On Wednesday July 16th, I had the privilege of being at the White House when President Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law. Joined by families who have tragically lost loved ones and children to an overdose, the ceremony was a sobering reminder that too many Americans – especially young people – still lose their lives to the illicit drug trade orchestrated by criminals who have no regard for human life.
I’ve been visiting with people lately about the ICE raids. An Instagram video showed a man at Angel’s Tacos in Los Angeles being led away in handcuffs by typically over-accessorized authorities who were wearing masks.
We have visited this business before when in LA and found focused perfectionists trying to keep up with a long line. It was emblematic of a system built for the benefit of “the common good.”
Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve been here writing, but I’m happy to report that’s because I’ve,been super busy. Things keep chugging along at the County and we keep working away at all
the daily tasks as well as the things that tend to “pop” up. But digress…
On Tuesday July 8th, the Trump administration announced the rollout of the National Farm Security Action Plan. This is a comprehensive, seven-point initiative to defend American farmland from foreign adversaries, secure our agricultural supply chains, and ensure the long-term success of family farms and agriculture in Iowa and nationwide.
Some weeks, writing this column feels a little like shouting into the void. Like, "Hello? Is this thing on?"
I don’t have a newsroom full of writers and creative brains helping me brainstorm weekly content for The Monitor. I don’t even have an office (unless you count the corner of the library I guard with my laptop). There's no creative meeting, no whiteboard filled with weekly vision.
Donald Trump has decided that MAGA donations will be used to “primary” Thomas Massie because he is literate and understands his oath of office. Well whadayaknow, he took an oath to uphold the Constitution. He voted against the Big Beautiful Bill because it contained huge amounts of unconstitutional spending and increased the national debt.
Traveling across Iowa on my 36 County Tour, I hear from so many small business owners and workers who want a government that works for them, not against them. For the last four years, the Biden administration was playing ball with foreign nations, outsourcing American manufacturing, and stifling domestic industry with red tape and burdensome regulations.
Tucker Carlson said Donald Trump has abandoned his “America First” stances. Trump said that he was first to use the term and he, exclusively, can define it. The one who originated “America First” was Woodrow Wilson when he ran for president as the peace candidate in 1912. Wilson then took us to war. Sound familiar?
Avoca, Persia, Panama, Portsmouth, Westphalia, Kirkman, Tennant, Earling, Exira, Brayton, and now, Iowa’s largest metro, Des Moines. These are just some of the communities I’ve seen recently with water advisories or restrictions in place.
On Wednesday June 11 th , U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins traveled to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, respectively.
I was driving over to Bristow to get some cattle feed and listening to the radio. I thought the radio was tuned to NPR and was shocked to hear them promoting the annihilation of the Palestinians in Gaza. They were pretty detailed in stating the reasons for the war, listing many despicable acts as evidence. I was convinced, except for one thing.
In the 1800s, American settlements began appearing across Iowa’s sprawling prairies. Families, young and old, ventured out West, braving terrifying prairie fires, tornadoes, and uncertainty, in search of a better life. Early communities were often built around families coexisting and growing together. In 2025, not much has changed. Iowa’s landscape is dotted with small towns occupied by family names dating back generations.
I’ve disagreed with Senator Joni Ernst and her policies before. But I’ve never felt more insulted and embarrassed for Iowa by her actions than I was on May 31 by her non-apology for saying “we all are going to die” at a town hall in Parkersburg.
With Father’s Day coming up you’d think I’d write about mine. But no.
Dawn’s folks were, let me say, skeptical. Surfer turned logger from the sinful state of California. But they reluctantly trusted her judgement. “It’s your life.”
Eventually we moved into the old farmhouse that Grandpa owned. The tenant had emphysema and never admitted it but couldn’t do it anymore.
On the morning of Thursday May 22nd, my Republican colleagues and I voted to pass President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” and kept our promises to the American people. This legislation delivers massive tax cuts for Iowa families, farmers, workers, and small businesses while making historic investments in domestic manufacturing, rural development, farm security, and American energy production.
