Republican Congressman Tom Latham was the only member of Iowa’s delegation to vote for a bill that would have provided federal aid to Midwesterners hit by this year’s Missouri River flooding. The bill not only provided federal aide for a wide range of disasters, it was designed to provide enough money to keep the government operating past September 30th. The new federal fiscal year begins October 1st, but the two parties in congress haven’t agreed on a spending plan yet. However, in a surprise to House Republican leaders, the bill failed to pass last night. Too many Republicans — like Iowa Congressman Steve King — objected to the measure, saying it didn’t make deep enough cuts. Democrats objected to the part of the bill that made deep cuts in a program that boosts the manufacture of electric vehicles and said it didn’t provide enough money for disaster relief. Iowa’s three Democratic congressmen — Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Leonard Boswell — all were no votes, along with Republican Steve King.

(Radio Iowa)