糖心vlog's General Election Guide: Rep. Abby Finkenauer
Abby Finkenauer, D-1st District, faces off against Republican nominee Ashley Hinson in November.
Each Iowa candidate on November's ballot was given the same list of questions to answer. To view all of the candidates, click here. Here are Finkanuer's responses:
What is your top priority if elected into office?
I first ran for Congress to make sure Iowa鈥檚 voices are heard in Washington. In just two years, we鈥檝e introduced more than 20 bipartisan bills, passed three standalone bills through the House, and had our priorities added into many larger legislative packages. I was the first freshman lawmaker in this Congress to pass a bill into law 鈥 a bipartisan measure supporting rural small businesses.
We鈥檝e gotten a lot of work done over the past two years, but there鈥檚 still a lot more work to do for northeast Iowa. Iowa families need help getting through this pandemic, and my top priority right now is pushing for consensus on another bipartisan relief package to help our families, small businesses, local communities, and frontline workers.
We also need to keep supporting families and farmers after the devastating derecho storm, support and expand markets for our agricultural economy, work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and invest in infrastructure to protect our communities and create high-wage jobs right here at home.
As the Chairwoman of the House鈥檚 Rural Development, Agriculture, Trade and Entrepreneurship Subcommittee, I鈥檝e worked hard fighting for Iowa鈥檚 working families. I voted to protect Iowans with pre-existing conditions and lower the cost of prescription drugs, I鈥檓 leading the way on bipartisan support for our biofuels industry, and helped pass the most comprehensive infrastructure package for rural America that we鈥檝e ever seen in Congress. I hope to continue this work on behalf of Iowans in the next Congress, too.
What previous experience has prepared you for this position?
I grew up in Dubuque, and I come from a family that taught me that when there's work to be done you say yes, and you do it, and you find every way to get it done. These are the same values that I鈥檝e brought to Congress, and it鈥檚 why I鈥檓 running again to keep working hard on behalf of Iowa鈥檚 working families in Washington.
In Iowa鈥檚 State House, I fought hard for our working families and small businesses, opposing massive corporate giveaways for out-of-state companies, and working hard to secure high-quality healthcare for every Iowan and high-quality education for all of our students.
In 2018, I decided to run for Congress because I wanted Iowans to have a voice in Washington. In just two years I鈥檓 proud of the work we鈥檝e done to uplift Iowans stories and get real, bipartisan work done for our families, and I will continue to work with anyone who鈥檚 willing to get things done for Iowans.
What has been your favorite quarantine activity?
Among the many dark patches of this year, I also had one of the brightest moments of my life: I married my best friend, Daniel Wasta. Our socially distant and live-streamed backyard wedding was not exactly what we had imagined, but it was a perfect day and ceremony to start our life together.
What part of your response to the COVID-19 pandemic are you most proud of?
It鈥檚 hard to feel 鈥減roud鈥 of any action during this pandemic which has taken so many lives here in Iowa and upended so many family's lives. The most important things to help Iowans today have been, and will continue to be, getting PPE and medical equipment to the health care professionals and workers who need it, ensuring PPP loans are available for all small businesses who need them 鈥 including our farmers, expanding unemployment insurance, and getting direct payments to families as soon as possible.
These actions were necessary when we passed the CARES Act back in March, and they鈥檙e still necessary today, which is why I鈥檓 pushing House and Senate leaders, and the President, to put aside politics and pass a new pandemic relief package as soon as possible.
What response to the COVID-19 pandemic would you change?
It is tragic how many lives have been lost, and that this administration failed to take urgent action many months ago to control the spread of this virus and plan ahead for a coordinated, national approach to preventing continued spread, providing personal protection equipment, and other life-saving medical supplies.
On a national scale, we needed more personal protection equipment for our frontline healthcare and essential workers heroically working throughout the pandemic, and many leaders needed to heed the warnings from our public health experts much sooner. We also needed better plans in place for a pandemic response to make sure we had the domestic American supply chains, manufacturing and infrastructure in place to handle a crisis like this.
We鈥檙e working to make sure we examine our response to COVID-19, provide oversight on the federal funds that have been spent, and make sure we have a plan in place for the next time so we can hopefully not repeat the mistakes made this year.
What is your favorite Iowa tradition?
I love to be outdoors, and especially to go fishing at the lake with my Dad. We鈥檝e lost out on so many opportunities for gatherings with family and friends, and milestone events due to the pandemic, but it鈥檚 a small consolation, at least, that we can still enjoy the wonderful Iowa outdoors.
How do you define social inequity and how do you plan on address it in Iowa communities?
America is the greatest country in the world, and yet there are too many Iowans who are simply struggling to get by right now. Iowa鈥檚 families want good paying jobs where if they work hard, they can pay their bills, save a little for the future and still have something leftover at the end of the month to take their kids to the movies.
This year, we鈥檝e started having a lot of conversations about the health, economic justice, and educational disparities within our country, particularly in minority communities. I鈥檓 glad we鈥檝e started having these important conversations 鈥 I only wish I鈥檇 started them sooner.
We鈥檝e heard from Black Americans who have spoken out about injustices in America and in our communities, and it鈥檚 why in the House we passed the Justice in Policing Act to ban the use of excessive force and improve training, and I鈥檝e joined my colleagues in supporting Black maternal health legislation to protect our expecting mothers and their babies.
From what I鈥檝e heard around our district, I鈥檓 confident that Iowans agree: we need to invest in our communities and ensure our mental health, healthcare, and economic systems are accessible and provide equal opportunity for all to achieve the American Dream.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Iowa farmers and how to you plan to support them if elected?
For years now, farmers have been struggling through headwinds and challenges far beyond their control. Farmers are used to uncertainty, but between the trade war, tariffs, low commodity prices, attacks on the renewable fuels standard, drought, floods, a historic Derecho storm, and of course the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, farmers are working their tails off just to barely hang on - and sadly some have not been able to.
This year we鈥檝e fought hard to make sure we provide some relief from the pandemic, our farmers can use PPP loans to keep afloat, we pushed back against attacks on the RFS and passed historic biofuels tax credit extensions, improved on trade agreements, and secured aid for farmers following August鈥檚 Derecho storm, but we know there鈥檚 more work left to do.
We must defend our biofuels industry, focus on getting beginning farmers going, start working on the next bipartisan farm bill, and start reforming our approach to trade to ensure we鈥檙e expanding export markets and ensuring our farmers aren鈥檛 harmed by unwise or unproductive trade wars.
To learn more about Finkenauer, .