Q: Why do people have a beef with labeling the origin of the meat sold in grocery stores?
A: A lot of people want to know where the food on their tables comes from. Today, many food retailers are required to inform consumers about the country of origin of fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, ginseng, and ground muscle cuts...
Iowans will welcome friends and family home for the holidays this month to celebrate the joys of the season together. Kids home from college and relatives from far and near will gather under one roof to enjoy each other’s company.
For U.S. military families, the return of 45,000 troops from Iraq arguably wins the best homecoming present of the season. Nearly...
Q: Why have you taken on the Federal Communications Commission?
A: More than seven months ago, I started asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for information that would shed light on the agency’s apparent rush to approve the LightSquared project. Until public outcry, the agency was allowing LightSquared to move forward on a fast track with its...
Q: What’s the outlook for wind energy?
A: Wind energy is a valuable source of renewable energy, and the federal tax credit for wind energy production should be extended beyond its scheduled expiration date of December 31, 2012. In addition, the tax credit should be extended for long enough to give investors certainty, in order to maximize the opportunities....
President Obama’s latest media campaign is built around the tag line We Can’t Wait for Congress. Under this banner, he has announced executive actions for everything from mortgage and student loan relief, job placement for veterans, grants for health care workers and stricter funding requirements for Head Start programs. The new slogan highlights the...
Q: What does open enrollment mean for seniors?
A: The Medicare open enrollment period for 2012 is under way. Any enrollee who wants to change plans needs to do so by December 7, 2011. The annual enrollment period applies to Medicare Parts A and B, which is traditional Medicare; the alternative to Medicare Parts A and B, which is Medicare Advantage; and...
From Washington, we hear a lot of big numbers rolling off the tongues of politicians, policy wonks and pundits. Let’s talk turkey. Trimming the fat and finding slices of savings is increasingly difficult. Ideological and political beliefs run bone-deep for many lawmakers who come to the table representing opposing points of view from different geographic...
Q: What exactly is the deficit reduction committee in Congress, and under what authority was it created?
A: Last summer, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011. The law made it possible for the federal government to borrow more money, avoiding possible default on debt, and authorized the formation of a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction....
A bit of wisdom attributed to a 16th century philosopher has nearly become cliché in today’s 21st century information age: Knowledge is power.
The Internet and widespread, user-friendly technology allow people from around the world to mobilize, communicate and share unfiltered information and ideas like never before. Going digital has revolutionized consumer...
Q: What role does the National Guard play in the U.S. military?
A: In 1970, the Secretary of Defense presented a Total Force Concept designed to decrease defense expenditures by reducing all facets of the active forces and increasing reliance on the combat and combat support units of the National Guard and Reserves.
Faith in these components of the U.S....
This month my wife Barbara celebrated her birthday. These celebrations offer a special time to appreciate each other’s company and count one’s blessings. Traditions and warm wishes from friends and family help make the annual milestone memorable. In addition, one of Barbara’s birthday rituals is keeping her annual mammography appointment.
Ever since Barbara...
Q: How did a big component of the 2012 health care law get jettisoned without Congress taking action?
A: The health care law enacted last year included a provision called the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or the CLASS Act, a long-term care insurance program. In October, the Secretary of Health and Human Services announced that the...
Q: How does the government determine cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, for Social Security?
A: Since 1978, the annual Social Security COLA has been determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This CPI-W is measured every month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which uses a collection of information about...
In Iowa and nationwide, Medicare dollars support hospitals, nursing homes, home health care services, pharmacies, medical equipment suppliers, and the private insurance industry, which offers supplemental coverage to beneficiaries who want additional protection. Since its passage nearly a half-century ago, the public health insurer reaches the lion’s share...
What’s the federal government’s role in K-12 education?
Under the Constitution, the federal government is not granted a direct role in education. Nevertheless, Congress has carved out an increasing role in K-12 education over the years through various spending programs. In 1965, Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, as part of...
Q: How is The World Food Prize tied to Iowa?
A: Two Iowans were behind creation of the World Food Prize, the international award recognizing individuals who improve the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world. Dr. Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) -- an agronomist, humanitarian, Nobel laureate (the only recipient to receive this honor for working in...
Q: What’s the effect on Americans when China undervalues its currency?
A: China’s policy of intervening in its currency markets to limit or halt the appreciation of its currency, the yuan, against the U.S. dollar or other currencies has the effect of keeping Chinese exports cheap and imports expensive, putting some U.S. businesses at a disadvantage. That has...
Prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse is increasing, especially by teen-agers. Parents should educate themselves and their teen-agers about this problem before it’s too late.
The expert findings are alarming. The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health illustrates that the abuse of prescription medications such as pain relievers, tranquilizers,...
As Americans stare down a road of economic uncertainty, the White House has issued yet another spending plan that it says will put Americans back to work. Shoveling more tax dollars out the door can’t make up for the President’s first stimulus plan that turned out not to be so shovel-ready after all.
Adding insult to injury, the President is pitching to pay...
Q: What’s the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission?
A: The SEC was created during the Great Depression, in the wake of the stock market crash of 1929, when the public’s faith in capital markets needed to be restored. The agency is supposed to strengthen investor confidence by providing transparent, reliable information and rules for fair, orderly...
