Axne securing federal funds for Iowa housing, disasters, police

I’m happy to share I’ve made progress in securing federal dollars Iowans need.

In early February, I joined the entire Iowa congressional delegation in writing a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden to ask him to approve Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for a major disaster declaration following severe storms that rolled through the state on Dec. 15, 2021.

The declaration enables federal funds to supplement state and local recovery efforts in 25 Iowa counties, including several here in Iowa’s Third Congressional District.

President Biden recently approved that request, which will help Iowans rebuild their communities faster with the help of federal funds.

I was also able to help Polk County secure $35 million it needed in rental assistance funds so the county can continue taking applications from residents who need access to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

I had previously written a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, explaining that Impact Community Action Partnership, a Des Moines-based nonprofit that has helped more than 7,500 households using the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, had stopped taking applications because the Treasury needed to approve a transfer of money between the State of Iowa and Polk County.

The U.S. Treasury approved the transfer of funds in February, and Impact Community Action has resumed taking rental assistance applications and their important work of keeping families in their homes.

With that money secured, I’m now focused on ensuring Iowa’s law enforcement agencies have the money they need to keep our communities protected.

Last week I joined police chiefs from Altoona, Ankeny and Newton and Polk County Sheriff Kevin Schneider to announce my new legislation that would bring more federal resources to rural and suburban police departments to help with training, staffing retention, recruitment and operations.

The legislation, called the Invest to Protect Act, would establish a grant program for local police departments with fewer than 200 police officers, which would include all but the very largest law enforcement departments in Iowa.

This is important because in 2021 Iowa’s law enforcement departments received only nine COPS grants, while California received 41 grants, roughly 350% more funding than Iowa overall.

It is unfair Iowa’s law enforcement agencies are being overlooked just because they have fewer officers.

In Congress I’m out numbered by my colleagues from New York and California, and I know what it’s like to have to be a lone voice speaking up against 10 others.

Our law enforcement personnel need training to keep themselves and the public safe, and they deserve to be compensated for the risk they take while serve their communities every day.

I’m proud to be able to take issues like these to Washington and able to deliver tangible results, but to do so I need to talk to as many folks here in Iowa’s Third District as possible.

That’s why I visited several counties and towns across central and southwest Iowa last week.

I visited with business owners in Bedford who have been able to navigate the pandemic and supply chain disruptions and not only keep their doors open but build beautiful businesses in rural Iowa.

I spoke with the police chief in Creston about what he’d like to see included in my Invest to Protect Act and with city officials and business leaders in Mount Ayr about what types of funding they could receive from the bipartisan infrastructure law.

In Atlantic I hosted my 75th Connect With Your Congresswoman town hall since I was sworn into Congress in 2019. There we talked about my work lowering prices for Iowa’s families, what can be done to combat climate change and how Cass County will benefit from the nearly $5 billion Iowa is expected to receive through the bipartisan infrastructure law that I voted for.

I always enjoy talking about how Iowans can benefit from the work my colleagues and I are doing in Congress, and I collected several more ideas on what I can do to ensure small business owners are able to make ends meet, to help families feel more financially secure and to make sure federal dollars reach all corners of the Third District.

Rep. Cindy Axne of West Des Moines represents Iowa’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She can be reached at 202-225-5476.