Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Mariannette Miller-Meeks is a Republican physician and politician representing Iowa's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was first elected to Congress in 2020 in a historically narrow race for Iowa's 2nd District, winning by just six votes, and was sworn into office on January 3, 2021. Following redistricting, she was re-elected to represent the 1st District. Before entering federal politics, she served in the Iowa Senate from 2019 to 2021 and was the director of the Iowa Department of Public Health under Governor Terry Branstad from 2011 to 2014. Miller-Meeks has an extensive background in medicine and military service. She enlisted in the United States Army at age 18 and served for 24 years as a nurse and physician, eventually retiring from the Army Reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Texas Christian University, a Master of Science in education from the University of Southern California, and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Prior to her public service, she operated a private ophthalmology practice in Ottumwa, Iowa, for several years.

Miller-Meeks' policy positions are largely informed by her background as a physician and military veteran. In healthcare, she advocates for market-based reforms to lower prescription drug costs and insurance premiums, and she has introduced legislation such as the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. She identifies as pro-life, supporting exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. On economic issues, she supports reauthorizing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, reducing government spending to combat inflation, and promoting energy independence through policies like HR 1 to lower fuel costs. Regarding immigration, Miller-Meeks emphasizes the need for enhanced border security, including physical barriers and advanced technology, and she voted in favor of the Secure the Border Act (HR 2). However, she also advocates for reforms to the legal immigration system, such as the Afghan Adjustment Act and the America’s Children Act, to protect legal residents and address labor shortages. As chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, she supports a 'pragmatic' approach to environmental policy that focuses on reducing emissions through innovation and American energy production rather than mandates that she argues could harm economic growth.