Although the war in Afghanistan, and the president’s campaign to root out terrorism understandably are grabbing headlines these days, I have not reduced my scrutiny on the federal agency charged with enforcing quality nursing home standards. All year, I've continued my role as an advocate in Congress for nursing home residents by keeping a careful watch on the federal government. As the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which bears oversight authority over the Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), I will continue to monitor the federal government's efforts to improve quality of care in the nation's 18,000 nursing homes. Just three years ago as Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I held a congressional hearing that exposed serious charges of neglect in California nursing homes. At my request, the General Accounting Office (GAO) had investigated allegations of substandard care and determined that 30 percent of nursing homes in California put residents’ health care and well-being at-risk. At the time, that meant as many as 40,000 California nursing home residents could have received inadequate nutrition, suffered dehydration and developed life-threatening pressure sores. Despite numerous federal laws and regulations designed to protect nursing home residents and ensure adequate delivery of basic daily hygiene, good nutrition and medication, instances of substandard care and even neglect of this vulnerable population are concerns shared by many. Back in 1998, the federal bureaucracy that administers the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs pledged to make important changes to beef up, improve and strengthen nursing home regulations. I’m keeping my eye on the agencies charged with accomplishing this task to make certain they are well on their way to ensuring our older Americans have a healthy and safe place to live. When families make the often difficult and emotional decision to put an aging parent or disabled spouse in a long-term care facility, full and accurate consumer information is key to their decision-making. But if the information provided by the government fails to reflect reality, the consumer check-list becomes a meaningless exercise. In the upcoming weeks, I'll be receiving two important reports related to nursing home quality that should inform the policy debate on how to realize nursing home improvements. One report from the Department of Health and Human Services is the second phase of a major staffing study. The second report is from CMS on the continued implementation of the agency’s effort to improve nursing home oversight. As an outspoken advocate for the nation’s aging population, I’m not afraid to ruffle feathers in the federal bureaucracy to make sure public policy regarding quality nursing home care puts the well-being of residents first. Iowans can rest assured I won’t let up my watch.