I'm Still Receiving Christmas Cards

Significant mail delays caused by enhanced security procedures put in place last October are interrupting the normal flow of mail delivery to my Washington office. Remarkably, I'm just now receiving December 2001 Christmas cards in August.

As any Iowan who has attended one of my town meetings may recall, I strongly encourage my constituents to keep up their end of the bargain when it comes to representative government. Democracy is a two-way street. For me to best do my job representing their interests in the U.S. Senate, I need to hear from Iowans on the issues that matter most to them. I try my best to offer face-to-face meetings with Iowans by visiting each of Iowa's 99 counties at least once every year.

Beyond my town meetings, I ask Iowans to keep in touch through the mail. And I always pledge to follow up on their letters with a response. In fact, I tell Iowans to write a nasty letter if I don't answer their mail within a few weeks' time.

In addition to registering their views on the issues, I also remind Iowans who need help navigating the federal bureaucracy to write my office. My staff and I stand ready to help cut through some of the red tape that so often clogs the system at the Defense Department, the IRS, Immigration and Natural Services, Veterans Affairs, Social Security, USDA and other federal

agencies.

Fortunately, Iowans seeking assistance with federal agencies, typically referred to as casework, still may receive timely attention by writing to one of my six state offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City or Waterloo.

Iowans sending a letter to my Washington office on Capitol Hill need to know that the new mail procedures following the anthrax attacks last fall necessitated a security change that's causing delivery delays. Now, letters addressed to my Washington office at 135 Senate Hart Office Building are delivered first to either Lima, Ohio or Bridgeport, New Jersey for the irradiation process. This takes between 10 to 14 days. When it passes the safety standards, the mail is sorted and delivered to individual Senate offices in Washington, D.C. Security measures also delay private sector carrier deliveries by 7 to 10 days. This process will remain in effect indefinitely.

Fortunately, Iowans may get their views and concerns registered more quickly by contacting my state offices, using electronic communication, or picking up the telephone. For those with access to the Internet, the best way to contact my office is by logging on to my web site at http://grassley.senate.gov which features a link to send an e-mail message. Here, you'll be asked to include your Iowa postal address in your message. If you send a regular e-mail, please make sure to add your street address, as well.

Communication with my constituents is a fundamental part of my job. Ever since I first had the privilege of serving Iowans in Washington, I made a commitment to keep in touch with the folks at home. As your elected representative, I make it a priority to keep the lines of communication flowing whether it's in face-to-face meetings, through the mail, by phone or on-line. I appreciate your patience and understanding for the delays in mail delivery caused by the new security measures.

Again, I remind Iowans who need assistance in dealing with a problem with a federal agency to stop by, call or write to one of my six state offices in Iowa.