Issues

Every Iowa family should be able to afford food, gas, housing, child care, and health care without constant worry. But today, higher costs keep many Iowans up at night, while corrupt and out-of-touch politicians in Washington cut funding for the Iowans in need and give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. 

Hard work should pay off so that businesses grow and communities are strengthened – the economy shouldn’t feel rigged in favor of the rich and powerful and against the rest of us. Everyone should have a fair shot at getting ahead.

Support Iowa Families 

• Bring down everyday costs by ending reckless tariffs that jack up prices on food, gas, and everyday essentials while padding the profits of corporations. 
• Cut taxes for working- and middle-class families and small businesses, not billionaires and big corporations that use their wealth to buy influence. 
• Guarantee universal paid family and medical leave so no one has to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one.
• Make high-quality child care affordable so parents can work, businesses can hire and communities can attract and retain young families.
• Build more affordable housing so families aren’t priced out of their own communities. 

Take on Corporate Greed and Level the Playing Field

• Make big corporations and the super wealthy pay their fair share in taxes instead of hiding their profits and shifting the burden onto everyday families.
• Crack down on companies that abuse their market power to jack up prices on food, utilities, and basic necessities.
• Break up monopolies that squeeze consumers, farmers, workers, and small businesses.
• Depoliticize and properly fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to enforce the law, protect families from financial predators, and make sure billionaires and giant corporations can’t cheat working people and get away with it.
• Help local businesses grow with fair loans and support – not red tape – so local entrepreneurs can grow, hire, and strengthen Main Street.
• Pass “right to repair” laws so farmers, consumers, and small businesses can fix their own equipment instead of being forced to pay expensive fees to big corporations.

Stand Up for Workers

• Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and eliminate taxes on tips.
• Pass the PRO Act to protect workers’ rights to organize and bargain for better pay and safer workplaces.
• Make sure public projects create good union jobs.
• Stop reckless cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – and strengthen these programs so Iowans can retire with dignity and security.

Every Iowan deserves access to quality, affordable care – no matter their zip code, income, age, or background. No one should go broke or lose a loved one because they couldn’t afford care.

• Fight for universal health care, so that every Iowan has guaranteed, affordable coverage – no matter their job or income.
• Fully fund Medicaid to keep rural hospitals and clinics open and make sure seniors and families can see a doctor close to home.
• Protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act to lower premiums and drug costs while expanding care – including primary care, reproductive health, maternal care, mental health care, and addiction treatment – as we build toward universal coverage.
• Let Medicare negotiate drug prices so families aren’t gouged by big corporations at the pharmacy.
• Restore reproductive rights and strengthen maternal health care by protecting access to contraception and abortion, funding OB/GYN services so women can get the care they need, where they live.
• Incentivize people to go into nursing and other skilled jobs we need so that our hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are properly staffed. 
• Expand and improve telehealth so distance doesn’t decide who gets care.
• Add dental, vision, and hearing to Medicare – because health care means whole-body care.

Education is the foundation of opportunity and a strong democracy. Every child in Iowa – no matter their zip code, family income, or background – deserves a great public education that prepares them for a good life and a good job. From early childhood through higher education and workforce training, we must invest in schools that serve students – not ideology or political agendas. When we invest in education, we invest in Iowa’s future – stronger families, a skilled workforce, and communities where young people can stay, grow, and thrive.

Strong Public Schools, Rooted in Local Communities

• Fully fund public schools and Area Education Agencies (AEAs), so class sizes are smaller, special education and mental health resources are expanded, and kids get the help they need.
• Guarantee access to free preschool and affordable child care so kids start strong and families can work with peace of mind.
• Provide universal free school breakfast and lunch so no child has to learn on an empty stomach and families get real relief from rising costs.
• Stop politicians from diverting our taxpayer money to private schools.
• Stop politicians from banning books and trust parents, teachers, and communities to make decisions for their students.
  

Respect and Support Educators

• Pay teachers, paraeducators and support staff like the professionals they are, and recruit and keep good teachers in Iowa.

Create Multiple Pathways to Success After High School

• Make higher education affordable by increasing Pell Grants, lowering student debt, and holding institutions accountable for runaway tuition and fees – because student debt should not define a person’s future or hold back our economy.
• Make community college and trade school tuition-free and expand apprenticeships and job-training partnerships that connect high schools, local businesses, and labor unions.

For too long, rural communities across Iowa have been treated as places to extract from, not places to invest in. Corporate greed has squeezed farmers into bankruptcy, pushing their families to the brink, hollowing out our towns, and forcing young Iowans to leave in search of opportunity. 

Iowa is grounded in shared values – hard work, fairness, responsibility, and looking out for your neighbors. These values are what drove rural communities to build this state and this country. They deserve a forward-looking strategy that strengthens family farms, revitalizes main streets, keeps young people rooted in their hometowns, and ensures every community has a real future for the next generation. For more information see our Rural Revival Plan. 

Create Markets for Iowa – Not Corporate Greed or Tariff Chaos

• End chaotic tariffs that have jacked up prices, sent input costs through the roof, and cost farmers entire export markets to foreign competition.
• Restore real competition so farmers aren’t stuck between a few suppliers on one side and a handful of buyers on the other by enforcing antitrust laws and increasing price transparency to end big agriculture’s grip on markets from seed to slaughter.

Build a Strong Local Economy and Food System by Investing in Our Farms and Small Businesses 

• Build industries like local and regional meat and poultry processing, fertilizer and bio-based manufacturing, biofuels, and sustainable aviation fuel, which will create jobs and keep value in Iowa rather than shipping it all out of state. 
• Pay farmers for climate-smart practices and conservation work that protects soil, water, and air.
• Encourage renewable clean energy on farms including solar, wind, and methane capture, which can reduce bills, generate new income, and create good-paying jobs across Iowa.
• Grow farm-to-school and farm-to-institution programs and support local food hubs and cooperatives, keeping food dollars local and helping small and mid-sized farms reach schools, hospitals, and communities.

Invest in Rural Community Infrastructure

• Make sure high-speed broadband is in every home.
• Repair roads and bridges that local farmers and businesses rely on to move product.
• Modernize water systems that protect water quality and reduce nutrient runoff.
• Invest in energy storage, transmission lines, and clean-energy jobs rooted in local communities.
• Long-abandoned properties are draining life and value from Main Streets and neighborhoods – holding back local economies, but with support to clear blight, our communities can rebuild, attract new businesses, and grow again.

Iowa’s environment and climate are central to our health, economy, and way of life. Our communities deserve leadership that tackles climate change boldly, invests in clean energy, protects natural resources, and creates good jobs in the process.

• Clean up Iowa’s air, water, land, and natural resources, hold polluters accountable instead of letting them pass the costs onto farmers, families, and towns, and protect our environment for future generations.
• Pay farmers for climate-smart practices and conservation work that protects soil and water.
• Expand wind, solar, and energy efficiency to lower bills and create good-paying jobs across Iowa.

After a lifetime of work and dedication to our communities, Iowa seniors deserve security – not fear caused by out-of-touch politicians threatening to cut the benefits they’ve earned. 

• Protect Social Security and make the super wealthy pay their fair share, oppose any cuts or attempts to privatize it, and strengthen benefits for seniors, widows, and caregivers.
• Help seniors live with dignity in their homes with in-home care and community support, and not be forced into facilities because services are underfunded.
• Oppose efforts to cut or restrict Medicaid, which pays for the majority of nursing home and long-term care services that Iowa seniors rely on.
• Protect pensions and crack down on corporate abuses that jeopardize retirement funds.
• Stop elder abuse and fraud, and protect older Iowans from financial scams, neglect, and exploitation – especially in understaffed long-term care facilities.

Veterans answered the call and served our country with courage, sacrifice, and honor. Service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off – and neither should our nation’s support. That means access to quality health care, economic opportunity, secure retirement, and services that make sure our veterans can thrive in civilian life.

• Fully fund the Department of Veterans Affairs so veterans don’t wait months for high-quality health care. 
• Protect and expand veterans’ benefits so veterans, their spouses, and their families receive the compensation they have earned – including disability, pension, education, and housing support.
• Pay service members enough so that no one in uniform needs food assistance or struggles to support their family while defense contractors and executives profit off endless wars.
• Expand job training and education so veterans can build good civilian careers – including strengthening GI Bill benefits, supporting vocational programs, and connecting veterans with high-quality jobs.
• End veteran homelessness and make sure every veteran has a safe place to live.

America is a nation built by immigrants, and Iowa’s communities are stronger because of the contributions of people from all backgrounds. Our immigration system should reflect our values of fairness, dignity, security, and the rule of law – not fear, chaos, and division. A sensible, humane, and well-enforced immigration system is good for families, good for the economy, and essential to keeping our communities safe.

• Secure our borders and focus enforcement on real threats, not families. We must keep dangerous actors, traffickers, and criminals out of our communities while ending indiscriminate detentions, arrests, and deportations that tear families apart and destabilize local economies.
• Fix the broken immigration system so workers can come legally where jobs exist – especially in agriculture, health care, and other high-need sectors – while protecting American wages and labor standards.
• Create a fair path to citizenship for Dreamers and long-standing immigrants who have grown up here, contributed to our communities, and call America home.

Political power should not be bought or sold. Government should work for us – not donors, insiders, or politicians gaming the system. For more information see our Anti-Corruption Plan.

End Big Money’s Grip on Politics

• Repeal Citizens United, so billionaires and secret donors can’t drown out the voices of everyday voters.
• Ban federal candidates from taking corporate PAC money so decisions aren’t tilted toward corporations and special interests.
• Establish a public system to match small donations for candidates and parties, so that campaigns are powered by people chipping in – not wealthy insiders calling the shots. That way, voters – not insiders – decide who wins.

Voters Choose Their Leaders – Not DC Elites and Politicians

• Ban partisan gerrymandering and adopt independent, citizen-led redistricting commissions so politicians can’t choose their voters – and every community has a fair shot at representation.
• End the practice of Washington insiders and party elites influencing primaries behind closed doors, and guarantee open, transparent primaries where voters – not Washington insiders – decide the nominee.
• Make sure every candidate gets fair access to party resources so the playing field isn’t tilted.

Clean Up Corruption in Washington

• Require politicians to clearly disclose or transfer their finances so conflicts of interest can’t be hidden.
• Ban Members of Congress, executive branch officials, and their families from trading stocks while in power. 
• End the practice of Members of Congress, executive branch officials, and senior staff getting paid during government shutdowns.
• Ban backdoor lobbying jobs for former Members of Congress, their families, and senior staff.
• Institute term limits and age caps for Members of Congress.
• Create an independent ethics watchdog so politicians aren’t policing themselves.

In Iowa, we believe in fairness, responsibility, and looking out for one another. Those shared community values don’t come from Washington – they come from our families, our churches, our schools, and our communities. They reflect a simple truth: every person has dignity, every voice matters, and freedom only means something if it applies to everyone.

Our rights are what make democracy real. They allow people to speak their minds, worship freely, vote without fear, make personal decisions about their lives, and participate fully in their communities. When politicians attack those rights, they aren’t defending tradition or values. They’re weakening democracy and turning their backs on the people they’re supposed to serve.

As our state motto reminds us, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” I will always stand up for the rights that make Iowa and our country free, fair, prosperous, and strong.

Protect Civil and Voting Rights

• Strengthen and enforce – not roll back – civil rights laws in housing, employment, education, and public services so no Iowan faces discrimination based on race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
• Defend free speech, peaceful protest, and due process – not silence dissent – because open dialogue, speaking truth to power, and justice are fundamental to a healthy democracy.
• Restore and strengthen voting rights by supporting the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to protect against any form of discrimination, intimidation, and manipulation so every eligible Iowan can vote freely and securely.
• Make it easier to vote and harder to suppress ballots by expanding early voting, vote-by-mail, and automatic voter registration, and opposing laws that put up unnecessary barriers such as strict ID requirements or aggressive roll purges, because participation strengthens democracy.

Defend The Right to Choose

• Restore reproductive freedom, reject government overreach, and trust women to make deeply personal health decisions guided by their conscience, faith, and medical providers – not politicians.
• Expand access to contraception, maternal care, and OB/GYN services, especially in rural communities, because access empowers women to pursue education, work, and opportunity – strengthening families and communities across Iowa.
• Protect patients and providers from harassment, threats, violence, or punishment for seeking or delivering lawful reproductive care, including across state lines.
• Invest in science-based education and community health services that support informed decisions and healthier outcomes for families.

Stand with Iowa’s LGBTQ+ Community

• Protect marriage equality nationwide and oppose efforts to roll back the right to marry who you love.
• Pass comprehensive federal LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination protections so no one in Iowa can be fired, denied health care, denied housing, or refused service because of who they are. 
• Reject political fearmongering against the LGBTQ+ community, because when we exclude our neighbors, we weaken our communities and drive talent, families, and opportunity away from Iowa. Iowa is strongest when everyone can live openly, safely, and with dignity.

Protect the Rights of People with Disabilities

• Fully enforce and strengthen the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so Iowans with disabilities have equal access to employment, education, housing, transportation, and public spaces.
• Make government and civic life accessible to everyone, including elections, public services, and digital systems, so every Iowan, regardless of ability, can participate fully in our democracy and our economy.
• Expand access to community-based services so people with disabilities can live independently, with dignity in the communities they call home, instead of being forced into institutions because services are underfunded or unavailable.
• Support inclusive employment initiatives and workforce training that remove barriers and expand opportunities for people with disabilities to thrive in good jobs and careers.
• Ensure equitable access to quality care by protecting and expanding health care coverage, transportation assistance, and affordable, accessible housing options.

Set Guardrails for Social Media and Artificial Intelligence Companies

• Ensure there are rules of the road for social media platforms so our children are no longer exploited and harmed.
• Protect personal data and privacy so technology strengthens opportunity instead of exploiting people – by limiting the collection, sale, and misuse of sensitive information and holding corporations accountable when they profit from abuse.
• Prevent unchecked surveillance and digital abuse by corporations or government agencies, while preserving responsible, transparent uses of technology that enhance public safety, efficiency, and the common good.
• Set clear, enforceable rules for artificial intelligence so innovation strengthens fairness and opportunity – not discrimination, secrecy, or bias.
• Ensure artificial intelligence expands opportunity rather than deepening inequality by investing in worker training and education, and in strong safeguards, so innovation raises wages, creates good jobs, and benefits communities across Iowa – not just those at the top.