Q: When can Iowans expect to be eligible for immunization?

A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended states prioritize health care workers and long-term care residents during the initial rollout of the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use authorization (EUA). It was an emotional and welcome day for Iowa health care providers who were among the first in the nation in mid-December to receive the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Within the first week more than 2.8 million doses were distributed and more than a half-million shots were given. Operation Warp Speed expects an additional 7.9 million vaccines to be distributed this week. The FDA delivered more good news last week when it gave the green light to a second COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna. …

Q: How has the Paycheck Protection Program helped small businesses keep their workforce?

A: When the COVID-19 pandemic led to severe economic fall-out for small businesses across the country, Congress provided a financial lifeline to help employers stay afloat and keep their workers on payroll. The CARES Act created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a $349 billion fund to provide federally-guaranteed loans to small businesses administered by local lenders. The loans would be forgivable if borrowers applied at least 60 percent of the money towards payroll expenses, including employee vacation, parental, family, medical, and sick leave. …

Q: Why is closing the digital divide so important for Rural America?

A: Connecting every home and business to high-speed internet access will open the door of opportunity for rural residents to compete in the digital economy. Rural broadband is a critical piece of the puzzle for communities to foster economic development and productivity; empower students to attain top academic achievement; and, allow workers and families to enjoy a high quality of life with a lower cost of living available in the Midwest. From homework to health care, the disparity of access to high-speed internet puts too many rural Americans at an unfair disadvantage. The digital divide contributes to gaps in education, job creation, wage growth, economic development, civic engagement and public services. The pandemic has exacerbated the divide, especially among school-age children who transitioned to online instruction and didn’t have access to reliable internet connections at home. Those without reliable, high-speed internet service face a disadvantage for remote learning, teleworking and telehealth visits. The digital divide also affects access to legal and social welfare services, such as foster care families and nursing home residents. As families spend more time at home, households have come to depend on high-speed internet access more than ever, from streaming content to online shopping, working from home and keeping in touch with loved ones. Input from Iowa families, civic leaders, educators and business people informs my work at the policymaking tables where lawmakers shape regulatory, tax, and spending policies, including efforts to build out this vital 21st century infrastructure across rural America. No matter your zip code, every Iowan deserves access to high-speed, high-quality internet service to help narrow opportunity and achievement gaps between rural and urban areas. …

Q: What should Iowans keep in mind during Medicare open enrollment?

A: The coronavirus pandemic makes it more important than ever for Iowans to take care of their health and take charge of their health insurance decisions. Open enrollment for Medicare ends on Dec. 7. The federal agency that administers the public health insurance program advises seniors to become fully informed about Medicare coverage options and compare health and prescription drug plans for the upcoming year. Costs and coverage may change from one year to the next. For example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds enrollees that new prescription drug plans now offer many types of insulin for no more than $35/month. Iowans may compare coverage options by using the online tool Medicare Plan Finder. …

Q: What’s your take-away on the 2020 farm economy?

A: Between the historic derecho and once-a-century pandemic, 2020 has served up unprecedented challenges for farm families across the state. Disruptions to the food supply chain delivered a reality check to Americans, reminding consumers that food does not grow in the grocery store. It also dealt a blow to pork producers and poultry growers who were forced to euthanize or donate herds and flocks when processors were shut down to protect their workforce from the coronavirus. I co-sponsored the RELIEF Act with Sen. Joni Ernst to ensure Iowa producers were eligible for indemnity relief to help keep their operations afloat and survive the crisis. Midwestern cattle producers were hung out to dry when the cash market bottomed out earlier this year. Meatpackers, who control 80 percent of the cattle market, put the brakes on cash trades, creating a historic gap between a producer’s price and a packer’s price. It reached a whopping 1,500 percent spread. This disparity doesn’t add up. Market consolidation harms independent producers who get the short end of the stick; and, sticks it to consumers who pay more for delicious burgers and steaks, nutrient-rich proteins they depend on to feed their families. This year, I’ve renewed my efforts to beef up antitrust enforcement and restore competition in the cattle market. …

Q: Has Operation Warp Speed accelerated the development of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and treatments?

A: Yes. The nation’s top infectious disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently said it has been “beyond historic.” As the novel coronavirus continues to wrap around the world, the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed has produced promising developments to combat COVID-19, the highly infectious disease that created a public health emergency and economic fall-out throughout 2020. In March, Congress approved $10 billion for the unprecedented public-private partnership, as well as $9.5 billion for additional resources for the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority that oversees public health emergencies. Marshalling the resources of the federal government across multiple agencies, Operation Warp Speed is an all-hands-on-deck partnership that has been working around-the-clock to save lives and win the war on the deadly disease. The nation’s leading innovators, scientists and public health experts have zeroed in on the same goal: to produce and deliver a safe, effective vaccine in the fastest time possible. …

Q: What is the Congressional Coalition on Adoption?

A: With thirty-five years of advocacy, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption is the largest bicameral, bipartisan caucus in Congress. More than 175 lawmakers work on a shared mission to raise awareness, shape policy and write legislation to support permanent, loving homes for children awaiting adoption. From this platform and my chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee, I have steered landmark child welfare reforms and tax incentives through the legislative process to promote adoptions and build support systems in local communities to help youth who have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse. Specifically, I have focused my efforts on helping foster youth who age out of care and transition to adulthood on their own, as well as measures to promote family reunification, adoption and stability for kids in foster care. For example, not shuffling kids in foster care from one school district to another in the middle of a school year makes a meaningful difference to promote social development, develop friendships and avoid academic delays. Through close collaboration with court advocates, social workers, faith leaders, foster and adoptive families, educators and caregivers, the driving principle behind my legislative efforts comes straight from the kids. …

Q: What new lifetime benefit did the Trump administration announce for veterans?

A: The U.S. Secretary of Interior announced at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum in Johnston that starting on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2020, all U.S. veterans and Gold Star families will be given free entry into national parts, federal lands and wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. This new, lifetime benefit provides free admission for millions of veterans and their families. Since 2012, the annual military pass allowed active-duty service members and their dependents, as well as veterans deemed by the Department of Veterans Affairs with 100 percent disability, to receive free admission to national parks. Starting Nov. 11, veterans will need to present identification to show their veteran status, such as a Defense Department ID card, VA identification card or a state-issued driver’s license that designates veteran status to receive free admission. According to the Interior Department, a Gold Star family is the next of kin of a service member who lost his or her life in the line of duty, including military combat outside the U.S., an international terrorist attack or in war. The Trump administration’s decision to provide free lifetime access is another example of its commitment to honor our veterans. What’s more, health professionals and veterans organizations say the great outdoors provides therapeutic benefits for veterans struggling with mental wellness, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Granting this lifetime benefit is the right thing to do and reflects the nation’s debt of gratitude to America’s patriots who sacrificed and served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. These brave men and women fought to defend our cherished freedoms in the public square and put their lives on the line to protect the United States of America, our people and public spaces. I hope Iowa veterans and Gold Star families will take advantage of their lifetime free admission to visit our nation’s scenic national parks. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 188,867 veterans live in Iowa. …