River Bend Times

U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D., who represents Iowa’s 1st district in Congress, took to social media on October 1, 2025, to criticize the Democratic Party for what she described as a government shutdown and its consequences for military personnel, veterans, families, seniors, and border security.

In her first post of the day at 13:13 UTC, Miller-Meeks wrote: "The Democrat Government Shutdown is in full effect. Our troops won’t get paychecks. Veterans may have care delayed. Families will lose critical services. Why? Because Democrats would rather protect illegal immigrants and fund a 7 week $1.5 trillion spending binge than keep".

Later that afternoon at 14:51 UTC, she continued her criticism with another post stating: "Democrats shut down telehealth for seniors and forced “hospital-at-home” patients back into crowded facilities, all to push their $1.5 trillion wishlist with taxpayer funded benefits for illegal immigrants."

In a third message posted at 16:15 UTC the same day, Miller-Meeks addressed the impact on border security personnel: "Border Patrol agents are risking their lives every day against cartels and traffickers. But thanks to the Democrat shutdown, they’re forced to do it without pay and without support."

Miller-Meeks has served in Congress since 2021 after replacing Dave Loebsack as representative of Iowa's 1st district. She previously held office in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2021 and was born in Herlong, California in 1955 before moving to Le Claire. Miller-Meeks holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Christian University (source: FACTS FOR STEP 4).

Her comments come amid ongoing debates about federal funding priorities and disputes between political parties over budget allocations and immigration policy.