Iowa Republican 3rd District Congressman Zach Nunn said he would prioritize cracking down on illegal border crossings and ensuring Social Security and Medicare are guaranteed if reelected to a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In a speech from The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair Friday, Nunn said border security is the number one thing he hears about when touring his central and southern Iowa district.
He said every county has "become a border county” as some Iowans have died of fentanyl overdoses.
Nunn said the border must be secured before Congress considers immigration reform.
"Eight million illegals coming into our country is a direct threat to our nation,” he said. "In fact, I think there’s no more clear, direct threat to our country.”
Federal officials have said fentanyl is typically brought from Mexico through ports of entry in cars driven by U.S. citizens.
Nunn said he wanted to make some commitments to voters as the November election nears.
"We want to make sure that Social Security and Medicare is 100% guaranteed because the folks who have paid into it have earned it, and they deserve to be able to keep that,” he said.
Nunn said he also wants to help lower taxes and fight crime.
As for his record in his 18 months in Congress, Nunn said he is proud to be one of the top ten most bipartisan members of Congress.
His audience at the Iowa State Fair burst into applause when he talked about the bills he introduced to ban stock trading by congressional members, end automatic pay raises for Congress and extending the amount of time congressional members have to wait after leaving office before working as lobbyists.
"I had a senior establishment Republican find me in the parking lot and shout, ‘Hey freshman, what the hell are you doing? I can’t trade stock, you’re not going to do a pay increase, and I already have a lobby gig lined up,'" Nunn said. "Well I said, ‘You know what, brother? I appreciate what you do, but I work for folks back home. I hope you consider doing the same.’”
Nunn’s wife, three of his six children and his niece joined him onstage Friday, which he noted was the Iowa State Fair’s "East Side Night.”
"My wife Kelly and I had the privilege of growing up in eastern Polk County here, and, you know, we had our second date on East Side Night here at the fair,” Nunn said. "So what happens at East Side Night does not always stay at East Side Night.”
Nunn is facing Democratic challenger Lanon Baccam, who is scheduled to speak at the fair Monday at 4:30 p.m.
