U.S. Congresswoman Cindy Axne

Though the members of the 117th U.S. Congress were elected last week, one of the reelected members representing Iowa says there is still plenty of work to be done before the end of the year.

U.S. Representative for Iowa’s Third District Cindy Axne (D) tells Raccoon Valley Radio that she is continuing efforts to push leaders in Washington to finalize an agreement on COVID-19 relief and stimulus. Axne wrote a new letter to President Donald Trump, the Senate majority leader, and Speaker of the House highlighting the continued strain Iowa’s families and businesses face and rising case counts burdening Iowa’s assisted living facilities during the pandemic. She shares some of her other priorities as she returns to the nation’s capital, “Well, first and foremost we’ve got to make sure that government funding continues. It will run out on December 11th so we’ve got to get a budget fixed, that’s the most important thing. So I’m going to be continuing to push for that, we passed 10 of the 12 budgets out of the House already and we’ve been waiting for the Senate to take action. But within that I want to make sure that we get tax extenders again, the biofuel tax extender that I got last year expires on January 1st, I want to push that. I’m continuing to push for the rollover for allowing parents to save for their child’s daycare. If we don’t roll that over that’s going to be money out of their pocket which I don’t want to see.”

The second generation biofuel tax extender that was revived from its 2017 expiration at the beginning of this year is set to end on January 1st, and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act which was passed by the House in July would prevent families from losing thousands in unspent Dependent Care Assistance Plans savings at the end of this year.