Q: Why is National Adoption Month observed in November?
A: During this season of thanksgiving, millions of American households open their homes to friends and family from near and far. We come together to celebrate cherished traditions that have been handed down for generations. Hospitality, hearth and harvest come to mind as families gather at the table and...
It’s hard to believe healthcare.gov has been online more than a month already. The website wasn’t ready for primetime when it was launched. Technical experts say there are serious design problems. The Obama Administration has suggested people call instead of going online, but that doesn’t help because enrolling in the new health care program by phone...
It was seven score and 10 years ago. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his now legendary Gettysburg Address. Four months after the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, the President returned to the site to remember the 51,000 Americans who lost their lives in the three-day battle, turning Pennsylvania farm fields into a battleground’s...
The conference committee on the farm and food bill started in earnest last week. Provisions I authored to establish a farm payment cap of $250,000 and close loopholes used by non-farmers to game the system were included in both the Senate and House bills. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry sponsored the provisions in the House bill.
Our efforts were recently given...
The District of Columbia Circuit Court has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, caseloads of all the circuit courts in the country. An objective review of the court’s workload makes clear that the workload simply doesn’t justify adding judges to this court, particularly when additional judgeships cost approximately $1 million, per year, per judge.
Nearly...
Q: What are the next steps to resolve the budget impasse in Washington?
A: The 16-day partial government shutdown ended with a deal to appoint a budget conference that includes 29 lawmakers from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The bicameral, bipartisan panel is tasked with reaching an agreement on government funding levels. I was named to serve...
Q: What is the status of the farm and food bill?
A: The clock is ticking for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to renew the federal farm and food bill that would set public policy for agriculture, nutrition, conservation, disaster assistance and rural development for the next five years. In fact, nearly 80 percent of the funding is geared towards...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
For generations, Iowans have answered the call to feed the world. That noble vocation continues today as farmers across the state haul in the fall harvest. Their labor will help curb the pangs of hunger and malnutrition in poverty-stricken communities around the world.
Today’s 21st century stewards of the soil – from...
Senate Caucus on International Narcotics ControlHearing on “Dangerous Synthetic Drugs”Wednesday, September 25, 2013Prepared Statement ofCo-Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Madam Chairman, it’s been over two years since this caucus held its first hearing on synthetic drug abuse. At that hearing, we heard testimony from a constituent of mine named Michael...
Q: Why is the federal government expected to reach the debt ceiling yet again?
A: The simple answer: Washington spends too much. Think of it this way. How long could your household operate by spending more money each day every day that outstrips your earnings, savings and investments? That’s basically what Uncle Sam does 365 days a year. Month after month,...
As the heat index rises along the Potomac, it’s easy to understand why ice cream was a favored treat at Mount Vernon, the home of America’s first president. In addition to his presidency and military service, the life and legacy of George Washington is rooted in farming. An innovative steward of the land, Washington understood the importance of agriculture...
The White House has whipsawed on possible U.S. military action in Syria. First, the Secretary of State went public with an urgent plea to address the abhorrent use of chemical weapons. The President seemed to agree on the urgency, then slowed down and said he’d seek congressional approval. Later, when congressional approval was far from assured, the...
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I’m the Ranking Member, passed legislation to protect the rights of reporters, while seeking to balance legitimate law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime, terrorism and espionage.
The Judiciary Committee considered similar legislation in 2009. On one hand, reporters help expose waste, fraud and...
Q: Why should people pay attention to National Farm Safety and Health Week?
A: One of the busiest seasons of the year is fast approaching in Iowa. Heads of household can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s not yet tax season. Over the course of the next couple of months, tens of thousands of Iowa farmers, hired hands and grain haulers will harvest more than 22...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
The resilient U.S. economy owes in large measure its global reputation for prosperity to the ideas, innovation and invention rooted deeply in our American heritage.
Flourishing from free-marketplace principles of economic opportunity and wealth creation, generations of risk-takers, entrepreneurs and high achievers went for all...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Just before Labor Day, I wrapped up 15 county meetings in Northwest Iowa. Since Iowans first hired me to represent them in the U.S. Senate in 1980, I’ve held at least one meeting in each of Iowa’s 99 counties every year. Iowans are my boss. As workers across Iowa know, keeping on top of what’s on the mind of your boss is...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: What is the purpose of presidential libraries?
A: Building on an idea conceived by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Congress passed legislation in 1955 that established a system to preserve the artifacts and documents of the presidency. The network of libraries starts with the 31st president, Iowa’s own Herbert Hoover. The...
by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
At the end of this year, the coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act will take effect. Regardless of what a person thinks about the massive changes the law will make to America’s health care system, it’s important to understand the economic impact of the health care law’s regulatory burden and 23 tax increases.
The...
They say history has a way of repeating itself. That certainly came true in June when the U.S. Senate approved a sweeping reform bill to revamp the nation’s immigration laws. Unfortunately, the U.S. Senate failed to learn from the mistakes created by the 1986 overhaul.
Consider the 1986 bill that President Reagan signed into law.
At that time, about three...
By Senator Chuck Grassley
It’s a critically important time for the bioenergy industry, and particularly the advanced biofuels producers. I’m a long-time supporter of efforts to diversify our energy supply with clean-burning, homegrown renewable energy. Iowa has been blessed with rich, productive soil and abundant agricultural resources.
Iowa is a leader is...
