The rush of the holiday season is fast approaching. Folks in Iowa and across the country look forward to gathering together, counting their blessings and enjoying long-held traditions with family and friends.
But before we carve the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, let’s remember to observe another national holiday in honor of America’s veterans. The 11th day of...
Q: Why did you oppose the purchase of Farmland’s pork division to Smithfield Foods, Inc.?
A: For several years I have led an effort in Washington to expose anti-competitive trends in American agriculture, including increased concentration in the meat processing industry. In my county meetings across Iowa, concerns about consolidation in the agricultural...
As a fiscal conservative, I have long championed taxpayer rights and worked to reduce the tax burden on working men and women in America. In the late 1990s, when testimony provided to Congress shed light on an overzealous federal agency trouncing on the rights of citizen taxpayers, I led an effort to reform the way the IRS does business and to make more...
Q: What is the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation?
A: Created in 1974 with enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation insures certain private pension plans to protect the nest eggs American workers are counting on once they leave the workforce. The federal agency promises 44 million American workers...
Q: Why is the U.S. releasing a newly designed $20 bill?
A: The Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Engraving and Printing are working to stay ahead of currency counterfeiters who are turning to sophisticated, cheaper, digital methods to launder their tainted notes into the world economy. In 1995, less than one percent of counterfeit notes detected in the...
The federal agency that does business with more Americans than any other arm of the federal government observed its 90th birthday in October. Created in 1913 with ratification of the 16th amendment, Congress enacted a federal income tax system and with it an agency charged with administering the tax laws. And so the Internal Revenue Service was born.
The...
Advances in wireless technology and mobile telecommunications services would make Alexander Graham Bell’s head spin. Today’s consumers have embraced the miracles of modern day gadgets and gizmos and have come to expect better, faster products to continually show up in the marketplace. Cellular phones seem as ubiquitous in the 21st century as indoor plumbing...
The second anniversary of the terrorist attacks served a painful reminder about the grief-stricken families still mourning the loss of 3,000 loved ones killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The sheer shock of the attacks on American soil may be fading, but the reality is the United States remains vulnerable to terrorism.
For the last two years, the federal government...
Q: Are you still pushing for a payment cap on farm subsidy payments?
A: Most definitely. I’m concerned public support for a federal farm safety net will unravel by the time the next farm bill comes up for renewal unless Congress acts to limit the amount of money paid out to the biggest producers. A widely publicized report by a national conservation group...
Q: What is Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers?
A: For over 40 years, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program has provided assistance to individuals who lose their manufacturing jobs due to imports. But until this year, Trade Adjustment Assistance was not available to farmers. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which handles trade...
Q: Is the U.S. economy picking up steam?
A: There are signs of improvement, but the lackluster job market continues to feed anxiety and concern among those who are out of work and looking for a job. Although the economy is growing annually at 2.6 percent, it hasn’t triggered robust job creation. However, we are seeing good news in stronger-than-expected...
This summer both houses of Congress passed historic bills to add prescription drug coverage for 40 million older and disabled Americans insured by Medicare. Created in 1965, the federal health insurance program has provided access to affordable health care for millions of seniors over the last 38 years.
In just a few years, the oldest members of the large...
Q: Is the U.S. economy picking up steam?
A: There are signs of improvement, but the lackluster job market continues to feed anxiety and concern among those who are out of work and looking for a job. Although the economy is growing annually at 2.6 percent, it hasn’t triggered robust job creation. However, we are seeing good news in stronger-than-expected...
Q: What is Chapter 12?
A: The only temporary section of the federal bankruptcy code, Chapter 12 applies to farmers and ranchers who seek relief from creditors while reorganizing their debt. Re-enacted during the farm crisis in the mid-1980s, I led the effort in Congress to bring back this safety net for family farmers facing economic collapse. It was first...
Back to school rituals include shopping for new shoes, clothes and school supplies. As parents and students across Iowa make final preparations for a new school year, don’t forget to obtain a clean bill of health from your doctor. Well child visits, including childhood immunizations, are a fundamental means to help nurture the general well-being, school...
For the ninth time since 1986, a caravan of international guests will join me on a road trip through Iowa, August 11-15. Launched as a way to showcase Iowa people, products and places during the depressed farm economy in the mid-1980s, my biennial trade tour of Iowa provides a good opportunity for foreign ambassadors and trade representatives from around the...
Q: Why is the U.S. Treasury converting traditional savings bonds into paperless, electronic accounts?
A: Times have changed since President Franklin D. Roosevelt placed the first order for a $500 Series E Savings Bond in a radio broadcast on April 30, 1941. With the advances in electronic banking and widespread Internet use by consumers in the 21st century,...
Q: Is Washington really poised to add prescription drug benefits to Medicare?
A: For years, candidates for public office and incumbents have campaigned on a platform to help seniors pay for their prescription drugs through the Medicare program. The federal health insurance program provides health care coverage for 40 million elderly and disabled Americans....
Blessed with longevity, greater numbers of Americans are able to enjoy more time to spend with their family and loved ones. Take it from me, it’s a treasure to watch your grandchildren grow up and incredible to congratulate a granddaughter on the birth of her own child. But just as Americans break new age barriers, society must cope with the changing needs...
Q: What is the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003?
A: In May the president signed into law an ambitious effort by the United States to address the humanitarian crisis spreading throughout Africa and the Caribbean. In January President Bush proposed a ‘work of mercy’ in his State of the Union Address and asked...
