Today, U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra came to Sioux City to talk about the Farm Bill.
Feenstra said that the proposed farm bill would expand the markets for biofuels and promote further growth of commodity crops such as corn and soybeans.
In addition to answering questions about the Farm Bill, Feenstra responded to questions from Sioux City community members. Many questions concerned tariffs proposed by the Trump administration..
Feenstra responded that there is a lot of inequity around the world with tariffs, and that the tariffs would make markets fairer.
Democratic Iowa Representative J.D. Scholten said that because of the trade war from the first Trump administration, “the reality is that we’ve become an unreliable supplier. As a result, we are losing out on markets”.
* Additionally, the Trump administration’s proposed cut to federal research could have significant effects on work done at the University of Iowa.
The proposal would cap indirect funding costs from National Institutes of Health grants at just 15 percent. A federal judge put a temporary hold on the cuts following a lawsuit from 22 state attorneys general.
University of Iowa professor and medical researcher Dr. Stanley Perlman says indirect costs cover a wide variety of personnel and equipment that’s vital to research.
The University of Iowa currently has 73 NIH awards totaling more than $31 million.
* In other news, Sioux City Human Rights Commission and Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee are sponsoring a presentation on the rights of citizens and non-citizens when interacting with immigration authorities.
The events are scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 2025 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 2-4 p.m.
Both events will be held in the Gleeson Room at the Sioux City Public Library, 529 Pierce Street, and feature the same presentation.