Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks drew jeers from a crowd in Iowa City Monday over her opposition to banning semi-automatic rifles and support of the Second Amendment.
Miller-Meeks, who is serving her second term representing southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, also received criticism from local medical providers for co-sponsoring a proposal that would declare that personhood begins at conception. Miller-Meeks has said she supports a national 15-week ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.
Miller-Meeks hosted a town hall in Iowa City, where she fielded questions about protecting women’s reproductive rights, climate change, gun control and bipartisan cooperation.
About 60 people turned out for the event at The Little Theater at Iowa City West High School. It was Miller-Meeks’ first public town hall in Iowa City since becoming the town’s congressperson.
Her first question of the night centered on abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the constitutionally protected right to access abortion, and implications for OB-GYNs deciding not to practice in Iowa.
Miller-Meeks, the former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health and a former practicing ophthalmologist in Ottumwa, said the Constitution “guarantees us a right to life” and that “one of the main functions of the federal government is to protect life.” The GOP incumbent reiterated her support for exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.
She noted her introduction of legislation as a state senator to provide over-the-counter birth control to those over the age of 18. In Congress and the Iowa Legislature, Miller-Meeks has promoted adoption and pregnancy prevention services.
“Why did I do that? Because I think the best way to prevent abortion is to prevent pregnancy,” she said. “First and foremost, I think that we should work to continue both education of young men and women on how to make choices that are good choices to avoid ever having to make that decision at all.”
Miller-Meeks also sponsored legislation to give expecting mothers the opportunity to claim the Child Tax Credit for their unborn children. The legislation, Miller-Meeks has said, respects the sanctity of life and recognizes the financial realities that come with raising a child.
Iowa Republican lawmakers this summer passed and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a near-total abortion ban that’s been temporarily halted pending the outcome of a legal challenge.
Multiple OB-GYN residents and medical students who spoke at legislative public hearings said restrictive abortion laws will discourage them from practicing in Iowa and drive prospective OB-GYNs away from the state.
Iowa has among the fewest OB-GYN specialists per capita of any state in the country, according to data from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Miller-Meeks said it was already tough getting rural health care providers, and said she has supported loan forgiveness programs to improve access to primary health care among underserved populations by providing assistance with repayment of educational loans to primary care medical, dental and mental health practitioners. She said she also supports increasing residency slots in the state “so we have more people we can train” and convince to stay in Iowa.
In response to her comments, local medical providers asserted Miller-Meeks’ views go against the will of a majority of Iowans that supports access to safe and legal abortion. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March found that 61 percent of Iowans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
“Abortion bans, like those Rep. Miller Meeks supported in the state and federal legislature, prevent me from providing my patients the basic standard of care,” Dr. Andrea Greiner said in a statement. “Pregnancy is too complicated to legislate.”
Miller-Meeks, speaking to reporters after the town hall, argued national polling suggests Americans’ support for abortion after 12 to 15 weeks of pregnancy “wanes.” She also claimed Democrats support abortion up to the moment of birth.
Shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill that would allow abortion after a fetus is viable outside the womb in cases where the patient’s life or health is at risk. Republicans claim that the bill would allow abortion on demand “up to the moment of birth.”
Democrats counter that’s not what they support, and that such a scenario is exceedingly rare.
“We have a constitutional right to bear arms. You may disagree, you may want it overturned, but I support our constitutional right to bear arms,” she said to a question about what she would to do prevent mass shootings and soaring gun deaths among U.S. children and teens.
“I don’t support, nor do I condone, what has happened in school shootings or shootings in other places,” Miller-Meeks said. “I strongly support and advise and recommend people to lock their weapons, to lock their ammunition,” and support classes on gun safety.
Miller-Meeks said a federal assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2005 was ineffective. She also noted her introduction of legislation to allow states to use unused federal COVID relief dollars to be made available for school security measures.
U.S. Justice Department research shows the ban may have contributed to a drop in the gun murder rate and murders of police officers by criminals armed with assault weapons, but did not affect the average number of victims per gun murder or the number of multiple gunshot wound victims.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Miller-Meeks said Congress in recent years has failed to get enough votes for any measures to reduce access to semi-automatic weapons used in hundreds of mass killings nationally. Instead, she said the U.S. needs to “fully enforce the laws we have” and toughen sentencing for those who commit a crime using a firearm. She said she may consider strengthening background checks.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued a news advisory ahead of the town hall criticizing Miller-Meeks for voting against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and voting against the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices.
Miller-Meeks said she would have voted for portions of the infrastructure bill had Republicans been allowed to offer amendments, claiming Democrats shut them out of the process.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne said in a statement said: “Iowa families deserve a representative who will protect their hard-earned Social Security and Medicare, expand access to health care, lower costs for families, and strengthen reproductive freedom.”
www.thegazette.com
Miller-Meeks, who is serving her second term representing southeast Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, also received criticism from local medical providers for co-sponsoring a proposal that would declare that personhood begins at conception. Miller-Meeks has said she supports a national 15-week ban on abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.
Miller-Meeks hosted a town hall in Iowa City, where she fielded questions about protecting women’s reproductive rights, climate change, gun control and bipartisan cooperation.
About 60 people turned out for the event at The Little Theater at Iowa City West High School. It was Miller-Meeks’ first public town hall in Iowa City since becoming the town’s congressperson.
Her first question of the night centered on abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned the constitutionally protected right to access abortion, and implications for OB-GYNs deciding not to practice in Iowa.
Miller-Meeks, the former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health and a former practicing ophthalmologist in Ottumwa, said the Constitution “guarantees us a right to life” and that “one of the main functions of the federal government is to protect life.” The GOP incumbent reiterated her support for exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.
She noted her introduction of legislation as a state senator to provide over-the-counter birth control to those over the age of 18. In Congress and the Iowa Legislature, Miller-Meeks has promoted adoption and pregnancy prevention services.
“Why did I do that? Because I think the best way to prevent abortion is to prevent pregnancy,” she said. “First and foremost, I think that we should work to continue both education of young men and women on how to make choices that are good choices to avoid ever having to make that decision at all.”
Miller-Meeks also sponsored legislation to give expecting mothers the opportunity to claim the Child Tax Credit for their unborn children. The legislation, Miller-Meeks has said, respects the sanctity of life and recognizes the financial realities that come with raising a child.
Iowa Republican lawmakers this summer passed and Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a near-total abortion ban that’s been temporarily halted pending the outcome of a legal challenge.
Multiple OB-GYN residents and medical students who spoke at legislative public hearings said restrictive abortion laws will discourage them from practicing in Iowa and drive prospective OB-GYNs away from the state.
Iowa has among the fewest OB-GYN specialists per capita of any state in the country, according to data from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Miller-Meeks said it was already tough getting rural health care providers, and said she has supported loan forgiveness programs to improve access to primary health care among underserved populations by providing assistance with repayment of educational loans to primary care medical, dental and mental health practitioners. She said she also supports increasing residency slots in the state “so we have more people we can train” and convince to stay in Iowa.
In response to her comments, local medical providers asserted Miller-Meeks’ views go against the will of a majority of Iowans that supports access to safe and legal abortion. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March found that 61 percent of Iowans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
“Abortion bans, like those Rep. Miller Meeks supported in the state and federal legislature, prevent me from providing my patients the basic standard of care,” Dr. Andrea Greiner said in a statement. “Pregnancy is too complicated to legislate.”
Miller-Meeks, speaking to reporters after the town hall, argued national polling suggests Americans’ support for abortion after 12 to 15 weeks of pregnancy “wanes.” She also claimed Democrats support abortion up to the moment of birth.
Shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Democrats in Congress introduced a bill that would allow abortion after a fetus is viable outside the womb in cases where the patient’s life or health is at risk. Republicans claim that the bill would allow abortion on demand “up to the moment of birth.”
Democrats counter that’s not what they support, and that such a scenario is exceedingly rare.
“We have a constitutional right to bear arms. You may disagree, you may want it overturned, but I support our constitutional right to bear arms,” she said to a question about what she would to do prevent mass shootings and soaring gun deaths among U.S. children and teens.
“I don’t support, nor do I condone, what has happened in school shootings or shootings in other places,” Miller-Meeks said. “I strongly support and advise and recommend people to lock their weapons, to lock their ammunition,” and support classes on gun safety.
Miller-Meeks said a federal assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2005 was ineffective. She also noted her introduction of legislation to allow states to use unused federal COVID relief dollars to be made available for school security measures.
U.S. Justice Department research shows the ban may have contributed to a drop in the gun murder rate and murders of police officers by criminals armed with assault weapons, but did not affect the average number of victims per gun murder or the number of multiple gunshot wound victims.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Miller-Meeks said Congress in recent years has failed to get enough votes for any measures to reduce access to semi-automatic weapons used in hundreds of mass killings nationally. Instead, she said the U.S. needs to “fully enforce the laws we have” and toughen sentencing for those who commit a crime using a firearm. She said she may consider strengthening background checks.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued a news advisory ahead of the town hall criticizing Miller-Meeks for voting against the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and voting against the Inflation Reduction Act, which allows Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices.
Miller-Meeks said she would have voted for portions of the infrastructure bill had Republicans been allowed to offer amendments, claiming Democrats shut them out of the process.
DCCC Spokesperson Mallory Payne said in a statement said: “Iowa families deserve a representative who will protect their hard-earned Social Security and Medicare, expand access to health care, lower costs for families, and strengthen reproductive freedom.”
Miller-Meeks draws jeers at Iowa City town hall over gun and abortion rights
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, hosted a town hall in Iowa City, where she fielded questions about protecting women’s reproductive rights, climate change, gun control and bipartisan cooperation. It was her first public town hall in Iowa City...
www.thegazette.com
