Former Iowa state representative Christina Bohannan, who is running against Iowa’s Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks, amplified a report last week highlighting that “Iowa lost 17% of USDA staff in 2025, impact felt at farmer-facing offices.”
The Democratic nominee added: “While our farmers are dealing with the stress of tariffs and sky-high diesel and fertilizer prices driven by this war, they are also facing USDA staff shortages that make it harder to apply for crop insurance and farm loans. All thanks to the cuts that @millermeeks supported.”
While our farmers are dealing with the stress of tariffs and sky-high diesel and fertilizer prices driven by this war, they are also facing USDA staff shortages that make it harder to apply for crop insurance and farm loans.
— Christina Bohannan (@BohannanIowa) July 2, 2026
All thanks to the cuts that @millermeeks supported. pic.twitter.com/TJLioa91GL
[NOTE: In April, Miller-Meeks voted for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (H.R. 7567), which Environmental Defense Fund Vice President for Political and Government Affairs Joanna Slaney said cuts popular USDA conservation programs and fails “to address staffing shortages at USDA.”
Slaney also said the legislation’s “lack of investment in critical agricultural research programs will leave farmers with fewer tools to build resilience on their operations, improve environmental outcomes and support long-term productivity and profitability.”]
Miller-Meeks replied to Bohannan on social media: “How out of touch are you? Iowa farmers buy crop insurance from their local agent, not a USDA office. Anyone who’s spent time in farm country knows that. A year of lies, and you’ve never cited a single vote. Because there isn’t one.”
Bohannan replied: “This is completely disingenuous, and she knows it. Big Ag’s favorite Congresswoman steals your bread and thinks you should say thank you for the crumbs.”
This is completely disingenuous, and she knows it.
— Christina Bohannan (@BohannanIowa) July 3, 2026
Big Ag's favorite Congresswoman steals your bread and thinks you should say thank you for the crumbs. https://t.co/lf10D0cvKR
Iowa’s independent congressional candidate Michael Bridgford, who is endorsed by the Forward Party, replied to both Miller-Meeks and Bohannan: “You both are disingenuous. Iowans aren’t dumb…they know that you both only answer to special interests and party bosses. When’s the first debate?”
