{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://nunn.house.gov/2025/11/07/watch-nunn-meets-with-iowans-impacted-by-longest-shutdown-in-u-s-history/", "WATCH: Nunn Meets with Iowans Impacted by Longest Shutdown in U.S. History", "2025-11-07", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Zachary Nunn", "N000193", "nunn.house.gov", "nunn", "https://nunn.house.gov/category/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "DES MOINES, IA \u2014 On the day that marked the longest government shutdown in American history, Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) met directly with Iowans on the frontlines of the crisis. At each stop, Rep. Nunn listened to firsthand stories of how the ongoing shutdown is creating uncertainty and hardship for working families, and called for immediate bipartisan action to reopen the government. Photos and videos from each event are linked below and available for press use.\n\n\u201cSenate Democrats just broke Washington\u2019s record for dysfunction,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cAs we hit the longest shutdown in American history, I spent the day with Iowa farmers, veterans, small business owners, families, and volunteers stepping up to fill the gap. Across the board, the message was clear: stop the political games and open the government.\u201d\n\nHeartland Co-Op Farmer Roundtable, Carlisle, Warren County\n\nRep. Nunn kicked off the day at Heartland Co-Op\u2019s Avon facility in Carlisle with a roundtable discussion alongside Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, Co-Op CEO Tim Hauschel, and producers from across central Iowa. The conversation focused on urgent shutdown-related challenges facing Iowa farmers, as well as recent international trade announcements that directly align with priorities Rep. Nunn laid out in a letter to the administration last week.\n\nRoundtable participants described how the shutdown is making an already stressful harvest season even harder. Delayed USDA payments, stalled rural development loans, and missing market reports are compounding uncertainty and leaving producers without critical support.\n\n\u201cHarvest is already one of the most demanding and stressful times of year for Iowa farmers,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cIowa producers told us loud and clear: the shutdown is increasing uncertainty, delaying support, and making it harder to get crops out of the field and into the market.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe appreciate Congressman Nunn\u2019s willingness to listen and find solutions,\u201d said Iowa Institute for Cooperatives Executive Director Bobby Martens. \u201cThe entire grain sector is struggling\u2014farmers, our member grain and farm supply cooperatives, and supply chain partners. Demand from trade and increased domestic production of renewable fuels is critical.\u201d\n\n\u201cI would like to thank Congressman Zach Nunn and Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig for meeting with the members and management team of Heartland Co-Op and for everything they\u2019re doing for Iowa\u2019s farmers and ranchers,\u201d said Heartland Co-Op CEO Tom Hauschel. \u201cThe roundtable discussions gave our members the opportunity to share the challenges facing Iowa\u2019s crop and livestock farmers and work with Congressman Nunn to find solutions.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank Congressman Nunn for organizing this week\u2019s roundtable to hear directly from Iowa farmers about the state of Iowa\u2019s ag economy and how the political gridlock in Washington D.C. is having very real, negative impacts on our family farms and fall conservation planning,\u201d said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. \u201cI appreciate the leadership of Congressman Nunn who is doing everything he can to reopen the government and support Iowa\u2019s hardworking farm families. The shutdown has gone on for far too long and it\u2019s unfortunate that Democrats continue to play partisan politics by refusing to pass a clean continuing resolution.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the visit are available here.\n\nB-roll video is available here.\n\nDrake University Head Start Visit, Des Moines, Polk County\n\nRep. Nunn visited the Drake University Head Start program in Des Moines to tour classrooms and meet with staff, families, and program faculty. While the Drake program is currently funded, Rep. Nunn heard firsthand how the ongoing shutdown is creating instability for Head Start centers across the country\u2014including two in Iowa\u2014as federal grants run out, potentially impacting more than 65,000 children.\n\nThe visit came just weeks after Nunn received the National Head Start Association\u2019s PROMISE Award for his leadership in early childhood education and robust support for Head Start programs.\n\n\u201cHead Start is a lifeline for Iowa kids and working parents,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cI appreciate the Drake faculty\u2019s advocacy not just for their own students, but for the hundreds of Iowa families at risk of losing access if the shutdown continues.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile Drake University Head Start is not currently impacted by the shutdown and we\u2019re grateful to continue serving families, we recognize we\u2019re among the fortunate,\u201d said Drake Head Start Director Lisa Proctor. \u201cAcross the nation, hundreds of programs\u2014including two in Iowa\u2014are at risk of closure without federal funding. Head Start provides more than preschool; it offers families education, nutrition, childcare, and stability. Sustained funding is essential to child development, working families, and local economies\u2014every dollar invested in Head Start returns up to $9. The ongoing shutdown threatens critical services that local families depend on every day.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the visit are available here.\n\nSmall Business and Local Leaders Roundtable, Adel, Dallas County\n\nRep. Nunn hosted a small business roundtable at the Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office in Adel, bringing together representatives from the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Greater Dallas County Development Alliance, and city leaders from Adel, Waukee, Clive, Urbandale, and Van Meter.\n\nParticipants shared how delayed federal approvals, frozen grant programs, and stalled permitting processes are disrupting both small businesses and local governments. Business leaders emphasized the cascading impact of the shutdown on project timelines, workforce stability, and long-term investments in the region.\n\n\u201cWe appreciate Congressman Nunn\u2019s interest in listening to the concerns of our employers and community leaders,\u201d said Dallas County Development Alliance Director Rachel Wacker. \u201cThis conversation allowed us to advocate for policies that support economic growth, job creation, innovation, and investment right here in Dallas County. Decisions made in Washington have immediate and lasting effects on local economies and we welcome the open dialogue with federal leaders.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you to Congressman Zach Nunn for joining us in Dallas County to discuss economic development opportunities in the Greater Des Moines region,\u201d said Greater Des Moines Partnership Director of Government Relations Ryan Moon. \u201cWe will continue working with our Congressional delegation to cultivate a climate where businesses can grow and succeed.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the visit are available here.\n\nB-roll video is available here.\n\nMeeting and Food Drop-Off with Dallas County Sheriff, Adel, Dallas County\n\nRep. Nunn visited the Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office to drop off lunch for deputies and sit down with Sheriff Adam Infante and members of the sheriff\u2019s leadership team. The conversation opened with a discussion of how the government shutdown is impacting public safety operations, including delays in federal grant applications and law enforcement programs that many fast-growing counties like Dallas rely on.\n\n\u201cLaw enforcement shouldn\u2019t have to worry about delayed federal support while they\u2019re working overtime to keep our communities safe,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to Sheriff Infante and his team for their leadership. Even in the face of shutdown disruptions, they\u2019re focused on protecting Iowans and tackling real threats like financial scams head-on.\u201d\n\nSheriff Infante and his team also raised growing concerns about the rise in sophisticated scam activity targeting seniors and working families. Rep. Nunn highlighted two bipartisan bills he is leading in Congress: the GUARD Act, which would equip local law enforcement with blockchain tracing tools and federal support to investigate scams, and the TRAPs Act, which brings together law enforcement, financial regulators, and the tech sector to build stronger fraud prevention systems nationwide.\n\n\u201cIt means a lot when a member of Congress takes the time to sit down and really understand how scams are impacting our community,\u201d said Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to Congressman Nunn for listening to our concerns and partnering with us to find solutions that make a difference locally.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the visit are available here.\n\nB-roll video is available here.\n\nWayPoint Resources Food Pantry Tour, Waukee, Dallas County\n\nRep. Nunn ended the day with a visit to WayPoint Resources, a local food pantry in Waukee, to speak with staff and volunteers about how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting vulnerable families across Iowa. More than 130,000 Iowa households rely on SNAP, and with the program only partially funded, food pantries across Iowa have already seen an increase in demand.\n\nWayPoint staff also underscored that while the shutdown is raising anxiety for families, the community has stepped up to help fill the gap in powerful ways. However, while new volunteers signing up to help and more donations from local partners make a difference, no amount of local goodwill can replace federal programs like SNAP.\n\n\u201cWhen Washington falls short, Iowa steps up,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cBut we can\u2019t expect food pantries to carry the full burden. We need to end the shutdown and restore certainty for every family counting on these programs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe current pause in SNAP benefits is an urgent local issue.,\u201d said Waypoint Resources Executive Director Melissa Stimple. \u201cFamilies who\u2019ve never needed help before are walking through our doors every day. We\u2019ve seen six times the number of new families seeking food assistance in just the past week. We appreciate Congressman Nunn for taking the time to see the impact firsthand and for his willingness to hear directly from the community about what\u2019s needed most.\u201d\n\nPhotos of the visit are available here.\n\nB-roll video is available here.\n\nCreative video is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://nunn.house.gov/2025/11/07/watch-nunn-meets-with-iowans-impacted-by-longest-shutdown-in-u-s-history/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4323880206793547, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}