Hinson visits Dubuque residential programs

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson visited two Dubuque residential programs Monday and voiced her intent to advocate for their causes — and their clientele — as officials in Washington, D.C., push to reduce federal spending. Hinson visited Operation Empower’s Liberty Recovery & Training Center, a substance-use recovery facility, and Opening Doors, a facility that supports women and children experiencing homelessness. Both organizations — and the people they serve — rely significantly on federal assistance programs, including Medicaid, Section 8 housing-choice vouchers and more. Hinson, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, is learning the impact of local programs that use federal funding at a time when the new Trump administration is making efforts to cut spending. At the stops, Hinson acknowledged the finesse necessary to support the use of federal funds that benefit nonprofits such as the ones she visited Monday. She said she would fight for the funding while also trying to cut federal spending across the board.