Spending Cuts and Debt

Growing up in Van Meter, I learned the value of a dollar as a young boy, waking up early to deliver newspapers to the folks in our community. After moving to Johnston as a teenager, I spent my summers in the hot sun working at the Iowa State Fair or as a decontamination aide at a hospital. In college in Des Moines, I waited tables at a restaurant. My parents and grandparents instilled in me a strong Iowa work ethic - I worked hard - while knowing that anyone who puts in the time, the effort and the energy can achieve endless opportunity in this great country.

As I travel each of the 16 counties of the Third Congressional District each month, Iowans often tell me they haven’t seen a raise in their paychecks in years, or that their incomes have never recovered from the 2008 recession. I hear from parents who sit down around the kitchen table at night and try to figure out how to stretch every dollar to provide for their families and their retirement. Folks are constantly reevaluating every expense to see if they can still afford it. As your U.S Representative in Congress, I try to take that same level of scrutiny to every line of the federal budget.

This week marks one year since I was sworn in as your U.S. Representative for Iowa’s Third Congressional District. With priorities in mind to make your federal government more efficient, accessible, accountable and transparent, I came to Congress humbled to be your voice in Washington, and to make the hard choices that deliver real results.