Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Iowa in February 2020, 110,000 fewer Iowans are employed, an estimated 86,000 renters still haven’t caught up on rent and more than 339,500 people statewide have been infected by COVID-19.
It has been a long and difficult year for so many, which is why I have been in Washington, fighting hard for you and in honor of the 5,600 Iowans we’ve lost to this virus.
In particular, I’ve been working to get my priorities included in the American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed into law earlier this month. Legislation I fought for protects unemployed Iowans from surprise tax bills, offers direct relief to help Iowa’s renters and homeowners and fixes reimbursement rates for firefighters, EMTs and the heroes who are helping us get through this pandemic.
One piece of legislation I introduced allows Iowans to waive federal income taxes on the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020. This was a big priority of mine because thousands of Iowans who are trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables don’t deserve the extra burden of another unexpected bill right now.
Here in Iowa, more than 50,000 people remain unemployed, and another 100,000 have left the labor force entirely. Some 175,000 adults report not having enough food to eat — including 81,000 who are living with children.
I also introduced legislation that ensures our first responders who provide medical treatment at the scene of an accident are reimbursed for all their work.
Before this legislation was signed by President Biden, Medicare reimbursements were not provided to firefighters and medical responders for supplies and services they provided if they treated someone on location. Reimbursements for these services were only approved when a patient was transferred to a hospital.
Our fire departments and EMS first responders in Iowa have been on the front lines responding to this COVID-19 public health emergency for a full year now. They are highly trained professionals, able to respond to the many medical situations they face without having to leave their current location.
This legislation frees up hospital beds, scarce resources and other medical professionals, which are all essential when facing a pandemic.
Finally, I fought for two priorities in the House Financial Services Committee that were ultimately included in the American Rescue Plan. The package provides $26 billion for emergency rental assistance and $10 billion for homeowners’ assistance. It also provides funding for housing counselors that can give Iowans who need help with housing costs and loan modification advice to prevent foreclosure.
This money will help Iowans keep a roof over their heads and allow them to have a home to stay in if they get sick.
An estimated 15% of renters in Iowa are still not caught up on rent, and 604,000 adults statewide report having difficulty covering normal household expenses.
No person or child should have to go hungry because they or their parents lost their job through no fault of their own.
The American Rescue Plan will help Iowa’s working families with their child care expenses. The new law provides additional relief of up to $1,600 per child through the Child Tax Credit — funding that is projected to lift 25,000 children in this state out of poverty.
There’s also specific funding to support our child care centers to ensure we can get kids safely cared for and parents safely back to work.
It will help Iowans keep their homes. It will support first responders and help them to do their job to the best of their abilities. And it will help hard-working Iowans who have lost their jobs get back on their feet.
Iowa recently celebrated as the first million vaccinations against this deadly virus were administered. We are moving quickly to get this virus under control, but the economic fallout created by this pandemic will linger. We need to continue to help our neighbors, family members and friends as much as we can.
I am proud to have cast my vote to send the American Rescue Plan to the president’s desk because this legislation provides the necessary tools to end this pandemic and to keep Iowans safe, healthy and prosperous.
Rep. Cindy Axne of West Des Moines represents Iowa’s third Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
