Across much of the country, the fight against cancer has been a story of progress. Earlier detection, better screening and new treatments have helped drive down cancer rates nationwide. Unfortunately, Iowa is moving in the opposite direction. 

The state is one of just three where cancer rates are rising, and currently has the fourth-highest cancer rates in the country. The Iowa Cancer Registry expects 21,700 Iowans to be diagnosed with cancer this year.

As a result, very few states have as much on the line as Iowa when Congress considers legislation that impacts healthcare. Now, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA-2), is facing questions around her votes for legislation that could hurt the state’s fight to beat cancer. 

Last year, she voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill, the sweeping legislation that included nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts, the largest in the program’s history. Her vote cut Medicaid coverage for an estimated 86,000 Iowans and cost Iowa roughly $518 million in federal health funding, with rural hospitals among the hardest hit.

At a town hall in Clayton County, she defended that vote, saying she “was also proud to vote for President Trump’s one big, beautiful bill.” In a later interview, she dismissed concerns about the cuts as fearmongering and said only people gaming the system were at risk of losing health coverage.

Iowans who don’t rely on Medicaid could also lose their coverage because of Hinson’s votes. About 112,000 Iowans bought coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace in 2025. Enhanced tax credits that lowered their premiums, and extended help to people earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level, expired at the end of last year. In January, Hinson voted against extending them for three years.

As cancer rates continue to rise, Iowans face real threats to access the care they need to fight the deadly disease.