News Releases

Word On: Salute to America’s Farmers   Q: Where on Earth can consumers earn enough to pay for a year’s worth of food in just 36 days? A: According to an annual analysis compiled by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average American family in 2004 earns enough to pay for a year’s worth of food in just 36 days. That’s a bargain unmatched around...

Grassley Praises Committee Passage of Highway, Corporate Reform, IRS Bills Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today praised the committee's passage of legislation to finance highway improvements, rein in a tax perk for companies, and fix several tax code headaches for taxpayers. Highway bill. Congress is considering legislation to...

Grassley Seeks WTO Case Over Mexico's Treatment of Corn Syrup Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today asked the Bush administration to initiate a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Mexico's tax on soft drinks containing high fructose corn syrup. "The tax violates Mexico's international trade commitments and harms Iowa...

Accounting Firms and Tax Shelter Services In 2002, Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, tried to amend the Sarbanes-Oxley accounting standards improvement bill to prohibit public auditors from rendering an audit opinion on the financial statement effects of any tax shelter arrangements that the auditing firm sells to an audit client....

Grassley Works to Increase Federal Funding for Iowa Highways A preliminary formula made public last night would result in Iowa receiving a dramatic increase in federal dollars for highways with at least an additional $687.6 million for Iowa over the next six years, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley. "This is good news for Iowa," Grassley said. "Sometimes...

Grassley Releases Iowa's Share of Proposed Highway Funding Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today praised the new proposed dollar amount of federal highway funding for Iowa over the next six years. Under a preliminary formula, Iowa would receive at least an additional $687.6 million for highways over the next six years. "This is...

Records Sought About Tax-exempt Organizations for Committee's Terror Finance Probe Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Sen. Max Baucus, ranking member, have asked for information about tax-exempt organizations in connection with a Committee investigation into terrorism financing. The Committee on Finance has jurisdiction over tax...

National Taxpayer Advocate 2003 Annual Report to Congress Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today made the following comment on the National Taxpayer Advocate 2003 Annual Report to Congress. "The report gives the Finance Committee a good road map of areas that need reform in the tax code and at the IRS. I'm especially interested in...

Grassley Seeks Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today sought a "thorough housecleaning" at the government agency that contracts for information technology equipment, software and related services for the federal government, citing severe contracting problems. Grassley also asked for a full inspector general review of the...

Ambassador Zoellick's call for re-energized WTO talks Today Robert Zoellick, United States trade representative, called for re-energizing World Trade Organization talks this year. Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, made the following comment on this development. "I appreciate any efforts to move the WTO talks forward, so Ambassador...

KPMG announcement of leadership changes Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today made the following comment on KPMG's announcement of leadership changes in its tax practice. "Last October, a KPMG whistleblower testified before the Finance Committee about a corporate culture that rewards those who promote abusive tax shelters. Since...

Grassley, Factory Leaders to Rally for Job-Saving Grassley Legislation Event: Press conference, rally Date/time: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004, at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time Location: John Deere Des Moines Works, 825 SW Irvinedale Drive, Ankeny Description: Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of Committee on Finance with jurisdiction over taxes and trade, will return...

Grassley, Baucus Seek More Accurate Improper Payment Rates Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Sen. Max Baucus, ranking member, today expressed concern that the Office of Management and Budget has issued guidance to government agencies that likely will result in the understatement of improper or erroneous payments the agencies...

Resolutions for 2004 by Senator Chuck Grassley, of Iowa   Many Iowans practice a traditional ritual at the start of a New Year. Setting financial, professional, lifestyle, and healthy diet and exercise benchmarks are common personal enrichment goals at the beginning of the calendar year.   With the first half of the 108th Congress wrapped up at...

Grassley, Baucus Pursue Information on Enron Executives' Tax Dealings Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Sen. Max Baucus, ranking member, today asked the Internal Revenue Service to account for any investigations of Enron Corp. executives' individual tax dealings, such as attempts to conceal income, possibly through offshore bank...

Word On: U.S. Beef   Q: What is BSE? A: A fatal neurological disease that destroys the brains of infected cattle, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has shaken the U.S. beef industry with the first confirmed case of an infected Holstein cow confirmed in Washington state. A decade ago, an outbreak in Great Britain of what’s widely referred to as...

Grassley Works to Get Beef Exports on Track Iowa Senator Requests Special Envoy In the wake of a recent BSE scare on American soil, Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, today sent a letter with several of his Senate colleagues to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman requesting a special high-level envoy to work with our trading partners to lift foreign import...

Grassley Announces $787,374 to Nine Fire Departments in Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a total of $787,374 in one-year grants to nine fire departments in Iowa. The federal dollars are provided through Assistance to Firefighters grant program. Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety...

Grassley Praises Decision to Prevent Document Destruction, Protect Medicaid Drug Program from Fraud, Help Whistleblowers Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, is praising the reversal of a government proposal that would have made it easier for prescription drug manufacturers to defraud the Medicaid drug rebate program and more difficult...

Whistleblower Award in Tenet Case Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Committee on Finance, today made the following comment on the award of $8.1 million under the False Claims Act to the two whistleblowers who brought the complaint alleging unnecessary cardiac surgeries at the Tenet Healthcare Corporation's Redding Medical Center in Redding, Calif....