Iowa’s “all-Republican” congressional delegation has been anything but conservative during the 118th Congressional Session. The six Republicans average a score of just 52.33 percent.
Congressperson Randy Feenstra has a score of just 64 percent for his work during the 118th Congressional Session. That actually leads the delegation.
Congresswoman Ashley Hinson received a score of 59 percent while House colleagues Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Rep. Zach Nunn each tallied 57 percent.
Things are worse among Iowa’s Senators. Sen. Joni Ernst recorded a score of 42 percent while Sen. Chuck Grassley registered 35 percent.
By comparison, in Congressman Steve King’s final session in the U.S. House, he scored 92 percent.
Here are the votes that they took that were at odds with Heritage Action:
Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 8035) on April 20, 2024: Feenstra, Hinson, Miller-Meeks and Nunn all voted yes as the House used a rule to combine four separate foreign aid bills together, creating an “emergency” $95 billion foreign aid supplemental package. Taxpayers had already sent more than $113 billion to Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia, this additional $58 billion increased the total price for American taxpayers to more than $175 billion.
All four members also voted in support of the rule combining foreign aid bills, which bypassed accountability on individual bills.
Feenstra, Hinson, Miller-Meeks and Nunn all voted against an amendment to H.R. 7888, the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act that would’ve required a warrant. The amendment lost 211-210, meaning had just one of Iowa’s four House members voted in favor the amendment would have passed.
Feenstra voted down the second FY24 six-bill minibus on March 22, 2024, but Hinson, Miller-Meeks and Nunn all voted for it. This was a rare issue where the Iowa delegation did not vote in lockstep.
And it came after Feenstra joined Miller-Meeks, Hinson and Nunn in voting for the first FY24 six-bill minibus on March 6, 2024.
All four voted in favor of the conference report to the NDAA for FY24.
“The American people should not be forced to fund a Pentagon that facilitates abortion, enables sex reassignment surgeries and promotes the corrosive influence of Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives,” Heritage said. “Unfortunately, many of those necessary policy changes were stripped from the final conference report.”
All four of Iowa’s House members voted to support the debt ceiling suspension agreement in May of 2023.
In the Senate, Ernst and Grassley both voted for the Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act on April 23, 2024. And both voted against an amendment to the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act that Heritage supported.
The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act included $13 billion in military aid to Israel, but also sent $9.1 billion in civilian aid to Gaza. It also perpetuated President Joe Biden’s “failed approach” to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The amendment to H.R. 7888 would have prohibited warrantless queries of the Section 702 program, but both Grassley and Ernst were against it.
Grassley and Ernst both voted against an amendment offered by Sen. Josh Hawley that would have created a special inspector general for Ukraine aid. They both voted for the debt ceiling suspension agreement and both voted inf favor of Sen. Chuck Schumer’s continuing resolution.
Both senators also voted in favor of the conference report to the NDAA for FY24.
Grassley voted in favor of an appropriations minibus bill on Nov. 1, 2023, while Ernst voted against it, aligning with Heritage Action.
While Grassley recorded a score of 35 percent in the Senate, Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren scored at 29 percent.
Grassley’s score of 35 is tied with Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Todd Young. Only three Republicans are worse than Grassley — Sen. Mitt Romney (26 percent), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (18 percent) and Sen. Susan Collins (17 percent). Grassley’s 35 percent is four points better than Oregon Democrat Sen. Jeff Merkley’s 31 percent.
Other notable Democrats who come close to matching Grassley’s score:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 28 percent
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, 28 percent
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, 26 percent
Rep. Cori Busy, 26 percent
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, 26 percent
On the flip side, Republican Sen. Mike Braun secured the only 100 percent in the Senate. Representatives Diana Harshbarger, Debbie Lesko, Mary Miller, Andy Ogles and Keith Self scored perfect in the House.
Fifty-nine Republicans recorded scores of 90 percent or better. That includes Republicans from states like Illinois, Arizona, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado and California.
But none are from Iowa.
Random thoughts:
Follow the money trail. Not trite – true. Heritage score card might have rubbed up against some of the stuff their patrons were not jiggy with.
You have to have credible articulate challengers in the primary
Do any of these cats say they believe in term limits?
The powers that be can depend that Trump voters will not have staying power. I can almost depend that they won’t pay adequate attention in the primaries — too busy — tired of politics — they will already be back to the lazy man’s “they are all alike” demeanor. That sentiment works for the incumbent.
According to her press release, Ernst is the lead Senator for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) because she is the best at spotting wasteful government spending and proposing solutions. She lied when she took office, promising to repeal Obamacare, and now she votes for deadly and expensive Obamacare.
Harlan, Madrid, and Jefferson schools charged teachers $1,400 monthly for Monopoly Blue Cross PPO. However, Creston, Iowa, where my daughter was born, is charging teachers $1,678 monthly to insure ONE child! That is over $20,000 a year and a World Record! Joni Ernst lied about stopping Obamacare so she wouldn’t make anybody squeal. Think of it logically: Senator Joni Ernst is the reason why teachers coast to coast pay Blue Cross $1,000 every month to insure a child. Iowa teachers are scammed into paying more!
The teachers are simply a way to judge what the Private Sector charges because of Obamacare. Nobody has ever heard Joni Ernst mention Republican Health Reform!