Senator Wahls: “Donald Trump is coming to Iowa to do damage control for his economic policies that are wrecking our state’s economy.”
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, ahead of Donald Trump’s appearance in Iowa, State Senators Zach Wahls and Sarah Trone Garriott, State Representative Ken Croken, former senior Republican official Terry Holt, former Special Assistant to President Biden for Health Care Jessica Schubel, and breast cancer survivor Lori Hunt joined Defend America Action and Unrig Our Economy to discuss how Trump and Congressional Republicans’ affordability crisis is hurting Iowa families. The speakers highlighted how, as a result of Trump and Congressional Republicans’ failed policies and broken promises, costs are skyrocketing for everybody in the state, from families to farmers to small business owners, while billionaires get even more tax breaks.
Yesterday, Defend America Action released a new fact sheet highlighting how Trump’s anemic economy is hitting the poorest Iowans the hardest. His tariff-driven inflation is sending food prices, energy prices, and health care costs soaring. 117,000 people across the state will see their coverage costs at least double this year after Trump and Republicans ripped away tax credits that make coverage affordable.
“Donald Trump is coming to Iowa to do damage control for his economic policies that are wrecking our state’s economy. I’m here to tell you what I’m hearing from Iowans. This economy is not working for our families,” said Senator Zach Wahls. “Iowans don’t want a pep talk. We’re asking for relief at the grocery store, when we open our utility bills, when we’re trying to afford health insurance, prescriptions, or a doctor’s visit.”
“For the last nine years, I’ve worked for a food pantry network, and we’re seeing more Iowans needing help than ever before, folks who never needed help in their lives, people who are working very hard, but they can’t afford the basics,” said Senator Sarah Trone Garriott. “They can’t afford their housing, their health care, food is getting really challenging to be able to provide for their families.”
“President Trump will have to talk a very long time to convince us that we should not believe our lying eyes when we see the reality on the ground,” said State Representative Ken Croken. “Our farmers are struggling with tariffs. Our manufacturing segment is contracting. We’ve had 7,200 workers receive WARN Act notices from 125 employers over the last year. It’s a situation that cannot possibly worsen for Iowans.”
“President Trump is driving the economy into the ditch in Iowa. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or something else, you’ve seen and felt the effects of the cost crisis,” said former senior Republican official Terry Holt. “Trump has turned his back on average people, Democrat and Republican. The across-the-board tariffs are devastating the farmers, small businesses, and consumers who drive the economy in Iowa.”
“President Trump’s and the Republicans’ health care agenda has been clear from the start. They have made it as hard as possible for working Americans to get health care,” said Jessica Schubel, former Special Assistant to President Biden for Health Care. “They have done nothing to make it easier to access health care. It means a lot of people here in Iowa are going to suffer.”
“We have a lot of words, we have a lot of spin coming out of Washington, but we don’t have action. And this is a simple thing that we can fix with the ACA tax credits,” said Lori Hunt, a breast cancer survivor who receives health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. “It helps families, it helps small businesses, helps farmers. Billionaires don’t need another tax break.”
A recording of the press call is available here and Defend America Action’s fact sheet is available here.
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