Q: What is Chapter 12?
A: The only temporary section of the federal bankruptcy code, Chapter 12 applies to farmers and ranchers who seek relief from creditors while reorganizing their debt. Re-enacted during the farm crisis in the mid-1980s, I led the effort in Congress to bring back this safety net for family farmers facing economic collapse. It was first...
Back to school rituals include shopping for new shoes, clothes and school supplies. As parents and students across Iowa make final preparations for a new school year, don’t forget to obtain a clean bill of health from your doctor. Well child visits, including childhood immunizations, are a fundamental means to help nurture the general well-being, school...
For the ninth time since 1986, a caravan of international guests will join me on a road trip through Iowa, August 11-15. Launched as a way to showcase Iowa people, products and places during the depressed farm economy in the mid-1980s, my biennial trade tour of Iowa provides a good opportunity for foreign ambassadors and trade representatives from around the...
Q: Why is the U.S. Treasury converting traditional savings bonds into paperless, electronic accounts?
A: Times have changed since President Franklin D. Roosevelt placed the first order for a $500 Series E Savings Bond in a radio broadcast on April 30, 1941. With the advances in electronic banking and widespread Internet use by consumers in the 21st century,...
Q: Is Washington really poised to add prescription drug benefits to Medicare?
A: For years, candidates for public office and incumbents have campaigned on a platform to help seniors pay for their prescription drugs through the Medicare program. The federal health insurance program provides health care coverage for 40 million elderly and disabled Americans....
Blessed with longevity, greater numbers of Americans are able to enjoy more time to spend with their family and loved ones. Take it from me, it’s a treasure to watch your grandchildren grow up and incredible to congratulate a granddaughter on the birth of her own child. But just as Americans break new age barriers, society must cope with the changing needs...
Q: What is the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003?
A: In May the president signed into law an ambitious effort by the United States to address the humanitarian crisis spreading throughout Africa and the Caribbean. In January President Bush proposed a ‘work of mercy’ in his State of the Union Address and asked...
Q: What is NATO?
A: After the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, a dozen nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 to form a strategic, transatlantic security alliance known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Each member-nation is committed to the collective defense of the other members. The organization has expanded to 19 members,...
Unfavorable unemployment figures released for April tell us what more than 8.8 million jobless Americans looking for work already know. The U.S. labor market is in pain.
Obviously, the recovering U.S. economy isn’t recovering fast enough. Despite 40-year low interest rates, tepid consumer spending and cautious business investments are dragging out the...
Q: What changes did the 2002 farm bill make to the CRP program?
A: The 2002 farm bill increased farmland acres eligible for enrollment in the 18-year-old federal Conservation Reserve Program from 36.4 million to 39.2 million. CRP currently helps shield roughly 34 million acres of U.S. topsoil from erosion, water run-off and sedimentation, including nearly 2...
Communities across America observed the 33rd annual Earth Day in April with recycling projects, park beautification, car-free travel, tree-planting activities and neighborhood clean-ups. I applaud Iowans who organized and participated in their own local events to pay tribute to God’s green earth. In the last three decades, Earth Day has sought to educate and...
Folks paying attention to the budget debate in Washington this spring got to see some fireworks well before the Fourth of July. As Congress neared completion of a $2.2 trillion federal budget, the usual give-and-take among lawmakers heated up quickly when the narrowly divided Senate and House of Representatives sought to reach agreement on tax cuts aimed at...
Q: What is the PROTECT Act of 2003?
A: It is every parent’s worst nightmare to experience the horror of a missing, kidnapped child. As a father, grandfather and federal lawmaker who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and as a member of the PROTECT act conference committee, I take personally the responsibility to advance policies that prevent crimes...
Q: What is the country of origin labeling law?
A: During debate on the 2002 farm bill, I worked to include legislation that would empower consumers, enhance food security, promote trade and create lucrative marketing opportunities for America’s farmers. That’s the concept behind the country of origin labeling law. In today’s world, consumers put a premium on...
Q: What are so-called 'conflict' diamonds?
A: The term refers to the fighting over diamond mines that fuels and sometimes funds violent civil conflicts in many African countries. The illegal trafficking of these diamonds have led to human atrocities and violence in several African nations and elsewhere around the world. Millions of innocent people suffer as...
As anxiety mounts about the war in Iraq and a stalled economic recovery here at home, many Iowans are keeping close tabs on gas prices and energy supplies. The connection is unavoidable. Indeed America’s energy security rests in large measure on U.S. foreign policy and diplomatic ties with OPEC-member nations in the Middle East. Our troops are serving...
For the most part, Americans prior to Sept. 11, 2001 may have taken our way of life for granted. Living in a civilized, peaceful and prosperous society, threats of international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction weren’t making daily headlines or popping up in everyday conversation. For most, it’s difficult to imagine life under the reign of a...
Q: What is the Family Opportunity Act?
A: For the last several years, I have led a bipartisan effort with Sen. Ted Kennedy to bring compassion and common sense to the nation's Medicaid laws. The federal-state health program provides health care coverage to low-income families and children, poor elderly, and the blind and disabled who receive cash assistance...
In a recovering economy, anxiety levels tend to increase among the workforce. Concerns about job security, mortgage payments and monthly bills are forefront in the minds of family breadwinners. During the roaring '90s, benefits, bonuses, wages, the stock market and consumer spending were basking in the glow of an exuberant economy.
In retrospect, it appears...
Q: What is your 'Sunshine in the Courtroom Act?'
A: This bipartisan legislation would allow federal trial and appellate judges to permit cameras in the courtroom. Currently 48 states allow some form of audio-video coverage in their courtrooms and at least 37 directly televise trials. What’s good for the states is good for the federal government. Surveys...
