U.S. Congressman Darin LaHood visited the IVCC campus March 23 for a small campus tour and conversation with students, with a special focus on the college’s agriculture program and facilities.

This visit included a look at the new Ag building under construction, which has drawn a lot of attention for its role in preparing students for careers in agriculture.
During his visit, IVCC students were able to ask U.S. Rep. LaHood questions that mattered to them. This discussion was student-driven, with LaHood, a Peoria Republican, prepared to answer a wide range of topics brought up on the spot.

Funding Education

When LaHood was asked if he supported continued funding for the Project Success TRIO program and how he would show his advocacy for it, he answered, “I’m absolutely supportive of that program and whether that’s specifically advocating publicly with my voice or secondly, writing advocacy letters with the other colleagues that I work with on behalf of that program.”

Not only would he advocate for those services, but he said he would also continue to advocate for programs that help students gain greater access to education, including Pell Grants.

“I think we actually need to add more to that [Pell Grant Funding] to adjust for inflation because I think the more Pell funding we have, I think improves the access to students,” LaHood stated. “I think it’s a wise investment of federal dollars, and I think it pays a lot of dividends.”

When asked about the student loan caps passing for certain professions, like social workers and nurse practitioners, taking effect July 1, 2026, LaHood said he needed more information on how the policy was implemented, but he emphasized balance.

“I need to maybe learn a little bit more about that. I’m not familiar with how that was done.

“I mean, I think there has to be an appropriate balance between, you know, the low amounts that are given to students, depending on the field they’re in, and programs that have had a success rate that has worked,” LaHood stated.

Agriculture in relation to global trade

Agriculture and its connection to global trade were also a main point of discussion.

“About 40% of our corn and soybeans go somewhere else around the globe, right? And so, we’re directly tied on trade… Trade policy matters to our farmers,” LaHood said.

LaHood then talked on his concerns about how tariffs impact our agriculture.

“We shouldn’t have blanket tariffs; we shouldn’t predicate our economy on blanket tariffs. I’ve kind of disagreed with the president on this.
“I think tariffs should be used in a strategic and tactical way to go after bad actors like China and others that cheat and steal, but tariffs, in my view, have hurt a lot of our farmers. So, trying to relieve the tariff burden for our farmers, that’s something we’ve worked a lot on,” explained LaHood.

Alongside trade, he discussed the challenges that farmers face when it comes to regulations.

“How farmers are regulated is a big deal, too, right? What fertilizer you can put on, what applications you can put on? Can you put Potash on? What kind of tractor do you use? That’s all regulated by the government,” LaHood said.

He also noted that margins are thin in the Ag sector now, and it’s important to support farmers while still maintaining environmental protection.

“How do we, you know, we don’t negate any of our environmental rules but figuring out how do we have a regulatory environment that helps our farmers.”

Renewable energy dreams

Energy was another topic that was brought up, specifically with the growth of windmills and renewable energy sources in Northern Illinois. LaHood described his district as “a very diverse energy district” and said he supports “kind of an all of the above approach” when it comes to energy sources. He also showed his support for nuclear energy, saying, “I think nuclear has been extremely beneficial to the state of Illinois,” and added, “I’m 100% supportive of that,” when discussing newer technologies like modular reactors.

Other topics

LaHood shared his core responsibilities of his role in Congress.

“There are three important parts of my job… voting on behalf of my 740,000 constituents… being a cheerleader for my district… then lastly is good constituent service, helping out people in my district.”

This visit helped provide IVCC students with an opportunity to engage personally with a federal policymaker on issues that are affecting their education, future careers, and local economy.

IVCC President Tracy Morris arranged for students to have time with LaHood during his campus visit.