As a native of rural Iowa, combat veteran, former consultant to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and candidate for Congress, I understand the challenges families face today. Gasoline and food are too expensive, wages are too low and partisan politics seem to stand in the way of real solutions.
Just before the holidays at Iowa State announced It would not participate in the USDA's Summer EBT program – a program that would help families pay for food and ensure our children don't go hungry when they are out of school over the summer.
This decision is simply heartless, cruel and inexcusable. Summer EBT could decline 240,000 children There is better access to meals in Iowa this summer, but instead children are being left behind because we have politicians who refuse to budge from their political camp and support a bipartisan initiative.
And the truth is, feeding hundreds of thousands of children is just the surface of this program.
The implications are actually much deeper and almost require an investment 29 million dollars in our communities and encouraging economic activity that will help countless working families, small businesses and small farms across Iowa. I saw this firsthand at USDA when we launched a pilot program similar to Summer EBT.
First, it provides a stipend to families who are currently experiencing hardship to be able to afford food. When stores see higher demand and need more workers, that means more opportunities – for the teenager looking for their first job or the working parent who needs a few extra hours.
As our stores experience increased demand, so does demand for our food processing, packaging and transportation companies – some of the largest industries in Iowa's economy, employing thousands of Iowans. Whether it's a large manufacturer like General Mills or a small trucking company, this increases revenue and wages, creates jobs and revitalizes our economy.
And that process starts with our farmers – many of whom run family farms and are working harder than ever to stay afloat in competition with large corporate farms. When they supply plants to manufacturers and grocery stores, their sales increase and they become financially more secure.
Simply put, these investments create jobs and grow the economy here in our communities. I know how important this is – my parents got jobs in a factory in Mt. Pleasant after they came to Iowa from Laos. These jobs allowed them to get on their feet, earn an honest living, and live the American dream.
As Iowa families try to make ends meet while paying more for groceries and gas, the summer EBT program can actually help provide the relief that so many politicians simply trot out as a talking point.
It is incumbent on every elected official in Iowa to call out the state's disregard not only for our families and children, but also for our communities, who want economic growth more than ever. Zach Nunn, our U.S. representative and my opponent in my run for Congress, hasn't said a single word about it.
Nunn talks a lot about cutting costs and growing the middle class, but when he sees a real opportunity to help provide relief, he sides with his party leaders rather than with us.
As a former USDA official, I am discouraged. As a father, I am horrified. As a candidate for Congress, I am more eager than ever to be the voice of reason and compassion that Iowa so desperately needs.
Lanon Baccam is a combat veteran, former USDA official and candidate for Iowa's Third Congressional District.
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