Hinson doesn’t rule out Trump’s pledge of $5K to adults; calls for relief for families

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson said Thursday she wants to look at all proposals aimed at improving affordability for working families, including recent comments from President Donald Trump to pay out $5,000 to U.S. adults. 

Trump made the comments Wednesday night at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas and said the money would go to “every adult” if Republicans maintain control of the House and the Senate following the upcoming election. 

“I never say what I’m going to support until I’ve had a chance to look at the details of it,” Hinson told reporters Thursday about the comments from the president. “But again, what I do support is making sure we’re providing real relief to hardworking families, like the middle-class tax cut bill, continuing to focus on reducing the regulatory burden and again driving down costs for everyone.” 

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said Thursday that the Trump plan to dole out checks was “fiscally dangerous, economically backwards, and fundamentally unserious.” The committee estimates the plan would cost approximately $1.2 trillion and would “explode” the national deficit.

Hinson, current U.S. representative for Iowa’s 2nd District, spoke outside Sprouts Early Learning Academy in Carlisle, following a tour and conversation with staff about making childcare more affordable and accessible.

Hinson, who is running for U.S. Senate, said there are lots of “overlapping regulations” when it comes to opening a childcare center that she would like to simplify. 

“If we want to increase the number of families that we have in this country, and certainly here in Iowa, we need access to affordable childcare,” Hinson said. 

Hinson has introduced legislation that would reauthorize the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, which funds grants to states to help subsidize childcare for low-income working families. Hinson has also pushed for legislation that would expand childcare availability for families who work outside of a traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule.  

Hinson’s Democratic opponent, Josh Turek, has also listed lowering childcare costs as a policy priority. 

Hinson said tax reform from Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which eliminated taxes on tips and overtime, “helps a lot of people that are working in a facility just like this one.” Hinson said she wants to continue looking for places to protect the resources of working families so that if they get a check for $5,000 from the president, it can “go a lot further.”

“My whole focus is going to be on continuing to provide relief to middle-class families and working families, much like the people who are using this facility right here,” Hinson said. 

Trump has said he would campaign in 35 competitive races, ahead of the November election to help GOP candidates. The Cook Political Report has rated Hinson’s race against Turek for the open Senate seat as a “toss up.” 

Hinson said she has not spoken with the president about a potential trip to Iowa to support her, but she said she treats “every race like (she’s) 10 points down.” 

“Every race to me is competitive,” Hinson said. “I’m going out and earning Iowans’ votes, talking about what they need in their lives, and that is to make life more affordable for working families, life easier for our farmers who are feeding and fueling the world, and life certainly easier for our veterans as well.”