Senator Joni Ernst.

Iowa’s Joni Ernst is among a group of bipartisan U.S. Senators who have introduced legislation to provide more federal money for mental health services to rural residents.

Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says a 2016 study by the CDC found ag workers have a higher suicide rate than any other occupation. She says the bill would establish helplines, provide suicide prevention training for farm advocates, create support groups, and reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network

“We do require the Farm and Ranch Stress Committee to develop a long-term strategy to address the issues of farmer mental health. Because we do know in those rural areas we are lacking services that you might be able to find in the greater metro areas of our rural states,” Ernst says. Ernst says they are hoping for a collaboration at all levels to give farmers more options for help.

“What we would like to do of course is see those services develop –whether it’s through the extension services through additional mental health counselors — tapping into existing resources out there,” Ernst explains. She says the high rate of suicide within the agricultural community underscores the urgent need to act right away.

She says the seed funding would help get some of the additional resources off the ground and they hope the legislation would be included in the farm bill and it would provide about 10 million dollars each year. Ernst says existing services — such as hotlines — will be reviewed to be sure it is worthwhile to put federal money into them.

“We have seen examples in the past where hotlines just certainly haven’t lived up to the expectations,” according to Ernst. “So, that’s one thing that we need to continue to provide oversight on to make sure if dollars are going to hotlines, whether they are existing or new structures, that they are providing the necessary supports.” The bill is called the Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times or “FARMERS FIRST” Act.

Senator Joni Ernst.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is introducing legislation establish a competitive bidding process to allows states, cities, and towns across the country to compete to be the new home for several federal agencies.

The Republican from Red Oak calls it the Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies for Meaningful Placement or SWAMP) Act.  The Swamp Act seeks to get the federal government outside of the Washington Beltway, so these federal agencies can see and hear first hand the impact their policies have on the folks who know their states, businesses and needs the best,” according to Ernst. Ernst says many of bureaucrats in federal government have no connection to the people they are supposed to be serving.

“Just for example — the United States Department of Agriculture has a very large footprint here in Washington, D.C. But I don’t know of many farmers and ranchers who are actively engage in the process here in Washington, D.C.,” Ernst says. The SWAMP Act would exempt the Executive Office of the President, the Department of Defense, and all other national security-related agencies that must be in close proximity to Congress and the White House. Ernst says moving the offices would save money in expenses — and uses Iowa as an example.

“Office space costs about $59.40 per square foot of office space here in Washington, D.C.,” Ernst says. “In Des Moines, office leases are right around or approximately $18.30 a square foot.” Ernst says there is available office federal office space available in Des Moines and other areas of the state.

Ernst says there would be a cost to moving federal offices from the nation’s capital to other areas of the country.”We do need to study that, I would agree that there would be costs associated with moving agencies out into the states. But hopefully it would be more of a one-time move,” Ernst says. She says the moves would provide the states to bring in new federal jobs. And she says the move would save the federal government money in worker salaries.

“Because D.C. is one of the most expensive places for people to live and work — locating to low-cost places like Iowa also brings those salaries down,” Ernst says. The Senate bills is a companion to one in the U.S. House which was introduced by Indiana Congressman Luke Messer.

Senator Joni Ernst.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the school shooting in Florida is a tragedy, and especially since the FBI reportedly had received information on alleged threats by the shooter and that was not shared with local officials.

“Well it is concerning because the signs were there, the signs were there and they were not acted upon,” Ernst says. The shooting has again prompted some to call for stricter gun control, but Ernst a Republican from Red Oak, says the gun laws are not the issue as she says we do have “meaningful gun control laws in place already.”

“I am a supporter of the Second Amendment, and the Second Amendment ensures that law-abiding citizens have the ability to defend themselves. If you go back and look — there were signs out there that this young man was disturbed,” Ernst says. “And again, my push has always been focusing mental illness. That is the root cause of the issue.”

Ernst says when she meets with law enforcement officers she doesn’t hear them calling for more gun laws.

“What they say is there (are) rampant issues surrounding mental illness, that’s where the focus should be. That’s what my law enforcement officials are telling me,” according to Ernst. Ernst says the focus needs to be on substance abuse and mental illness and the federal government needs community partners.

“This should be handled at the local, state and the federal level to be sure that communities have what they need to combat substance abuse and mental illness,” according to Ernst. Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.