congress Ashley Hinson Contact information

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson proudly represents Iowa’s 1st district in Congress.

During her years as a reporter, Ashley shared the stories of countless Iowans on the local news. As their Congresswoman, she is bringing those stories to Washington to help shape federal policy and improve the lives of workers, farmers, seniors, veterans, and families in Iowa.

An Iowa native, Ashley is an award-winning journalist and a proud wife and mother of two. Ashley previously served in the Iowa state House and represented Iowa’s 67th House district, serving Hiawatha, Robins, Cedar Rapids, and Marion, where she currently resides. As a state Representative, she worked successfully to balance the budget, cut taxes, and protect the most vulnerable in her community.

In Congress, she continues to be a common-sense leader and pursue pro-growth policies. She has introduced and supported bipartisan legislation to improve child care access for working families in Iowa, root out corruption in Washington through federal lobbying bans, and create opportunities for workers in the community. She is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and House Budget Committee, where she oversees the government funding process and fights to ensure every taxpayer dollar is accounted for and spent responsibly. As a mother of two, she also has a keen interest in protecting the safety and security of Iowa families.

Prior to serving Iowans in public office, Ashley was a reporter for KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids. For more than a decade, she had the opportunity to connect with Iowa’s small business owners and community leaders. Ashley’s extensive reporting on rising healthcare costs, devastating flooding, and other critical issues impacting Eastern Iowa drove her to seek opportunities to better serve her community and take action to solve the problems she had covered for years.

While working as a reporter, Ashley earned recognition as a two-time Midwest regional Emmy award winner, an RTDNA Health Reporting Fellow, and a Waypoint Tribute to Women Honoree. She received her B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California before returning home to Iowa to work and raise a family.

Ashley and her husband Matt are raising their two sons in Marion. Her children motivate her every day to fight for a better community and a stronger economy for all Iowa families. Ashley is also an active member of her community, regularly playing violin at Antioch Christian Church and volunteering with local charities.

Energy

The continued pursuit of American energy independence is imperative; it is imperative for the success of our economy, for our national security, and for our local communities. Responsible energy policy not only boosts out economy, it has the potential to support our environment. While many have floated extreme policy proposals that will kill jobs and put Iowa farmers out of business, I will advocate for sustainable policies that bring down energy costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and promote Iowa’s entire energy sector, including our vibrant ethanol and biodiesel production.

Childcare

As a working mother of two young children, I understand the importance of accessible childcare and am passionate about pursuing policies to make childcare more attainable for Iowa’s families. The cost of childcare is a major barrier to women entering the workforce, an issue that has been exacerbated amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I will work to reverse this trend by opening up childcare choices for families in Iowa, emphasizing the massive workforce benefits, and expanding tax-favored options on how to pay for childcare services.

Education and Workforce Development

The one-size-fits-all nature of the American education system disadvantages school-age children and our economy as a whole.

School children should have access to the education that best fits their needs, regardless of zip code. Additionally, our current system puts too much emphasis on standardized testing while ignoring the needs of individual children. Expanded school choice will give families the freedom to choose the right educational option.

Improving Health Care

Health care should be affordable and accessible, but unfortunately the current system has failed Iowans. I will advocate for patient-centered care to ensure Americans have control over their personal health decisions without sacrificing affordability or quality. I also believe we must protect Americans with pre-existing conditions and ensure they have fair, affordable access to the doctors, medicines, and life-saving therapies they need.

I adamantly oppose the left’s $32 trillion “Medicare for All” scheme that will socialize our health care system and leave millions of Americans without the care and medication they need. Instead, I am pushing for targeted fixes to improve the current system, including efforts to lower prescription drug costs, expand services in rural Iowa, and prioritize access to care.

Veterans

Those who served our country deserve access to top quality care and the benefits they have earned when they return home. This includes bolstering programs that focus on mental health services for veterans who suffer from anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression. Only through compassionate, consistent attention to initiatives addressing these challenges can we work toward ending veteran suicide. I also believe our veterans are entitled to top quality care and treatments – care for which so many wait far too long. I will advocate for reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs that improve access to benefits and expand care for our nation’s heroes.

Moving beyond the classroom, Iowa’s employers struggle to find skilled workers. Fixing this problem begins with workforce development. I will focus on closing the skills gap that holds back our workforce and hinders business growth through a renewed focus on technical education and post-secondary credentials. This will put more Americans to work and keep our 21st Century economy competitive and growing.

Budget and Spending

With our national debt at a record high, it is imperative Washington rein in spending and take steps to balance the federal budget. The debt incurred today is an added tax burden on Americans tomorrow. While families across the country live within their means, Washington consistently overspends and overextends taxpayer resources. If Iowans can sit at the kitchen table and balance their checkbooks, so can Congress. I understand the value of a dollar and will make the tough decisions needed to push down the national debt, eliminate waste, and balance our country’s books. I will fight to ensure each taxpayer dollar is put to good use and cut wasteful programs that unnecessarily increase government and fail to provide value to Americans.

Defending Life

I am pro-life and will be a consistent, strong voice for the voiceless in Congress. We must protect the unborn and stand up for the sanctity of life. Taxpayer dollars should not fund abortions, nor should they go to abortion providers. This funding should be reserved for other family planning options and important women’s health care services. I will fight to redirect these dollars to the important work of community health centers, including those providing care to women in underserved areas.

Infrastructure and Transportation

Infrastructure in Iowa and across the country desperately needs to be upgraded and modernized. Families and businesses rely on these crumbling roads and bridges to move through life – to get children to school, to get to work, to go to the doctor or the grocery store, to move products from small businesses to consumers, to get food from farm to table. I am committed to working in a bipartisan manner to ensure the strength and resiliency of our country’s infrastructure. Rebuilding roads, bridges, dams, and other infrastructure, as well as making smart investments in transportation systems, will unlock economic growth and enhance workforce development opportunities. I will work to remove regulatory burdens that hold up essential projects and ensure taxpayer dollars go toward meaningful infrastructure legislation.

Infrastructure modernization is also important for disaster recovery and mitigation in Iowa. I plan to exercise careful oversight over all FEMA projects impacting Iowans and will not rest while my constituents need support and relief following a disaster like the recent derecho. In addition, I will push for responsible legislation to modernize infrastructure before disaster strikes, so that it is more likely to withstand a storm.

Agriculture and Rural Development

Agriculture is at the heart of our economy and way of life in Iowa. It’s the heart of our nation. As top producers of corn, soybeans, pork, eggs, and other crops, Iowans feed the world. Even while facing extreme hardship and pressure from natural disasters like the recent derecho and the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa farmers have managed to produce a safe and abundant food supply. I will advocate for policies that sustain the farm economy and provide farmers with resources they need to keep growing and producing. This includes incentivizing renewable biofuel production and promoting American ethanol. It also includes ensuring our next generation of farmers is equipped with the tools and support they need to make this critical career choice.

As part of my commitment to Iowa’s farmers, I will push for thoughtful rural development to support our farming communities every day. This means advocating for improving rural infrastructure, expanding broadband access, increasing rural access to health care, and listening to the needs of rural Iowans.

Economy and Jobs

Getting our economy back on track and growing again is one of my top priorities. In order to jumpstart our economy, we must pursue a pro-growth agenda, including:

• Making the 2017 Republican tax cuts permanent, allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks
• Reducing onerous regulations that hurt businesses, prevent them from hiring more workers, and disincentivizing success
• Building on proven trade agreements and pursuing updated agreements that will level the playing field for American workers and benefit Iowa’s economy

Government Oversight and Accountability

My commitment to American taxpayers is to protect their hard-earned dollars and root out the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington. I will shine a light on inappropriate government expenditures and activities that don’t serve the American people and call out those who misuse taxpayer resources. With accessible and transparent leadership, Americans should be able to “follow the money” and know where their hard-earned dollars are going. I will continue serving as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars and stand up for the what’s right.

National Security and Defense

According to the Constitution, the most important responsibility of our federal government is to provide for the common defense of our nation. This means ensuring our troops have the resources needed to counter adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. I will always support our troops who sacrifice so much to protect our nation and defend American values around the world.

One of our top national security threats comes from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP has ripped off American ideas and stolen billions worth of our intellectual property, perpetrated egregious human rights abuses, and taken advantage of the U.S. and our allies – with no consequences for their actions. Congress must hold China accountable for its malfeasance and repair the damage that has been done. This includes bringing back manufacturing jobs and ending our dangerous reliance on China by bringing critical supply chains back to the United States.