As President Joe Biden hits the campaign trail for his re-election campaign, it seems at least one state won’t support him. Iowa, long considered a crucial launch pad for presidential hopefuls, is less than thrilled with Biden.
Iowa is a wildly unpredictable state when it comes to elections. It has leaned blue for most elections from 1992 through 2012, but former President Donald Trump took the state from Hillary by 9% in 2016 and left Biden behind by 9% in 2020.
Iowa is a state of hard-working farmers, a class of Americans that Democrats seem bent on destroying. From regulating ditches to encouraging petri-dish meats, the Biden administration’s assault on agriculture will cost him support, both in Iowa and throughout the nation.
Biden’s EPA quietly placed strangleholds on private waterways that farmers rely on for irrigation. The rule intended to regulate ponds, lakes, creeks, and irrigation ditches on private properties. Even more importantly, it overturned regulations by former President Donald Trump that allowed farmers the freedom to use their property without governmental overreach.
Fortunately, the United States Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that the new regulations were an astonishing governmental overreach. The EPA was forced to relax the rules, but farmers were taking note. Many are concerned that the Biden administration will bypass the SCOTUS decision, as it did with student loans, and find another way to enforce the regulations.
The Biden administration is no friend to farm animals, either. In a perfect Biden world, large farm animals would be eliminated because of the devastating effect of cow farts on the climate. To that end, the White House is proud to usher in an era of fake meat.
The Biden administration has approved the sale of lab-grown meat, an experimental food product created by placing animal cells in a bioreactor and stimulating their multiplication through chemical means. This decision, made in 2023, has raised concerns about the potential negative impact on traditional animal agriculture.
The shift towards lab-grown meat could disrupt rural communities like Iowa’s. This move threatens family-owned farms that have long contributed to the country’s food security.
It’s a puzzling move, especially considering the unknown health effects and lab-grown meat production’s estimated substantial environmental footprint. Studies, such as one from the University of California, highlight the high energy intensity of scaling up lab-grown meat production, suggesting a potential global warming impact up to 25 times greater than traditional beef production.
Meanwhile, the Biden White House remains silent on the inane regulations forced upon farmers by animal rights activists. One glaring example is found, predictably, in California.
California’s Proposition 12, which prohibits the sale of conventionally raised and veterinarian-approved pork in the state, is a ridiculous attempt to destroy the state’s pork production deliberately. Despite California’s limited pork production, the proposition’s impact is widespread due to the state’s large consumer base, compelling farmers in other states, such as Iowa, to comply with these standards. The resulting financial strain on farmers has led to business closures and increased food prices for low-income residents in Iowa.
While the Biden administration initially opposed Proposition 12 through legal means, it has since remained silent. Despite proposed legislation in Congress to safeguard the country’s food supply chain and support family farmers, the administration has not indicated that they will explore legislation to reverse the harmful Proposition 12.
Critics argue that the lack of presidential leadership on this matter suggests a prioritization of the concerns of certain activists over the well-being of farmers and low-income families. It’s just another stunning display of the tone-deafness of Biden and his cronies.
In addition to directly impacting agriculture through draconian governmental overreach, Biden has pledged to make gas-powered vehicles a thing of the past. It’s a concerning declaration for farmers who rely on diesel fuels to power their machinery. The unreliability of electric-powered vehicles makes them a wildly inappropriate choice for heavy farm work. While some electric tractors and combines have been rolling out into fields, farmers can’t afford the hefty price tags that accompany them, and finding a way to plug in a tractor when it loses charge in the middle of a field is a significant concern.
Biden should skip rural states like Iowa and stick with the urban centers that support him most. Farmers have no time, money, or patience for a second Biden term.
