ICYMI: Iowans Call Out Vice President Vance For His Price-Raising and Job-Cutting Agenda
High health care, gas, grocery, and fertilizer prices leave Iowans overwhelmed
Des Moines — As Vice President Vance came to Iowa to tout his agenda, one that has made life more expensive for everyone in the state, the Iowa Democratic Party let Iowans who’re experiencing the actual effects of Republican rule tell their own stories during a news conference this morning.
Brad Schwanda, a legislative coordinator for the United Auto Workers, Berlene Wobiter, a farmer from central Iowa, and Tara Guion, a mom whose son relies on Medicaid for his medical treatments, all joined the news conference.
Watch the whole news conference by clicking here and entering the passcode: nh2x5%%&
Here’s what they had to say:
Brad Schwanda: “CNH Burlington is currently going through the closing process with the loss of about 200 final jobs at that facility. This plant had thousands of workers in its prime. From the years 2015 to 2024, C&H made $11.6 billion with the B in profits. 39% of those profits went directly to Wall Street. The CEO made $113 million during this time period. The Wall Street money alone could have provided as much… almost $5 per hour per employee. and keep plants open in the U.S. and Iowa. We are asking for a complete rewrite of President Trump’s USMCA. We want the U.S. government to either tear up or fundamentally rewrite the agreement to put workers first.”
Berlene Wobiter: “A new farm bill has just passed the House, but it really, again, isn’t future-looking. It continues to support big operations and I’m really humored that it is giving money for precision ag development and purchases for farmers. I cannot imagine a single farmer who went to DC and said, man, I really want some of that precision ag. They’re just trying to survive with high fertilizer costs and input costs. And that’s not being adequately addressed in this Farm Bill.”
Tara Guion: “[My son] got diagnosed with autism a couple years ago. He’s in occupational therapy, he has done physical therapy, he has done speech therapy. Without Medicaid helping us, we would be in tremendous debt. … I just think that Medicaid made it possible for Luca to be successful. He is 5 years old, he’s 4 feet tall, he’s very intelligent. And I am concerned with the way our healthcare system is going with shutdowns. People are not going to receive the care that they need, and everybody deserves healthcare, and paying out the pocket for things is absolutely insane right now.”
“Vance came to our state to brag about his supposed accomplishments,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart. “But Iowans know the truth. The truth is that our cost of living is rising, that layoffs are leaving hundreds of workers and their families without income, and that our healthcare is under threat of being stripped away. Iowans recognize Vance’s empty promises, and can see the real effects of Republican rule every day.”
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