Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) criticized Obama-endorsed Democrat U.S. Senate nominee Josh Turek for taking taxpayer-funded per diem payments while missing a majority of Iowa House votes this year, repeatedly targeting his attendance record during their Senate debate.
Hinson first raised Turek’s attendance record while discussing agriculture and the need for lawmakers to be present for key votes.
“I think it’s really important to note that my opponent decided not to show up for work 58 percent of the time this year on policies that could have helped to support Iowans and Iowa farmers, including the Iowa Farm Bill, chose to not show up to vote for that bill,” Hinson said. “I’m showing up in Washington, DC, to make sure we’re advocating for priorities like the Farm Bill, getting that across the finish line to help support our farmers with the safety and security nets that they need.”
“Policies like year-round E15, which I was able to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in a bipartisan way to get across the finish line,” she continued. “So I’m showing up every day. I’m also traveling all 99 counties of the state, hearing directly from farmers about what they need. That’s why I’m advocating fertilizer policy, not just on duties and tariffs, but on domestic manufacturing.”
Hinson then pointed to economic and manufacturing policy as another area where she said her work in Congress had benefited Iowa.
“I voted for the Working Families Tax Cut Bill, which made it possible for many of these investments, including this steel mill with 1,700 jobs paying $49 an hour to come to our state,” she said. “Because we’re able to be more competitive and bring those jobs home, we can help support agriculture, and we can support domestic manufacturing.”
Hinson later expanded her criticism from Turek’s absences to his voting record in the Iowa legislature.
“He was one of the most absent, and he was one of the most liberal when he did show up to vote. It’s very clear. Forty-two percent of the time, if that’s all you’re showing up to vote, you’re not getting a promotion. You’re getting fired,” Hinson said. “That’s two out of every five days of work. I think every single Iowan knows if you’re only showing up that much, you’re not getting to stay at work.”
“You look at his record. He supported policies when he did show up to help support illegal immigrants in this country, letting taxpayer dollars go to benefits for illegals,” she continued. “He voted to make it easier for politicians to raise your taxes here in Iowa. There’s a constitutional amendment that’s going to be on the ballot. So when he is showing up to vote, it’s wrong for Iowa. He’s too liberal for this state.”
Turek later questioned Hinson’s accessibility to constituents.
Turek said he wanted to add “a provision to mandate that members of Congress have to host at least one annual town hall in person because someone like Ashley Hinson, as she’s been running for U.S. Senate, has not had one in-person town hall.”
Hinson pushed back on Turek’s characterization before turning the exchange back on him.
“I did 47 town halls during my time in Congress, so you all at this table have covered many of them and understand clearly that I am a transparent and accessible representative,” Hinson said.
“I’m glad, Josh, that you brought up the per diem because there is a program for members of Congress; all members can take advantage of it to take a daily per diem for days we are in session,” she continued. “That’s the only day you can actually take it, and I use that. You can use it for a hotel or your apartment.”
“So I think it’s important to note that my opponent, who did not show up to work, still took the full per diem here in Iowa, the same program that exists for lawmakers here,” Hinson said. “So you took the per diem; you stole from taxpayers. You should refund that money.”
Hinson also raised Turek’s attendance in the context of rural health care.
“My opponent did not show up for the vote to deploy the 50 billion dollars, 200 million plus of that from the Rural Health Transformation Fund here in Iowa,” Hinson said. “So you talk about actually being there to show up to support rural health care. I worked to make sure that funding was there to make sure our rural hospitals and our rural entities could stay open.”
“And you look at providers; they are already recruiting providers,” she continued. “Just last week, I was able to do a town hall in Protivin, small community in my district. Howard County, just north of there, is using those rural health transformation fund dollars to recruit not only a nurse midwife but a new PA. They told me that just last week.”
“So those dollars are actually deployed and are making sure Iowans can access health care,” Hinson said.
She additionally turned to Medicaid and the Working Families Tax Cut Bill.
“Let’s talk about Medicaid. It is one of the highest enrolled programs in the country, and we may be talking more about this. But you look at who should be getting Medicaid. We want it to be there for our working poor people who have a little skin in the game,” Hinson said.
“What we did was make sure that there are some common sense work requirements, so that people who are gaming the system aren’t getting these benefits, and people who are illegal are not getting these benefits,” she continued.
“My opponent Josh Turek wants to undo the entire Working Families Tax Cut Bill on day one. He has said it, and that would immediately mean all of those illegals who have been kicked off Medicaid would be back on it,” Hinson said. “He supports taxpayer benefits going to illegal immigrants.”
Hinson also laid out her agriculture agenda while returning to Turek’s attendance record.
“I’m still going to support a farm bill. That’s going to be my priority — is making sure we get that across the finish line,” Hinson said. “There’s a lot of good policy in there, including on fertilizer and animal research and biosecurity, which is another conversation we need to have about how do we set ourselves up so that we can push back on maybe challenges with African swine fever and other issues that may be affecting avian influenza, for example.”
“So there are so many things in the farm bill that we need to get across the finish line, and it’s unfortunate that every Democrat in the Senate Agriculture Committee voted no, and it’s unfortunate that my opponent did not show up,” she continued. “Josh Turek did not show up to vote for the Iowa Farm Bill this year to stand up for Iowa farmers.”
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann praised Hinson following the debate.
“Ashley Hinson is a proven leader who shows up, delivers results, and fights every day for Iowa families, farmers, and small businesses,” Kaufmann said. “Josh Turek skipped 58 percent of his votes, and when he did show up, he voted like an East Coast liberal.”
“His solution to everything is raising taxes and higher costs for Iowans,” Kaufmann continued. “This race is about showing up versus skipping out, and results versus rhetoric. Tonight, Iowans saw exactly who deserves a promotion — and that’s Ashley Hinson.”
Senate Leadership Fund Communications Director Chris Gustafson also backed Hinson following the debate.
“We’re shocked that Josh Turek actually showed up to the debate tonight, considering he’s skipped 58 percent of his legislative votes this year,” Gustafson said. “Ashley Hinson clearly won this debate and demonstrated why she’s the right candidate to be the next U.S. Senator from Iowa.”
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