Too many Iowans are living pay check to pay check, making impossible choices because of their financial realities.  It’s the mom making the impossible choice, do I pay my utility bill or buy my child a winter coat. The Dad, do I put food on the table for my family, or pay the rent.  No one should have to make these kinds of choices. DC politicians are turning a blind eye to challenges that hard working families face in our state. Instead of fighting for us, they are more concerned with their billionaire donors, and the predatory corporations that care more about their bottom line than the person behind it.

No one in the United States should have to face bankruptcy because of a healthcare emergency. No one in our country should have to ration life saving medication because of high costs and deductibles, or travel hundreds of miles to receive quality care. As Iowa cancer rates increase and rural healthcare faces incredible financial strain, we need urgent policy changes.

Washington is riddled with corruption and greed. Our system of government has been rigged for billionaires and large corporations which seek only to expand their bottom line. Money in politics has led to toxic partisanship which seeks to divide us, distract us, and to keep us down. In order to create a healthier system, we have to get money out of politics.

Iowa wouldn’t be Iowa without our farmers. I will always stand with the farmers— the stewards of our land, the hands that feed the people of the world, and the legacy of our state.  Iowa farmers have had to fight through economic downturns, unpredictable markets, and rising costs. Our farmers cannot wait another decade to pass a new farm bill. They need leaders who will stand with them in the fight for their markets and their pocket books.

As a mother, I want my children and community to always be safe. But what is happening in America today is not making our communities safer. Congress has clearly failed on both immigration reform, and gun safety reform. We need new leadership who will move common sense policies forward to make sure that our country is safe and free. 

As a working mom of two teenagers, I know what parents and kids are going through and it’s tough. Our kids are dealing with an education system that has been systemically underfunded, and Iowa is dealing with a Private School Voucher scheme designed to benefit the most fortunate amongst us. Education is the ultimate equalizer in our country. The government should make sure it stays that way. To fuel American innovation, our public education system must be robust, challenging, and state of the art. Congress has failed and we are letting our kids fall behind countries around the world.