Rep. Nunn wants Creston office to serve

Iowa Third District Rep. Zach Nunn wants his Creston office to be something like other retail and service businesses in town. He wants the customer to be able to leave with something of value.

Nunn formally opened his Creston office within the Alliant building at 208 W. Taylor Tuesday afternoon. Nunn was elected to the position in November. He said if people have questions about Medicare, a VA benefit or their passport, he wants the Creston office to at least know where the answer is found.

“I want the opportunity to talk first hand in person,” he said.

Nunn said the Creston office will be staffed, but encouraged interested people to call to make sure someone is there. The Creston staff is expected to have a schedule visiting some of the 21 counties in his district. Nunn also has offices in Ottumwa and Des Moines. The phone number for the Creston office is (641) 220-9093.

Nunn told the audience of his committee work in Washington D.C. once being sworn in to Congress. He will be part of House Financial Services Committee. The Financial Services Committee is one of the top four Congressional Committees and Nunn said it rarely accepts freshman members of Congress. Nunn was singled out by the selection committee and one of only seven GOP freshmen to serve on top-tier committees.

Financial Services Committee monitors the nation’s financial services including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, consumer protection and national security. Des Moines, which is a national hub for insurance, banking, and credit unions, now earns an outsized voice with Nunn in the majority. Financial services are tied to over 40% of the workforce.

Nunn is also on the House Committee on Agriculture. The committee reviews American agriculture, energy, conservation, farm commodities, biotechnology, research and livestock.

The former Iowa state legislator said that committee has interest in the issue of foreign-owned American farmground, especially the Chinese. He suspects China is wanting to own American ground to learn more about American agricultural technology, which he said may not have the best intentions. Nunn said he is willing to continue ag-related trade agreements but only under certain conditoins.

“They have to be willing to be fair,” he said.

Nunn said the committee will also have interest in rural development from broadband service to infrastructure, like roads and bridges. He emphasized his desire to learn more about all of those issues from people in his district.

“There is a lot of opportunity to have a voice in Washington,” he said.