Two Iowa Republicans up for reelection in Congress touted the One Big, Beautiful Bill as a boon for U.S. manufacturers during a pair of visits to large manufacturers in their home districts.
U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn toured companies in their respective districts recently to trumpet the benefits of the year-old tax and spending law as the Trump administration tries to bring back manufacturing jobs from overseas.
Miller-Meeks toured a pair of steel producers in Wilton on Wednesday, Aug. 5, while Nunn visited a Clive manufacturing facility on Aug. 4 with acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling.
“I wanted to see American manufacturing that’s coming back to Iowa and coming back to this country,” Sonderling said. “The president, when he ran, he promised to bring back industries. He promised to bring back jobs like this, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing. And more importantly, we’re seeing firsthand how the working families tax cut is actually bringing jobs and more money back to Iowa.”
Republicans contend the measure’s investment in workforce training, focus on the trades, allowance for expensing new equipment and research and development for corporations, and temporary deduction on taxes on overtime have helped drive U.S. investment in manufacturing.
Democrats argue the Republican tax law disproportionately benefits wealthy Americans while making steep cuts to public assistance programs, including federal spending on food assistance and Medicaid.
The Trump administration says the law, which Republicans have since taken to calling the “working families tax cut,” is projected to provide more than $3.7 trillion in tax cuts and make more than $1.3 trillion in spending cuts over a decade.
Both lawmakers’ visits were organized through their congressional offices, but they are both on the Nov. 3 general election ballot and face tough reelection bids. Election observers rate their matchups toss-ups, meaning either party has a shot at winning the seat.
National Democrats are heavily targeting the races as potentially pivotal in their fight to take control of Congress.
Tours come amid agricultural economy downturn, manufacturing layoffs
Republicans’ manufacturing focus comes as Iowa struggles with a decline in manufacturing jobs, driven in part by a sluggish agricultural economy ailing from Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The tariffs have driven up prices on all sorts of items, in turn spiking businesses’ costs for materials and other goods.
Iowa shed 4,300 manufacturing jobs in the last 12 months, according to Iowa Workforce Development data — more than in any other sector. Recent layoffs have included manufacturers such as Whirlpool Corp., which has announced over 600 layoffs, and ongoing cutbacks at John Deere.
In 2024, before the 2025 tax law was passed, the state also saw manufacturing job losses leading the state’s layoffs, according to a report from the Common Sense Institute.
While Iowa has shed manufacturing jobs, the state has seen several new manufacturing investments, including a $102.7 million facility in Bondurant.
Sonderling said the administration has focused on ensuring that farmers and Iowa manufacturers can benefit from the law as it takes effect.
“We’re really working very closely with (Iowa farmers) to make sure that they have the workers they need,” Sonderling said. “There’s a lot of really skilled agriculture jobs that are here, that people from around the country can come and take these really high-paying, high-skilled agriculture jobs.”
Miller-Meeks touts tax cuts during Wilton manufacturing tour
Miller-Meeks, who is seeking reelection in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, touted the tax-cutting law during a series of stops at manufacturing companies Wilton Precision Steel and the Gerdau steel mill, both in Wilton, on Wednesday. The congressional district encompasses Iowa City, Davenport, Keokuk, Indianola and rural southeast Iowa.
The stops were part of her second annual “Made in America Manufacturing Tour,” which involves visits and tours of manufacturers in the 1st Congressional District.
“If we hadn’t passed the working families tax credit, we would be in a lot worse place than we are now,” Miller-Meeks said. “You are not going to be able to keep manufacturing in the United States, or bring back manufacturing, which is a longer process, without those tax provisions.”
Miller-Meeks said businesses being able to plan on their expected tax burden by making Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts permanent will allow companies to plan for the future.
“Making them permanent, they are going to know that they will exist for where they are going with their workforce,” Miller-Meeks said.
Her opponent, Iowa City Democrat Christina Bohannan, pointed to recent layoffs in the district, saying the tax cuts did not bring more jobs to Iowa.
“Manufacturers in the district and across the state have cut jobs and closed up shop under Rep. Miller-Meeks’ leadership,” Bohannan said in a statement to the Press-Citizen. “Because she would rather give massive tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas — while taking their checks — than protect Iowa manufacturing.”
Nunn, acting Labor Secretary tout manufacturing benefits in Clive
Sonderling and Nunn on Tuesday trumpeted the GOP tax law after a tour of Clive-based Auto-jet, a manufacturing business that specializes in exhaust systems for school buses, trucks and off-road vehicles.
Sonderling said several of the law’s new tax provisions are supporting manufacturing businesses, including a new 100% bonus depreciation for the cost of “qualified production property” — equipment used for manufacturing, production and refining — for the year the item enters into service. He said that has helped businesses such as Auto-jet buy new equipment and grow.
Nunn said he will champion more investment in labor and workforce education. He and Sonderling planned to meet with labor unions and community colleges to discuss workforce development efforts.
“We’re building again, and we’re building in America,” Nunn said. “It’s a direct reflection of the work that we’ve done both in Congress, but also most importantly, right here on the home front. The fact that Auto-jet has had one of their best years ever and is on track to have their best record year yet suggests that we’re really open for business here.”
Zach Schenkman, campaign spokesperson for state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, who is running against Nunn, said “the numbers on the ground tell a different story” of the tax law’s ripple effects.
“While Rep. Nunn is touting the One Big Beautiful Bill as a win for Iowa manufacturing, Iowa lost thousands of manufacturing jobs last year, and recently ranked 48th in economic growth,” Schenkman said. “The chaotic tariff policy Zach Nunn voted for is driving up costs for Iowa families and farmers, all while rural clinics are closing because of Nunn’s Medicaid cuts and Iowans are footing the bill for tax cuts for billionaires.”
(This story has been updated to include additional information.)
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government, the University of Iowa, and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: As Iowa manufacturing jobs decline, Nunn and Miller-Meeks sell tax law
Reporting by Liam Halawith and Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith and Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
