Ah, words! Especially to writers, they are more precious than jewels, as essential as air, and powerful enough to create entire worlds. We chase them, massage or mince them, we roll them around in our mouths, savoring every delicious subtlety. Mostly, we love them.

~Tammy Letherer

Ms. Letherer wrote these words on a blog entry titled Why Words Matter (In and Out of the Locker Room), on October 16, 2016.  In that post, she discussed her unhappiness with Donald Trump’s language regarding women.

In Iowa, former U.S. Representative Bruce Braley lost his Senate race with Joni Ernst in large part to an audiotape of his words to political contributors in Texas disparaging our senior senator, Chuck Grassley, describing him as “a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school.”

This year’s health-care debate, centered on the Republicans’ efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has led to many statements by Republican leaders in Iowa that should come back to haunt them this Halloween season and for seasons to come, as Bruce Braley’s words haunted him.

U.S. Representative David Young gave verbal support of a previous bill that passed the House but was rejected earlier this summer by the Senate. This was a bill that President Trump described as “mean.” Those words of support by Representative Young for a “mean” health-care bill should be remembered.

On September 26, the Senate bill was pulled from consideration by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell because of a lack of support. However, Senator Chuck Grassley gave strong verbal support for the bill, saying, “You know, I could maybe give you ten reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered, but Republicans campaigned on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign. That’s pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill.”

Senator Grassley’s verbal support for a bill that he believed had multiple reasons not to be considered should also be remembered by Iowans.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also gave verbal support for this most recent bill, even though it would take money from Iowa for health coverage when our for-profit Medicaid program is losing money and our individual insurance market is on life support.

She said, “People were sold a bill of goods with Obamacare.” Is taking money away from Iowa going to make Iowa health care better? Senator Grassley is saying, in so many words, that the Senate bill was also a “bill of goods.” Iowans should also remember Kim Reynolds’ words.

Bruce Braley learned the hard way that words matter; will Representative Young, Senator Grassley, and Governor Reynolds also discover that their words matter? My underlying message, especially for Senator Grassley, is that campaign promises are not nearly as important as improving health-care coverage for Iowans.

Finally, on the final day of September, my wife and I walked the Ledges State Park in Boone County. Due to a washed-out road, access to the beautiful sandstone canyon was limited to pedestrian traffic. After walking past the washed-out site, we found the road through the canyon was passable and saw several empty parking spots. The symbolism of the empty parking spaces struck me as an analogy for health care in Iowa: If Medicaid is cut back and if the individual market implodes, I fear empty hospital beds, empty clinic exam rooms, and empty hospitals. The “road closed” sign will be up for Iowa patients without health-care coverage.

Iowans deserve health care, and words should matter.