Feenstra Pushes For Social Security Reform During Glenwood Meeting


Rep. Randy Feenstra listens to a question during the Nov. 21 meeting.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa District 4) met with an invited group of bankers, farmers, business leaders and governmental officials during a gathering at Glenwood State Bank last Tuesday.

The meeting was Feenstra’s first public appearance locally since Mills County became part of Iowa’s fourth congressional district last January.

The meeting included discussion on several topics, ranging from the national debt and flex-fuel vehicles to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the 2024 presidential election.

Reminded that the national debt has risen to over $33 trillion, Feenstra warned that major changes must be made to the Social Security and Medicare programs over the next decade if they are to remain solvent. Feenstra sits on subcommittees for both Social Security and Medicare.

“We have very limited time. We’ve got to do something,” he said. “It’s like a falling building – a 50-story building and we’ve got about 10 floors left before we hit the bottom, actually eight years. We’re trying to put together a plan. We’re starting with 33- and 35-year-olds. This is where things change, that you ought to be 70 before you retire, also giving them a personal option (to save for retirement). Democrats want a ceiling on how much a person with X amount of dollars - $2.8 million – can earn on Social Security. Same with Medicare – there’s got to be major changes to Medicare.

“That’s the negotiation we’re in right now, trying to figure out a solution in the next year and a half and bring it to the table. We won’t vote on it until after the next (2024) election.”

Feenstra noted that while the Biden administration has been a champion for electric vehicles, the congressman would like to see federal incentives offered to promote the sale of flex-fuel vehicles. FFVs have an internal combustion engine and are capable of operating on gasoline and any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to 83%. E85 (or flex fuel) is a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season.

The congressman said Ford and General Motors have made major commitments to the production and sale of electric vehicles, but are receiving “pushback” from local dealerships that are struggling to meet mandatory EV sale requirements.

Feenstra said he supports providing financial aid to both Ukraine and Israel in their war efforts, but stressed the need for full disclosure of how the money is being spent. 

“We have to know what we’re buying,” he said.

As for the 2024 presidential election and upcoming Republican caucuses in Iowa, Feenstra was non-committal on who he will support.

“I’ve been an ambassador to everybody (candidates),” he said. “We have to do our due diligence, Iowa has the ability to pick the next Republican candidate for president. We have to take that seriously.”

The Opinion-Tribune

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