Randy Feenstra was sitting in a new office in Washington, D.C. And he was surrounded by drama. The drama had nothing to do with his office but everything to do with the dysfunction and disagreements in the final days of work in 2024 for Congress.
Feenstra, a Republican, has a unique perspective. He represents one the most ag-heavy congressional districts in the country: the northwest part of Iowa. Bird flu, disappointing commodity prices, inflation, and farm income declines all merit Congress’ attention, Feenstra believes.
RELATED: Three additional Iowa counties have reported cases of bird flu in flocks. There have been 11 outbreaks in the state this year with 10 of those cases detected in northwest Iowa. KTIV-TV in Sioux City, Iowa, provides details about what animal health officials have spotted recently.
But there was a crisis taking precedence as he talked with American Farmland Owner from his new office early Tuesday evening.
“It's round and round and round we go,” Feenstra described the week.
Republicans and Democrats have been arguing all year about a new Farm Bill. Really, they have been at odds for the past two years about that topic. Congress couldn’t pass a five-year extension in 2023 when it was time to do that and followed up in 2024 with another year of Farm Bill futility.
But December added even more drama with late month bickering over a temporary spending bill that would keep all aspects of the federal government funded until March. Without that agreement, there could be a serious problem.
Parts of the federal government could shut down this weekend due to lack of funding.
RELATED: Thursday night, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down a proposal that Donald Trump supported to fund the federal government until March and suspend the country’s debt limit for two years. Republicans hold a majority in the house, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson failed to convince enough of his members to support the funding proposal. CNN has this report on what happened.
“When you have two parties…you have Democrat and Republican Party,” Feenstra said. “…And we both want to posture.”
Feenstra is used to political posturing even during times of high stakes.
He has been in politics for nearly two decades. Feenstra began in politics as a county treasurer in 2006 and then left after winning his first term in the Iowa Senate in 2008. Twelve years later, he got elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
But getting to Congress wasn’t easy. Feenstra ran against longtime Republican Congressman Steve King in a high-profile party primary. King had frustrated some party leaders and activists with his rhetoric. Feenstra’s style is less caustic. They backed Feenstra in his upset win over King.
RELATED: CBS News has this story from 2020 that described what Congressman Steve King had said in recent years that cost him support from federal and state Republican leadership and helped Randy Feenstra eventually become a member of Congress. Watch that here.
But that Republican vs. Republican matchup may have prepared him for this week that has seen billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who is also a megadonor and adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, help torpedo an earlier bipartisan version of a temporary spending bill.
Trump followed Musk’s lead and spoke out against the deal, threatening primary challengers for Republicans who failed to follow his wishes.
Feenstra tries to stay clear of the in-party arguments. He also wants to avoid any type of government shutdown, get a spending deal figured out, and get another one-year Farm Bill extension.
And he wants the focus back on his priorities: get colleagues to support small family farmers, expand exports, and get other regions of the country to sell e-15 blended fuel.
“I come from a town of 2,500,” Feenstra said. “Grew up as a rural ag kid, and we see it every day when ag struggles.”
Feenstra has watched parts of his district struggle the past two years as farmers, producers, and manufacturers have dealt with falling incomes, purchases, and sales.
He wants Congress to find a way to work together as much of his district’s financial well-being is at stake.
“Your Main Street struggles, your manufacturing, your restaurants, your schools, your hospitals…so everything pivots, especially in Northwest Iowa and around the whole state in essence, right? Everything pivots on the success of that farmer.”
NOTE: U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra has been a past guest at the annual Land Investment Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. The next Expo takes place on January 14th, 2025.
