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Protecting rural health care without costing taxpayers a dime

In rural Iowa, access to health care isn’t a political talking point — it’s a lifeline. When a hospital cuts services or a clinic closes, it doesn’t just inconvenience families. It can mean longer drives in emergencies, delayed care, and real consequences for our communities. That’s why Congress must protect the federal 340B drug pricing program which is one of the few tools that helps rural providers stretch limited resources without costing taxpayers a dime. The 340B program was created with a simple, bipartisan idea: in exchange for access to lucrative Medicare and ...

Bible truth or tradition: The truth will set you free

How many times have you heard someone say “the truth will set you free” when talking about something that may be true but not “the truth” according to the Bible? When Jesus Christ spoke these words in John chapter 8, he was not talking about just any truth, but the truth of God who sent him. We can see this in the immediate and remote context and in the full scope of scripture. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” Deuteronomy 12:12-18. From ...

China summit offers historic opportunity to forge peace through agriculture

In 2050, when China will have just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and Washington will be preparing to observe America’s 275th year of independence, historians may look back at this summit meeting of the two most consequential leaders on our planet. Recognizing the meeting is coming a time when the international order that has kept our planet safe from a global conflict for 80 years seems to be called into question, these future historians may ask: What did those two presidents do that either put our planet on a trajectory toward ...

Sayonara Samara

You know those whirly-gig helicopter seedlings that soft maple trees shed in the spring by the gazillions, clogging gutters and sprouting little trees in all the places you don’t want trees, like your flower bed, cracks in the sidewalk and your manicured fire bush hedge that you’re so proud of? Those seedlings are called samaras. As a kid we used to bite off the seed, and put the blade on our tongue, blow and make a buzzing sound, like locusts in the fall. We have a huge soft maple tree at the back of our house. In fact, Ginnie and I were married under that tree ten years ago. In ...

Immigration and border control are a couple of the most serious issues facing the U.S. The debate over how many legal immigrants should enter the country, how to improve the legal immigration process, who should be granted legal status, and how to address the folks who break the rules is never-ending. It’s easy to fall into the trap of having the ‘answers’ to long-running questions like these be black and white. Some would say let everyone in. Others would say let no one in. Grant amnesty to every illegal immigrant, or deport them all back home. These options are the wrong fit ...

Iowans are compassionate people. We believe in hard work, personal responsibility, and following the rules. That’s why most Iowans support legal immigration and welcome people who want to come here the right way, contribute, and build a better life for their families. But Iowans also believe in the rule of law and that borders matter and the public safety of Americans is paramount. For four years under Joe Biden, Washington acted like enforcing immigration law was somehow optional. Democrats across the country agreed. The result was chaos at the southern border and consequences ...