Mariannette Miller-Meeks, U.S. Representative Dist. 1

   Personal history: I left home at 16 so I could attend community college. I worked to support myself until I enlisted at age 18 in the U.S. Army. I am a first-generation college student and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Texas Christian University.

   While serving as an Army nurse, I worked my way through medical school, earning my master’s degree in education from the University of Southern California and my medical degree from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. I served for 24 years on active duty and in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel.

   I was on staff of the University of Michigan and University of Iowa, where I was the first woman on the Department of Ophthalmology faculty. I entered private practice in Ottumwa in 1997. I was the first woman president of the Iowa Medical Society.

   Gov. Terry Branstad selected me to be the Iowa Department of Public Health director in 2010. I served three years in that role and returned to private practice in Burlington until running for Congress in 2020.

   I ran for Congress in 2008, 2010 and 2014. I was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018, representing District 41. I was elected to Congress in 2020.

   Why should voters vote for you? Iowans should ask themselves, “Am I better off now than when Joe Biden first took office?” For the vast majority, the answer is no. We’ve seen crisis after crisis from the Biden administration from the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and Keystone XL Pipeline cancellation to month-after-month record high inflation with soaring food and fuel prices. I will work for policies that make America energy independent; reduce inflation, create affordable and accessible health care; generate higher take home pay for working families; and ensure fair trade deals for our country and American workers.

   As a first-term member in the minority party, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass 13 bi-partisan bills, five of which I attended White House signing ceremonies. These bills have created life-changing benefits for veterans and addressed healthcare issues affecting families across America. My commitment to represent all of my constituents will continue to do so if re-elected.

   What qualities/skills do you bring to the role of U.S. Representative? I strive to solve problems in a timely fashion. Along with my professional experiences, I bring tenacity and dedication. I’ve proven that I don’t give up easily, and that I keep fighting until the job is done. That’s what Iowans expect of their elected representatives and that’s what I deliver day in and day out.

   How much should the federal government be involved in public education and how schools operate? Having left home at 16 to put myself through school, I know the value of the best possible education. We can support educational choice and public schools to best serve our students. In June, I joined several colleagues to introduce the Education Choice for Children Act, which supports parents’ right to choose school options that work for their family. This legislation would expand education freedom and opportunity for millions of students by providing a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover K-12 public and private education expenses. I have also introduced legislation that authorizes grants to support state programs that allow parents of disabled children to choose the appropriate public or private school for their child.

   So much of Iowa’s economy stems from agriculture and farming. What can Congress do to assist Iowa’s farmers? Like most Iowans, I understand the importance of family farms and I’ve continuously worked in Congress to support them. The upcoming farm bill will provide an opportunity to continue supporting policies that work, such as crop insurance. In next year’s bill, I’ll keep working to build upon existing programs to support renewable energy production, and secure funding and support for biochar research at Iowa State University. There are also many federal policies that threaten the livelihood of farms and should be stopped, including the estate tax, the disastrous 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, and overregulation from the EPA.

   Farmers actively engaged in improving water quality, sustainable and regenerative agriculture with cover crops, precision application, and rotational grazing of livestock should be encouraged and supported.

   What are some of your additional Congressional priorities? One top priority is expanding our renewable energy sector to cement America’s energy independence. I am committed to proving that clean, renewable energy is attainable for every state by using Iowa as a model. Bolstering our renewable energy sector will also curb our energy reliance on countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and even Venezuela. We have the ability to be energy independent—but to do so we must invest in American energy.

   Inflation is the number one source of pain for families in Iowa and Democratic policies have created a stagnant economy deprived of solutions. Congress can and must do a better job of relieving that burden by unleashing American energy, cutting superfluous government funding, bolstering domestic manufacturing, and prioritizing American innovation.