"My goal for the meetings is to establish an open and candid dialog with people on the frontlines of this war on our homeland," Grassley said. "I want to know if first responders are receiving adequate communication and cooperation from federal agencies, and if they feel that they are adequately prepared to prevent, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks."
The Des Moines meeting will take place Monday, Nov. 19, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Mercy Medical Center. The Cedar Rapids meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Grassley has invited local and state leaders, police and fire officials, emergency response personnel and public health representatives to attend the forums.
Grassley said that he will share information from the meetings with federal officials in order to improve the communication between federal, state and local agencies.
"The feedback will also provide helpful insight for me as I work in the U.S. Senate to help Iowa communities with their domestic preparedness efforts," Grassley said. "We can most effectively fight terrorism in America when we cooperate and communicate at all levels."
The U.S. Senate will be in recess next week for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lawmakers will return to Washington to finish the legislative session sometime in December.
Note for Editors: Reporters are welcome to cover the meetings. The Des Moines meeting at Mercy Medical Center will be held in the Beh Auditorium, on the first floor. The Cedar Rapids meeting at the police department will be held in the north classroom. Participants in Cedar Rapids are asked to meet in the lobby of the police department before being escorted to the meeting room.