Q: What is Red Ribbon Week?
A: Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31, is an important observance that helps educate kids, families and communities about the dangers of drug use. Red Ribbon week began in Calexico, California, in 1985, when community members joined together to wear red ribbons and pledge to live a drug-free life in honor of a fallen hometown hero,...
Let’s say you win $1,000 cash at a raffle drawing. Some among us might choose to save, invest or donate the money. Others might use the money to pay bills. Still others find that cash tends to burn a hole in their pockets and go shopping.
Whether we’re savers or spenders, there’d be unanimous agreement that it would be foolish to put the cash on the...
Q: What is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
A: This October marks the 25th year of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which promotes breast cancer awareness and remembers those who have been affected by breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 211,000 women in the United States learn each year that they have breast...
Statistics say less than one percent of Americans are engaged actively in the business of farming. Nonetheless American agriculture supports a sizeable slice of U.S. gross domestic product, roughly 13 percent. A recent study by the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers and Iowa State University shows that in Iowa 1 of every 6 jobs is connected to agriculture....
Q: What is National Preparedness Month?
A: National Preparedness Month helps increase public awareness about emergency preparedness each September andhelps educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural disasters and possible terrorist attacks. This year,National Preparedness Month focuses on changing perceptions...
Q: What can Iowans do to help increase farm safety?
A: National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 20-26, and provides an excellent opportunity to promote and inform the general public about issues related to farm safety rightas the harvest season begins. National Farm Safety and Health Week was first proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in...
Q: What is Constitution Day?
A: On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention signed the newly written Constitution of the United States of America. The anniversary of that momentous event is an opportunity to reflect on the principles our country is founded on and what it means to be an American. Constitution Day isn't a federal holiday, but it is...
Q: What is your 99-county tour, 'Every County, Every Year' about?
A: I visit every one of Iowa's 99 counties every year because representative government is two-way street. Iowans are one-half of the equation and I, as your elected representative, am the other half. Whether the visit be a town meeting, touring a business and talking with employees, speaking...
Q: How concerned are Iowans about the economy?
A: Iowans have shown up in large numbers at my town meetings and contacted me by phone, letter and email with deep concerns about the economy and the fiscal direction our country is heading. Many Iowans and businesses have fallen on tough times. Many know someone who has lost a job or is having trouble finding...
What is the Ambassadors Tour?
A: I started the Ambassadors Tour in 1986, in response to the farm crisis and as part of an effort to help diversify the state’s economy. Every other year, the event hosts foreign diplomats from around the world on a five-day tour of Iowa to promote export and international trade opportunities for agriculture, manufacturing and...
Q: What's the Iowa State Fair?
A: The Iowa State Fair is a great way for Iowans to showcase all that we have to offer to visitors from all around the world. The Iowa State Fair began in Fairfield in 1854, and moved throughout Iowa to Muscatine, Oskaloosa, Iowa City, Dubuque, Burlington, Clinton, Keokuk, andCedar Rapids before finding its permanent home in...
Many town meetings I've held this year have turned into standing-room-only sessions. Such active citizen participation would make the Founders proud of America's 233-year-old revolutionary 'experiment.' That is, the government works for the people; the people don't work for the government.
Thanks to Iowa's presidential precinct caucuses every four years,...
Q: Why is performing government oversight so important?
A: As a U.S. Senator, I work to make sure that laws are written in the best interest of Iowans and the entire country. The executive branch carries out those laws, and Congress has a duty to conduct oversight of how those laws are executed. It's my strong view that Congress doesn't do enough oversight,...
Q: What's the process to become a Supreme Court Justice?
A: The nomination and confirmation of a person to the Supreme Court is one of the most important responsibilities of a president and the United States Senate. The lifetime appointments must be made with care, concern and caution. After a president nominates an individual, the Senate then carries...
Q: What is E-Verify?
A: E-Verify is a nationwide voluntary andfree online system run jointly by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It allows employers to check the employment eligibility and the validity of Social Security numbers of new hires. E-Verify works by giving employers the ability to compare an...
Q: How does international trade benefitIowa?
A: International trade helps Iowans stretch their hard-earned dollars by creating a larger marketplace for competition, which leads to lower prices and more choices. Trade also helpsIowamanufacturers lower their input costs, which dampens inflationary pressures. Third, the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that...
Q: What is Twitter?
A: Twitter is a free online networking service that lets users send and read short messages. You can follow posts on twitter.com, even if you don't post yourself. Twitter first began as way for people to keep up and stay connected with friends, family and co-workers. As the site became more popular, users moved beyond the social...
Q: Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July?
A: On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress issued a Declaration of Independence to King George III in order to rid the American colonies of tyranny and forge a new nation in which each citizen's natural rights are protected based on the self-evident truth that 'all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by...
Q: What is Father's Day?
A: Father's Day is a time to celebrate and appreciate the hard work that fathers do for their children and families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the holiday began in 1909, when Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Washington, listened to a Mother's Day sermon and decided she wanted a special day to honor her widowed father with six...
On July 4, 1776, America's earliest political leaders declared independence from royal sovereignty and established the historic foundation for our system of self-government.
As we celebrate America's 233rd birthday, today's political leaders face historic challenges with the troubled U.S. economy, two wars, the terrorist threat, and unsustainable financial...
