Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks has represented Iowa's 1st Congressional District since 2021. At 18, congresswoman Miller-Meeks enlisted in the army, serving 24 years as a nurse and doctor. A first-generation college student, Miller-Meeks earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Christian University. She earned her Master's in education from the University of Southern California, and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas at Houston. Miller-Meeks won her seat in 2020 by a margin of only 6 votes. Marking one of the closest congressional races in United States history - after 3 unsuccessful campaign attempts. Miller-Meeks serves on numerous committees and subcommittees where she draws on her history in healthcare and is an active proponent for veteran and healthcare policies for the state of Iowa and the United States.
It was great to sit down with Congresswoman Miller-Meeks to discuss her journey and career prior to Congress and to discuss her perspectives on recent events both in Congress and around the world. If you would like to learn more about Congresswoman Miller-Meeks you can head over to her website at https://millermeeks.house.gov/.
Follow us on Instagram @thehutchpodcast
Some show notes:
Childhood and Background
01:15 Childhood and Background
08:00 Career in the military and achieving graduate degrees
11:15 Miller-meeks advice on how to take calculated risk
14:00 Meaning of leadership
Congressional Career and Legislative Priority
18:42 Winning her first election by only 6 votes
24:45 Just how hard is it to get a bill enacted into law in Congress?
28:35 Healthcare Policy
Current State of US Congress
34:50 Recent Speaker election in House of Representatives
44:12 Leadership in the House
Ukraine, Israel, and the United States role in the world
52:40 United States' role in Ukraine
1:00:00 Israel-Hamas and the Importance of Israel in the Middle East