Q. What is the debt ceiling?
A. The debt ceiling is a cap set by Congress on the amount of debt the federal government can legally borrow from both the public (such as anyone who buys bonds) and government trust funds (including the Social Security Trust Fund). The Treasury Department cannot issue any debt above the amount approved by Congress. The first...
Family members in Iowa are among the legions of caregivers across the country who sacrifice time, careers and money to provide care for loved ones who no longer are able to live independently or care for themselves.
The family safety net for generations has helped loved ones stay longer in their own homes and helped to enhance the quality of life for aging...
Q. What is LightSquared?
A. LightSquared is a company developing a wireless broadband network that would provide network capacity to communication service providers, such as cable and Internet providers, not directly to consumers. The company says its business model would increase competition in the wireless industry by helping small wireless companies...
Congratulations to all the high school and college graduates who this month celebrate hard-earned academic achievements and scholastic success. Enjoy the pomp and circumstance and school traditions, from the caps and gowns to the commencement speeches and graduation ceremonies. By earning a high school diploma or advanced college degree, our young leaders...
Q. Can veterans access telehealth services?
A. Telehealth uses telecommunications technologies to deliver health care services, including medical consultations, prescriptions, preventive care and curative medicine. Using telehealth could mean a phone call with a doctor about symptoms, or a trip to a local hospital for a high-tech appointment or treatment...
Q. What is the Independent Payment Advisory Board?
A. The Independent Payment Advisory Board for Medicare was created by the health care overhaul enacted last year. The board is scheduled to be established in 2015. If Congress doesn’t act to repeal or change it, this board would be a 15-member team of unelected advisors that would make binding...
Q. What is National Foster Care month?
A. Since 1988, May has been designated National Foster Care Month to call attention to the issues facing the foster care community, which consists of more than 400,000 children nationwide, more than 6,000 of whom live with one of Iowa’s approximately 2,700 foster families. While this community deserves year-round...
Unlike Congress, families in Iowa can’t spend more money than they bring in year after year. At least not without facing grave financial problems.
Unlike Congress, Iowans can’t increase their paychecks by passing a law to boost their income. On the contrary, the big spenders in Washington would like to pass laws that would decrease taxpayers’ take-home pay...
Q. Should Congress increase taxes to reduce the federal deficit?
A. Out-of-control government spending has resulted in record-level deficits and a national debt of more than $14 trillion. President Obama and some members of Congress are arguing for higher taxes to reduce the deficit. The thing is, expert analysis tells us that from World War II through 2009,...
Q. What is the TALENT Act?
A. The TALENT Act, or the To Aid Gifted and High-Ability Learners by Empowering the Nation's Teachers Act, is bipartisan legislation that I recently introduced. It’s designed to help teachers and school administrators take into consideration the needs of high-ability students during the planning process at the school, district and...
Q. What is Older Americans Month?
A. Each May, we celebrate Older Americans Month. Whether you’re currently enjoying or are still looking forward to the next phase of life and retirement, this is a time to celebrate the contributions of the current generation and past generations of older Americans. This year’s theme, “Connecting the Community,” highlights...
As hundreds of millions of Americans zeroed in on highly publicized negotiations in Washington to avert a shutdown of the federal government, tens of millions of people from around the world were riveted by a live video stream coming out of Decorah, Iowa. Nestled 80 feet above ground in a cottonwood tree, three eaglets fascinated their online audience by...
Q. What is the Small Business Lending Fund and what is its relationship to the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP?
A. Congress created the Small Business Lending Fund last September to help banks make loans to small businesses. The Small Business Lending Fund is similar to TARP, in that it will lend federal taxpayer dollars to banks. The banks can then...
Watching revolutions unfold halfway across the world, Americans have countless reasons to appreciate living in the land of opportunity. Liberty, justice and the rule of law are the foundations of our republic. These are the noble principles for which generations of men and women in uniform have put their lives on the line in service to their country. From...
Q. What is K2?
A. K2 is the common name for incense that is laced with toxic, mind-altering chemicals. It is also called spice, genie or synthetic marijuana, among other things. K2 is packaged as a harmless product. Young adults are smoking it to obtain what they consider to be a “legal high.” Many of them think K2 is natural and, therefore, harmless, when...
Watching revolutions unfold halfway across the world, Americans have countless reasons to appreciate living in the land of opportunity. Liberty, justice and the rule of law are the foundations of our republic. These are the noble principles for which generations of men and women in uniform have put their lives on the line in service to their country. From...
In the last half-century, U.S. farmers have answered the call to help feed, clothe and fuel a growing world population. In 1960, a U.S. farmer on average fed 25 people. Thanks to a blend of advances in mechanization, pest control, biotechnology, animal husbandry and veterinarian medicine – along with conscientious stewardship of soil, water and resource...
Q. In Washington, how much time do you spend meeting with Iowans, compared to work on the Senate floor, in committee meetings and in other discussions and work?
A. When I’m in Washington, D.C., for Senate business, I meet with many Iowans who are visiting the nation’s capital. Because mornings are taken up by committee business, policy discussions and...
Q: How can young Iowans get a first-hand look at Washington, D.C.?
A: There are many opportunities, especially for high school students, to get a first-hand look at the federal government including Congress. Some Iowa schools organize trips led by government and history teachers. Groups such as 4-H, Future Farmers of America, Future Business Leaders of...
Younger generations of Americans are growing up with information technology that puts the world at their fingertips. Google and GPS have become modern day must-haves.
The fast-paced evolution to a digital era has changed the way consumers shop, socialize and search for information, including government services and public records. Making government more...
