Q. Why do we pledge allegiance to the flag?
A. The U.S. flag represents not just our country as a political unit, but the principles that bind us together as Americans, namely individual liberty and unalienable natural rights, endowed by our Creator, which the government shall not infringe upon. We pledge our allegiance to the flag to show our allegiance to...
Q. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. What is it all about?
A. There are tens of thousands of legally blind children in the United States. One in 10 children is at risk from undiagnosed eye problems that could lead to blindness. Only 14 percent of children under age six have had a comprehensive eye exam. Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month...
Families across Iowa are squeezing the most out of summertime before the new school year gets into full swing. It won’t be long before the dog days of August give way to homework, Friday night football games and school buses joining the morning commute.
Before school doors open, parents will open their wallets to buy back-to-school supplies, clothes, shoes...
Q. Why did the government bailout AIG?
A. American International Group, Inc., or AIG, is a large insurance corporation with ties to banks and financial institutions world-wide. AIG got in trouble selling insurance on credit failures known as “credit default swaps.” This exotic financial product was intended to protect investors from losses on defaults in the...
America can’t tax-and-spend its way back to prosperity. And right now the clock is ticking on some very time-sensitive tax business that will have a big impact on the taxpaying public and the economy.
Washington has a few months to act before federal tax rates on estates, wages and investment income would increase significantly on January 1, 2011. The last...
Q. Some say that the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, sometimes overreaches the boundaries of its authority at the expense of agriculture. Do you agree with this statement?
A. There is a lot of evidence of this type of behavior from the EPA. Consider this example; the EPA currently enforces regulations known as “Spill Prevention, Control and...
A tide of rising uncertainty is swelling among Iowans who worry the federal government is overstepping its authority. Whether overspending tax dollars or overreaching Constitutional boundaries, taxpayers, property owners, farmers and small business owners are asking when is enough, enough? In the last two years, Washington has dramatically accelerated public...
Q. What are service academies?
A. The U.S. service academies are armed forces academies that provide the education and training of commissioned officers for branches of the U.S. armed forces. The academies provide a rigorous academic, physical and military leadership curriculum. Cadets and midshipmen complete a 4-year degree program and then serve in the...
Q. You recently introduced the GREEN Jobs Act. What’s your motivation?
A. I introduced the GREEN Jobs Act in April, with Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota, to try to prevent ethanol from being dealt the same blow that was levied against biodiesel in 2009. Despite widespread political support for the biodiesel tax credit, Democratic congressional leaders...
It seems obvious enough. If a portion of every paycheck is taxed to help finance Medicare for current retirees and the disabled, Iowa workers deserve an equitable return on those dollars once they reach retirement.
What may seem obvious is obscured by Washington’s way of doing business. Consider the flawed Medicare payment system that cheats doctors who...
Q. How is the salary of members of Congress determined?
A. Article 1, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution stipulates that the salary of members of Congress is to be set by Congress and signed into law by the President. The 27th Amendment to the Constitution states, “no law, varying the compensation for the services of the senators and representatives, shall...
As the United States struggles to shake the worst economic downturn in generations, Washington also is wrestling with a growing sense of unease among the public about deficit spending gone wild.
So far, the federal government has tapped 1.5 trillion tax dollars to bail out banks on Wall Street and jump-start spending on Main Street. While it has sustained 99...
Q. What is the history of the U.S. national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner?
A. The poem that later became the U.S. national anthem was written about the famous Battle of Baltimore during the British-American War of 1812. At one point during this battle, Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, was bombed for 25 hours straight. Before the battle, Francis Scott...
Q. What’s going on with the 2001–2003 tax cuts?
A. The marginal rate cuts and the family tax relief of the bipartisan tax reform that was enacted in 2001 and 2003 are among the most important issues facing this Congress. These cuts are scheduled to expire in December 2010. If Congress doesn’t act, Americans will be hit with the biggest tax increase in...
Living in a world filled with uncertainty – joblessness, the Gulf oil spill and undercurrents of the next terrorism strike – it should be obvious the American public wants political leadership that will get the country back on the right track.
Unfortunately, Washington doesn’t seem to be getting the message. The White House and the current leadership on...
Q. When did the ‘Stars and Stripes’ become the official U.S. flag, and what does its design represent?
A. On June 14, 1777, the U.S. Congress approved the design of The Flag of the United States of America, which is the official name of the flag commonly called the ‘Stars and Stripes.’ It had 13 stripes, one for each state, which alternated between red and...
The fact that summer’s here isn’t a license to forget about good nutrition and good choices for kids and families. It’s why many parents will remind their kids that reading books and riding bikes around the neighborhood are better choices than eating potato chips and turning into a couch potato while school’s out.
At the same time, federal lawmakers need to...
Q. What is currency manipulation?
A. Currency manipulation is when a government intervenes in the market to artificially maintain the value of its currency. A government that does this can make its exports cost less in foreign markets, and make imports cost more in its home market. The result is an unfair advantage among international trading partners.
For...
Q. What does government spending that adds to the deficit and debt mean for the average American?
A. According to the Treasury Department, our total national debt now tops $13 trillion. That is $42,000 for each of the 309 million people living in the United States. Since President Obama took office, the national debt has increased at a rate of nearly $5...
During his weekly video address, Chuck Grassley gives a Memorial Day address honoring those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
Click here for video.
Click here for audio.
Prepared remarks for the address are available below.
Grassley Weekly Video Address Memorial Day May 28, 2010
Hello. I’m Chuck Grassley from Iowa. Like all Americans I...
