Iowa 2nd Congressional District Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson held an in-person town hall in Mason City Thursday. It was her first in-person town hall of the new Congress, and voters pushed back on several of her positions.
During her opening remarks, Hinson reaffirmed her support of many of President Donald Trump’s policies. She has been a longtime supporter of the president, with Trump having endorsed her campaign for re-election in 2024.
She faced loud jeers as she discussed her platform during Trump’s first 100 days, as well as when she commended Gov. Kim Reynolds for her work.
“I believe we’re doing everything we’ve been elected to do,” Hinson said.
She cited big successes in immigration policy, parental involvement in education and legislation preventing transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
Hinson then opened the floor to voters.
One constituent was concerned about what he saw as the diminishing authority of Congress against the rapid executive orders issued by the Trump administration. He feared the Republican congressional majority has been too compliant with the changes from the executive branch, particularly regarding ongoing tariffs.
“When will you and your Republican colleagues in Congress take back your legislative power to rein in President Trump’s tariff policies?” he asked.
Another voter, who is retired from the biomedical field, was concerned that Congress hasn’t been doing enough to protect necessary federal workers.
“What I see in Congress right now is an absolute war on competence, a war on science and a war on truth in order to get power and influence in this economy,” he said.
The sentiment was met with applause.
“I’ll put my question very simply,” he continued. “You obviously care about whether or not we can compete and lead in the world. How in the world do you expect us to do that when you come here and repeat lies and support the activities of DOGE in firing people who are competent?”
“When will you and your Republican colleagues in Congress take back your legislative power to rein in President Trump’s tariff policies?”A constituent at the town hall
Hinson argued that the federal workforce had swelled to an unmanageable size — and with it, the debt.
“We are $36 trillion in debt," she said. "I see that as one of the greatest risks to our ability to be competitive on the world stage. One in four of the jobs created over the past few years under President Biden was in government, and I think that’s the wrong way to grow our economy."
Hinson also reiterated her defense of the Department of Government Efficiency, saying that the money saved on government expenditures could be meaningfully redirected toward economic channels.
“I would much rather see that go to places that are going to incentivize that trade access and market development, which are going to make us more competitive,” she said. “I think the point of DOGE is to make sure those services are available to Americans long term, and we can strengthen those programs.”
When it came to immigration policy, one Mason City resident who said he had closely followed the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, said he didn't see a viable solution to keeping refugees and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals in the country.
“Congress, including you, have failed to pass any kind of bipartisan legislation to grant them permanent status. We’ve got a million people who want to live here, work here, stay here, and you haven’t provided any means for that to happen," he said.
Hinson replied that she had been supportive of several immigration issues, including programs for guest workers and skilled labor visas, but argued that those programs aren’t a part of the asylum-seeking process in the United States. That system, she said, has been abused.
“I’m willing to work on immigration-related issues,” Hinson said, “But first and foremost, we must focus on deporting the people who should not be here. We’ve got millions upon millions of illegal immigrants in this country who abuse the asylum process.”
Hinson also provided a brief update on the Farm Bill, though she didn’t unveil a specific timeline or policy. She did, however, say she felt encouraged by the ongoing bipartisan conversation and support around drafting the new bill.
