Q: What is a community delegation visit to Washington?
A: This year, over 17 community delegations will travel from Iowa to Washington, DC to promote economic development and other initiatives to improve their home communities. The delegations include chambers of commerce, local elected officials, employers, and other community leaders and representatives. The delegations, which range in size from five to over 100 Iowans, generally come to Washington for a few days with requests for federal assistance to benefit local projects and for legislative actions by their United States Senators and Representatives. My office works with officials in the executive branch to facilitate briefings beyond the meetings with the Congressional offices, too. For the most part, community delegations are seeking appropriations and policy changes and to weigh in on federal rules and regulations. I see value in the community delegation visits because those participating spend time before they make the trip studying and prioritizing the goals and projects for their local areas. That preparation makes it easier for me and my staff to focus all of our energy on providing the assistance needed to work to make some of the projects and goals become a reality, rather than trying to referee between different factions in the community to determine which projects are most important to the community overall.
Q: What is your role in these community delegation visits?
A: The community delegation visits are based on the right established by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the rights of citizens 'to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.' In fact, these visits are a great example of how representative government can work. The meetings provide community delegations opportunities to present needs and share concerns with their elected representatives in a comprehensive way that is goal-oriented for an entire community. Iowans don't have to come to Washington to share their priorities with me though. My staff and I are always available for communities to contact us by email, phone, or videoconferencing. The important part is keeping the lines of communication between my office and these communities and others open throughout the year, as I work in the United States Senate to make sure Iowa's voice is heard in Washington.