{"id":14163,"date":"2025-07-18T16:50:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T21:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/midamerica.news\/winnebago-county-tribune\/?p=14163"},"modified":"2025-07-18T16:50:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T21:50:16","slug":"d-c-dispatch-iowa-legislators-cheer-fentanyl-reclassification-federal-spending-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/midamerica.news\/winnebago-county-tribune\/2025\/07\/18\/d-c-dispatch-iowa-legislators-cheer-fentanyl-reclassification-federal-spending-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"D.C. Dispatch: Iowa legislators cheer fentanyl reclassification, federal spending cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

D.C. Dispatch: Iowa legislators cheer fentanyl reclassification, federal spending cuts<\/h1>\n
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President Donald Trump signs the HALT Fentanyl Act, July 16, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley is second from the right. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Tom Foley, Iowa Capital Dispatch<\/a>
\nJuly 18, 2025<\/p>\n

This week in the nation\u2019s capital, President Donald Trump signed a fentanyl reclassification act led by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa legislators cheered the passing of a federal rescission bill through Congress and House members helped send a $832 billion defense appropriations bill through the GOP-led chamber.<\/p>\n

The Grassley-led HALT Act permanently reclassifies fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule 1 drug. In February 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary scheduling order reclassifying fentanyl-related substances to Schedule 1. Congress has since extended this order a total of 10 times.<\/p>\n

The act has received criticism<\/a> from advocacy groups such as the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights stating that classwide drug rescheduling may exacerbate incarceration rates and sentencing.<\/p>\n

The president\u2019s signing of the HALT Act Wednesday was attended by several Iowa officials including Grassley, Attorney General Brenna Bird and Rep. Randy Feenstra.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe HALT Fentanyl Act<\/i> is now the law of the land, marking a major victory in America\u2019s fight against fentanyl,\u201d Grassley said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cBy permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, the HALT Fentanyl Act<\/i> will save American lives and prevent deadly fentanyl knockoffs from making their way into Iowa communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bill is a huge win for Iowa and the entire country,\u201d Bird said in a press release<\/a>. \u201cAs a mom and prosecutor, I am deeply aware of the devastating effects fentanyl has had on our communities. And as Attorney General, I hear about this issue from Iowans regularly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI applaud President Trump for signing into law the HALT Fentanyl Act and taking decisive action to keep fentanyl and other poisonous substances out of our country.\u201d Feenstra stated<\/a>. \u201cIn conjunction with our work to secure the border, this legislation will help law enforcement confiscate dangerous drugs, combat the drug cartels, and save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Ashley Hinson stated<\/a>: \u201cThis bill will help end the scourge of the opioid epidemic that has taken too many American lives \u2014 we will continue working together to get dangerous drugs off our streets & ensure dealers are punished for their crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Zach Nunn also stated<\/a> he \u201cproudly cosigned\u201d the HALT act for its ability to \u201ccrack down on traffickers,\u201d keep \u201cdeadly substances off our streets\u201d and ensure consistent penalties for fentanyl distributors.<\/p>\n

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks stated in a press release<\/a>: \u201cAs an original cosponsor in the House, I was proud to help lead the fight to get this bill across the finish line. With this law in place, we\u2019re going on offense. We\u2019re giving law enforcement what they need to crack down, take control, and stop this poison from claiming more lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller-Meeks also reintroduced<\/a> a bipartisan bill Thursday requiring social media companies and other communication service providers to alert law enforcement officials when illegal drug distributions occur on their platforms.<\/p>\n

Iowa legislators praise cuts to foreign aid, public media<\/h4>\n

All of Iowa\u2019s delegates voted in favor of Trump\u2019s rescission bill to axe $9 billion in previously approved funding for programs including the U.S. Agency for International Aid, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio.<\/p>\n

The rescission bill passed both chambers of Congress Friday with a vote of 51-48 in the Senate and 216-213 in the House. This marks the second time in over three decades Congress has approved a presidential rescission request.<\/p>\n

Ernst praised the cuts to USAID, citing \u201cabuses\u201d such as an alleged $148,000 sent to a pickle-maker in Ukraine through USAID and $20 million spent on Sesame Street programming in Iraq.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are ever going to get serious about our debt crisis, Congress needs to pass a rescissions bill like this every single week,\u201d she stated in a press release.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hinson responded to the bill with a statement on X<\/a>: \u201cPresident Trump is the first president to actually deliver on real savings for the American people and end the culture of wasteful spending in Washington.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grassley took to X<\/a> as well to state \u201cFed govt is $36 TRILLION in debt Last night Sen Republicans voted to roll back DC\u2019s out of control spending.\u201d He added that Republicans plan to build on the provisions in the \u201cbig, beautiful bill\u201d going forward.<\/p>\n

Miller-Meeks called the rescission cuts a one of two \u201cbig wins for the American people\u201d in an X post<\/a>. She also cheered the passing of a defense appropriations bill increasing military spending.<\/p>\n

Democrats in both the House and Senate voted against passing the rescission bill. Several Democratic legislators criticized<\/a> the rescission bill for cutting funding from public broadcasting that will impact rural news sources and withdrawing U.S. support from countries in need.<\/p>\n

Ernst spearheads amendment to defense appropriations bill<\/h4>\n

Ernst led an amendment to the defense appropriations bill to require all defense spending be posted on the public website USAspending.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This amendment will directly target \u201cOther Transaction Agreements\u201d which are flexible spending agreements not subject to standard acquisition laws and requirements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am ending Pentagon bureaucrats\u2019 game of hide and seek with your tax dollars,\u201d Ernst stated in a press release.<\/a> \u201cAmericans have a right to know where their hard-earned dollars are going. I\u2019ve long been working to make the Pentagon more transparent and accountable and will continue to work to review the hidden receipts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The expansive defense bill passed through the House with a split vote of 221-209 on Friday. It allocates nearly $832 billion for provisions such as:<\/p>\n