Hinson talks about rural concerns during travels through Second District

NORTHWOOD — North-central Iowa congresswoman Ashley Hinson is traveling throughout her district including here locally during the October congressional break. 

Hinson says, “My tour stops over the last couple of weeks have really focused on keeping rural Iowa vibrant. So many people in Congress consider rural Iowa flyover country, and some of my colleagues act like it, but from day one I have consistently fought to bring those resources back to rural Iowa, improve services for rural Iowans, and ensure the vitality of our rural communities.”

Hinson says people she’s talked with during her tour of counties have expressed concerns about a number of issues.  “As I’ve been out traveling in the more rural parts of our district, I’ve heard from folks who are truly scared about some of our communities really making it long-term, what the future of rural America looks like. Iowans across the board are fighting hard to improve quality of life in their community. That means no matter what your zip code is, better access to child care, education, economic opportunity, and healthcare.  So at the federal level, I’ve been prioritizing these things, and I’ve delivered key investments for rural America and rural Iowa.”

Hinson says expanding maternal healthcare in rural Iowa has also been one of her priorities.  “Several counties in our Second District are considered maternal healthcare deserts. That’s where women may have to drive an hour or more to see their OB/GYN. I was able to get legislation passed and signed into law this year to end the tragedy of stillbirth, the loss of a baby after more than 20 weeks, by opening up more federal resources for stillbirth prevention and education. I’ve also been working to bring more trained midwives out to Iowa. I’ve introduced legislation to allow adult women to access over-the-counter birth control at their local pharmacy without a prescription to help plan their families. The FDA needs to get on that.”

Hinson made stops in Worth and Mitchell counties today.