Q: What is your 99-county tour, "Every County, Every Year" about?
A: I visit every one of Iowa's 99 counties every year because representative government is two-way street. Iowans are one-half of the equation and I, as your elected representative, am the other half. Whether the visit be a town meeting, touring a business and talking with employees, speaking at a service club, or meeting with high school students and teachers, it allows me to hear different views from different cross-sections of Iowans in order to stay in touch and put Iowa commonsense to work in Washington. Iowans also want updates about what the government is doing or to have their questions about legislation answered. My town meetings in August were some of the most well attended I've had since beginning my 99-county tour in 1981, after I was first elected to the United States Senate. Some town meetings this year have had up to 850 participants. I appreciate everyone who came to my meetings. Participation in the process of representative government is fundamentalto making our system of government function properly. It's what democracy is all about.
Q: Why is it important to hold a meeting in every county?
A: The people of Iowa are diverse and hold different points of view. To be a good representative for Iowa, I want to know and understand concerns from Iowans all over the state. I want to make sure I hear the concerns directly, so I visit all 99 counties for these official visits, separate from political events. Visits are generally held during the weeks that the Senate is not in session. In addition to holding an official meeting in every county every year, I work to keep in touch with Iowans by responding to every phone call and piece of mail, both postal and e-mail. I'm committed to responding and want Iowans to send me a letter if they don't get a reply. Iowans who make the trip to Washington, D.C. on business trips and vacation during the work week can visit with me in my office there, as well. For 29 years, I've valued the dialogue and input gathered at constituent meetings, during weekend visits home, and through regular correspondence with Iowans. It's helped me to represent our state in the United States Senate.