Lawmakers talk farm bill, floods, adoptions

Iowa's senators proposed enhancing crop insurance, curbing mandates for electric vehicles and offering a solution that would "keep firearms away from people who are a danger."

Members of Congress returned after two weeks away from Washington, during which delegates made progress on county tours.

Here's a look at what Iowa's congressional delegation was up to last week:

Senators propose shoring up crop insurance

As spring planting was getting underway, Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley introduced a bill to increase premium support for high-level crop insurance. The F.A.R.M.E.R. Act also would make producer deductibles smaller, which the senators say will reduce the need for ad hoc disaster assistance in the future.

"To protect our ag community, I'm fighting to improve federal crop insurance and ensure that dollars in the Farm Bill actually go towards safeguarding our food and fields, not pie-in-the-sky climate change policies," Ernst said in a news release.

The bill is a counter to initiatives Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is advocating for in the next Farm Bill.

"A strong crop insurance program is integral to the success of America's farming operations," Grassley said in a news release. "Yet, when disaster strikes, many farmers find themselves without adequate coverage."

Farm Bill must go on agenda, Grassley says

Grassley wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, asking that the Farm Bill be put on the Senate agenda.

Grassley wrote the letter after Schumer released his Senate agenda, and the Farm Bill was absent from it.

"A one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill is going to expire on September 30," Grassley wrote. "The Senate must work to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill before that deadline."

Pushback on electric vehicles

Both Iowa senators made public efforts to contest a push by President Joe Biden's administration for increased production and purchases of electric vehicles.

In a news conference, Ernst said the efforts by the Biden administration to increase electric vehicle production are a boost to China and Russia.

"Those who are wishing to destroy America are committing atrocities against Ukrainians and enslaving children to gain access to our critical minerals," Ernst said.

Grassley took a home-centered route, highlighting on a call with reporters the impact he believes electric vehicles would have on Iowa's ethanol industry.

"In biofuels, 58,000 jobs would be at stake if we went to entirely electric transportation," Grassley said. "I don't think it's realistic that it's going to happen when they want it to happen, but the push for it is putting strains on our electric grid and it's going to increase over time and we aren't going to be able to meet the deadlines that they are asking for."

Grassley bill focus is gun safety

Grassley introduced a bill he claims will not infringe on Second Amendment rights and will keep firearms away from people who are a danger.

The Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act would mandate states submit mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and require the federal government and state governments to coordinate gun sentences.

"Strengthening our national background check system can help save lives," Grassley said in a news release.

The bill would also commission a study on the cause of mass shootings and enhance resources combatting firearm trafficking.

"Too many communities have endured mass shootings and suffered the heartbreak and trauma that follow," Grassley said.

Nunn wants to encourage sibling adoption

The Fight for Siblings Act, introduced by Rep. Zach Nunn in bipartisan fashion, would double the federal adoption tax credit when a family adopts siblings.

Twelve months ago, Nunn and his wife, Kelly, adopted siblings. According to Nunn's office, his experience adopting his daughters revealed shortcomings of the foster and adoption process.

The cost of adopting two children can sometimes prevent parents from adopting two children. According to Nunn, the bill would help lower the barrier that can unintentionally split siblings up.

Ernst bill targets blast overpressure

Ernst introduced a bipartisan bill that would increase medical treatment for members of the military.

The Blast Overpressure Safety Act would mandate neurocognitive assessments, create logs for blast overpressure exposure and create a Special Operations Comprehensive Brain Health and Trauma program.

The bill, introduced along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, would encourage care for the "signature wound" from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Long-term exposure to explosive weapons can cause traumatic brain injuries and typically, blast exposure comes from a soldier's own weapon.

"Given the increase in these injuries, the military must adapt to the needs of servicemembers now," Ernst said in a news release. "By helping the [Department of Defense] learn more about the brain and how it responds to blast overpressure, this bipartisan bill can help meet the challenges and injuries of our servicemembers today and in the future."

Army arsenals regulation sought

Grassley and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks have introduced a bicameral effort to establish workload requirements for Army arsenals.

The bill would establish a 50% workload threshold for Army arsenals and factories. If passed, there would also be a preference for public-private partnerships providing non-public entities a 20% preference in the source selection process if it partners with an Army arsenal, according to Miller-Meeks' office.

According to the legislators, the bill would directly impact the Rock Island Arsenal by maintaining union jobs and attracting projects and workers.

Miller-Meeks named Conservative Climate chair

Miller-Meeks was named chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus during the two-week recess. The caucus has more than 70 members and a goal of educating House Republicans regarding climate policies and to engage House Republicans with leaders in industry, think tanks and more.

Senators call for Mayorkas impeachment trial

Calling the border crisis a "nightmare for the American people," Ernst, Grassley and 41 other Republican senators called for Schumer to hold an impeachment trial against Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas rather than vote to dismiss articles of impeachment, which Schumer has indicated could happen.

Schumer and the White House have called the impeachment a "sham" and "baseless." U.S. House Republicans were originally scheduled to deliver two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, but that was delayed until this week.

Grassley probes cybersecurity implementation

Grassley sent letters to seven federal agencies that have not responded to recommendations from the Government Accountability Office regarding cybersecurity.

Grassley asked for the seven organizations to act on the recommendations and asked for records on testing practices and protocols regarding cybersecurity.

The agencies include the departments of the treasury, transportation, homeland security, energy, defense, health and human services and the Environmental Protection Agency.