Issues

Hard work is the foundation of the American Dream, but far too often hard work is not rewarded with fair pay or economic security. If you work hard and play by the rules, you should always be able to provide for yourself and your family. In the US Senate, I’ll always put middle class and working families first:

Protect earned benefits:

• Oppose reckless cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and strengthen these programs for future generations.
• Root out waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure people who’ve earned these benefits receive them.

Support workers:

• Pass the PRO Act to make it easier for workers to join unions and collectively bargain.
• Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 and eliminate taxes on tips.
• End federal road swaps that allow contractors to circumvent prevailing wage rules and cheat Iowa construction workers.

I don’t work for insiders of either party; I work for Iowans. If we want a government that actually lowers costs for working families, we have to end the corruption that keeps rigging the system for those at the top. I’ve made these promises to clean up Washington:

• Enact 12-year term limits for Congress. Rotating the crops is good for the soil, and you’d better believe it’s good for our politicians too.
• Ban politicians from trading individual stocks. Neither me, nor my family, nor my staff will own, buy, or sell individual stocks while I serve in office. I’ll pass legislation to hold every member of Congress to that same standard.
• Pass campaign finance reform and overturn Citizens United. Unlimited dark money has been a scourge on our politics and led to politicians who pay more attention to their corporate donors than their constituents.
• Strengthen ethics rules and close the revolving door between Congress and K Street.
• Ban members of Congress from becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office.
• Require full financial transparency for federal candidates and office holders. Iowans deserve to know their elected officials are working for them, not enriching themselves while in office.
• Ban members of Congress, their staff, and any government official with a security clearance from betting on predictive markets. No one should be getting rich using insider information – especially when it comes to our vital national security.

More than 680,000 Iowans have earned their Social Security benefits. They paid into this system their whole working lives. It’s not a handout — it’s a promise. And right now, that promise is under attack. DOGE has taken a chainsaw to the Social Security Administration. Wait times are up. Offices are understaffed. Payments are at risk. Social Security isn’t broken. It’s under attack. And I’ll fight like hell to defend it.

The Keep the Promise Act:

• Scrap the cap. Right now, wealthy Americans stop paying Social Security taxes after their first $160,000 in earnings. Someone making $50,000 pays on every dollar. That’s not fair. End that loophole and use the revenue to extend Social Security’s solvency for generations.
• Reverse the DOGE cuts on day one. Restore the Social Security Administration’s budget so your benefits are on time, fully paid, and offices are fully staffed.
• Require a full-time Social Security commissioner whose only job is making sure your benefits are paid on time — not someone moonlighting across multiple agencies.
• No benefit cuts. No raising the retirement age. Iowans worked their whole lives to earn these benefits. We are not moving the finish line.

Iowa’s farmers and rural communities are the backbone of our state, but they’re facing unprecedented challenges from corporate consolidation and failed leadership. I’ll fight for policies that strengthen family farming and revitalize rural economies:

Support family farms:

• End the tariff chaos devastating Iowa farmers and costing families.
• Fight for fair trade policies that help Iowa farmers compete globally.
• Break up agribusiness monopolies that squeeze farmers on costs and prices.
• Strengthen crop insurance and support beginning farmer programs.

Revitalize rural economies:

• Invest in rural broadband so every community can compete in the digital economy.
• Support renewable energy development to create good-paying rural jobs.
• Stop Medicare and Medicaid cuts that force rural hospitals to close.

Healthcare costs are crushing Iowa families while rural hospitals close and mental health services disappear. I’ll fight to lower costs and ensure every Iowan can get quality, affordable healthcare:

• Lower the Medicare eligibility age to 55.
• Strengthen the Affordable Care Act to lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
• Take on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs.
• Make major investments in mental health services, especially in rural communities.

Corporate consolidation and outdated regulations have choked our economy. Iowa was one of two states in recession in 2024 and ranks dead last in economic activity. I’ll fight for competition that lowers costs and creates jobs:

• Enforce antitrust laws to break up monopolies jacking up prices.
• Eliminate red tape that delays housing and infrastructure projects.
• Pass “right to repair” legislation to support farmers and small businesses.

Everyday life has become too expensive for Iowa families. As a new dad, my wife and I experience this every day. Here’s how I’ll help other families like yours get ahead:

• Reform Iowa’s broken childcare system to lower costs for families.
• Pass paid family and medical leave.
• Restore public education.
• Crack down on elder abuse and nursing home fraud.

Iowa Republicans have enacted one of the most severe abortion bans in the country and we’ve seen efforts across the country to undermine our democracy. I’ll defend your fundamental rights:

• Codify reproductive rights and restore abortion access.
• Protect access to contraception and IVF.
• Defend the right to marry who you love.
• Defend your rights to free speech and peaceful protest.
• Ensure all Americans have access to vote and our elections are secure. 
• Uphold a non-partisan and ethical judicial system.
• Promote proper regulation of technology and how our personal data is used.

Our immigration system is broken and the border needs to be secured. For decades, politicians like Joni Ernst have failed to fix this mess because it benefits the people who donate to their campaigns—businesses that profit from cheap, exploitable labor while Iowa workers get screwed. I supported the bipartisan Border Act of 2024 that would have actually secured our border. We can finally solve this problem if we:

• Secure the border – Hire thousands more border patrol agents and immigration judges.
• Reform the asylum process – Reduce backlogs and ensure legitimate asylum seekers get fair hearings quickly.
• Create earned legal status – For people who’ve been here for years, are working, and haven’t committed crimes.
• Hold employers accountable – Real E-Verify enforcement that protects hard-working Iowans from wage theft.
• Keep Iowans safe – Deport noncitizens who are a threat to public safety.