TO: Iowa Media
FR: Beth Levine
RE: Grassley 99 county meetings
DA: July 14, 2016
Assertions have been once again been raised by political operatives about Sen. Grassley’s long tradition of county meetings with Iowans. I’m writing with information about these meetings, which are structured as they have been for years, despite misleading partisan attacks. In fact, The last time these false accusations were brought up, the Cedar Rapids Gazette Fact Checker gave the organization an “F.”
Sen. Grassley makes a point to proactively go to Iowans-where they work, where they live, where they worship, where they study-in their own communities. He’s had at least one official business meeting in every Iowa county every year that he’s represented the state in the U.S. Senate. Any political meeting or event that Sen. Grassley attends does not count as one of his county meetings. This is the 36th consecutive year that Sen. Grassley has held an official meeting in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
The meetings are a mix of formats, with the hallmark of every meeting being a lengthy Q&A where Grassley takes questions and comments on any subject, letting the audience set the agenda. The formats include public town meetings, where Sen. Grassley has Q&A with Iowans There are also hour-long Q&A meetings at high schools, factories, offices, hospitals, and service clubs, where Sen. Grassley is the guest of a local host and, again, invites questions and comments from Iowans on any subject. Sen. Grassley seeks out these formats so that Iowans who are unable to leave work to attend an open town meeting have an opportunity for Q&A with their U.S. senator. He also likes to meet with young Iowans for Q&A in high schools and on college and community college campuses. When meetings are at plants and other workplaces they typically include a brief tour, but the vast majority of the time is spent in Q&A with a gathering of employees, which is sometimes hundreds of Iowans and, again, many who would otherwise be unable to access a Q&A meeting.
In 2014, Sen. Grassley held 30 town meetings, and Q&As at 28 local businesses, 18 service clubs, 23 schools. In 2015, Sen. Grassley held 39 town meetings, and Q&As at 32 local businesses, 11 service clubs and 17 schools. In 2016, thus far, Sen. Grassley has held 24 town meetings, 29 local businesses, 7 service clubs, 11 schools, and one tax forum.
Every county meeting of Sen. Grassley’s is scheduled with 15 minutes after the meeting for media availability with local reporters before he heads to the next meeting.
The variety of formats for constituent meetings has been conducted the same way for years and has allowed Sen. Grassley to hear from a cross-section of Iowans.
Sen. Grassley’s office notifies local reporters about meetings so that reporters have access to the routine media availabilities following every Q&A session. This approach is designed to avoid confusion about the meeting being hosted by the business, school, hospital or organization rather than an open town meeting.
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