The old saying is, there’s strength in numbers. The federal government workforce is so large that thousands of employees are allowed to stay home and get paid to do nothing, sometimes for months or even years at a time.
These employees are able to hide in plain sight due to a practice called paid administrative leave.
Agencies put employees on paid...
Q: What is National Save for Retirement Week?A: Hard-working families who are hard-pressed to pay the bills and make ends meet may feel that putting away money for retirement is a luxury they can’t afford. The reality is that Americans can’t afford not to save, plan and...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Parents of adolescents need to have “the talk” with their students, sooner rather than later. Not the talk about the birds and the bees. The talk about tuition and fees. From diapers to diplomas, parents know that kids will be ready to spread their wings in the blink of an eye. Leaving the nest will...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley Underemployment is up. Wage growth is down. Job openings are up. Hiring is down. Student debt is up. Job optimism is down. Consumer debt is up. The personal savings rate is down. Federal regulations are up. Consumer confidence is down. What’s up with the...
Q: Does designating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness month make a difference?A: Yes, especially if the three-decades-strong effort to rally public awareness compels even one of our loved ones to learn about the risk factors...
Q: Why should Iowans be concerned about disposing of unneeded medicines?A: A growing misuse of prescription pain relievers is on the rise in towns big and small in communities across America. People who abuse prescription drugs often obtain them through a friend or...
Ethanol and biodiesel are important to Iowa’s economy and U.S. energy independence. It’s frustrating when a powerful agency and top executive branch leaders in Washington, D.C., don’t seem to get it.
Midwestern farmers and biofuels makers are watching for the Environmental Protection Agency’s final decision on the Renewable Fuel Standard, which sets...
The Declaration of Independence states that everyone is endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights that governments are created to protect. The Constitution was adopted to secure the blessings of liberty to Americans. The Bill of Rights was adopted to adequately protect individual freedoms from government power. Other parts of the...
Over the last several years we’ve learned of serious abuse and fraud within the federal government program that provides visas for students who want to study in the United States. It’s become clear that the program is being exploited to gain entry into the United States, and that reforms need to be passed by Congress and implemented.
I’ve been a...
Heading off to college triggers a range of emotions for students and their families. For students, turning the page on life’s next chapter elicits a mix of pride, excitement, and uncertainty.
It’s not an easy transition for parents, either, no matter if campus is across town or a day’s travel away. Parents naturally worry about their children but...
with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: What is ISIS?A: A radical group of Islamic extremists operating from the Middle East, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS, ISIL or Islamic State), is escalating its terrorist insurgency throughout the volatile region. ISIS...
with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: What is ALS?A: Some people may know the neurodegenerative disease by another name, Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To the tens of thousands of American families impacted by this progressive,...
Heading off to college triggers a range of emotions for students and their families. For those moving to campus, lugging boxes from the parking lot to the dorm adds to the knot of anxiety that won’t seem to go away. And for every student, turning the page on life’s next chapter elicits a mix of pride, excitement and...
with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: What are Inspectors General?A: Congressional oversight is a primary means for the legislative branch to strengthen our system of checks and balances. In addition to exercising power of the purse and conducting oversight hearings...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
To some observers, it might seem awfully tedious work, not worth the effort.
Congressional oversight requires patience, resilience and earnestness. Tracking down answers, obtaining documents and interviewing whistleblowers typically are not met with a warm welcome by the federal bureaucracy.
In my years of oversight, I’ve...
Over the last several weeks the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tried to make the hard sell for rules it’s trying to make directly impacting agriculture. No question the Obama administration has a poor track record with agricultural interests on any number of issues like the disclosure of producer information, spilled milk and fugitive dust....
Almost a year ago I, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar, wrote to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission asking the agencies to investigate possible anticompetitive practices by oil companies that limit consumers’ access to homegrown renewable fuels. The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department said that they would look into...
A new drug for Hepatitis C is drawing attention, both for its treatment potential and its price for patients. The drug, called Sovaldi, costs $1,000 per pill, $84,000 for a standard treatment. Under one analogy, losing an expensive pill is like dropping a diamond down the sink.
Treatments for complicated cases might cost more than...
Several weeks ago, three female whistleblowers came to me alleging gender discrimination and whistleblower retaliation at the FBI. I brought up the allegations with the FBI Director, James Comey, who happened to be appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where I’m the Ranking Member.
Since I brought this up with Director Comey, five additional...
by U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar
It’s vacation season across America. That means family road trips are underway and the traveling public is paying even closer attention when they pull up to the pump. America’s road warriors have long cherished affordable gas prices. Today’s drivers also value clean-burning fuel choices that...
