Congresswoman Cindy Axne held a town hall meeting in Indianola Wednesday afternoon, part of her “Connect With Your Congresswoman” series of meetings across Iowa’s third congressional district. Congresswoman Axne focused the meeting on agricultural and rural issues, and tells KNIA News she recently introduced a bill to congress that would help local small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.

“During COVID-19, we’ve been able to help Small Business Administration and the PPP Program, but those businesses that have already taken out loans from the USDA didn’t have the opportunity for loan forgiveness. So this allows us to have those businesses push back payments and interest and all of those things for a series of months and then an extension on that as well so that they can stay afloat. I thought that we were being overlooked as a state and a rural community when it came to helping keep main street alive, because a lot of our loans came through the USDA those folks didn’t have that opportunity.”

The visit was the first town hall of 2021 for Axne, who is beginning her second term in the House of Representatives.