Iowa angles on funding bill, more new candidates, Nunn in trouble

Nov. 17 edition of "KHOI's Capitol Week"

House GOP graphic posted on U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra’s official Facebook page on November 13

Let’s get right to it: the audio file from our November 17 show is at the top of this post. You can also listen to “KHOI’s Capitol Week” through any podcast platform or smart speaker, and find all episodes from the past three years here.

Here’s your written recap of what Spencer Dirks and I covered during the show. If your email provider truncates this message, you can read it without interruption here.

Shutdown ends, food assistance finally paid out

Everyone in Iowa’s Congressional delegation voted last week to end the longest federal government shutdown in history: 43 days. The funding bill, which President Donald Trump signed last Wednesday, will keep most of the government open until January 30, 2026. A few agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the VA, are funded through the end of the current fiscal year (September 30, 2026).

The USDA funding includes food assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. So if the government shuts down again after January 30, food assistance shouldn’t be interrupted. The bill’s passage short-circuited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on whether the Trump administration broke the law by refusing to pay out SNAP benefits. Almost certainly, the action was illegal; food assistance had been paid out on time during all previous shutdowns, using contingency funds.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced last Thursday that SNAP benefits were being loaded on to cards and should be available by Friday, November 14. Normally, food assistance is paid out on the first of each month. That’s a really long time to go without benefits; food pantries in Iowa and across the country have been feeling the strain.

The funding bill extends many agricultural programs, but Congress is still more than two years overdue on passing a new Farm Bill. Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters last week that he didn’t expect progress on a new Farm Bill before the end of the year.

Iowans in Congress delayed salaries during shutdown

Under federal law, members of Congress continue to receive their salaries when the government shuts down. But everyone in Iowa’s delegation asked for their paychecks to be withheld, according to reporting by ABC News (see here and here) and Grassley’s comments during his latest “Capitol Hill Report.”

Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks mentioned repeatedly during her town hall last week that she wasn’t getting paid during the shutdown.

It’s not clear whether Iowa’s representatives and senators will receive their back pay, like other federal employees are supposed to. ABC reported that some members of Congress have said they plan to donate their pay from the shutdown to nonprofits. I have not seen any indication that Iowa members will do that.

$16 million in earmarks headed to Iowa

I’ve long been interested in federal government earmarks for Iowa projects. The bill reopening the government included $16 million dollars for eleven projects that will be funded through various USDA programs.

It’s the first time since 2024 that a government funding bill will contain earmarks for Iowa. Although three U.S. House members submitted earmark requests for fiscal year 2025, the funding bill Republicans approved in March to keep the government open included no money for any earmarked projects. Miller-Meeks and Representatives Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn submitted new earmark requests for the current budget year (mostly repeating past requests).

I didn’t have time to walk through all of the eleven projects; you can find more details in my story at Bleeding Heartland. But this community funding through the USDA covers many kinds of programs that you wouldn’t think of as the agency’s core work (farm subsidies and food assistance). Millions of dollars will support expanding child care in small towns or services at rural hospitals. The University of Iowa will receive $500,000 to improve flood and drought monitoring in western Iowa counties that are part of Nunn’s district. There are even funds to help build a classroom at the world-famous American Gothic House in Wapello County.

IA-04 still missing out on earmarked funds

None of the 36 counties in Iowa’s fourth district will receive any of the USDA “community project” funding, because Representative Randy Feenstra has never taken advantage of the opportunity to submit earmark requests. (Neither do Senators Joni Ernst or Chuck Grassley, though Grassley did earlier in his career.)

Feenstra’s stance on earmarks costs his constituents tens of millions of dollars. It doesn’t save the federal government any money either, because every appropriations bill has a certain amount set aside for earmarked projects. If none of those are in IA-04, it only means other members of Congress can take credit for federal spending in their own districts. Iowa’s other U.S. House members have secured funds for dozens of projects.

To be clear, counties in IA-04 still receive federal funding through some programs. The Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure bill has supported some work in those counties, and Governor Kim Reynolds has used some American Rescue Plan funding to support projects in those counties. But Feenstra has left lots of opportunities on the table.

Health care reform debate coming in December

The government funding bill did not include any extension of tax subsidies to help people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. That could affect an estimated 100,000 Iowans. Senate GOP leaders agreed that the chamber will debate health care reform proposals in December.

It’s basically guaranteed that the Senate Republicans will not go along with extending the subsidies, which are scheduled to expire at the end of December. Grassley and Ernst have gone on record opposing an extension. It appears that Republicans will offer their own plan, possibly giving Americans cash that they could use to pay for health insurance or health care. According to Larry Levitt, a health policy expert for KFF, “This would in a big way pull healthy people out of the ACA risk pool and likely lead to a premium death spiral and collapse of the ACA marketplaces.”

I’ve seen projections that as many as a third of people who buy policies on the ACA exchanges may drop their coverage. Most people can’t afford to spend two or three times as much on their health insurance.

THC ban could disrupt hemp industry

The funding bill contained an unpleasant surprise for companies that sell products derived from hemp. Maya Marchel Hoff reported for Lee Newspapers, “The provision would prohibit products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container, which is significantly lower than Iowa’s allowed potency of four milligrams per serving or 10 milligrams per container. The limits would take effect in a year.”

The 2018 Farm Bill allowed expanded hemp production, which sparked huge growth in products containing THC, such as CBD oils and drinks.

The new restrictions were never debated at the committee level and were not part of the “clean” government funding bill House Republicans approved in September. When the Senate considered the legislation last week, Republican Senator Ron Paul offered an amendment to remove the hemp language. But Ernst and Grassley were part of the majority that voted to table the amendment.

Industry representatives have said that almost all consumable hemp products would be banned if these restrictions take effect. I’m sure there is going to be a lot of lobbying to fix this in the next funding bill, which will be drafted in January. Grassley’s on record supporting the ban. From the story by Marchel Hoff:

“This new legislation is set to take effect a year from now, because you’ve got to give businesses an opportunity to adjust their business practices according to what the law is,” Grassley said in a statement to the Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau on Friday. “We couldn’t expect them to get rid of their product overnight. I support Sen. McConnell’s action, because as he said, it was never intended, when his legislation was put into effect, to promote this intoxicating effect of the product. There was a loophole, and the industry took advantage of it. It was never intended, and it should be closed.”

Drama surrounds House vote on releasing Epstein files

We touched on the coming U.S. House vote on legislation calling for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. None of Iowa’s U.S. House members signed the discharge petition that forced this vote, even though Miller-Meeks said last week she had “always” supported releasing the files.

After last week’s White House pressure campaign failed, Trump gave his blessing to the bill on Sunday night. So it’s no surprise that all of Iowa’s House members voted for the bill today.

Last week, Grassley was non-committal when asked about this issue during one of his conference calls with reporters. I have to rely on Iowa Public Radio’s story, because Grassley’s staff never allow me to participate on those calls.

If the measure makes it to the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune would then decide whether to bring it up for a vote in that chamber. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley declined to say how he would vote.

“You know, I’ve been trying to get transparency on this stuff for a long time,” Grassley told reporters Friday. “I think we’re going to wait and see what Sen. Thune does before I make a decision of how I would vote.”

David Pautsch staying in IA-01 GOP primary

MAGA Republican David Pautsch is staying in the race for Iowa’s first Congressional district, even though Trump recently endorsed Miller-Meeks. House Speaker Mike Johnson also endorsed the incumbent a few days ago–no surprise, since GOP establishment groups spent heavily on her behalf before the 2024 primary.

Pautsch had said he was rethinking his campaign after Trump’s endorsement. But he told me in a phone interview last week that he was determined to keep going. He feels upbeat about his prospects and said he’s not worried about establishment support for Miller-Meeks. He’s supporting outsider GOP candidates in other races: Brad Sherman for governor and Jim Carlin for U.S. Senate.

Pautsch got around 44 percent of the vote in the 2024 primary, even though he spent little money and had been campaigning for only about six months. He launched his current campaign much earlier (in February) and has been attending fairs, parades, and other events all over the district since then. He actually held an event on the University of Iowa campus last week; Miller-Meeks hasn’t done a public event there in a long time.

Thoughts about Miller-Meeks’ town hall

During last week’s show, we mentioned that Miller-Meeks scheduled a last-minute town hall in Keosauqua, in a hard-to-reach red corner of her district. But I didn’t have time to watch the Monday afternoon event before we recorded. So I wanted to take a minute to share impressions from the event. You can watch here.

This is a good example of why it’s better to hold town halls regularly, rather than build it up into a huge controversy when you finally answer unscripted questions in public.

The crowd was largely hostile, with heckling and jeering from the very first question. Many people didn’t like the format; constituents couldn’t ask questions directly but had to submit them in writing for a moderator to read.

Miller-Meeks stuck closely to preferred GOP messaging. That budget reconciliation measure is no longer the “big, beautiful bill”; rather, it’s the “working families tax cut.” She repeatedly denied cutting Medicaid, claiming (wrongly) that Republicans voted “to strengthen and preserve Medicaid” for those who really need it. She touted a couple of her earmarks for rural medical facilities, which were included in the bill that reopened the government.

All year, Miller-Meeks has stuck close to Trump, and she declined to criticize the president on any subject during the town hall. Asked about the recent bailout to Argentina, she said we only gave them loan guarantees, not money. She defended the White House East Wing demolition, saying President Barack Obama didn’t ask Congress for permission to add a basketball court. She also said several presidents have wanted to have a ballroom. Many of those comments prompted laughter or boos.

IA-01 challengers approach town hall differently

Miller-Meeks’ three Democratic challengers approached the town hall in distinct ways. Taylor Wettach was among several protesters who walked out or were removed from the venue in Keosauqua. Near the end of the event, he tried to lead a chant: “Vote her out!” (I didn’t hear many people chanting with him.)

Travis Terrell attended the town hall, filmed the whole thing, and posted the video on his social media.

Christina Bohannan didn’t attend, as far as I could tell. Afterwards she posted several clips on her social media with critical comments. For instance, she slammed Miller-Meeks for telling the audience Iowa has “done well economically.”

Dave Bushaw running as independent in IA-02

Last Wednesday, yet another new candidate entered the race for Iowa’s second Congressional district, which is an open seat. Dave Bushaw has lived in northeast Iowa for most of his life and is running as an independent.

Spencer and I only had a couple of minutes to talk about Bushaw’s background and campaign. You can learn more about him from my interview. Watch here:

He has worked as an organizer for more than a decade and was a rural organizer on Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. He later worked with a group that was a watchdog on how local governments were spending COVID-19 relief funds.

On some issues, such as being pro-labor, Bushaw is aligned with Democrats. So why is he running as an independent? He told me, “I don’t have a lot of faith in the Democratic Party. I never have.” He believes the 2016 campaign was “rigged” against Sanders and criticized the “hypocrisy” of the Democratic Party on some issues, including environmental ones.

Bushaw agrees with the Republican Party on some things, such as “local control” and Second Amendment rights, but “their fixation on some of these culture issues just really turns me off. I just can’t stand for that kind of hate.”

Asked about the deal to end the federal government shutdown, Bushaw said both parties “should be ashamed of yourselves” for dangling food assistance and health care for the working class “over a volcano just to score ideological points.” He would evaluate the health care system and the successes and failures of the Affordable Care Act, which “was not designed” for the working poor. He supports a single-payer health care system, commonly known as Medicare for All.

It will be an uphill battle for any independent candidate to gain more than a few percent of the vote in an Iowa Congressional race. But Bushaw has much more experience as an organizer than most of the other independent or third-party candidates we’ve seen. He told me, “I’m not running to raise awareness, I’m running to win.”

Four Democrats are seeking the nomination in IA-02. Here are links to my interviews with each of them:

• Kathy Dolter

• Clint Twedt-Ball

• Lindsay James

• Guy Morgan

Three Republicans are seeking the nomination in IA-02: Charlie McClintock, Joe Mitchell, and Shannon Lundgren. I’m so curious to see whether Trump endorses in this primary. That could be a game-changer.

Poll shows Nunn losing to Trone Garriott and Konfrst

Cue the siren emoji: A poll by Change Research showed that Sarah Trone Garriott had a big lead over IA-03 incumbent Zach Nunn: 53 percent to 40 percent. The same poll showed that Jennifer Konfrst is ahead of Nunn by a smaller margin, 50 percent to 42 percent. You can read the polling memo here. (Correction: This poll was conducted independently, not commissioned by Trone Garriott’s campaign as an earlier version of this post stated.)

I always take internal polls with a grain of salt. I doubt Nunn would lose by double digits, but I do think that if the election were held today, he would lose. He is closely tied to Trump, who only carried this district by about 4 points in the 2024 general election and is not popular here now. Incidentally, Nunn is not really a MAGA guy—he endorsed Jeb Bush before the 2016 caucuses. But he did recently attend a party at Mar-a-Lago, and Trone Garriott’s campaign called attention to that. You can be sure the Democratic nominee will tie Nunn to Trump.

Trone Garriott’s campaign has highlighted findings that indicate she performs better against Nunn in Dallas County and rural parts of the district. The two Democrats do equally well in Polk County, where more than 60 percent of IA-03 voters live. (The Konfrst campaign has previously released numbers showing her tied with Nunn, but her campaign didn’t release the numbers for Trone Garriott against Nunn.)

There is a third Democratic candidate in IA-03. The poll didn’t test Xavier Carrigan against Nunn, probably because he has low name recognition and hasn’t raised much money so far for his campaign.

Chris Jones may run for Iowa secretary of agriculture

Last week, former University of Iowa research scientist Chris Jones filed paperwork to explore a Democratic campaign for secretary of agriculture. Many of you know him from his Substack newsletter, The Swine Republic, and his book of the same name. Spencer and I touched on some of his ideas, but you can learn much more about his vision in my post from last Friday:

If he runs, Jones would be the underdog against current Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Incumbents always have an advantage in statewide races, and Big Ag interest groups (which have spent heavily supporting Naig in his past races) would certainly go all in against Jones.

A quick rundown of the candidates seeking other statewide offices:

• Governor: Republicans Randy Feenstra, Brad Sherman, Eddie Andrews, Adam Steen, and Zach Lahn, and Democrats Rob Sand and Julie Stauch

• Attorney General: GOP incumbent Brenna Bird and Democrat Nate Willems

• Secretary of State: GOP incumbent Paul Pate and Democrat Ryan Peterman

• State Treasurer: GOP incumbent Roby Smith, no Democratic candidate yet

• State Auditor: Republicans Chris Cournoyer and Abigail Maas, no Democratic candidate yet

Feenstra kicks off statewide tour

Earlier this month I wrote about Randy Feenstra’s weird, weak campaign rollout. Last week, he hit the road on his first statewide tour as a candidate for governor. Although I still consider him the front-runner for the GOP nomination, I see warning signs. He is not connecting with a lot of people and seems to be sticking to safe spaces.

Much like his official Congressional visits, Feenstra does not publicize his events in advance. You can never find out where he’s going to be—you just see social media posts later about where he has been. Last week, he had a launch event at Dordt University in Sioux County, and visited Taylor’s Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, a farm in Melbourne, a small business in Cedar Falls, and held two small gatherings at Pizza Ranch restaurants in Cedar Falls and Clinton.

I couldn’t tell whether these events were by invitation only. Here’s a photo of the one in Clinton. Maybe a dozen people attended, including several elected officials who have already endorsed Feenstra. I didn’t mention this on the show, but I had to laugh at the social media post that went along with this photo: “Listening to Iowans is a top priority for me.”

Photo published on Randy Feenstra’s campaign Facebook page on November 14

Feenstra is still desperate to land Trump’s endorsement. He posted last week that he was proud to receive a certificate for flying on Air Force One with the president in early July. “It was an honor to fly to Iowa on Air Force One and talk about President Trump’s historic achievements for our country,” Feenstra wrote. “Iowa supports the America First agenda!”

ISU hires new president

Last Tuesday, the Iowa Board of Regents hired David Cook to be the next president of Iowa State University. He grew up in Ames and attended ISU as an undergraduate. He’ll be starting the job in March, after he wraps up as president of North Dakota State. Current president Wendy Wintersteen is stepping down in January, so they will have an interim for a couple of months.

I wasn’t surprised by the choice. Both finalists were well-qualified, but it seemed like the other candidate, who’s at Cornell University now, might be more inclined to see this job as a stepping stone. Having lived in Ames, Cook is more likely to stick around.

As leader of North Dakota State University since 2022, Cook has experience running an institution that is more like ISU. He also has experience operating in a very conservative state governed by a Republican trifecta.

Third educator sues after being fired over a Charlie Kirk post

A third Iowa educator has sued her former employer after being fired for a social media post that criticized the slain Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk. Stacey Sumpter actually filed this lawsuit in late October, but I only learned about it last week. Her suit is similar to cases we’ve previously covered, filed by fired teachers from Oskaloosa and Creston.

According to the court filing, which you can read here, Sumpter was a special education associate for Knoxville schools. On September 10, she posted a negative comment about Kirk on Facebook. She wrote: “Normally I would say Auf wider sehen; but since that technically means ‘til I see you again’… So since I never wish to see you again, to you; I say goodbye” with a hand wave emoji. She was fired within days, never given an opportunity to defend herself. She claims her First Amendment rights were violated, because she was commenting on a matter of public concern, on her personal time, not at work.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading or listening! We’ll be back next week.