Abby Finkenauer

Abby Finkenauer

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Iowa House of Representatives District 99

Successor: Lindsay James

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U.S. House Iowa District 1

Successor: Ashley Hinson

Predecessor: Rod Blum

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Elections and appointments

Last election

June 7, 2022

Contact

Campaign website

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Abby Finkenauer (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Iowa's 1st Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2019. She left office on January 3, 2021.

Finkenauer (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Iowa. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 7, 2022.

On December 1, 2022, Finkenauer was appointed to serve as the Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues under the Biden administration.

An Iowa Supreme Court decision on April 15, 2022, found that Finkenauer qualified to appear on the primary ballot for Iowa's 2022 Senate race. She was removed from the 2022 Democratic primary on April 10, 2022, after District Court Judge Scott Beattie ruled petition signatures from Allamakee and Cedar counties did not comply with state law. This meant Finkenauer did not meet the required 100 signatures from at least 19 counties. Finkenauer appealed the decision with the state Supreme Court.

Finkenauer was one of the first two women to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa in history. The other, Cindy Axne (D), also won election in 2018. At the time of her election, Finkenauer was also the second-youngest woman at age 29 to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) in New York, who also won election in 2018, was also 29 but born later than Finkenauer.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, Finkenauer worked for a Dubuque-area nonprofit and served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019.

Biography

Finkenauer's professional experience includes working for the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. She received her bachelor's degree from Drake University.

Elections

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Iowa, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Iowa

Incumbent Chuck Grassley defeated Michael Franken in the general election for U.S. Senate Iowa on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chuck Grassley (R)	56.0	681,501
		Michael Franken (D)	43.8	533,330
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,815

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,216,646
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Iowa

Michael Franken defeated Abby Finkenauer and Glenn Hurst in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Iowa on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Franken	55.2	86,527
		Abby Finkenauer	39.9	62,581
		Glenn Hurst	4.8	7,571
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	158

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 156,837
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Bob Krause (D)
• Dave Muhlbauer (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Iowa

Incumbent Chuck Grassley defeated Jim Carlin in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Iowa on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chuck Grassley	73.3	143,634
		Jim Carlin	26.5	51,891
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	312

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 195,837
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Andrew Foster (R)

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report	Close of books	Filing deadline
Year-end 2021	12/31/2021	1/31/2022
April quarterly	3/31/2022	4/15/2022
July quarterly	6/30/2022	7/15/2022
October quarterly	9/30/2022	10/15/2022
Pre-general	10/19/2022	10/27/2022
Post-general	11/28/2022	12/08/2022
Year-end 2022	12/31/2022	1/31/2023

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Abby Finkenauer	Democratic Party	$4,204,898	$4,186,967	$17,931	As of December 31, 2022
Michael Franken	Democratic Party	$11,468,780	$11,417,544	$51,236	As of December 31, 2022
Glenn Hurst	Democratic Party	$134,843	$105,982	$28,626	As of December 31, 2022
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Abby Finkenauer
• Michael Franken

2020

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)

Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Ashley Hinson defeated incumbent Abby Finkenauer in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ashley Hinson (R)	51.2	212,088
		Abby Finkenauer (D)	48.6	201,347
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	434

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 413,869
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Incumbent Abby Finkenauer advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer	99.3	72,474
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	482

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 72,956
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Ashley Hinson defeated Thomas Hansen in the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ashley Hinson	77.8	38,552
		Thomas Hansen	21.9	10,845
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	152

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,549
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Darren White (R)

2018

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election, 2018

See also: Iowa's 1st Congressional District election (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Abby Finkenauer defeated incumbent Rod Blum and Troy Hageman in the general election for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer (D)	51.0	170,342
		Rod Blum (R)	45.9	153,442
		Troy Hageman (L)	3.1	10,285
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	174

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 334,243 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Henry Gaff (G)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Abby Finkenauer defeated Thomas Heckroth, Courtney Rowe, and George Ramsey in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Abby Finkenauer	66.9	29,745
		Thomas Heckroth	19.1	8,516
		Courtney Rowe	7.6	3,381
		George Ramsey	6.4	2,837

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 44,479
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1

Incumbent Rod Blum advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Iowa District 1 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rod Blum	100.0	14,737

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 14,737
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016.

Incumbent Abby Finkenauer ran unopposed in the Iowa House of Representatives District 99 general election.

Iowa House of Representatives, District 99 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Abby Finkenauer Incumbent (unopposed)
Source: Iowa Secretary of State

Incumbent Abby Finkenauer ran unopposed in the Iowa House of Representatives District 99 Democratic primary.

Iowa House of Representatives, District 99 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Abby Finkenauer Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014. Abby Finkenauer defeated Steve Drahozal in the Democratic primary and faced Daniel Dlouhy (R), who filed to run on July 31, 2014, in the general election. Finkenauer defeated Dlouhy in the general election.

Iowa House of Representatives District 99, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Abby Finkenauer	60.8%	7,072
	Republican	Daniel Dlouhy	39.2%	4,567
Total Votes				11,639

Iowa House of Representatives, District 99 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Abby Finkenauer	57.8%	1,269
Steve Drahozal	42.2%	926
Total Votes		2,195

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Abby Finkenauer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign advertisements

May 19, 2022

View more ads here:

• YouTube

2020

Abby Finkenauer did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Finkenauer’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Creating Jobs and a Strong Economy As your representative in Congress, I’ll always fight for Iowans to have good jobs with fair wages to support their families. We need to ensure that we’ve created the conditions for businesses to succeed here in Eastern Iowa, and that we’re constantly searching for opportunities to bring investment into our region. Too many of our communities have been left behind as our national economy changes. We need forward-thinking leadership that will position our region to preserve the jobs we have now and attract the jobs of the future. Improving Our Infrastructure to Support Jobs We must invest in our deteriorating and underfunded infrastructure in Eastern Iowa to support entrepreneurs and create jobs. The majority of our roadways were built 50 to 60 years ago with few updates since then, and have received only a C- rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Our bridges received a D+ grade, with one in five Iowa bridges considered structurally deficient. Failing infrastructure makes it harder for goods and services to reach consumers, which hurts Iowa farmers and small business owners. A number of the levees protecting us from dangerous floods fail to meet FEMA guidelines and, due to a lack of funding and available staff, only about 10% of Iowa dams are regularly inspected. We must continue to construct and repair our flood prevention infrastructure, including funding and building the full Cedar River Flood Control system to protect residents and businesses. We are also behind when it comes to the infrastructure Iowans will need to compete in the 21st century. Currently, Iowa ranks 39th on connectivity with 22% of Iowans still underserved when it comes to access to broadband. There is no excuse for the fact that over 160,000 Iowans still don’t have access to any wired Internet providers. This makes everything from logistics to communications more difficult, harming the competitiveness of our businesses and making our region less attractive to entrepreneurs. By investing in infrastructure we can create jobs, support our businesses, and ensure that all Iowans can travel safely across the state. Investing in Main Street We can’t build a strong economy without thriving small and community businesses. We must ensure that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to the capital they need to hire and grow. An Eastern Iowan might have a great idea for a business, but if they can’t secure loans or investment to get their concept off the ground, that great idea will go nowhere and the surrounding community will lose out on potential jobs. I am committed to strengthening funding opportunities for small businesses so that entrepreneurs are supported and have the opportunity to take smart, calculated risks to achieve their goals. We must ensure that small businesses are not overly burdened by unnecessary regulations and red tape. While large corporations can employ an army of accountants and regulatory professionals to deal with these demands, entrepreneurs have no such resources. We need to level the playing field to give Main Street a fair shot. Strengthening Family Farms Growing up in rural Iowa, I understand personally that our agricultural community is critically important to Eastern Iowa, with farmers comprising the backbone of our families and towns. I will always work to strengthen family farms because doing so is not only important to our economy, but to the traditions and way of life for countless working families in our state. This starts with ensuring the farm bill considered in Congress every four years is based on sound policy designed to help farmers, rather than being subject to partisan political games as has too often happened in recent versions. It means fighting to give farmers access to the capital they need to grow and thrive, as modern farm equipment does not come cheaply. And it means making sure federal farm subsidies go to support family farms rather than huge corporate entities, and that federal programs like crop insurance programs that protect farmers are defended. By fostering strong family farms, we maintain strong families and strong communities, and these goals must always be a priority in Washington. Preparing Our Workforce We must make sure businesses can find the qualified workers they need at home. Creating jobs in our region won’t help working families if we don’t prepare Iowans with the skills to fill them. This includes making college more affordable but it also means strengthening career and technical education in our public high schools so that every student—regardless of whether college is the best path for them—will be prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs. Fighting for Working Families Iowans are working harder than ever, but wages have grown too slowly over the last decade. Women still earn less than their male counterparts, and parents too often have to choose between a paycheck or staying home with their newborn. Washington politicians continue to side with corporations and the wealthy over hard-working Americans. And the damage is clear: wages are lower, union membership is down, and the middle class is shrinking. It’s time for everyday Iowans to have a voice in Washington. I’ll prioritize expanding economic opportunity and security so that families can thrive right here in Eastern Iowa. In Congress, I will fight for equal pay, the unions that support our families, and a fair, living wage for every hard-working American. Strong unions My father was a union pipefitter welder and has been a proud union member for over 40 years. I grew up in a union household, and I understand how important good union jobs are to families across Eastern Iowa. I will always fight to defend unions so that we can strengthen our families and our workers across the 1st district. Strong, organized labor builds a thriving middle class. Across the county, and here in Iowa, unions have raised wages for countless hard-working Americans. Nationally in 2014, the typical union worker made almost $200 more a week than an average non-union worker. But attacks on labor are decreasing union membership across the country. Here in Iowa we have always been proud of our unions, and I’m honored to be endorsed by a number of them including the Iowa Teamsters and AFSCME Council 61. Unions deserve a strong voice in Washington. In Congress, I will always support pro-labor legislation and oppose efforts to put big corporations over American workers. Equal Pay In Iowa, women are paid 78 cents for every dollar that men earn, which means Iowa’s women – and their families – lose out on an average of $11,135 every year. That’s simply not acceptable. As a state legislator, I fought hard for equal pay and introduced an amendment to require all businesses that contracted with the state to certify that they paid the same wages to men and women with the same education level and experience. Equal pay is a moral issue and a working families issue and I plan to continue this fight in Washington. In Congress, I will support equal pay legislation to close the wage gap that continues to hurt women and families across the country. Living Wage When American workers are paid a fair, living wage, our economy and middle-class flourish. Republicans in Washington continue to put corporations and their executives over hard-working Americans. In Congress, I’ll fight to ensure all American workers are paid a fair, living wage on which they can support a family. At its heart, this is a family issue. We need to ensure Iowans have access to good-paying jobs at fair wages so they are able to settle down where they choose or remain in their hometowns, instead of being forced to move elsewhere to raise a family. By paying every worker a living wage, Iowans will be able to live close to their parents and grandparents in towns across our state, maintaining the strong family and community ties that have broken down as younger generations have been forced to leave too many places. Paid Family Leave The time for enacting an effective paid family leave policy is long overdue. No working American should ever have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one. Unfortunately, this is a reality for too many parents and family members: in 2016, only 14% of civilian workers had access to paid family leave. It’s a disgrace and we must do better for American families. I’m fighting to expand paid family leave because, when working families are given the time they need to care for themselves or their loved ones, our economy, our workforce, and our families thrive. Fighting for Access to Quality and Affordable Healthcare There are certain American values that should not be up for debate – in Iowa, in Washington, or anywhere else. Healthcare is a human right, and extending access to quality and affordable care to every American must be a top priority in Congress. It will certainly be one of mine, and I won’t be afraid to fight for universal health care – including a public option. Sadly, that’s not the case for my opponent. Ashley Hinson has made clear where she stands on this critical issue by voting to let insurance companies offer health care plans in Iowa that discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions. That’s unacceptable. I’m working to put working Iowa families first, and that means fighting to protect and build upon the progress we made in the Affordable Care Act and working toward universal healthcare coverage and lowering the cost of care. I’ll fight back against all attempts to raise premiums, kick Iowans off their healthcare, or reduce the services covered by their insurance, such as annual preventive care checkups, maternity care, or addiction and mental health treatment. At the same time, we need to ensure that underserved communities in Iowa have access to the health care services they need. This means fighting for community health centers and critical access hospitals that serve towns and cities throughout our state, and making sure that funding for the vital Children’s Health Insurance Program never lapses again — which I did with an amendment to the Affordable Care Enhancement Act. Iowans deserve representation in Congress that works for them to improve our healthcare system and expand coverage and services that strengthen families. It’s time for the partisan political games that have too often controlled the healthcare conversation in Washington to end. Fighting for Women’s Health It should be incredibly simple – a woman’s health should be an issue considered by herself, her doctor, and her family. Washington must stay out of the way and let women make these decisions for themselves. That includes the right not to be charged more for our insurance than men, the right to have access to birth control, and the right to choose – all of which Washington politicians are threatening. As a state legislator, I fought back against countless bills that targeted women’s health and defunded organizations that offered cancer screenings, preventive care, and other essential health services. I’ll always do the same in Congress. I’ll always support trusting women to do what is right for them and I’ll stand up for continuing to fund access to health care through providers like Planned Parenthood. Fighting for Good Schools and Affordable College I’m a proud product of Dubuque public schools. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from quality teachers and inspiring mentors. I wouldn’t be here today without them. We must give every child that same chance at success that comes from a quality education. I went to college here in Iowa and I know firsthand how difficult affording college can be. Like tens of thousands of Iowans, I’m still struggling to pay back my student loans, without which I would never have been able to afford college. We need to invest in our public schools to put our students on the path to a good job or college after graduation. That starts by expanding access to Pre-K, which jumpstarts learning and provides a solid foundation for a child to grow. And we must ensure that college is affordable for all Iowans, including relief for those burdened with student loan debt and greater transparency so that students understand what they’ll be paying for. Expanding Access to Pre-K High-quality Pre-K is proven to be a critical factor in increasing a student’s ability to succeed. It’s time we prioritize investing in early education so that we can extend this foundation to as many children as possible. In Congress, I’ll support legislation to make quality Pre-K accessible and affordable for more families, which will also reduce the burden of childcare costs faced by working parents. Affordable Higher Education Every year, students graduate from college eager to jumpstart their careers. But increasing college tuition costs leave many of them buried under a mountain of student loan debt that limits their opportunities. It’s no secret that the cost of college has become way too high for way too many. The situation is made worse by a lack of transparency on the part of colleges and universities, leaving students unsure of what they are paying for. No student should be forced to make the life-changing decision on where they’ll go to college and how much they’ll have to pay for it without access to detailed information on what their costs will be. Greater transparency from colleges and universities will ensure that students and families know exactly what they must pay and it will create competition that will help keep future costs down. We must also ensure that students who take out college loans are able to pay them off in an appropriate amount of time. That’s why I support legislation to allow students to refinance their student loan debt at current interest rates—much like one could do with a home mortgage—and I’ll fiercely oppose attempts to tax the interest paid on student loan debt. Career and Technical Education Here in Eastern Iowa and across the county, we have countless businesses and manufacturers looking for qualified workers with specific technical skills and training. We have many motivated high school graduates who want to enter the workforce for whom college may not be the best path. And we have nontraditional students, like adults looking to embark on a new career path or gain new skills to enhance their potential in their current field. We can’t let their talent go to waste. We must have robust career and technical education opportunities that train students with the specialized skills needed to fill available jobs and grow our economy. In Congress, I’ll support funding for these programs and make sure that our students have access to the training they need. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs, a key link between businesses and prospective workers. These measures also support our local businesses, allowing them to hire a qualified workforce right here at home rather than looking elsewhere to grow. Growing our Clean Energy Economy and Protecting our Environment Today we face more urgent and pressing dangers to our environment, our economy, and the future health of Iowans than ever before. Our planet is warming at a quickening rate and large corporations are taking advantage of every loophole they can to pollute our environment so they can make a slightly larger profit at the expense of American families – all while working to set back our clean energy economy that creates jobs for Iowans. I’ll always be a voice for common sense policies that protect our air and water, support the clean energy jobs of the future, and preserve Iowa’s climate so that our farming communities can still exist far into the future. The effects of climate change are projected to shrink our local economic output by up to 5%, and it will be working families that bear the brunt of that damage. Ask any farmer here in the First District and they’ll tell you first hand that instances of drought and unusual weather are taking ever larger tolls on their crop production. We need to be growing our clean energy sector to create jobs and reduce emissions, not taking actions that stunt the spread of renewable technology and give our robust private sector fewer incentives to invest in our region. The good news is that here in Iowa we have some of the best renewable energy resources in the country. Our clean energy economy already supports over 30,000 jobs statewide, while we generate more of our energy from wind than any other state. We lead the nation in ethanol production, creating over a quarter of the entire country’s manufacturing capacity. We can’t afford to turn away from this progress and throw out the gains to our economy and environment that we’ve built. I will make it a priority to support policies that continue this growth and preserve our status as a national leader in clean energy production, while at the same time strengthening our renewable energy manufacturing sector to create even more good jobs at good wages for Eastern Iowans. I’m not new to this fight. While serving in Des Moines, I fought back against efforts by the fossil fuel industry to neuter the Iowa Energy Center at Iowa State University – a key leader in growing Iowa’s clean energy economy and conducting renewable energy research – by transferring it to a state agency that could end its principal mission. By using the Freedom of Information Act process, I exposed the involvement of fossil fuel lobbyists in drafting secret legislation to transfer control of the center, revealing the true motive for the move. Commitment to Seniors Commitment to Seniors Social Security and Medicare are sacred promises we have made to our seniors, who spent a lifetime paying into these critical programs that support tens of thousands in the 1st district. They deserve to retire in financial security supported by the benefits they’ve earned. In Congress, I’ve fought fight to protect Social Security and Medicare against any efforts to cut benefits or weaken their solvency so that both current seniors and future generations can count on them. Similarly, we must ensure that seniors on fixed incomes are not overly burdened by the cost of rising prescription drug prices. No senior should be forced to go bankrupt to preserve their health. I support allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on medications and be open to the best policy ideas to reduce costs, like bringing more generic drugs to market or closing the Medicare Part D donut hole earlier. Bipartisan Immigration Reform It is abundantly clear that our current immigration system is broken and is failing our country, our state, and the people of eastern Iowa. After years of playing politics, members of both parties must finally have the courage to pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for millions who have paid their taxes and contributed to society, while securing our borders and ensuring strong interior immigration enforcement so that we keep out and deport criminals and those who would do us harm. That should include a renewal of DACA so we keep our promise to those who were brought to this country as children and are now building a better life through getting a college degree or serving in the military. It should include measures to strengthen our borders so that drug and human traffickers and gang members in particular cannot make it into this country. And it should include fixing E-Verify, making it mandatory for employers and ensuring that we have robust resources in place to train businesses on how to properly use the system. I do not support abolishing ICE. We must support our local and federal law enforcement who put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and make sure they have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. We should change policies around family separation so officers can focus instead on effective border security, interior enforcement, and protecting our communities. Above all else, Washington politicians must step up to the plate and pass badly needed reform that will strengthen our economy and our communities, and make us safer, instead of falling victim to partisan politics and political gridlock yet again. Standing with Our Veterans As the proud granddaughter of a World War II Purple Heart recipient who walked around with shrapnel in his leg until the day he died, for me standing with our veterans, service members, and their loved ones is standing with family. Our brave veterans put their lives on the line to serve our nation. Unfortunately, partisan politics have let them down. The lip service must end. These heroes deserve the utmost dignity and respect in their care and services, and I believe it is our duty to ensure that they receive the benefits they have earned. In Congress, I’ll fight to increase access to healthcare services and economic opportunities for veterans. We must streamline communication between VA and non-VA healthcare providers so that any veteran seeking healthcare treatment, mental or physical, is given the care they need. We must also support programs that give military families and caregivers training on post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction. Our veterans need to have access to economic and educational opportunities when they return home. In Congress, I’ll work to expand access to capital for veterans seeking to start a small business, and I’ll support funding for the GI Bill.	”
—Abby Finkenauer’s campaign website (2020)

2018

Campaign website

Finkenauer's campaign website stated the following:

“	Creating Jobs and a Strong Economy As your representative in Congress, I’ll always fight for Iowans to have good jobs with fair wages they can rely on to support their families. We need to ensure that we’ve created the conditions for businesses to succeed here in Eastern Iowa, and that we’re constantly searching for opportunities to bring investment into our region. Too many of our communities have been left behind as our national economy changes. We need forward-thinking leadership that will position our region to preserve the jobs we have now and attract the jobs of the future. Improving Our Infrastructure to Support Jobs We must invest in our deteriorating and underfunded infrastructure in Eastern Iowa to support entrepreneurs and create jobs. The majority of our roadways were built 50 to 60 years ago with few updates since then, and have received only a C- rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers1. Our bridges received a D+ grade, with one in five Iowa bridges considered structurally deficient2. Failing infrastructure makes it harder for goods and services to reach consumers, which hurts Iowa farmers and small business owners. A number of the levees protecting us from dangerous floods fail to meet FEMA guidelines and, due to a lack of funding and available staff, only about 10% of Iowa dams are regularly inspected. We must continue to construct and repair our flood prevention infrastructure, including funding and building the full Cedar River Flood Control system to protect residents and businesses. We are also behind when it comes to the infrastructure Iowans will need to compete in the 21st century. Currently, Iowa ranks 39th on connectivity3 with 22% of Iowans still underserved when it comes to access to broadband4. In 2017, there is no excuse for the fact that over 160,000 Iowans still don’t have access to any wired Internet providers5. This makes everything from logistics to communications more difficult, harming the competitiveness of our businesses and making our region less attractive to entrepreneurs. By investing in infrastructure we can create jobs, support our businesses, and ensure that all Iowans can travel safely across the state. Investing in Main Street We can’t build a strong economy without thriving small and community businesses. We must ensure that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to the capital they need to hire and grow. An Eastern Iowan might have a great idea for a business, but if they can’t secure loans or investment to get their concept off the ground, that great idea will go nowhere and the surrounding community will lose out on potential jobs. I am committed to strengthening funding opportunities for small businesses so that entrepreneurs are supported and have the opportunity to take smart, calculated risks to achieve their goals. We must ensure that small businesses are not overly burdened by unnecessary regulations and red tape. While large corporations can employ an army of accountants and regulatory professionals to deal with these demands, entrepreneurs have no such resources. We need to level the playing field to give Main Street a fair shot. Strengthening Family Farms Growing up in rural Iowa, I understand personally that our agricultural community is critically important to Eastern Iowa, with farmers comprising the backbone of our families and towns. I will always work to strengthen family farms because doing so is not only important to our economy, but to the traditions and way of life for countless working families in our state. This starts with ensuring the farm bill considered in Congress every four years is based on sound policy designed to help farmers, rather than being subject to partisan political games as has too often happened in recent versions. It means fighting to give farmers access to the capital they need to grow and thrive, as modern farm equipment does not come cheaply. And it means making sure federal farm subsidies go to support family farms rather than huge corporate entities, and that federal programs like crop insurance programs that protect farmers are defended. By fostering strong family farms, we maintain strong families and strong communities, and these goals must always be a priority in Washington. Preparing Our Workforce We must make sure businesses can find the qualified workers they need at home. Creating jobs in our region won’t help working families if we don’t prepare Iowans with the skills to fill them. This includes making college more affordable but it also means strengthening career and technical education in our public high schools so that every student—regardless of whether college is the best path for them—will be prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs. Fighting for Working Families Iowans are working harder than ever but wages have grown too slowly over the last decade. Women still earn less than their male counterparts and parents too often have to choose between a paycheck or staying home with their newborn. Washington politicians continue to side with corporations and the wealthy over hard-working Americans. And the damage is clear: wages are lower, union membership is down, and the middle class is shrinking. It’s time for everyday Iowans to have a voice in Washington. I’ll prioritize expanding economic opportunity and security so that families can thrive right here in Eastern Iowa. In Congress, I will fight for equal pay, the unions that support our families, and a fair, living wage for every hard-working American. Strong unions My father was a union pipefitter welder and has been a proud union member for over 40 years. I grew up in a union household, and I understand how important good union jobs are to families across Eastern Iowa. I will always fight to defend unions so that we can strengthen our families and our workers across the 1st district. Strong organized labor builds a thriving middle class. Across the county, and here in Iowa, unions have raised wages for countless hard-working Americans. Nationally in 2014, the typical union worker made almost $200 more a week than an average non-union worker.1 But attacks on labor are decreasing union membership across the country. Here in Iowa we have always been proud of our unions, and I’m honored to be endorsed by a number of them including the Iowa Teamsters and AFSCME Council 61. Unions deserve a strong voice in Washington. In Congress, I will always support pro-labor legislation and oppose efforts to put big corporations over American workers. Equal Pay In Iowa, women are paid 77 cents for every dollar that men earn, which means Iowa’s women – and their families – lose out on an average of $11,034 every year.2 That’s simply not acceptable. As a state legislator, I fought hard for equal pay and introduced an amendment to require all businesses that contracted with the state to certify that they paid the same wages to men and women with the same education level and experience.3 Equal pay is a moral issue and a working families issue and I plan to continue this fight in Washington. In Congress, I will support equal pay legislation to close the wage gap that continues to hurt women and families across the country. Living Wage When American workers are paid a fair, living wage, our economy and middle-class flourish. Republicans in Washington continue to put corporations and their executives over hard-working Americans. In Congress, I’ll fight to ensure all American workers are paid a fair, living wage on which they can support a family. At its heart, this is a family issue. We need to ensure Iowans have access to good-paying jobs at fair wages so they are able to settle down where they choose or remain in their hometowns, instead of being forced to move elsewhere to raise a family. By paying every worker a living wage, Iowans will be able to live close to their parents and grandparents in towns across our state, maintaining the strong family and community ties that have broken down as younger generations have been forced to leave too many places. Paid Family Leave The time for enacting an effective paid family leave policy is long overdue. No working American should ever have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one. Unfortunately, this is a reality for too many parents and family members: in 2016, only 14% of civilian workers had access to paid family leave.4 It’s a disgrace and we must do better for American families. In Congress, I’ll fight to expand paid family leave because, when working families are given the time they need to care for themselves or their loved ones, our economy, our workforce, and our families thrive. Fighting for Access to Quality and Affordable Healthcare There are certain American values that should not be up for debate – in Iowa, in Washington, or anywhere else. Healthcare is a human right, and extending access to quality and affordable care to every American must be a top priority in Congress. It will certainly be one of mine, and I won’t be afraid to fight for universal health care – including a public option. Sadly, that’s not the case for our current representative. Rod Blum has made clear where he stands on this critical issue by voting1 to raise monthly premiums on Iowans by up to thousands of dollars and to leave 23 million more Americans uninsured.2 And when President Trump made the irresponsible decision to cancel Cost Sharing Reduction payments that keep insurance rates down for Iowans – a move that was projected to increase premiums by 13%3 – Rep. Blum stood by and did nothing. Many of our state leaders in Des Moines have failed us as well, pushing a disastrous Medicaid privatization scheme that hurt working families and reduced funds for important rural hospitals, among other problems.4 That’s unacceptable. It’s past time for leadership that puts working Iowa families first, and that means fighting to protect and build upon the progress we made in the Affordable Care Act toward the goals of achieving universal healthcare coverage and lowering the cost of care. I’ll fight back against all attempts to raise premiums, kick Iowans off their healthcare, or reduce the services covered by their insurance, such as annual preventive care checkups, maternity care, or addiction and mental health treatment. At the same time, we need to ensure that underserved communities in Iowa have access to the health care services they need. This means fighting for community health centers and critical access hospitals that serve towns and cities throughout our state, as well as making sure that funding for the vital Children’s Health Insurance Program never lapses again, as Rep. Blum and his fellow Washington politicians recently allowed to happen for months. We need representation in Congress that’s working for Iowans to improve our healthcare system and expand coverage and services that strengthen families. And it’s time for the partisan political games that have too often controlled the healthcare conversation in Washington to end. Fighting for Women's Health It should be incredibly simple – a woman’s health should be an issue considered by herself, her doctor, and her family. Washington must stay out of the way and let women make these decisions for themselves. That includes the right not to be charged more for our insurance than men, the right to have access to birth control, and the right to choose – all of which Washington politicians are threatening. As a state legislator, I fought back against countless1 bills2 that targeted women’s health and defunded organizations that offered cancer screenings, preventive care, and other essential health services.3 I’ll do the same in Congress. I’ll always support trusting women to do what is right for them and I’ll stand up for continuing to fund access to health care through providers like Planned Parenthood. Fighting for Good Schools and Affordable College I’m a proud product of Dubuque public schools. I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from quality teachers and inspiring mentors. I wouldn’t be here today without them. We must give every child that same chance at success that comes from a quality education. I went to college here in Iowa and I know firsthand how difficult affording college can be. Like tens of thousands of Iowans, I’m still struggling to pay back my student loans, without which I would never have been able to afford college. We need to invest in our public schools to put our students on the path to a good job or college after graduation. That starts by expanding access to Pre-K, which jumpstarts learning and provides a solid foundation for a child to grow. And we must ensure that college is affordable for all Iowans, including relief for those burdened with student loan debt and greater transparency so that students understand what they’ll be paying for. Expanding Access to Pre-K High-quality Pre-K is proven to be a critical factor in increasing a student’s ability to succeed.1 It’s time we prioritize investing in early education so that we can extend this foundation to as many children as possible. In Congress, I’ll support legislation to make quality Pre-K accessible and affordable for more families, which will also reduce the burden of childcare costs faced by working parents. Affordable Higher Education Every year, students graduate from college eager to jumpstart their careers. But increasing college tuition costs leave many of them buried under a mountain of student loan debt that limits their opportunities. It’s no secret that the cost of college has become way too high for way too many. The situation is made worse by a lack of transparency on the part of colleges and universities, leaving students unsure of what they are paying for. No student should be forced to make the life-changing decision on where they’ll go to college and how much they’ll have to pay for it without access to detailed information on what their costs will be. Greater transparency from colleges and universities will ensure that students and families know exactly what they must pay and it will create competition that will help keep future costs down. We must also ensure that students who take out college loans are able to pay them off in an appropriate amount of time. That’s why I’ll support legislation to allow students to refinance their student loan debt at current interest rates—much like one could do with a home mortgage—and I’ll fiercely oppose attempts to tax the interest paid on student loan debt. Career and Technical Education Here in Eastern Iowa and across the county, we have countless businesses and manufacturers looking for qualified workers with specific technical skills and training. We have many motivated high school graduates who want to enter the workforce for whom college may not be the best path. And we have nontraditional students, like adults looking to embark on a new career path or gain new skills to enhance their potential in their current field. We can’t let their talent go to waste. We must have robust career and technical education opportunities that train students with the specialized skills needed to fill available jobs and grow our economy. In Congress, I’ll support funding for these programs and make sure that our students have access to the training they need. We must also support and foster partnerships between local businesses and schools so that students have access to internships, job training opportunities, and apprenticeship programs, a key link between businesses and prospective workers. These measures also support our local businesses, allowing them to hire a qualified workforce right here at home rather than looking elsewhere to grow. Growing our Clean Energy Economy and Protecting our Environment Today we face more urgent and pressing dangers to our environment, our economy, and the future health of Iowans than ever before. Our planet is warming at a quickening rate and large corporations are taking advantage of every loophole they can to pollute our environment so they can make a slightly larger profit at the expense of American families – all while working to set back our clean energy economy that creates jobs for Iowans. Yet currently, Iowa’s 1st District is represented by a Congressman who has denied the science of climate change and a President who think it’s a Chinese hoax. In Congress, I will always be a voice for common sense policies that protect our air and water, support the clean energy jobs of the future, and preserve Iowa’s climate so that our farming communities can still exist far into the future. This starts with pushing back against President Trump’s disastrous decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, which will make the United States the only nation in the world not to be part of the agreement to reduce emissions and combat the effects of climate change. Make no mistake – this decision is bad for our economy and our health here in Eastern Iowa. The effects of climate change are projected to shrink our local economic output by up to 5%,1 and it will be working families that bear the brunt of that damage. Ask any farmer here in the First District and they’ll tell you first hand that instances of drought and unusual weather are taking ever larger tolls on their crop production. We need to be growing our clean energy sector to create jobs and reduce emissions, not taking actions that stunt the spread of renewable technology and give our robust private sector fewer incentives to invest in our region. The good news is that here in Iowa we have some of the best renewable energy resources in the country. Our clean energy economy already supports over 30,000 jobs statewide, while we generate more of our energy from wind than any other state.2 We lead the nation in ethanol production, creating over a quarter of the entire country’s manufacturing capacity.3 We can’t afford to turn away from this progress and throw out the gains to our economy and environment that we’ve built. I will make it a priority to support policies that continue this growth and preserve our status as a national leader in clean energy production, while at the same time strengthening our renewable energy manufacturing sector to create even more good jobs at good wages for Eastern Iowans. I’m not new to this fight. While serving in Des Moines, I fought back against efforts by the fossil fuel industry to neuter the Iowa Energy Center at Iowa State University – a key leader in growing Iowa’s clean energy economy and conducting renewable energy research – by transferring it to a state agency that could end its principal mission. By using the Freedom of Information Act process, I exposed the involvement of fossil fuel lobbyists in drafting secret legislation to transfer control of the center, revealing the true motive for the move.4 I’ll play a similar watchdog role in Congress, and will just as firmly stand up to attempts to weaken key programs and measures that fight climate change, grow our clean energy economy, and protect our environment. Ultimately it’s time we had a representative who fights for Iowa families – ensuring they can live in healthy environments supported by good jobs – rather than standing with corporate polluters and those opposed to science. Commitment to Seniors Social Security and Medicare are sacred promises we have made to our seniors, who spent a lifetime paying into these critical programs that support tens of thousands in the 1st district. They deserve to retire in financial security supported by the benefits they’ve earned. In Congress, I’ll fight to protect Social Security and Medicare against any efforts to cut benefits or weaken their solvency so that both current seniors and future generations can count on them. Similarly, we must ensure that seniors on fixed incomes are not overly burdened by the cost of rising prescription drug prices. No senior should be forced to go bankrupt to preserve their health. I’ll support allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on medications and be open to the best policy ideas to reduce costs, like bringing more generic drugs to market or closing the Medicare Part D donut hole earlier. Bipartisan Immigration Reform It is abundantly clear that our current immigration system is broken and is failing our country, our state, and the people of eastern Iowa. After years of playing politics, members of both parties must finally have the courage to pass bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform that creates an earned pathway to citizenship for millions who have paid their taxes and contributed to society, while securing our borders and ensuring strong interior immigration enforcement so that we keep out and deport criminals and those who would do us harm. That should include a renewal of DACA so we keep our promise to those who were brought to this country as children and are now building a better life through getting a college degree or serving in the military. It should include measures to strengthen our borders so that drug and human traffickers and gang members in particular cannot make it into this country. And it should include fixing E-Verify, making it mandatory for employers and ensuring that we have robust resources in place to train businesses on how to properly use the system. I do not support abolishing ICE. We must support our local and federal law enforcement who put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and make sure they have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. We should change policies around family separation so officers can focus instead on effective border security, interior enforcement, and protecting our communities. Above all else, Washington politicians must step up to the plate and pass badly needed reform that will strengthen our economy and our communities, and make us safer, instead of falling victim to partisan politics and political gridlock yet again. Standing with Our Veterans As the proud granddaughter of a World War II Purple Heart recipient who walked around with shrapnel in his leg until the day he died, for me standing with our veterans, service members, and their loved ones is standing with family. Our brave veterans put their lives on the line to serve our nation. Unfortunately, partisan politics have let them down. The lip service must end. These heroes deserve the utmost dignity and respect in their care and services, and I believe it is our duty to ensure that they receive the benefits they have earned. In Congress, I’ll fight to increase access to healthcare services and economic opportunities for veterans. We must streamline communication between VA and non-VA healthcare providers so that any veteran seeking healthcare treatment, mental or physical, is given the care they need. We must also support programs that give military families and caregivers training on post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction. Our veterans need to have access to economic and educational opportunities when they return home. In Congress, I’ll work to expand access to capital for veterans seeking to start a small business, and I’ll support funding for the GI Bill.	”
—Finkenauer for Congress

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of a campaign ad from Finkenauer's 2018 election.

"Dinner Table" - Finkenauer campaign ad, released August 13, 2018

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Abby Finkenauer campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate Iowa	Lost primary	$4,204,898	$4,186,967
2020	U.S. House Iowa District 1	Lost general	$5,938,111	$5,912,075
2018	U.S. House Iowa District 1	Won general	$4,601,775	$4,572,792
2016	Iowa House of Representatives, District 99	Won	$21,501	N/A**
2014	Iowa House of Representatives, District 99	Won	$39,728	N/A**
Grand total			$14,806,013	$14,671,833
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Committee assignments

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Iowa committee assignments, 2017
• Commerce
• Economic Growth
• Government Oversight
• Transportation

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Finkenauer served on the following committees:

Iowa committee assignments, 2015
• Economic Growth
• Labor
• Transportation
• Ways and Means

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020   The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended.	Passed (365-65)
Nay	The Heroes Act   The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (208-199)
Yea	For the People Act of 2019   The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (234-193)
Yea	CARES Act   The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (419-6)
Yea	Equality Act   The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual's gender indenitity. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (236-173)
Yea	Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019   The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (240-190)
Yea	American Dream and Promise Act of 2019   The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (237-187)
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (377-48)
Yea	Families First Coronavirus Response Act   The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-40)
Yea	Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019   The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for traditional IRA contributions, increase penalties for failing to file tax returns, allow penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans if a child is born or adopted, and expand the purposes for which qualified tuition programs may be used. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (417-3)
Yea	Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act   The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to address the price of healthcare by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate prices for certain drugs, requiring drug manufactures to issue rebates for certain drugs covered under Medicare, requiring drug price transparency from drug manufacturers, expanding Medicare coverage, and providing funds for certain public health programs. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (230-192)
Yea	Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020   The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 1865) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, providing appropriations for federal agencies in fiscal year 2020. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (297-120)
Yea	Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019   The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 (S. 1838) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on November 27, 2019, directing several federal departments to assess Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Key features of the bill include directing the Department of State to report and certify annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment, and directing the Department of Commerce to report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (417-1)
Yea	MORE Act of 2020   The MORE Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana by removing marijuana as a scheduled controlled substance and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. This bill required a simple majority vote from the House.	Passed (228-164)
Yea	Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020   The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 6, 2020, providing emergency funding to federal agencies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Key features of the bill include funding for vaccine research, small business loans, humanitarian assistance to affected foreign countries, emergency preparedness, and grants for public health agencies and organizations. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.	Passed (415-2)
Yea	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J.Res. 31) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 15, 2019, providing approrations for Fiscal Year 2019. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (300 -128)
Yea	John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act   The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (S. 47) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Doanld Trump on March 12, 2019. This bill sought to set provisions for federal land management and conservation by doing things such as conducting land exchanges and conveyances, establishing programs to respond to wildfires, and extending and reauthorizing wildlife conservation programs. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House.	Passed (363-62)
Yea	William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (On passage)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.	Passed (335-78)
Yea	William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Overcoming veto)   The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and vetoed by President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020. Congress voted to override Trump's veto, and the bill became law on January 1, 2021. The bill set Department of Defense policies and appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Trump vetoed the bill due to disagreement with provisions related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the renaming of certain military installations, limits on emergency military construction fund usage, and limits on troop withdrawals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House on passage, and a two-thirds majority vote in the House to override Trump's veto.	Passed (322-87)
Yea	Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019   The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (S.24) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on January 16, 2019, that requires federal employees who were furloughed or compelled to work during a lapse in government funding to be compensated for that time. The bill also required those employees to be compensated as soon as the lapse in funding ends, irregardless of official pay date. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill.	Passed (411-7)
Yea	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 1)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.	Guilty (230-197)
Yea	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. (Article 2)   The 2020 impeachment of Donald Trump (R) was a resolution before the 116th Congress to set forth two articles of impeachment saying that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress. The first article was related to allegations that Trump requested the Ukrainian government investigate former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid, and the second was related to Trump's response to the impeachment inquiry. The House of Representatives approved both articles of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of either charge. The articles of impeachment required a simple majority vote in the House.	Guilty (229-198)

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Abby Finkenauer

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Joe Biden  source  (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2020)	Primary	Won General

Scorecards

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A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Iowa scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2018

In 2018, the Iowa State Legislature was in session from January 8 through May 5.

• Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].
In 2017, the Iowa State Legislature was in session from January 9 through April 22. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Legislators are scored on their votes on bills tracked by CCI Action. Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Iowa State Legislature was in session from January 11 through April 29. ACLU of Iowa Legislators are scored on their votes by the ACLU of Iowa on bills "that embody key civil liberties concepts." Iowa Association of Business and Industry: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the Iowa State Legislature was in session from January 12 through June 5. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

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U.S. Senate Iowa

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Rod Blum (R)	Iowa's 1st Congressional District 2019–2021	Succeeded by Ashley Hinson (R)
Preceded by Patrick Murphy (D)	Iowa House District 99 2015–2018	Succeeded by Lindsay James (D)

[show]

Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Joni Ernst (R)

Chuck Grassley (R)

Representatives

District 1

Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R)

District 2

Ashley Hinson (R)

District 3

Zach Nunn (R)

District 4

Randy Feenstra (R)

Republican Party (6)