At Field Hearing in Southwest Iowa, Ernst Questions Army Corps on River Management in Wake of Flooding

Glenwood, Iowa – During a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee field hearing hosted and chaired by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the Senator questioned officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on river management in the wake of the recent devastating floods in Iowa.

“Having your farmland, homes, and businesses flooded out every few years cannot become a ‘fact of life’ for folks who live in the vicinity of the Missouri River. This trend of flood and rebuild, flood and rebuild must end,” said Senator Joni Ernst. “Today’s conversation is only one in a broader dialogue about solutions that will help Iowans who are in dire need. I’m hopeful that what we’ve heard today will help shed light on what those solutions may be.”

Senator Ernst’s full opening remarks as prepared for delivery can be found HERE.

Witnesses included officials from the Army Corps and local leaders and stakeholders from Fremont County, Iowa, among others. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) also participated in the hearing.

Background:

In the wake of the flooding, Senator Ernst has worked tirelessly to provide aid to Iowans in need. She helped introduce legislation, the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2019, to provide tax relief to Iowans in declared disaster zones. She is also working with Senator Grassley on an amendment that will extend federal relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (UDSA) to cover Iowa farmers who have lost stored grain.

The Senator has surveyed flood damage in Western Iowa multiple times, including last week with the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA), and Senator Grassley. Senator Ernst has also met directly with President Trump at the White House to discuss a way forward to get timely and badly needed aid to Iowa communities, on top of the disaster dollars available from FEMA and other federal resources. The meeting came on the heels of Senate Democrats voting down a disaster aid package that would have provided support to Iowans in need.

For Iowans impacted by floods, there are many resources available. For a list highlighting resources for Iowa families, businesses, and farmers, as well as information about contacting Senator Ernst’s office for assistance, click here.

###

###