2019
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“Vitally Important”? Joni Ernst’s ACA Votes Contradict Pre-Existing Conditions Message
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst told constituents Monday in Clinton County it was “vitally important” insurance companies provide coverage for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. The discussion spun off of concerns from a woman at the Clinton Middle School town hall forum, who decried the high costs of health insurance in the United States. “It is…
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Kamala Harris Bulks Up Iowa Staff Ahead Of 3-Day Visit
Just as her standing in state and national polls are rising, so are the ranks of Senator Kamala Harris’ Iowa campaign staff. Her newly-expanded field team started their jobs yesterday, with 30 new field organizers coming on board. And Harris is expanding her Iowa leadership team with a couple of notable hires. Lilian Sanchez, a…
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Without Rural Improvement, Dems Will Never Retake U.S. Senate
As everyone digests the first round of Democratic debates and discusses the bold policy agendas of the candidates, it can be easy to over-nationalize politics. But winning the presidency is just a step, and certainly doesn’t guarantee that any of those policies will successfully be implemented. Legislation runs through the Senate, where if Mitch McConnell…
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Jay Inslee Feels His Climate Message Is Catching On Following The Debates
Governor Jay Inslee said his campaign received “the biggest by far surge in donations” yet following the Democratic presidential debates last week. He believes it’s because his message about climate change is resonating with the American people. Leading up to a speech at Des Moines’ Tower Park on Friday evening, Inslee told Starting Line he…
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Reynolds’ DNR Concealing Real Extent Of Iowa Water Contamination At Lakes
Each week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) takes water samples from Iowa public park beaches. They test for dangerous bacterial contaminants and post those beaches that are unsafe for recreational swimming. However, there are serious concerns that the standard the IDNR is using to test the water…
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How One Iowa Town Is Still Recovering From An ICE Raid
In his latest round of threats, President Donald Trump stoked fear in communities across the country earlier this month with talk of ramping up immigration raids nationwide. “Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States,” said Trump, June 17…
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Axne Puts Forth Bipartisan Legislation to Relieve Rural Hospitals
On Tuesday, Cindy Axne (D-IA) put forth legislation to relieve rural hospitals of supervision restraints that limit the ability of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to provide quality care. Working with Adrian Smith (R-NE), Axne introduced the bipartisan bill to postpone enforcement of oversight rules requiring Medicare hospitals to implement supervision provisions for outpatient therapeutic services.…
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Booker Has The Plans, Experience To Stem Gun Violence In My City
A guest post from Cedar Rapids City Councilmember Dale Todd These days, it seems like finger pointing has replaced solutions and results in Washington D.C. Democrats and Republicans are unable to agree on something as basic as the truth. We desperately need someone who can heal our divisions and unite this country. After listening to…
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Scenes From The Iowa Caucus Trail – June 30
Welcome to our first Scenes From The Iowa Caucus Trail piece! The Starting Line team has long wanted to do some sort of regular Sunday morning series to give our readers something consistent to read with their coffee and morning news shows. We’ve settled on doing a round-up of all the fun, weird and insightful…
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Delaney Calls Green New Deal ‘Impossible,’ Medicare For All ‘Dangerous’
John Delaney called the Green New Deal “impossible,” Medicare For All “dangerous,” and went after some of his fellow Democrats for being too soft on immigration during a campaign stop in Panora Saturday afternoon. The Democrat made it clear he wants to be the middle-of-the-road candidate who can defeat President Donald Trump next year. Delaney…
