Recently, the Justice Department made what appeared to be a bold step forward in reforming the asset forfeiture program run out of the department. The department's actions came after I raised concerns about the federal government’s role in joining asset seizure cases initiated by state and local law enforcement and dividing up the proceeds among...
by U.S. Senator Chuck GrassleyGet ready for the credibility gap to vault north between the IRS and the taxpaying public. Right before tax season kicks into high gear, the National Taxpayer Advocate issued a scathing report that exposed the tax collection agency’s misguided strategy to manage its core mission. Just as the IRS saddles up to...
The federal government releases a monthly employment report. The report shows the number of jobs created in the prior month and the national unemployment rate. Also included is the number of long-term unemployed Americans – the people who have been jobless for 27 weeks or longer.The latest report shows the number long-term unemployed at 2.8...
With U.S. Senator Chuck GrassleyQ: What is the Independent Payment Advisory Board?A: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains a slew of unpopular provisions that will figure prominently on the radar screen of the 114th Congress. Since the passage of wholesale changes to the nation’s health insurance sector limped through Congress on a party-line line...
Last week, the Senate convened for the 114th Congress. It’s a new year with new commitments to being the deliberative body that the founders intended. On Thursday, I was officially voted to be the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I’ve served on the Judiciary Committee since first being elected to the Senate. ...
The new Congress was barely under way when the White House threatened to veto a bipartisan bill authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline if Congress passes it soon, as intended.This was a demoralizing message to send when a new year offers a fresh start for productive discussions between Congress and the White House, and when the Keystone XL project has been...
Cell site simulators are law enforcement tools that mimic cellular phone towers. They use technology to get surrounding mobile phones to respond to them, bypassing the nearest tower and seizing the serial number from each phone. Reports have indicated that it is also possible to use them to obtain the content of emails and text messages.Senator...
Shortly before the Congress adjourned, I introduced legislation to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Prevention Act. The legislation updates and strengthens protections for young people in the criminal justice system. Juvenile justice programs help prevent at-risk youth from entering the system as well as help youth in the system become...
This holiday season, President Obama gave a gift to the Cuban government that has done nothing to deserve it. As it has for decades, the Castro regime continues to repress the fundamental rights of the Cuban people. According to our own Department of State, the authoritarian regime “has severely restricted fundamental freedoms, repressed...
Among the last votes of the Senate’s lame duck session this year was extending expired tax provisions. The Senate has this debate every year or two, and sometimes it goes much later than it should have. This was one of those years, despite efforts from many of us to avoid a last minute scramble. The provisions included a series of...
Q: What’s in store for your work in the next Congress? A: In January the 114th Congress will gavel to order under new leadership in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. In the New Year, I want the Senate to restore fiscal sanity to the appropriations process. Congress controls the purse strings. The electorate doesn’t want...
By U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of IowaA recent Saturday Night Live skit tapped into a deep concern among Americans about the President’s excessive use of executive authority. That concern is exacerbated with the reality now better understood that President Obama has largely kept the public from knowing the extent of his unilateral...
By U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Holding wrongdoers to account helps to uphold the public trust held by government, recover hard-earned tax dollars lost to fraud and strengthen our system of voluntary tax compliance. A federal law I beefed up nearly three decades ago has helped the U.S. Justice Department recoup nearly $45 billion through the False Claims Act....
Every year or two, Congress has to decide whether to continue more than 50 tax provisions that aren’t permanent law. The so-called tax extenders package is under consideration for the last weeks of the congressional session this year. One of the provisions most often in the headlines is the wind energy production tax credit. That’s...
In an end-of-the-year legislative effort, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, my bipartisan legislation that ensures 1.5 million satellite television consumers won’t be deprived of the news they rely on and the television programming they enjoy.
The issue at hand was a law, the Satellite Home Viewer Act, which needed to be reauthorized...
By U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
There’s no place like home. During this season of thanksgiving, celebrating life’s blessings with family and friends offers Americans a time-treasured ritual observed for generations. Gathering at the table for food and fellowship, we continue customs set forth during colonial times. From our treasured fortunes of...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
The eleventh day of the eleventh month is designated as Veterans Day.
Communities across the nation celebrate and pay tribute to hometown heroes, too many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Thanks to the sons and daughters who put their boots on the ground on the battlefield, Americans...
Q: What are the five essential freedoms of the First Amendment? A: During the ordinary grind of everyday life, Americans may become complacent about the core principles of our democracy that guarantee our individual rights. These central freedoms set us apart from...
One of the most disturbing pieces of news out of the IRS lately is identity theft-related tax refund fraud. This crime is growing, with $5.2 billion lost to fraudulent tax returns in 2013, according to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Identity theft is devastating for victims. You don’t have to look far for firsthand...
The Ebola virus outbreak has wreaked havoc on several West African countries and has threatened the United States. During this time, there have been numerous questions as to how the virus can be stopped from becoming more of a danger to the American people. The United States has federal government agencies and military personnel helping the...
