broken way of governing. If they don't listen to you, their opponents might, for the good of America.

Jan Patterson

Marion