The most important responsibility of the federal government is to protect our national security, while at the same time preserving our civil liberties. This is a responsibility that’s getting harder to meet. Rapid changes in technology are making enemies more lethal, the world more interconnected, and privacy more subject to possible intrusion. We’re seeing...
Congress is still working to reach an agreement on a farm and nutrition bill. There are a few sticking points that have proven to be difficult to resolve. Originally, the nutrition provisions were widely thought to be the toughest issues to work out for the leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees. It seems, though, that this policy area has...
Q: What is Trade Promotion Authority (TPA)?
A: The Constitution vests authority in Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations. And the President must take care that the laws are faithfully executed. As anyone who pays any attention to Washington knows, it’s not easy to get 535 lawmakers to agree even on what day of the week it is. Imagine trying to...
Q: What does the Federal Reserve do?
A: The Fed was created to stem fault lines in the financial system that many argued bred depositor runs, interest rate spikes and market speculation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The case was made in Congress that the ebb and flow of a growing U.S. economy needed more certainty and that a system was needed to...
The EB-5 visa program has been used for decades as a tool to encourage foreign investment and job creation in the United States in exchange for a U.S. visa. Over the past three years, there has been a remarkable increase in the amount of foreigners using this visa program. At first glance, this appeared to be a positive development. But, as whistleblowers...
The U.S. Senate exhibits more bipartisanship than what makes the biggest headlines. This week, a bipartisan group of 16 senators met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to deliver a single message: The agency’s proposed reduction of the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2014 would discourage investment and hurt jobs in rural...
As the first session of the 113th Congress ends, year-end performance reviews are under way. Public opinion of Washington is remarkably low. The mismanaged roll out of the federal health insurance website and broken promises from the President have frustrated many Americans. A shortsighted decision by the Senate Majority Leader to trample on minority party...
This week, the Senate gave final approval to the House-Senate budget deal that sets upcoming levels for government spending.
While I appreciate the bipartisan effort that brokered this budget deal, I couldn’t support the proposal. It spends an additional $63 billion over the next two years when we have a $17 trillion debt. To offset that higher spending, it...
Q: Will new leadership at the IRS fix the agency’s recent problems?
A: As the tax collector-in-chief for the federal treasury, the Internal Revenue Service and its commissioner bear a Herculean task to administer and enforce a tax code blanketing a nation of 300-plus million citizens. Regrettably, the agency’s efforts to uphold the public trust have fallen...
Q: What’s held up the Defense Authorization bill?
A: Action stalled in November on the $625 billion defense bill because the Democratic leader refused to agree on allowing additional amendments, beyond those he supports, to be considered during floor debate. This time the legislative logjam affects national security and U.S. troops. In addition to military...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Among the objectives named in the preamble of the Constitution, the Founders specified one of the primary responsibilities of governance for the newly formed republic is to provide for the nation’s common defense. For more than two centuries, the United States of America has protected its borders, people, international commerce...
It appears that the Defense Department’s flagship accounting agency, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), is suffering its own audit woes, despite receiving clean bills of health on its own financial statements from an outside qualified government auditor.
Adding insult to injury, the Office of the Inspector General (IG), an office that is...
Federal rule-making procedures are important for holding the federal government accountable to the public. Federal agencies wield tremendous power. The way they decide to interpret and enforce federal law through rules and regulations has significant ramifications for the affected parties, whether individuals, business owners or state and local governments....
As the Senate debates the Defense Authorization bill, I introduced with several colleagues an amendment to strengthen military whistleblower protection laws to ensure those who report sexual assault and other misconduct are not further victimized by retaliation.
There’s plenty of evidence that military personnel have an unbelievably difficult time when...
During the tugs of war that crop up in Washington during political debates and policymaking, it’s not surprising the act of legislating has often been compared to the art of sausage making. The give-and-take that has long characterized the legislative meat grinder on Capitol Hill has been put on the chopping block.
Consider an analogy attributed long ago to...
Q: What is FISA?
A: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 is more commonly known by its acronym FISA. The law sets the parameters by which America’s intelligence community may conduct physical and electronic surveillance of those suspected of espionage or terrorism. Until the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many Americans likely were largely unaware of...
The Senate has passed legislation I introduced with Senator Patrick Leahy that would extend whistleblower protection for private sector employees who provide information to the Department of Justice related to criminal antitrust violations. The bill must still be considered by the House of Representatives. Senator Leahy and I are the Chairman and Ranking...
The Obamacare disaster offers a teachable moment for legislating. A major policy change that affects the quality of life of millions of people should develop with bipartisanship and consensus. Its effects should have the full understanding of the American people, the Congress and the President who signs it into law. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my...
In years of working to combat illicit drugs, I’ve seen a lot, but maybe nothing quite as venal and cynical as candy-flavored methamphetamine and cocaine marketed to children.
Law enforcement officers and drug treatment officials have come across methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal drugs that have been colored, packaged and flavored to appeal to...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
As its market share dips, Big Oil is doubling down to swat down its perennial piñata. This time around, petroleum producers and food conglomerates are using environmental groups as political cover to gain traction on efforts to pull the plug on the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).
Despite the ridiculously transparent and...
