Every day millions of Americans benefit from the miracles of modern medicine, especially groundbreaking pharmaceutical research that’s produced life-saving prescription medicines.
Of course, paying for prescription medicines is not cheap. And I learned a long time ago, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
The federal government spends about $50 billion on...
Q: What is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)?
A: If you would ask some 3.8 million U.S. taxpayers who were snared by the parallel tax system in 2004, they likely would none too subtly suggest the AMT is an Absolutely Maddening Tax. First installed by Congress back in 1969, the AMT created a two-tier tax system that essentially pieced together a back-up tax...
Immersed in the routines of daily life, many people don’t make an extra effort to track legislation as it winds through Congress. It usually takes an issue that hits close to home before it motivates people to take notice.
Based upon town hall meetings I conducted across Iowa in February, Congress has touched an emotional chord among the electorate as debate...
Congratulations to the thousands of young Iowa graduates accepting diplomas in 2005. This is a time to celebrate and reflect on the achievements, hard work and sacrifice it took to complete high school or earn a college degree. It’s also appropriate to congratulate the parents, who no doubt are shedding tears of joy and sadness as they close another chapter...
The U.S. Department of Defense recently recommended closing nearly 180 military installations and offices as part of a process called BRAC, which stands for Base Realignment and Closure. BRAC is designed to save the Defense Department $49 billion over the next 20 years by reorganizing our nation’s military base structure to make sure it is as efficient and...
Q: Is anything being done to address the record high price of gas?
A: With the price of gas hovering at $2.25 a gallon as the summer driving season is just getting started, the high price of fuel is a concern to almost everyone. Congress has spent the last four years working towards a comprehensive national energy policy that would give our country an...
Like many Iowans, I was deeply saddened when I heard that Jetseta Gage, a little girl from the Cedar Rapids area, was abducted, raped and murdered by a repeat sex offender. Crimes like these against children are some of the worst offenses possible and, unfortunately, happen far too often.
That’s why I have recently introduced legislation that would enhance...
Members of the U.S. military have performed heroically throughout our nation’s history, protecting America’s interests and liberating people around the globe. In the three and a half years since September 11, 2001 that grand tradition has continued.
Besides the soldiers themselves, some of the greatest sacrifices in times of war are made by military...
Q: Why are any changes needed to the bankruptcy system?
A: I have been working for years to make common sense reforms to the current bankruptcy system so that people who are responsible and pay their bills on time don’t have to subsidize the irresponsible actions of a few. Finally, this bipartisan bill has passed both the U.S. House of Representatives and...
Q: What is being done to make sure there is adequate health care available to veterans?
A: As veterans from World War II, Vietnam and Korea continue to age and service members from Iraq and Afghanistan begin to need care, it’s important that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is able to meet their needs. The VA is in the process of modernizing its...
Class action lawsuits play an important role in holding companies that injure or otherwise endanger a broad group of people accountable. When the damage to an individual isn’t substantial enough to justify the cost of one person bringing a lawsuit, class actions allow a group of people similarly injured to bring a case together.
Unfortunately, the current...
Q: What does the President’s budget do to address the budget deficit?
A: Following up on his State of the Union Address, President Bush presented Congress with his annual budget that will meet his goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009. As a fiscal conservative, I appreciate the President giving Congress a budget that gives first priority to national...
Too often politicians avoid difficult problems facing the nation because the possible solutions are politically charged and hard to achieve. As a result, Washington regularly slips into demagoguery and inaction.
Yet, elected officials have a responsibility to handle the political hot potatoes that are handed to them, rather than just pass them off to the...
Q: What is being done to combat the use of methamphetamine?
A: Iowa and other rural states have seen first-hand the power and prevalence of meth over the past few years. In Iowa, the number of meth labs has grown dramatically since the late 1990s, with a record 1,301 meth labs reported in 2004 by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Oklahoma responded...
The 55th presidential inauguration celebrated American democracy and saluted those who serve selflessly to preserve our system of self-government.
For well over 200 years the United States has served as a beacon of hope, freedom and opportunity to generations of Americans. As the 43rd president took his oath of office for a second term, his inaugural address...
Q: What is the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act?
A: The new law empowers consumers with useful tools to help thwart identity theft, a fast-growing crime that struck seven million Americans in 2003. Beginning on March 1, Iowans will have the right to obtain for free their credit reports every year from each of the three nationwide consumer credit...
In January I’ll begin my 25th annual road trip across Iowa. Since Iowans first elected me in 1980 to the U.S. Senate, I’ve pledged to stay in touch. Nearly every weekend and during breaks in the congressional calendar, I’m home in Iowa listening to Iowans.
At the start of every calendar year, I map out a plan to make sure I reach each of Iowa’s 99 counties...
Q: What do taxpayers need to know about their charitable contributions donated for tsunami disaster relief in Southeast Asia?
A: The devastating damages inflicted by the powerful tsunami in the Indian Ocean basin by all accounts reach epic proportions. Claiming more than 155,000 lives, creating tens of thousands of orphans and widows, washing away the most...
A familiar marketing tool touting the number of hamburgers served by a fast food chain came to mind recently when the federal government issued its annual performance survey for Medicare.
It’s obviously the restaurant’s strategy to remind Americans about the popularity of its all-beef-patty sandwiched in a bun. Sales climb into the billions.
But unlike the...
Q: What should taxpayers consider when searching for outside assistance with their income tax returns?
A: First, all taxpayers need to understand they ultimately are responsible and accountable for every line of information provided on their returns, even if a professional was hired to help prepare their tax forms. That's why it's essential to find a...
