Des Moines Sun

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) conducted question-and-answer sessions with residents in 35 Iowa counties during August, continuing his annual effort to meet with constituents in all 99 counties each year. These meetings took place at various locations, including businesses, hospitals, schools, and community organizations.

During the sessions, Grassley discussed topics such as tax cuts for working families led by Republicans, the Farm Bill, Medicaid, trade issues, rural health care access, biofuels policy, artificial intelligence developments, childcare needs, and mental health services.

Grassley stated: “The best parts of my job happen at home, where I can hear from Iowans firsthand and witness their innovation. You can’t have representative government without dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent. That’s why, for over four decades, I’ve prioritized meeting face-to-face with Iowans in every corner of our state. My 99 county meetings give me valuable insight into Iowans’ daily lives and allows me to more effectively represent them at the policymaking tables in Washington.”

This marks the 45th consecutive year that Grassley has held Q&A sessions in every county since first being elected to the U.S. Senate. He invites questions on any topic from attendees.

Some of the August events included an agricultural roundtable in Scott County; a discussion on fentanyl and drug trends with law enforcement in Clinton County; a workplace Q&A at Cascade Manufacturing in Dubuque County; sessions with local business employees across several counties; school visits; and workshops on technology hosted by organizations like Google.

Grassley's schedule also featured meetings with students from local schools and members of industry associations throughout the month.