IOWA, USA — Amidst all the chaos with the vote for Speaker of the House, many Iowans have been left wondering: how does the speaker vacancy impact Iowa?
The House can’t get any legislative work done without a speaker. Many Iowans are keeping tabs on the 2023 Farm Bill, which has yet to be passed.
Some Iowa farmers have told Local 5 that the bill is essential for the farming community here in the state.
However, all four Iowa representatives gave Rep. Jim Jordan their vote for speaker earlier this week, despite the fact that he has never voted in favor of a Farm Bill while in Congress. As of Thursday at 6 p.m., Jordan is still running to be House speaker.
In a statement to Local 5, District 4 Rep. Randy Feenstra said that he "...will continue to work with my Republican colleagues to deliver Conservative results for our families, farmers, and rural main streets.”
Local 5 also spoke to Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart about the message she would send to Iowans who are concerned about the Farm Bill, as well as another looming government shutdown, which could happen in less than a month if a new spending bill is not passed.
"People need to know that, that we're not going to have a shutdown, that that these bills are going to be passed," Hart said. "It just has a ripple effect all across the state in many in many different ways.”
In response to the threat of another government shutdown, Feenstra referenced the trust that the American people have put in their local representatives, adding, "We must elect a conservative Speaker who can lead our party to strengthen our economy, secure our border, ban China from buying American farmland, and fight inflation."
In terms of voting, Iowa's 1st District Representative, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, voted for Rep. Jim Jordan during the first speaker vote on Tuesday. However, she was one of four House Republicans to flip and vote against Jordan Wednesday, while Reps. Zach Nunn, Ashley Hinson, and Feenstra voted for Jordan again.
In a statement released Wednesday, Miller-Meeks said that she had received "credible death threats and a barrage of threatening calls" after casting her second vote for Rep. Kay Granger of Texas.
Both Feenstra and Hart told Local 5 that they condemn the threats against Miller-Meeks.