Opinion: Zach Nunn is my congressman. I had to travel to DC just to talk to him.

I recently traveled to Washington, D.C. with a group of Iowans to talk with my representative: Congressman Zach Nunn. We weren’t sightseeing. We were there because it’s clear to us our economy is rigged for the ultra-wealthy, and the people who represent us in Congress aren’t listening to us back here at home. 

We went to share our concerns about how everyday Iowans are getting left behind while billionaires and big corporations continue to cash in. We went because Congress is once again preparing to give massive tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy—and they are going to pay for it by gutting Medicaid, SNAP, and other lifelines many Iowa families depend on. 

On the one day we were on the Hill, Nunn voted to advance the so-called “Budget Reconciliation” plan to give more tax breaks to billionaires that balloon the deficit to line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy while taking from the working class and the poor. 

There have been numerous town halls here at home organized by frustrated constituents. Nunn has been too scared to face his constituents—leaving his chair empty despite multiple invitations. He hasn’t even scheduled his own public forums where constituents can ask him honest questions about what he’s doing in D.C. 

My group of fellow constituents from Iowa’s 3rd district managed to get a meeting with a member of Nunn’s staff. We each shared personal stories about why these issues matter to us. As we were leaving, Nunn stepped out of his office. We were a bit surprised. It reminded me of seeing Santa Claus as a kid—except there were no cookies and definitely no gifts. 

He smiled for the camera, and we got a few minutes to share our concerns about how cuts to Medicaid and SNAP included in the reconciliation plan that he would soon vote on, as well as cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the USDA made by Elon Musk’s DOGE, would impact us and our neighbors. 

In that brief interaction, the Congressman gave us this nugget of wisdom: “Well, brother, I tell you, we’ve got $36 trillion in debt. And the best way, in my opinion, to fix it is to grow the economy. We’ve proven this in Iowa three times now. We’ve passed the largest tax cuts in state history. Each time, the state economy grew as a result.” 

Congressman Nunn: If you think what’s happening to Iowa’s economy is worth replicating nationwide… bless your heart. Luckily Iowa has rainy day funds, because with the state budget $900 million in the red this year and a nation-wide recession looming – things are NOT working in Iowa. Maybe you have been in D.C. a bit too long to remember what it’s like here, or maybe you spend too much time in bubbles with multi-millionaires. But here in Iowa, things are tough. The ag economy was struggling even before Trump dumped tariffs on top of rising costs for Iowa families, farmers, and small business owners. 

What’s happening in Iowa and Washington, D.C. is a dishonest shell game. Republican lawmakers brag about tax cuts for billionaires and corporations while quietly starving public schools, health departments, fire stations, and many other essential services working Iowans rely on. It’s hurting Iowa, and it’s bound to hurt the entire country. 

Meanwhile, Congressman Nunn is protecting Elon Musk’s DOGE as it takes a hatchet to Social Security, public education, and support for veterans. What does that say about Nunn’s priorities? 

We shouldn’t have to travel halfway across the country just to be seen by our own representatives. And Republicans in Congress—including Congressman Nunn—certainly shouldn’t be cutting services that people rely upon to meet their basic needs in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. 

Iowans are tired of being treated like props while our health care, schools, and livelihoods are dismantled behind closed doors. If Congressman Nunn wants to talk about “growing the economy,” he should start by voting against cuts to Medicaid and SNAP to pay for billionaire and corporate tax breaks and listening to the people who are actually trying to survive in this economy.