News Releases

Presidential Appointment of Iowan Tom Dorr Sen. Chuck Grassley issued the following comment regarding President Bush's appointment today of Iowan Tom Dorr to serve as the USDA Undersecretary of Rural Development. "I'm glad to see an Iowan get a high-level position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Tom Dorr is a progressive farmer who has worked hard to...

HCFA Administrator Sen. Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, issued the following comment today regarding President Bush's appointment of Thomas A. Scully to head the Health Care Financing Administration. "I look forward to having Tom Scully on the job as the administrator of HCFA. He will bring a wealth of knowledge to an agency that...

fast track legislation Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, made the following comment on Sen. Pat Roberts' legislation to renew the President's fast track trade negotiating authority. "I welcome Senator Roberts' effort to focus the Senate's attention on the importance of renewing the President's trade negotiating authority this year....

Grassley Takes Careful Approach to Prescription Drug Coverage ? Adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare should be done in the broader context of modernizing the program, Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, said today. "While adding prescription drugs may be one of the most visible improvements to Medicare, it's clearly not the...

Grassley Urges Swift Action on Social Security, Medicare Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee of Finance, today said the latest reports on the financial outlook for Social Security and Medicare send a clear message to Congress and the President: Make hay while the sun shines. "There's reality television. This is reality policymaking," Grassley...

America at Risk: The Ecstasy Threat You can hardly read a newspaper or magazine these days without reading about the use and abuse of the drug Ecstasy. The use of this drug is growing faster than any other in the nation. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, (NIDA), reports that the number of 12th graders that have used Ecstasy in their lifetime increased...

Grassley Questions Declining IRS Audit Rate Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, has asked the Internal Revenue Service to account for a precipitous drop in its taxpayer audit rate. The text of Grassley's letter to the agency follows. March 19, 2001 Mr. Charles Rossotti Commissioner Internal Revenue Service 1111 Constitution Ave.,...

annual report of Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees Today the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees released their annual reports on the financial status of Social Security and Medicare. The reports show that while the short-term financial status of each program has improved somewhat since last year's report, substantial challenges...

Grassley Works for Competitive Air Service ? Sen. Chuck Grassley has joined his colleagues Sens. Mike DeWine, of Ohio, and Herb Kohl, of Wisconsin, in introducing bipartisan legislation that will help small airlines gain access to vital slot-controlled airports in New York and Washington, DC. The High-Density Airport Competition Act would help smaller...

Grassley Releases Witness List for Jordan Trade Hearing The Honorable Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger, Former National Security Advisor, Washington, D.C. The Honorable Michael B. Smith, Former Deputy United States Trade Representative, Washington, D.C. Timothy E. Deal, Senior Vice President, The United States Council for International Business, Washington, D.C.A...

Grassley Announces Hearing on the Jordan Free Trade Agreement Hearing:"The United States-Jordan Free Trade Agreement" Date/time:Tuesday, March 20, 2001, at 2:30 p.m. Location:215 Dirksen Senate Office Building Description:Last year, to recognize Jordan's vital role in efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East, and to acknowledge the strong and...

Politicking or Policymaking by Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa   They say all is fair in love and war. The same apparently goes for the politics of taxes and the nation's entitlement systems for retired Americans. As with any legislative proposal, it's normal for public policymaking to fall under the political microscope, dissected by liberal,...

Grassley Announces Hearing on Prescription Drugs, Medicare Financing David M. Walker, Comptroller General, United States General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C. A Panel Consisting of: Rick Foster, Chief Actuary, Health Care Financing Administration, Baltimore, Md. Tricia Neuman, Sc.D., Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Word On: Foot and Mouth Disease   Q: What is foot and mouth disease? A: A highly contagious virus that affects cloven-hooved animals, including swine, cattle, goats, sheep, and deer, the disease impairs livestock’s ability to grow, develop and produce milk. Although usually not fatal, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease bears enormous economic...

Grassley Identifies Ways to Help the Uninsured ? Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today said he will focus his efforts on helping Americans without health insurance on two areas: promoting flexibility for state governments and encouraging employers to offer health insurance to their employees. "Millions of Americans lack health...

Senate Passes Grassley Overhaul of Bankruptcy System Bipartisan Plan Includes Protection for Farmers; Residents of Bankrupt Nursing Homes ? Sen. Chuck Grassley today won Senate passage ? by a vote of 83 to 15 ? of landmark legislation he authored to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy code. The reform measure is aimed at reducing the number of bankruptcies...

Thomas and Grassley Announce Joint Hearing on the Social Security and Medicare Trustees' 2001 Annual Reports Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, today announced that their committees will hold a joint hearing to examine the findings and...

Grassley Urges Death Tax Repeal ? Repealing the federal death tax is critical to the financial well-being and survival of family farms and small businesses, Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, said today. "Family farmers and small business owners live poor and die rich," Grassley said. "Their assets are tied up in land, buildings and...

S.420, the bankruptcy reform bill Sen. Chuck Grassley issued the following comment regarding Senate action this afternoon to move to final passage on the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2001. Sen. Grassley is the lead sponsor of this legislation to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy system. Last December, the Senate voted 70 to 28 for the conference report on his...

Grassley: Wind Energy is a "Breath of Fresh Air" ? Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today introduced legislation to promote clean, efficient wind energy. "The bill is called the BREEZE Act, and I hope it'll be a breeze to get it passed into law," Grassley said. "The wind is a clean, abundant natural resource. Harnessing its power...