Hinson has Cresco town hall

CRESCO - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01-R) spent part of her break from Washington, D.C. visiting constituents in Howard County on Veterans Day Nov. 11.

There were 25-30 who listened as Hinson thanked other dignitaries for attending, including Senators Waylon Brown and Mike Klimesh and Representatives Jane Bloomingdale and Mike Bergan.

She stated the stop was the 11th town hall in the district. She was also on her fourth tour of her 20 counties. 

“I’ll start out by giving the three issues I prioritize. I stand up for the taxpayers. I focus on issues of rural America. And I am concerned for safety and security.”

In addition, she noted she focuses on the economy, border and freedom and opportunity.

There have been about two million border crossings this year, a record high. She explained caravans are more organized than in the past.

Many of those border crossings were drugs coming into the United States. In the month of July, over 1,000 pounds of fentanyl was confiscated. For perspective, Hinson explained fentanyl the size of a sugar packet can kill 500 people.

 

She was proud to help introduce the Be Gone Act, which would allow better enforcement of stopping sex offenders from being released into the United States.  “We want to disincentivize to try illegal immigration and incentivize those trying to be legal immigrants.”

Those attending then took two minutes of silence to remember veterans on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. “The fight for freedom is very, very important,” Hinson said.

She continued, “I am sounding the alarm on wasteful spending. We have the highest inflation in 30 years. My goal is to make sure your paycheck goes as far as it can.”

She admitted that in Washington, there is a lot of partisan voting and talk, but there is also a lot of bi-partisan work being done.

Hinson was proud to help sponsor, with Democratic Representative Cindy Axne (IA-03), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02-R) and Randy Feenstra (IA-04-R), Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans’ Mental Health Act. 

She explained Sgt. Ketchum of Davenport served two tours of duty, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and came home with PTSD. In 2016, he sought help and was turned away. He ended up committing suicide. The law is supposed to increase mental health access for veterans in rural areas.

There was then about a half-hour available for audience members to ask questions of Hinson.

• Scott of Cresco started by saying, “Kudos for showing up for every vote.” He then asked why Hinson voted nay to the infrastructure bill on Nov. 5 when Iowa is in need of the $5 billion designated to the state.

Hinson agreed Iowa needs better infrastructure, but there were things in the bill she did not agree with, which led to her vote.

• Eric of Cresco said that on Jan. 6, 2020 human rights were violated. He asked what Hinson was doing to free the people in jail.

She said, “I was there that day. If the people involved broke the law, they need to be held accountable.” She added that 600 people have been arrested and have either been exonerated or they received their justice.

• Sylvia of Cresco asked if Hinson was concerned about safety and security at the border and sex trafficking taking place, why wasn’t she speaking out against Republicans Matt Gaetz and Paul Gosar who are under scrutiny this year.

Hinson said she condemns the rhetoric on both sides. “My colleague [Gosar] overstepped the line. And I have spoken out about Marjorie Taylor Greene. People’s reputations can be destroyed in one day, even if they are exonerated later.”

Sylvia again asked, “Why isn’t the Republican party speaking out more about this?”

The Representative said, “I am not the party. I am representing you.”

• Eric of Cresco asked about born-alive act. Hinson spoke about giving care to babies during a botched abortion as any other baby. She said the Democratics are supporting abortions on demand until birth.

Audience member Laura, then spoke up. “I am a healthcare worker for 40 years, Ob/Gyn. You cannot have an abortion on demand. You cannot go into my hospital at 39 weeks and say you don’t want to have that baby. I will call you out every single time.” 

She went on to say that women have miscarriages. “It is called a missed abortion. The word abortion means a baby is leaving. When you outlaw abortions and they are having a miscarriage, those women can be held accountable.”

She said she doesn’t want women to get abortions, but sometimes they are necessary, such as two fetuses sharing the same heart or a baby without a brain.

Hinson said she does not want tax payer money to go for abortions. 

Laura explained that a woman on Medicaid having a miscarriage would not receive any help because of the terminology of it being a missed abortion.

Hinson ended by saying, “I think we need to have a simple conversation about it because that’s what people deserve in terms of public policy.”

• Amy asked, “Beyond wind and biofuels, what would you support to fight climate change.”

Hinson talked about water management, conservation practices, and she supports carbon catcher technology.

• Ernie said he served on Navy oceanographic ships. Citing his experience, he said there is no global warming.