Latest news with #MariannetteMillerMeeks
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Muscatine attorney Taylor Wettach launches bid for Iowa's 1st Congressional District
Taylor Wettach, a Democrat from Muscatine, is positioning himself as an advocate for Iowans who will "not bow to political leaders" as he launches his bid to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa's 1st Congressional District. Wettach on Tuesday, July 8, announced his campaign to oust Miller-Meeks, 69, joining an increasingly crowded Democratic field vying for southeastern Iowa's 1st District seat. It is expected to be among the most closely contested congressional races in the U.S. in the 2026 midterm elections. "If people want change, you have to fight for it," Wettach told the Des Moines Register. "Iowans deserve leaders who will fight for our communities, not bow to political leaders, but to win, we need candidates who are willing to try something new and are able to appeal to both urban areas of our district, but also the rural areas ... so that's why I'm running for Congress." "It's time for a new generation to step up for a better Iowa and stand up against the damage being done to our economy, our health care, benefits for seniors, veterans, and making sure we have a society that works for all of us." The 34-year-old is a seventh-generation Iowan from Muscatine who has worked as an international trade and national security lawyer and still lives in the city with his wife, Megan Yao. He said he learned early from his parents, Sandy and David Wettach — previously a preschool teacher and family doctor, respectively — about public service. "I'm excited to fight for my home," Wettach said. "I'm excited to fight for the district where my wife and I hope to raise our kids and plan to raise our kids. And excited to listen to folks and try and do better than Miller-Meeks and providing for people." Wettach recently quit his job after his former employer, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, was one of five law firms that the Associated Press reported agreed to provide $125 million in free legal work to the Trump administration for causes including veterans affairs and combating antisemitism to avoid punitive executive orders. "I began talking with friends, family, neighbors about how I could best serve our community as we navigate the harm caused by this previous election, but also, really, a series of policy decisions that have been made by Mariannette Miller-Meeks and some far-right politicians in Washington," Wettach said. Elections observers forecast another tight race in the 1st District race, which spans 20 counties in southeastern Iowa, including Iowa City and Davenport, and stretches into Marion, Warren and Jasper counties in south-central Iowa. It is one of 35 races the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, is targeting to gain control of Congress. Iowa's 2nd and 3rd District races, where Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn hold office, also are among the targets. Political analysts with the Cook Political Report, Sabato's Crystal Ball and Inside Elections categorize the 1st District race as a "tossup," signaling either party has a good shot at nabbing the seat. To flip the seat, Wettach said Democrats need to prioritize listening to constituents across urban and rural areas. He said candidates need to pursue policies that address "brain drain" by responding to the concerns of young people trying to raise their families or looking for their first job, and creating an economy where people feel that they have a future in Iowa. "Democrats can absolutely do better in this district, but it's going to require more work in places like where I'm from, like Muscatine," Wettach said. "It's going to require more work in the river towns. It's going to require more work in the rural areas, and it's also going to require a platform that's directly responsive to those concerns." Wettach, like other Democratic challengers, plans to make Miller-Meeks' vote for Trump's massive tax cut and spending legislation a key issue in the race. The law will cut Medicaid spending by about $1 trillion over a decade, resulting in an estimated 11.8 million people becoming uninsured, and would trim $300 billion in spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The CBO estimated the law would add $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit over a decade. More: Nunn, Miller-Meeks walk a tightrope with letter opposing Senate's deeper Medicaid cuts Wettach said Miller-Meeks has failed to deliver on promises to curb inflation and provide a growth-oriented economy, drawing a contrast with his background as an attorney "standing up to corporate overreach" and advising the federal government on certain economic policy cases. "We have an inflation and affordable crisis for folks to decide whether they want to put food on the table or whether they're going to provide health care for their family," Wettach said. "And we have a crazy trade policy that I think folks in Washington don't even understand. It's ripping our farmers and our small businesses and the consumer every which way." Improving health care is another issue he plans to center in his campaign, citing Iowa having the second-highest and fastest-rising cancer incidence rate in the U.S. and lowest number of OB-GYNs per capita as top concerns. He said Trump's budget bill would take away health care for thousands in the 1st District and feared it would force more rural hospitals to shutter. "It's just wrong to take health care away from people, and I think it's something that's going to be also impactful immensely for our economy, considering how in many rural towns like my town, the healthcare industry is a significant employer," Wettach said. He said he supports adding incentives to encourage people to enter the nursing field or pursue other skilled jobs that are important for hospitals and nursing homes, as well as lowering prescription drug costs through laws that encourage competition rather than favor large pharmaceutical companies. "By making sure that the billionaires and the giant corporations are paying their fair share (of taxes) and we have a truly free economy with real competition, we can lower prices for all and folks can have a better quality of life here in the 1st District," Wettach said. Republicans who supported Trump's budget bill say it would keep ineligible people and undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits, shielding the program for those who rely on it. They dispute that the bill cuts Medicaid, pointing to a Congressional Budget Office letter stating that most projected Medicaid disenrollment would stem from individuals being ineligible, not meeting new federal work requirements or being covered under other programs. Miller-Meeks has defended her vote for the bill as helping secure the border, preserve Medicaid benefits for those who truly depend on it and "preventing the largest tax hike in American history," she previously said in a statement. "This bill protects Iowa families, seniors, and small businesses while strengthening Medicaid for the vulnerable — not for those who can work and choose not to," Miller-Meeks said. University of Iowa law professor Christina Bohannan, a former state representative, in June announced her third campaign for the 1st District seat, potentially setting up a third rematch against Miller-Meeks if she prevails in the Democratic primary in June 2026. Travis Terrell, a UI Health Care employee from Tiffin, was the first Democrat to launch a 2026 bid for the 1st District. Former state lawmaker Bob Krause, of Burlington, also is seeking the Democratic nomination. And Republican David Pautsch has launched a primary campaign against Miller-Meeks. He unsuccessfully challenged her in 2024 for the 1st District GOP nomination.'East Coast Elitist Taylor Wettach just gave up his posh city life to join the clown car Democrat primary in Iowa's First Congressional District," Emily Tuttle, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. "There's no doubt that whoever comes out of this race to the left will lose to America First Mariannette Miller-Meeks next year.' Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@ Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @marissajpayne. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Muscatine attorney Taylor Wettach launches bid for Iowa's 1st District
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Top Trump ally is reunited with his two young daughters after harrowing rescue from horrific Texas floods
Texas Congressman August Pfluger and his wife were two of the parents who anxiously awaited news of the whereabouts of their children as deadly floods struck the Texas Hill Country this past weekend. The floods took 95 lives as of Monday, including dozens of girls at summer camp. Rep. Pfluger's two young daughters were among those in attendance who were rescued. 'Camille, Vivian and I are now reunited with Caroline and Juliana who were evacuated from Camp Mystic. The last day has brought unimaginable grief to many families and we mourn with them as well as holding out hope for survivors,' Rep. Pfluger wrote in a weekend post, in which he thanked the 'incredible work' of the federal response. 'Please join us today as we pray for miracles.' Pfluger's post was met with will wishes from a slew of his congressional colleagues. Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wrote 'Glad they are okay. So heartbreaking what happened.' Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks responded that she was 'praying for [Pfluger's] family and everyone in Kerr County.' Rep. August on X Rep. August Pfluger speaks remotely as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on The Biden Administration's Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy on Capitol Hill on March 10, 2021 in Washington, DC But others closer to the calamity on the ground had harsher assessments of what transpired and began pointing fingers. In a Monday interview with Fox News, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said that 'something went wrong' when Camp Mystic staff weren't warned of rising floodwaters on the Guadalupe River. 'The fact that you have girls asleep in their cabins when the flood waters are rising — something went wrong there. We've got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm's way,' Cruz told Fox. Cruz was seen vacationing in Athens, Greece, over the weekend when news of the flooding first broke. Crosses hang from a wall with flood marks, following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic, Hunt, Texas, U.S. July 7, 2025 Aerial view of the wreckage left in the wake of the flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. USCG MH-65 helicopters have conducted multiple flights to the flooded area, rescuing 15 campers from Camp Mystic in Hunt and aiding in the evacuation of 230 people People sift through children's belongings at Camp Mystic on July 07, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Heavy rainfall caused severe flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, leaving more than 90 people reported dead, including children attending the camp A search and rescue team looks for people along the Guadalupe River near a damaged building at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on July 7, 2025, following severe flash flooding that occurred during the July 4 holiday weekend He was spotted touring the Parthenon on Saturday evening - a full 24 hours after floodwaters had swept through Camp Mystic and camp-goers started being reported missing. Photos of the vacationing senator and his wife Heidi were first published by the Daily Beast. 'A bull*** piece published by a bull*** rag outlet with no credibility, and with no regard for the tragedy in Texas,' Cruz's spokeswoman Macarena Martinez wrote on X, sharing the Daily Beast's story about Cruz. 'The senator is on the ground in Texas and arrived as fast as humanly possible,' Martinez added in her reply. After learning of the tragedy striking his home state and making his way back to America, Cruz participated in a briefing with other Texas officials Monday. It is unclear when Cruz arrived back in Texas after departing Greece. After this weekend's deadly floods, some Democrats quickly blamed President Donald Trump for crippling a critical agency tasked with alerting Americans to impending natural disasters because of his recent government slashing efforts. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for a federal investigation into the National Weather Service's (NWS) response. Critics have pointed to proposed budget reductions and early retirement buyouts at the NWS, but even some critics of the president role in the disaster have said the cuts did not play a pivotal role in this disaster. The disaster was primarily driven by extreme weather conditions and the risks posed in one of the worst flooding regions in the country. While emergency warnings were issued, the speed and scale of the flooding was overwhelming. Democrat Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro noted during an appearance on CNN Sunday that he was unsure if NWS employees taking the buyout had a direct impact on the flood preparation and response. "No, I can't say that conclusively,' Rep. Castro first responded when asked by anchor Dana Bash if local NWS personnel taking buyouts from the Trump administration played a role in the devastation of the floods in Texas. However, then Castro added that he didn't 'think it's helpful to have missing key personnel from the National Weather Service not in place to help prevent these tragedies.'
Fox News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump shifts battleground in fight against 'brazen election interference' by Iowa pollster
President Donald Trump dropped his federal case against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register on Monday and re-filed in state court after accusing them of "brazen election interference" with their final 2024 Iowa presidential poll. Trump, along with Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Iowa State Senator Bradley Zaun gave their notice of dismissal "without prejudice" for the case at the Southern District of Iowa federal court, then refiled the case to the Polk County District Court. Trump's legal team originally requested the case be moved to state court in May after the defendants "removed" the case to federal court. A federal judge denied this request at the time. An attorney for the president confirmed to Fox News Digital that this lawsuit has only been dismissed in federal court, adding that the case is "very much alive." The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) chief counsel Bob Corn-Revere, who represents Selzer, also told Fox News Digital that no settlement has been reached regarding the lawsuit. "President Trump and his two co-plaintiffs filed a notice of dismissal of their claims against Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register after losing a bid to remand the case to state court. This maneuver was not in response to any settlement and is a transparent attempt to avoid federal court review of the president's transparently frivolous claims. The case was refiled in state court today, one day before an Iowa law intended to provide strong protections against baseless claims like these — an 'anti-SLAPP' statute — goes into effect. The procedural gamesmanship is obvious and improper. Whatever court ultimately reviews this matter, FIRE will defend J. Ann Selzer's First Amendment rights, and we remain confident the courts will see through this sham lawsuit," he added. Lark-Marie Anton, a spokesperson for the Des Moines Register, was critical of Trump's legal team, claiming he is only attempting to "avoid the inevitable outcome" of his complaint being dismissed in court. "After losing his first attempt to send his case back to Iowa state court, and apparently recognizing that his appeal will be unsuccessful, President Trump is attempting to unilaterally dismiss his lawsuit from federal court and re-file it in Iowa state court," Anton said. "Although such a procedural maneuver is improper, and may not be permitted by the Court, it is clearly intended to avoid the inevitable outcome of the Des Moines Register's motion to dismiss President Trump's amended complaint currently pending in federal court." She added, "The Des Moines Register will continue to resist President Trump's litigation gamesmanship and believes that regardless of the forum it will be successful in defending its rights under the First Amendment." The lawsuit was originally filed in December in Polk County, Iowa and sought "accountability for brazen election interference committed by" the Des Moines Register (DMR) and Selzer "in favor of now-defeated former Democrat candidate Kamala Harris through use of a leaked and manipulated Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted by Selzer and S&C and published by DMR and Gannett in the Des Moines Register on Nov. 2, 2024." "The Harris Poll was no 'miss' but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election," the lawsuit stated at the time, adding that "defendants and their cohorts in the Democrat Party hoped that the Harris Poll would create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential Election." Selzer released her final Des Moines Register-sponsored poll showing then-Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points in Iowa just three days before the election. That shock poll showed a seven-point shift from Trump to Harris from September, when he had a four-point lead over the vice president in the same poll. Selzer's poll was hyped up by the media in the days leading up to the election as her polling predictions had been historically accurate. Many suggested it implied a monumental shift in Midwest support for the then-Vice President in a largely red state. Trump ultimately beat Harris in Iowa by more than 13 percentage points. Shortly after the election, Selzer announced in an op-ed for the Des Moines Register that she was done with election polling and was moving on to "other ventures."
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Christina Bohannan makes third run for Iowa's 1st Congressional District
Jun. 21—History shows that just because a candidate makes multiple attempts to win an election doesn't mean they can't eventually pull through. U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks lost a number of times to Dave Loebsack before winning Iowa's 1st Congressional District seat in a close 2020 election. Now her past Democratic challenger, Christina Bohannan, is attempting the same thing for the 2026 election cycle, provided she is the favorite in the primary. On June 17, Bohannan announced her campaign to take on Miller-Meeks once again. In a press release, her campaign said Bohannan nearly defeated Miller-Meeks in 2024 — less than 800 votes decided the election — and that the Democrat "outworked, outraised and outmatched her." Bohannan said, "Mariannette Miller-Meeks has had three terms in Congress — three chances to do right by the people of Iowa. Instead, she has taken over $4 million from corporate special interests and done nothing but vote their way. And she has put partisan politics over Iowans again and again. From cutting billions of dollars from Medicaid in the Trump Administration's One Big Beautiful Bill, to siding with DOGE's cuts to Social Security and enabling unelected, unaccountable billionaires like Elon Musk, Bohannan said the Republican congresswoman has forgotten about her constituents. "It's time someone put Iowa first," Bohannan said. Bohannan went on to say Miller-Meeks needs to explain "why she keeps putting Washington special interests first." The Democratic challenger claimed Miller-Meeks supported Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, repeatedly voted for cost-increasing tariffs and is a member of the DOGE Caucus. Bohannan previously worked as an engineer and taught at the University of Iowa College of Law for 20 years. She also worked as an elected legislator for the Iowa House, defeating a 20-year incumbent in District 85. Bohannan is running for Congress because she believes in a government that works for the people. In May, another Democrat announced he would be running for Iowa's 1st Congressional District. Bob Krause, a former legislator who also tried running for U.S. Senate, announced his campaign with the slogan "Flip The House With Krause." Krause said Miller-Meeks votes "like Trump's rubber stamp." Travis Terrell, a Democrat from Johnson County, also announced his bid for Iowa's 1st Congressional District race. His campaign page on Facebook notes he is a working-class, New Deal Democrat fighting for healthcare, fair wages and a government that serves other working-class people and not billionaires. In addition to Miller-Meeks likely running for the seat, fellow Republican and former primary challenger David Pautsch announced in February that he would also be running for the seat. Pautsch touts himself as a MAGA Republican. He has been critical of Miller-Meeks, saying she is not conservative enough.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cournoyer, Miller-Meeks attend Regional Innovation Center, Eldridge, grand opening
Iowa Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks attended the grand opening of the Regional Innovation Center in Eldridge. on Friday. The $18.7-million project came from a combination of investments from the North Scott School District, Eastern Iowa Community College, grants, businesses and people in the community. It had a soft launch in January. John Maxwell, former North Scott School Board member, said the idea for the center 'started with just a little bit of writing on a napkin. Thinking how can we close the gap between employment and graduation – that really is the vision.' Those attending toured the facility. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
