SCOOP: Rep. Zach Nunn highlights the Iowa impact of the Democrats' shutdown
Rep. Zach Nunn traveled all over his district to hear from constituents about how the Schumer Shutdown is devastating their industries.
For much of his time in Congress, Rep. Zach Nunn (R., Iowa) has been on a “quest to turn DC into Des Moines.” But, as the Schumer Shutdown entered its second month, Nunn had no choice but to bring the government to his constituents.
In his latest district-wide trip, the details of which were obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter, Nunn met with industry leaders in public safety, education, agriculture, and more — and finished the tour with a clear message that Republicans and Democrats need to work together to open the government back up.
“Senate Democrats just broke Washington’s record for dysfunction,” Nunn explained. “As we hit the longest shutdown in American history, I spent the day with Iowa farmers, veterans, small business owners, families, and volunteers stepping up to fill the gap. Across the board, the message was clear: stop the political games and open the government.”
Nunn kicked his tour off by meeting with Iowa’s Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig at Heartland Co-Op’s Avon facility in Carlisle. The duo was joined by Co-Op CEO Tim Hauschel and producers from across central Iowa, and they covered how the Schumer Shutdown is compounding the stresses they already have from harvesting season.
The problems farmers face range from delayed USDA payments to stalled rural development loans to missing market reports — all of which compound uncertainty and leave producers without critical support.
“Harvest is already one of the most demanding and stressful times of year for Iowa farmers,” Nunn explained. “Iowa producers told us loud and clear: the shutdown is increasing uncertainty, delaying support, and making it harder to get crops out of the field and into the market.”
Bobby Martens, the executive director of the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, said that his group “appreciate[s] Congressman Nunn’s willingness to listen and find solutions.”
Naig, for his part, noted that it is “unfortunate that Democrats continue to play partisan politics by refusing to pass a clean continuing resolution.”
Nunn then met with representatives from the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance, and city leaders from Adel, Waukee, Clive, Urbandale, and Van Meter.
Following the meeting, the small business owners explained how what happens in Washington directly impacts Iowans.
“We appreciate Congressman Nunn’s interest in listening to the concerns of our employers and community leaders,” Dallas County Development Alliance Director Rachel Wacker said. “This conversation allowed us to advocate for policies that support economic growth, job creation, innovation, and investment right here in Dallas County. Decisions made in Washington have immediate and lasting effects on local economies and we welcome the open dialogue with federal leaders.”
While at Drake University, Nunn heard firsthand about the importance of Head Start centers across Iowa and the country. Nunn, who recently received the National Head Start Association’s PROMISE Award for his leadership in early childhood education and robust support for Head Start programs, called the program a “lifeline for Iowa kids and working parents.”
Fortunately for Iowans, Drake’s Head Start is not currently impacted by the shutdown, but its director, Lisa Proctor, noted that “across the nation, hundreds of programs — including two in Iowa — are at risk of closure without federal funding. Head Start provides more than preschool; it offers families education, nutrition, childcare, and stability. Sustained funding is essential to child development, working families, and local economies—every dollar invested in Head Start returns up to $9. The ongoing shutdown threatens critical services that local families depend on every day.”
On his penultimate tour stop, Nunn joined Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante to meet with Infante and his deputies on the sheriff’s team — the group focused on how the government shutdown is causing delays in federal grant applications and for law enforcement programs.
“Law enforcement shouldn’t have to worry about delayed federal support while they’re working overtime to keep our communities safe,” Nunn remarked. “I’m grateful to Sheriff Infante and his team for their leadership. Even in the face of shutdown disruptions, they’re focused on protecting Iowans and tackling real threats like financial scams head-on.”
During his meeting, Nunn spoke about two bipartisan bills that he is working on — the TRAPs Act, which brings together law enforcement, financial regulators, and the tech sector to build stronger fraud prevention systems nationwide and the GUARD Act, which would provide local law enforcement with blockchain tracing tools and federal support to investigate scams.
Nunn ended the tour with a focus on where he started it: food security. He visited WayPoint Resources, a food pantry in Waukee, where he met with staff and volunteers to learn about how the Schumer Shutdown’s cancelation of SNAP payments for tens of millions of Americans harms Nunn’s constituents.
Over 130,000 Iowa households rely on SNAP, an Nunn learned how food pantries across the state have already seen skyrocketing demand. While pantries like WayPoint have seen an uptick in volunteers, it’s still not enough to offset the damage caused by Democrats and their historic obstruction.
“When Washington falls short, Iowa steps up,” Nunn noted. “But we can’t expect food pantries to carry the full burden. We need to end the shutdown and restore certainty for every family counting on these programs.”