The discovery and capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein holed up in a six-by-eight foot ‘spider hole’ may prove to become the pivotal turning point towards establishing self-rule and reconstructing Iraq.
Similar to the psychological victory achieved with the end of Hitler's regime in 1945, the capture of Saddam brings a tide of relief to the millions of...
Partisan maneuvering in Washington derailed a bipartisan effort in November to enact a comprehensive energy strategy for America. It’s a shame when politics trumps good public policy. The energy bill crafts a well-balanced plan that promotes renewable energy and recognizes the importance of traditional fuels to the U.S. economy.
As chairman of the Senate...
Q: Why is legislation needed to target Social Security fraud?
A: Unfortunately, the coffers of the federal government apparently are too irresistible to wrongdoers. Con artists don’t seem to run out of ways to try and loot Uncle Sam. But when the defrauders pilfer Social Security, they also drain valuable resources from the popular federal program that in...
After years of promises echoed by candidates on the campaign trail, the Republican-led Congress has defeated partisan gridlock in Washington and delivered the first-ever Medicare prescription drug benefit.
The 38-year-old public health insurance program for seniors and the disabled provides health care security to 40 million Americans. Medicare has sustained...
Q: What is the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003?
A: Signed into law in December, the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003 builds upon the progress made in the six years since Congress created new incentives for the states to promote foster care adoptions. In 1997, I steered through Congress legislation aimed at improving the permanent placement of children assigned...
Iowans pay the same Medicare payroll tax rate as everyone else in America. But for years Iowans haven’t gotten the same rate of return. A flawed federal payment formula shortchanges Iowa and 29 other states.
Iowa communities must compete for the best and brightest health care professionals with cities across the United States. Yet Iowa isn’t able to offer...
In America size matters. And American consumers seem to agree: the bigger the better. Consider sport utility vehicles, three-car garages, big-screen televisions. The mega-malls, discount retail giants and wholesale clubs. Even 'standard-sized' food servings are oversized. The mentality that bigger is better has become an accepted norm of American life.
The...
The rush of the holiday season is fast approaching. Folks in Iowa and across the country look forward to gathering together, counting their blessings and enjoying long-held traditions with family and friends.
But before we carve the turkey on Thanksgiving Day, let’s remember to observe another national holiday in honor of America’s veterans. The 11th day of...
Q: Why did you oppose the purchase of Farmland’s pork division to Smithfield Foods, Inc.?
A: For several years I have led an effort in Washington to expose anti-competitive trends in American agriculture, including increased concentration in the meat processing industry. In my county meetings across Iowa, concerns about consolidation in the agricultural...
As a fiscal conservative, I have long championed taxpayer rights and worked to reduce the tax burden on working men and women in America. In the late 1990s, when testimony provided to Congress shed light on an overzealous federal agency trouncing on the rights of citizen taxpayers, I led an effort to reform the way the IRS does business and to make more...
Q: What is the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation?
A: Created in 1974 with enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation insures certain private pension plans to protect the nest eggs American workers are counting on once they leave the workforce. The federal agency promises 44 million American workers...
Q: Why is the U.S. releasing a newly designed $20 bill?
A: The Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Engraving and Printing are working to stay ahead of currency counterfeiters who are turning to sophisticated, cheaper, digital methods to launder their tainted notes into the world economy. In 1995, less than one percent of counterfeit notes detected in the...
The federal agency that does business with more Americans than any other arm of the federal government observed its 90th birthday in October. Created in 1913 with ratification of the 16th amendment, Congress enacted a federal income tax system and with it an agency charged with administering the tax laws. And so the Internal Revenue Service was born.
The...
Advances in wireless technology and mobile telecommunications services would make Alexander Graham Bell’s head spin. Today’s consumers have embraced the miracles of modern day gadgets and gizmos and have come to expect better, faster products to continually show up in the marketplace. Cellular phones seem as ubiquitous in the 21st century as indoor plumbing...
The second anniversary of the terrorist attacks served a painful reminder about the grief-stricken families still mourning the loss of 3,000 loved ones killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The sheer shock of the attacks on American soil may be fading, but the reality is the United States remains vulnerable to terrorism.
For the last two years, the federal government...
Q: Are you still pushing for a payment cap on farm subsidy payments?
A: Most definitely. I’m concerned public support for a federal farm safety net will unravel by the time the next farm bill comes up for renewal unless Congress acts to limit the amount of money paid out to the biggest producers. A widely publicized report by a national conservation group...
Q: What is Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers?
A: For over 40 years, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program has provided assistance to individuals who lose their manufacturing jobs due to imports. But until this year, Trade Adjustment Assistance was not available to farmers. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which handles trade...
Q: Is the U.S. economy picking up steam?
A: There are signs of improvement, but the lackluster job market continues to feed anxiety and concern among those who are out of work and looking for a job. Although the economy is growing annually at 2.6 percent, it hasn’t triggered robust job creation. However, we are seeing good news in stronger-than-expected...
This summer both houses of Congress passed historic bills to add prescription drug coverage for 40 million older and disabled Americans insured by Medicare. Created in 1965, the federal health insurance program has provided access to affordable health care for millions of seniors over the last 38 years.
In just a few years, the oldest members of the large...
Q: Is the U.S. economy picking up steam?
A: There are signs of improvement, but the lackluster job market continues to feed anxiety and concern among those who are out of work and looking for a job. Although the economy is growing annually at 2.6 percent, it hasn’t triggered robust job creation. However, we are seeing good news in stronger-than-expected...
