River Bend Times

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa’s 1st District issued a statement on the tenth day of the ongoing government shutdown, which she attributes to Senate Democrats. She expressed concern about the impact on families, federal workers, small businesses, and law enforcement in Iowa.

“It’s now Day 10 of the Democrat Government Shutdown. For ten days, families across Iowa have paid the price because Chuck Schumer and Washington Democrats refuse to support a clean, bipartisan bill to fund the government for 7-weeks and keep the government open. They’ve now voted seven times to keep it shut down, all to demand $1.5 trillion in new spending and taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants.

This shutdown means Iowa’s federal workers aren’t getting paid, small businesses face delayed loans, and 62,000 families relying on nutrition assistance are living in uncertainty. Our Border Patrol and law-enforcement officers are serving without pay while Democrats put politics ahead of people.

As a 24-year Army veteran, I voted to keep the government open because our troops, veterans, and working families deserve better. President Trump and House Republicans have delivered real solutions; it’s time for Senate Democrats to do their jobs, put the American people first, and end this shutdown.” - Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks

According to Miller-Meeks’ office, House Republicans passed a continuing resolution intended to keep the government funded for seven weeks without increasing spending. She noted that Democrats had previously supported similar measures but have rejected this extension multiple times during the current impasse.

The effects of the shutdown cited by Miller-Meeks include approximately 1,800 Iowa National Guard members overseas not receiving pay and around 18,000 federal employees in Iowa working without compensation. About 62,000 residents who rely on WIC face program uncertainty. There is also potential disruption for SNAP benefits affecting more than 267,000 Iowans—including over 100,000 children—and delays in small business loan distributions totaling $16 million this month. The economic loss for Iowa is estimated at $137 million per week as long as the shutdown continues.

Nationally, essential personnel such as Border Patrol agents and military service members are working without pay. Air traffic controllers and TSA officers are also affected by unpaid work status leading to flight delays nationwide. Additionally, some telehealth services for seniors have been canceled due to funding lapses.

Miller-Meeks highlighted her support for legislation such as the Pay Our Troops Act—which would ensure continued pay for service members during a shutdown—and the Eliminate Shutdowns Act designed to prevent future federal government shutdowns by automatically triggering short-term funding extensions if appropriations lapse.

She also announced she will withhold her own congressional salary during what she described as “this Democrat shutdown.”

Mariannette Miller-Meeks has represented Iowa’s 1st District in Congress since 2021 after succeeding Dave Loebsack. Before her election to Congress she served in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2021. She was born in Herlong, California in 1955 and currently resides in Le Claire. Miller-Meeks earned her BSN from Texas Christian University in 1976.