Rep. Zach Nunn, U.S. labor secretary say 2025 tax cuts help Iowa businesses expand

Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said Tuesday that U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn played a key role in passing the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” Act — a law that he said has helped support and expand Iowa manufacturing sector.

Sonderling and Nunn visited Auto-jet, a Clive manufacturing business specializing in exhaust system parts for school buses, trucks and other vehicles. After Auto-Jet General Manager Kelle Vos gave the two politicians a tour of the facility, Sonderling told reporters the Trump administration is supporting businesses like Auto-jet through components of the 2025 tax and spending law, pointing to the “100% deduction on new business payments” included in the law.

The law included a new 100% bonus depreciation for the entire cost of “qualified production property” — equipment used for manufacturing, production and refining — for the year that the property is placed into service. Sonderling said employees at Auto-jet, as well as other businesses he has visited, say this change allows for the purchase of new machines — and builds off other portions of the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” Act related to removing taxes on tips and overtime.

“That’s what we were able to see today — this super high-tech equipment, you know, they almost look like a spaceship how to operate this, being able to do some of the advanced welding and CNC,” Sonderling said, referring to computer numerical control machines. “A company like this can take 100% tax deduction in their first year. What does that mean? More money back into the business that they can reinvest into building more business lines, but more importantly, hiring more workers and giving more workers more hours and more overtime and more money.”

Sonderling pointed to Nunn’s vote in support of the 2025 law as one of the people in Washington, D.C., “actually bringing jobs and more money back to Iowa.”

Nunn, a Republican who represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, faces a competitive reelection campaign as he runs against state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott in the 2026 election. He has held the seat since the 2022 election, but some political forecasters predict Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District may be among the most competitive races in the nation in the upcoming midterms.

As he campaigns for a third term, Nunn has spoken about his position as a moderate candidate while also highlighting ways Iowa has benefitted from measures led by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress. Sonderling is not the only member of President Donald Trump’s administration to visit Iowa to support Nunn — in May, Vice President J.D. Vance also came in Iowa to encourage voters to reelect Nunn to the U.S. House.

While Republicans have highlighted how policies under the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have supported American businesses and workers, Democrats have argued GOP policies have made life more expensive for Iowans. Trone Garriott and others have criticized the cuts to Medicaid funding made through the 2025 tax and spending law as a policy that is bringing up the costs of healthcare for Iowans, and Democratic leaders have argued the measure does more to help the wealthy than help working class Americans.

A spokesperson for Trone Garriott’s campaign said in a statement, “while Rep. Nunn and Secretary Sonderling are touting the One Big Beautiful Bill as a win for Iowa manufacturing, the numbers on the ground tell a different story. Iowa lost thousands of manufacturing jobs last year, and recently ranked 48th in economic growth. The chaotic tariff policy Zach Nunn voted for is driving up costs for Iowa families and farmers all while rural clinics are closing because of the Medicaid cuts in the OBBB.”

Nunn said as he and Sonderling toured Auto-jet, they saw evidence that GOP policies are helping rebuild America’s manufacturing base.

“Like so many companies across the Midwest right now, we’re building again, and we’re building in America,” Nunn said. “It’s a direct reflection of the work that we’ve done, both in Congress, but also most importantly right here on the homefront. The fact that Auto-jet has had one of their best years ever and is on track to have their best record year yet, suggests that, you know, we’re really open for business here.”

Nunn said there’s more work to be done, saying he supports further investments in labor and workforce education, saying he and the labor secretary planned to meet with labor unions and community colleges to speak about workforce development.

Sonderling said workforce development — especially programs like registered apprenticeships — has been a major priority for the current administration as Trump and others aim to “reindustrialize” the U.S. economy.

“You know, in prior administrations, we saw jobs like this being shipped overseas,” Sonderling said. “And because of the president’s policy — because he’s working every single day to bring investments back, –we’re seeing trillions of dollars of investments from foreign companies, foreign countries, and domestic companies saying, ‘you know what, we want products made in America.’ And people want to buy products made in America, just like here, because they’re the best. And more importantly, they want them made by American workers.”

Sonderling was also holding events with Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in Iowa Tuesday related to other workforce development initiatives.

Though the leaders pointed to investments made to support the manufacturing industry in recent years, Iowa has also seen a decrease in manufacturing jobs in the past year, alongside other workforce losses as reported by Iowa Workforce Development. Nunn said Republicans’ tax policy is allowing employers and workers to reinvest more money in local businesses.

“The types of tax cuts that we’re doing here with the Department of Labor, with Congress, are putting money directly back in employers’ pockets. Most importantly, they’re putting money back in Americans’ pockets,” Nunn said. “That gives them the ability to invest in their family, invest in their business, invest in the country. Already, we have seen a huge return. Most families are getting $3,500 back in their pocket — that’s something that they can take back home. That has a very positive impact here.”