D.C. Dispatch: Iowa delegation focuses on global supply chain, Russia-Ukraine conflict

Several domestic priorities for Democrats have stalled in D.C.: The “Build Back Better” Act needs a revamp to get Sen. Joe Manchin on board, and the Senate was unable to get around the filibuster and pass voting rights legislation.

So, Iowa’s delegation turned their focus this week to international relations. Rep. Cindy Axne and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks joined bills to reduce American reliance on global supply chains and Russian energy, respectively. Meanwhile, Iowa’s senators urged President Joe Biden to consider joining a new trade partnership, and Sen. Joni Ernst encouraged support for Ukraine against the threat of a Russian invasion.

Axne introduces supply chain bill

Axne introduced a proposal this week to create a new bureau in the Commerce Department to bolster the supply chain. The Office of Supply Chain Resiliency would have the power to give grants to American manufacturers who want to expand production, reducing reliance on global supply chains.

“The bill I’m introducing today ensures that solutions in our supply chains don’t just come in the form of transit and port upgrades,” Axne said in a news release. “Building a sustainable and resilient supply chain also means making more critical products and components here at home.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin will introduce companion legislation in the Senate.

Axne touted two other bills this week, including a proposal to make the U.S. Postal Service more transparent and a bill to fund small police departments. 

Miller-Meeks signs onto bill to reduce Russian energy reliance

Miller-Meeks this week became a co-sponsor of a bill that would encourage America’s NATO allies in Europe to rely on American natural gas, instead of Russian. The bill would also impose sanctions on Russian pipelines.

“Biofuels, nuclear, oil, natural gas, hydro, and electric can all be a part of our energy diplomacy and weaken Russia’s influence in Europe,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement. 

Senators to Biden: Focus on trade

Grassley and Ernst sent a letter to Biden this week, urging the president to shift his focus to international trade.

“Initially, your administration stated they were content with focusing on your domestic agenda before they consider negotiating new free trade agreements,” the letter reads. “However, a year later, it is clear that your domestic agenda has been stalled while China is taking serious action to expand their foothold in the region.”

Iowa’s senators encouraged Biden to consider joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Canada, Mexico, Vietnam and other countries. China applied to join the partnership in 2020.

“It would be extremely painful for U.S. exporters, including farmers in our home state, to see us sit on the sidelines and watch China take the lead in the Indo-Pacific region,” Grassley and Ernst wrote.

Read the full letter here.

Ernst advocates for sanctions against Russia

Ernst went on CNN this week to urge Biden to “show strength” to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.

“We need to show them that we mean business, and we will be there for Ukraine, should they invade,” Ernst said.

Biden has warned that Russia could invade Ukraine in the next month. Russian officials have said there is no imminent attack. 

“Certainly, we need to make sure that any defensive aid is in the hands of Ukrainians, as well as as much lethal aid as we can provide at this time,” Ernst said.

Grassley reacts to retirement of Justice Breyer

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement this week. Biden said he plans to nominate a Black woman to fill the vacancy on the nation’s highest court.

“I’ve made no decision except one: The person I will nominate will be somebody of extraordinary qualifications, character and integrity,” Biden said. “And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court. It is long overdue.”

Breyer’s retirement allows Biden to secure a progressive judge on the court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority. The balance of the court will not change with the new appointee, as Breyer also generally voted with left-leaning justices.

Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, congratulated Breyer on his “long, distinguished service to our country.” 

Grassley urged Biden to appoint a successor who would receive bipartisan support in the evenly divided Senate. (Fun fact: Grassley has participated in the confirmation of every sitting Supreme Court justice, according to a news release from his office.

“Justice Breyer’s successor should be an individual within the legal mainstream who can receive similar broad, bipartisan support,” Grassley said in a statement. “Such a candidate will preserve faith in the court, and reflect Americans’ will when they elected an evenly divided Senate.”

On the day of Breyer’s announcement, Grassley’s campaign tweeted a link to the senator’s donations page with the caption: “We must protect the Supreme Court from a radical takeover. Join Team Grassley.”

Republican representatives push for in-person veterans’ services

Miller-Meeks joined Rep. Ashley Hinson and Rep. Randy Feenstra in signing a letter calling for the National Personnel Records Center to reopen for full-time, in-person staff. The agency is responsible for handling the records of veterans, and the letter alleges that service has been drastically slowed due to insufficient staffing.

“Limited in-person staffing at federal agencies has led to an extreme backlog of record requests, leaving our veterans without the benefits they’ve earned, and disproportionately impacting veterans in rural areas,” Hinson said in a statement.

Read the full letter here