3 Iowa U.S. House members seek $115M in earmarks (2024)

Three of Iowa’s U.S. House members have requested more than $115 million in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills for local community projects.

Republican Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn each submitted the maximum number of requests. Rep. Randy Feenstra didn’t submit any for the fourth straight year. His office did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Each House member can submit up to 15 eligible projects to receive federal funding for fiscal 2025. The sum of Miller-Meeks’ requests is the highest, at over $52 million. Hinson is second with over $38 million, while Nunn requested nearly $25 million.

The project requests include funding for road work, water treatment facilities, flood control, airport improvements, buildings and hospital expansions. Some requests are focused on education and research, workforce development and health care access.

“I am proud to submit 15 community projects that would greatly benefit Iowa’s 1st Congressional District,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement. “These initiatives range from investing in expanding trained workforce resources for local hospitals, to rebuilding our aging infrastructure in the state and improving our wastewater facilities.’

Appropriations bills signed into law by Democratic President Joe Biden earlier this funding the government through the end of the current federal fiscal year on Sept. 30 included more than $82 million for designated projects in Iowa.

That includes more than $74 million approved as part of the $67.5 billion “minibus” spending package Biden signed in law in early March that provides full-year funding for federal departments and agencies covered by six of 12 appropriations bills. A second tranche of six bills signed March 23 by Biden representing $1.2 trillion in government spending also includes $8 million for Dubuque flood mitigation gates and pumps.

All four of Iowa’s Republican U.S. House members voted for the first “minibus” package. Miller-Meeks, Hinson and Nunn voted for the second package. Feenstra voted against.

Hinson is the only Iowan now serving on the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee. Her projects received more than $27 million in earmarked funding out of $37.06 million requested. Projects submitted by Miller-Meeks received about more than $28 million in earmarked funding, out of more than $40 million requested. More than $26 million was approved in earmarked funding for projects Nunn submitted; he had asked for more than $41 million.

Democrats and others have criticized House Republicans for demanding steep budget cuts across the federal government to nondefense discretionary spending while asking for millions of dollars to support projects in their own districts.

“As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am laser focused on cutting the Biden Administration’s wasteful spending while delivering targeted and impactful investments for Iowa, especially in rural communities that have often been overlooked by the federal government,” Hinson said in a statement to The Gazette.

“From improving clean drinking water infrastructure to helping law enforcement better protect our communities, and expanding maternal care access, I’ll continue working to secure vital investments for Iowans and return as many taxpayer dollars as possible to the district.”

A full list of requested funding and projects are available on the member’s congressional websites. Here are just a few of the 45 total requests from the three lawmakers for the coming federal fiscal year:

Benton County

Belle Plaine Drinking Water Resiliency Project

Requested Amount: $4 million

Hinson requested the funding to support upgrades to the city of Belle Plaine’s drinking water infrastructure. The community frequently faces water supply challenges due to drought, and the city recently implemented water restrictions, according to the request. The project would allow the city to improve water quality from its emergency well, construct additional wells to bolster the water supply, upgrade electrical systems and strengthen water storage and distribution. The improvements would benefit 1,300 households, 120 businesses, three schools and two medical care facilities.

Buchanan County

Independence Wastewater Treatment Plant Replacement Project

Requested Amount: $4 million

Hinson requested the funds to help the city of Independence modernize its wastewater treatment plant constructed in the 1970s. This project would include upgrades in the treatment process, including advanced biological treatment to remove nutrients and a new anaerobic digestion process to reduce sludge volume.

Cedar County

Montgomery Drive Improvement Project — Tipton

Requested Amount: $1,849,790

Miller-Meeks requested the funding to convert a one-lane, gravel road into a concrete residential street with curb and gutter and an accompanying pedestrian/bicycle trail. The new road would pass through a 20-acre area of undeveloped land and open it up to single-family residential development, according to the request.

Johnson County

Iowa Advanced Drought Information System

Requested Amount: $500,000

Hinson and Nunn requested the funding to expand Iowa’s hydrologic monitoring network to provide Iowans with reliable, timely and accurate drought information. The project also would create an online web application to display real-time data from the hydrostation network. “Iowans have faced significant challenges with drought in recent years, and this project will draw upon the knowledge of experts at the University of Iowa to provide publicly available drought data to inform decisions from local farmers, researchers, and officials,” Hinson’s request states.

U.S. Highway 6/Deer Creek Road Intersection — Coralville

Requested Amount: $4.9 million

Miller-Meeks requested funding to add lanes, a median, traffic signals, lighting, railroad safety enhancements and turn lanes to improve traffic safety and accommodate the growth in traffic there. The city of Coralville has secured funding through state grant programs, but federal funding is needed to cover the remaining costs, the request said.

Jones County

Center for Advanced Education and Medical Simulation — Anamosa

Requested Amount: $6,653,562

Miller-Meeks requested funds to help expand and remodel the west wing of UnityPoint Health/Jones Regional Medical Center to create a simulation lab offering advanced nurse training. The expansion would provide the permanent space necessary to accommodate more nursing students and to provide professional development training for other medical professions, according to the request. Miller-Meeks’ office wrote the project would allow the program to graduate an additional 14 nursing students annually.

Linn County

Cedar Rapids Redundant Power for Resilient Flood Control

Requested Amount: $1,620,000

Hinson requested the money to help the city of Cedar Rapids prevent electrical failures of the pump station during severe flooding, bringing it into Federal Emergency Management Agency compliance and protecting homes and businesses. The project would consist of the installation of a 450 kW natural gas generator and the duct bank required to power the Third Avenue SE downtown pump station along the Cedar River.

The Eastern Iowa Airport Aircraft De-icing Facility

Requested Amount: $7 million

Hinson requested funds to support construction of an aircraft de-icing pad for The Eastern Iowa Airport. According to request, the facility would reduce the amount of water sent to the city of Cedar Rapids for treatment from 36 million gallons to 7 million gallons. Hinson’s office says the project would ensure the continued reliability of air service in Eastern Iowa, improve environmental outcomes and reduce the airport’s reliance on Cedar Rapids’ wastewater infrastructure.

Swine Career and Technical Education Barn at Kirkwood Community College

Requested Amount: $3,716,513

Hinson requested the money to create a “hub for career and technical education, focusing on the in-demand field of swine husbandry and production.” The initiative aims to “bridge workforce skill gaps and bolster economic vitality in Iowa” with comprehensive education on food supply production. The proposed project entails the demolition of the existing Swine Center and construction of a modernized facility.

City of Ely Urban Renewal Initiative

Requested Amount: $2 million

Hinson requested the money to support the city of Ely in its redevelopment of the Old Town District, including stormwater, sewer water and road improvements. The requests states the investments will aid the city in attracting new businesses downtown while supporting existing ones.

Poweshiek County

Grinnell Regional Medical Center Labor and Delivery Unit Expansion

Requested Amount: $1,250,000

Hinson requested the funds to support the expansion of the Grinnell Regional Medical Center labor and delivery unit, increasing its delivery capacity to up to 250 births annually. The current facility is unable to meet the demands of the rural six-county region the hospital serves, according to the request. Hinson said the project would increase access to high-quality labor and delivery services for rural communities and allow them to better handle acute and unexpected medical needs of obstetrics patients.