Government funding, ag and defense on the Iowa agenda as Congress reconvenes

Iowa’s congressional delegation will return to Washington this month after a monthlong recess with an agenda that includes looming battle over government funding and several high-priority spending bills.

Congress will need to pass legislation to keep the government funded by Sept. 30 to avert a government shutdown, and a fractious House Republican majority may complicate that process.

In statements provided by staff and recent visits to Iowa, Iowa’s senators and House representatives — all Republicans — outlined their priorities for the coming months and what they expect from major funding and spending bills.

Spokespeople for U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra and Mariannette Miller-Meeks did not provide comments by the time of publication.

On government funding

Congress is unlikely to pass long-term funding bills before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, so a stopgap funding bill, called a continuing resolution, will likely be necessary to prevent a government shutdown.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus has threatened to torpedo any measures that keep government funding at current levels and don’t check off certain policy priorities like border security and changes to the Department of Justice.

Their votes will be needed if the Republican House majority wants to pass a funding measure with no Democratic support, but those hard-line conservative policies will be hard sell in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

In a visit to the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club last Monday, Rep. Ashley Hinson said working on the farm bill and government funding packages are among her top priority when she returns to Congress.

“I don't believe a government shutdown is in the best interest of anybody,” Hinson said in Cedar Rapids. “So when we get back after the August recess that is going to be my main goal, is to make sure we're getting as many of those (appropriations) bills done."

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U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley echoed those goals. He said a government shutdown would be costly and hamper Congress’s ability to finish its needed work throughout the year.

“It costs taxpayers money to shut down government and even more to re-open it,” Grassley said in a statement provided by a spokesperson. “It’s also why I’m pushing to restore fiscal sanity through the regular budget process, so that Congress stops lurching from one fiscal cliff to the next. Most likely, Congress is going to have to pass a continuing resolution until later this year based on current funding levels.”

None of Iowa’s congressional delegation endorsed demands for conservative policy goals in a stopgap funding bill, but some noted they want any funding bill Congress passes to be fiscally conservative.

“It’s way past time to make Washington start living within a realistic budget, just like every Iowa family has to do,” U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said in a written statement provided by a spokesperson. “Reckless borrowing and spending are driving up the prices of everyday goods and services. I’ll continue fighting to bring Iowa commonsense to the Senate and cut the pork!”

Grassley and Ernst both said working on the annual defense policy bill will be a priority. The House and Senate passed different versions of the bill this summer, and they will need to be reconciled before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.

On the farm bill

One must-pass agenda item is the farm bill, a sprawling agriculture, nutrition and forestry bill that must be reauthorized every five years. The deadline to pass the farm bill is also Sept. 30, but it’s unlikely that will be met, and an extension may be needed.

Grassley, a member of the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, said he expects the farm bill to be ready by the end of the year. The bill’s five-year price tag is likely to surpass $1 trillion for the first time.

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A spokesperson for Hinson said she wants to see the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, which would overrule a California law that regulates the condition of hogs who produce pork sold in the state, included in the farm bill.

Several other members of Iowa’s delegation have endorsed the bill, arguing California’s law will drive up costs for pork producers and consumers across the country. But a bipartisan group of more than 150 lawmakers said in a letter to the House Agriculture Committee chair last week that the bill would place “draconian” restrictions on state and local laws, asking for it to be excluded from the Farm Bill.

Nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program make up the bulk of the Farm Bill’s cost. They may be another source of contention as conservative lawmakers seek to institute stricter work requirements for the federal program that benefits more than 40 million Americans.

U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District and sits on the Agriculture Committee, said he wants to see bipartisan policies accomplished in the farm bill, including rural development and conservation.

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“We can’t let extremists on either side of the aisle hold Iowa’s farmers that feed and fuel our country hostage,” Nunn said in a statement provided by a spokesperson. “That’s why, in the Farm Bill, I’m fighting to strengthen the farm safety net, increase rural economic development, bolster innovation and security in agriculture, improve conservation programs, and ensure American energy independence.”

Group lobbies against ‘GOP tax scam’

Members of the liberal advocacy organization Progress Iowa visited Nunn’s offices in Des Moines and Ottumwa last Thursday to urge him to vote against a trio of GOP tax bills that were introduced this summer.

The proposed bills include tax breaks for corporations, repeals of certain clean energy incentives, and would allow American taxpayers to take a larger standard deduction on their income. The tax cuts would add about $21 billion to the deficit over 10 years without accompanying spending cuts.

Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic argued the tax plan is a windfall for large corporations and wealthy Americans.

“He’s potentially handing out billions of dollars to corporations, the extremely wealthy, and raising taxes on the people who are already paying more than our fair share, we are paying more than what we ought to owe,” Sinovic said.

The bills are likely to face steep Democratic opposition if they pass the House. Nunn did not say whether or not he would support the tax bills.

“As I completed my third 21-county listening tour this past week — hosting forums with Iowans all across our district — I heard over and over again that people are tired of the partisan bickering in Washington, D.C.,” he said in a statement. “Iowans want to see real results, which is why I believe we must pass a fiscally-responsible funding bill and robust Farm Bill to ensure seniors on Medicare, Social Security recipients, farmers, veterans, and all Iowans receive the benefits and support they’ve worked hard to earn.”

Tom Barton of The Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report