Folks looking to mix history, culture and good old-fashioned family entertainment this summer need look no further than Iowa’s eastern 'shoreline.'
Riverfront communities along the northern stretches of the mighty Mississippi in four states will play host this summer to an historic re-enactment of the original Grand Excursion that 150 years ago marked the...
Q: How can Iowans looking to start up a business learn more about their tax obligations?
A: Good question. Energetic entrepreneurs eager to open up shop and become self-employed and/or launch a small business must deal first with plenty of red tape. Before turning one’s bright idea into a money maker, it is necessary to consider the many employment issues...
Like most Iowans, I find myself these days wincing when it comes time to fill up the gas tank. Throughout my five-day road trip to 21 Iowa communities at the end of May, I found gasoline prices hovering at almost $2 per gallon from Oelwein to Atlantic.
A surge in oil prices not only affects the price of a gallon of gas, it can depress overall economic...
Nearly six decades after the end of World War II, the 'defining moment' of the 20th century has been memorialized in granite and bronze on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The World War II Memorial pays tribute to the honor, courage and sacrifice of the 16 million Americans who responded to the call of duty. And for those who supported the war effort...
As Iowa’s senior U.S. Senator, I bring unique life experiences to the policymaking tables in Washington. For starters, I’m the only working family farmer serving in the United States Senate. From my key committee assignments in Congress, I work hard to advance the interests of America’s family farmers. As a Midwesterner, I stay true to my roots and serve as...
Q: Why do you work so hard to support whistleblowers?
A: I have more than 12 billion reasons. As a federal lawmaker, I serve as a steward of the public purse. One of my missions in Congress is to make sure hard-earned tax dollars are put to good use and protected from waste, fraud and abuse. Thanks to my 1986 whistleblower amendments to the False Claims Act,...
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. This sage bit of wisdom certainly rings true in the nation’s capital. Trust me. I’ve been around the block enough times in Washington to know not to give up on what’s right.
Consider the hard-fought effort to modernize Medicare. Promises made on the campaign trail to bring the health insurance program for...
Q: Is the new Medicare drug benefit now available?
A: As of May 3, 2004, Medicare beneficiaries have the opportunity to sign-up for a Medicare-approved drug discount card. Beginning June 1, 2004, the card will give beneficiaries a break on their prescription medicines until the comprehensive Medicare prescription drug benefit begins in January 2006. The new...
Helping the less fortunate through the giving of one’s time, talents and treasure builds stronger communities all across America. Iowans share in this heritage by opening up their hearts, hands and pocketbooks to help those in need. Recognizing the significant social and economic benefits, the federal government promotes charitable good works through...
Stocking up the medicine cabinet is compelling more and more law-abiding citizens to break federal law and import their prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere. The trend is illegal, and without the proper safeguards, it could compromise the integrity of the U.S. drug supply and put their personal well-being at risk.
As many of us know all too well,...
Q: What is OMB?
A: The Office of Management and Budget serves as the chief money manager and internal oversight arm of the executive branch of the federal government. It evaluates, formulates and coordinates management procedures within and among federal departments and agencies. From my post on Capitol Hill, I take seriously my watchdog responsibility of...
This is no April Fool’s joke. As of April 1, 2004, Medicare payments that significantly impact Iowa’s health care delivery system will grow significantly. In fact, over the next 10 years Iowa stands to gain an additional $25 billion.
As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which bears legislative and oversight authority over Medicare, I worked long and...
During my county visits throughout the last year with Iowans, one issue comes up consistently at every meeting: Jobs. Many Iowans are concerned about what’s known as outsourcing, whereby American companies send jobs overseas as a cost-savings measure to become more competitive.
Just as the president says he wants to build an economy that has enough...
Q: What public advisory did the FDA issue regarding antidepressants?
A: The Food and Drug Administration made headlines in late March when it warned medical professionals to use caution and carefully monitor patients for whom they prescribe antidepressants. In the meantime, the federal agency is continuing to analyze data regarding a possible link between...
Q: How is Mexico’s tax on high fructose corn syrup hurting Iowa corn growers?
A: Mexico launched a protectionist 20 percent sales tax and 20 percent distribution tax on beverages that do not use cane sugar in January 2002. It’s no coincidence that the stiff import tariff virtually shut out high fructose corn syrup sales from the U.S. By design, the tax makes...
For three decades, thousands of Iowa workers toiled in a federal ammunition facility just west of Burlington to help protect America during the Cold War. About 4,000 workers assembled and test-fired nuclear weapons at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middleton from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s. Another 35,000 worked on conventional weapons lines at the...
The President delivered to Congress in February his $2.4 trillion budget for the fiscal year that will start in October. With constitutional authority over the federal purse strings, lawmakers decide each year how to fund the federal government and spend your hard-earned tax dollars.
What may surprise some Iowans is the federal spending pie left up for...
Q: Where on Earth can consumers earn enough to pay for a year’s worth of food in just 36 days?
A: According to an annual analysis compiled by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average American family in 2004 earns enough to pay for a year’s worth of food in just 36 days. That’s a bargain unmatched around the world. Consider in 1970, families worked...
Q: What is BSE?
A: A fatal neurological disease that destroys the brains of infected cattle, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has shaken the U.S. beef industry with the first confirmed case of an infected Holstein cow confirmed in Washington state. A decade ago, an outbreak in Great Britain of what’s widely referred to as mad cow disease devastated...
Many Iowans practice a traditional ritual at the start of a New Year. Setting financial, professional, lifestyle, and healthy diet and exercise benchmarks are common personal enrichment goals at the beginning of the calendar year.
With the first half of the 108th Congress wrapped up at the end of 2003, the New Year also provides a good time to take stock of...
