A group of Iowa organizations launched a website intended to showcase the effects of Biden administration investments and policies in Iowa.
The new website, iowaatwork.com, shows a map of Iowa dotted with symbols that represent investments in broadband, transportation, child care, and other areas from Biden-backed American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law. Users can click on each item and see what the project is, how much federal funds are being used and what federal program the money comes from.
A total of 2,883 projects representing $11.8 billion in federal investments are displayed in the interactive chart. The projects include a $363,000 grant to a child care center in Mason City, a $3.8 million upgrade to city infrastructure in Storm Lake, and a $5.4 million improvement to the Des Moines International Airport.
The site will be continually updated to show new projects funded by the federal programs, said Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic in a press conference Wednesday.
The goal of the site is to present the projects and investments made possible by Democratic-led policies in a clear and digestible format, Sinovic said. He said the large-dollar figures and different funds make it difficult to keep track of where federal money is going in Iowa.
“It’s just an effort to remind people, or to let them know for the first time, perhaps, what this means in their day to day life,” Sinovic said. “...When you can communicate at a level, and they can zoom in on their county and see and click on the things that are happening around them, that's a first step to making it hit home.”
The site was launched by a coalition of liberal advocacy groups including Progress Iowa, the Iowa Farmers Union, Common Good Iowa, the Iowa State Education Association, AFSCME Council 61, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, Iowa Citizens Action Network and RuralOrganizing.org.
The groups also wrote a report that details some of the investments made by the federal programs.
Matt Sinovic
She highlighted a chicken processing plant in Charles City that reopened because of a combined $45 million loan and grant from the USDA. Greenfield said the plant will create new jobs and stimulate the local economy by creating a place for the plant’s farmer shareholders to process their livestock.
“They’re going to be buying feed, and they’re going to be generating more income, and they’re going to be spending more income in their hometowns,” she said. “And that kind of investment is helping to grow their small businesses.”
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Local government
The map also highlights a number of local government projects made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, which directed billions of dollars to state, county and city governments to make up for COVID-related losses.
Meghann Foster, the mayor of Coralville, said the city was able to shore up its budget and expand its social services using ARPA funds. The city directed money to its food pantry, invested $200,000 in the Johnson County Housing Trust Fund, and worked with a nonprofit to address youth mental health.
“I think that it just goes to show that when you invest in local government, when you give that funding directly to local leadership, we know how to best serve the needs of our constituents,” Foster said. “And it's just been an incredible partnership that we have had with the federal government, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how these investments are going to pay off down the road.”
Democrats have worked in recent months to give Americans a positive vision of Biden's economic agenda, highlighting growing jobs numbers and record investments in infrastructure.
Biden and administration officials embarked on a tour this month to show off what he called “Bidenomics,” as the administration attempts to counter low approval ratings and Americans’ pessimism about the economy.
Republicans have been critical of Biden’s handling of the economy, blaming him for high inflation and high interest rates, leading to rising costs for cars and homes. The U.S. inflation rate was 3% in June, down from a high of 9% in June of 2022. The unemployment rate was at 3.6% in June and the country added 209,000 new jobs.
"The real 'Bidenomics' that Iowa Democrats aren't so keen to talk about is the fact that historic inflation is costing Iowa families nearly $8,000 annually while real wages continue to decline on Biden's watch,” said Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann in a statement. "No amount of glossy websites and publicity tours about Biden's bloated government spending are going to change the cold hard reality of the absolute disaster that is 'Bidenomics'."
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The new website, iowaatwork.com, shows a map of Iowa dotted with symbols that represent investments in broadband, transportation, child care, and other areas from Biden-backed American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law. Users can click on each item and see what the project is, how much federal funds are being used and what federal program the money comes from.
A total of 2,883 projects representing $11.8 billion in federal investments are displayed in the interactive chart. The projects include a $363,000 grant to a child care center in Mason City, a $3.8 million upgrade to city infrastructure in Storm Lake, and a $5.4 million improvement to the Des Moines International Airport.
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The site will be continually updated to show new projects funded by the federal programs, said Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic in a press conference Wednesday.
The goal of the site is to present the projects and investments made possible by Democratic-led policies in a clear and digestible format, Sinovic said. He said the large-dollar figures and different funds make it difficult to keep track of where federal money is going in Iowa.
“It’s just an effort to remind people, or to let them know for the first time, perhaps, what this means in their day to day life,” Sinovic said. “...When you can communicate at a level, and they can zoom in on their county and see and click on the things that are happening around them, that's a first step to making it hit home.”
The site was launched by a coalition of liberal advocacy groups including Progress Iowa, the Iowa Farmers Union, Common Good Iowa, the Iowa State Education Association, AFSCME Council 61, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, Iowa Citizens Action Network and RuralOrganizing.org.
The groups also wrote a report that details some of the investments made by the federal programs.
Matt Sinovic
Investing in chicken processing plant
Theresa Greenfield, the Iowa state director for rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said during the press conference the Biden administration has made major investments for Iowa’s agriculture communities and rural Iowa.She highlighted a chicken processing plant in Charles City that reopened because of a combined $45 million loan and grant from the USDA. Greenfield said the plant will create new jobs and stimulate the local economy by creating a place for the plant’s farmer shareholders to process their livestock.
“They’re going to be buying feed, and they’re going to be generating more income, and they’re going to be spending more income in their hometowns,” she said. “And that kind of investment is helping to grow their small businesses.”
Subscribe today and support local journalism!
Local government
The map also highlights a number of local government projects made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, which directed billions of dollars to state, county and city governments to make up for COVID-related losses.
Meghann Foster, the mayor of Coralville, said the city was able to shore up its budget and expand its social services using ARPA funds. The city directed money to its food pantry, invested $200,000 in the Johnson County Housing Trust Fund, and worked with a nonprofit to address youth mental health.
“I think that it just goes to show that when you invest in local government, when you give that funding directly to local leadership, we know how to best serve the needs of our constituents,” Foster said. “And it's just been an incredible partnership that we have had with the federal government, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how these investments are going to pay off down the road.”
Trying to show of 'Bidenomics'
Democrats have worked in recent months to give Americans a positive vision of Biden's economic agenda, highlighting growing jobs numbers and record investments in infrastructure.
Biden and administration officials embarked on a tour this month to show off what he called “Bidenomics,” as the administration attempts to counter low approval ratings and Americans’ pessimism about the economy.
Republicans have been critical of Biden’s handling of the economy, blaming him for high inflation and high interest rates, leading to rising costs for cars and homes. The U.S. inflation rate was 3% in June, down from a high of 9% in June of 2022. The unemployment rate was at 3.6% in June and the country added 209,000 new jobs.
"The real 'Bidenomics' that Iowa Democrats aren't so keen to talk about is the fact that historic inflation is costing Iowa families nearly $8,000 annually while real wages continue to decline on Biden's watch,” said Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann in a statement. "No amount of glossy websites and publicity tours about Biden's bloated government spending are going to change the cold hard reality of the absolute disaster that is 'Bidenomics'."
Iowa groups launch website to showcase 'Bidenomics'
The site is intended to make the effects of Democratic-led federal investments clear to Iowans.
