Having served Iowans in the U.S. Senate since 1981, folks in Washington are well aware that I have a soft spot for America’s Heartland. As an outspoken advocate for all those who choose to live, work, raise a family and enjoy life in the hinterlands, I work hard to make sure that Rural America gets full consideration by decision makers in the nation’s...
Q: What is a codetalker?
A: Many folks may not realize the critical service provided to the U.S. military by brave Native American soldiers during wartime in the last century. Many of these unsung heroes served America honorably by drawing upon their native languages to create an unbreakable wartime code that stumped the enemy and gave the Americans a...
Just as the new school year began, Iowa released its own report card required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The document measures how our local schools are doing to help children achieve academic standards set by Iowa's education leaders.
Not surprisingly, the annual review fueled negative reaction about our schools and the landmark federal...
Q: What’s in store for the Conservation Reserve Program?
A: As a lifelong family farmer, I understand what it takes to tend and till farmland year in and year out to keep it rich and productive. Responsible stewardship is key for farmers to earn a living off the land year after year. The federal government also understands that good stewardship of the soil,...
Last year Congress passed the most sweeping improvements to Medicare in history. In a long-debated bipartisan agreement, Republicans and Democrats worked together to bring the popular health insurance program for the elderly and disabled into the 21st century.
This summer Medicare celebrates its 39th anniversary. Throughout the last four decades, tens of...
Q: What’s new for Iowa coin collectors?
A: Whether you’re an avid coin collector or consider coins more or less as loose change, many Iowans are familiar with the U.S. Mint’s 50-state quarter series. Launched in 1999, the ten-year program releases a newly designed 25-cent coin every ten weeks to honor each state in the order it was admitted to the union. In...
Folks in Iowa don’t like the idea of the federal government overspending. New deficit forecasts issued in late July project a $445 billion funding gap for the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30.
The good news is the figure is $76 billion less than predicted in February. Thanks to the recovering economy, the budget gap is narrowing. But it’s still far too big....
A former Iowa high school football player recalls the abuse of steroids by fellow teammates a decade ago. According to him, coaches would give the pep talk before a game and leave the locker room knowing players would 'shoot up' before kick-off.
That’s a disgraceful situation. A high school coach serves as a mentor and authority figure to impressionable...
Q: What are class action lawsuits?
A: A valuable tool for consumers, class action lawsuits allow many individuals to group similar legal complaints into a single action against a defendant who allegedly caused harm to those filing suit. However over the past 10 years, numerous abuses have infiltrated the system and led to negative consequences for class...
Iowans looking for a 19th century era adventure this summer won’t have to travel far to celebrate one of America’s pivotal moments in our 228-year history.
The national bicentennial honoring the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806) began last year in Virginia and will retrace the famous explorers’ route to the Pacific Northwest and its return...
Q: Has the Department of Defense improved its handling of tax dollars?
A: For 20 years I’ve kept the pressure on the Pentagon to take a more conscientious approach to spending taxpayers’ money. As many Iowans will remember, I exposed the spending scandal in the ‘80s when federal bureaucrats saw no problem in spending $600 for a toilet seat or $400 on a...
A 1987 federal law intended to prevent non-farmers from cashing in on federal farm payments is not getting enforced adequately by the USDA.
According to an investigation by the nonpartisan auditing arm of Congress, the USDA’s eligibility criteria do not clearly define who qualifies to receive farm payments distributed by the federal bureaucracy.
The General...
The blessings of extended longevity give each successive generation of Americans a better opportunity to enjoy life’s pleasures great and small well past the traditional retirement age. Healthier lifestyles and advances in medicine and technology are helping to propel physical fitness and mental acuity far beyond previous expectations afforded to aging...
Folks looking to mix history, culture and good old-fashioned family entertainment this summer need look no further than Iowa’s eastern 'shoreline.'
Riverfront communities along the northern stretches of the mighty Mississippi in four states will play host this summer to an historic re-enactment of the original Grand Excursion that 150 years ago marked the...
Q: How can Iowans looking to start up a business learn more about their tax obligations?
A: Good question. Energetic entrepreneurs eager to open up shop and become self-employed and/or launch a small business must deal first with plenty of red tape. Before turning one’s bright idea into a money maker, it is necessary to consider the many employment issues...
Like most Iowans, I find myself these days wincing when it comes time to fill up the gas tank. Throughout my five-day road trip to 21 Iowa communities at the end of May, I found gasoline prices hovering at almost $2 per gallon from Oelwein to Atlantic.
A surge in oil prices not only affects the price of a gallon of gas, it can depress overall economic...
Nearly six decades after the end of World War II, the 'defining moment' of the 20th century has been memorialized in granite and bronze on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The World War II Memorial pays tribute to the honor, courage and sacrifice of the 16 million Americans who responded to the call of duty. And for those who supported the war effort...
As Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator, I bring unique life experiences to the policymaking tables in Washington. For starters, I’m the only working family farmer serving in the United States Senate. From my key committee assignments in Congress, I work hard to advance the interests of America’s family farmers. As a Midwesterner, I stay true to my roots and serve as...
Q: Why do you work so hard to support whistleblowers?
A: I have more than 12 billion reasons. As a federal lawmaker, I serve as a steward of the public purse. One of my missions in Congress is to make sure hard-earned tax dollars are put to good use and protected from waste, fraud and abuse. Thanks to my 1986 whistleblower amendments to the False Claims Act,...
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. This sage bit of wisdom certainly rings true in the nation’s capital. Trust me. I’ve been around the block enough times in Washington to know not to give up on what’s right.
Consider the hard-fought effort to modernize Medicare. Promises made on the campaign trail to bring the health insurance program for...
