WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the lead sponsors of the landmark First Step Act, today introduced the bipartisan Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2019, which would end the unjust practice of judges increasing sentences based on conduct for which a defendant has been acquitted by a...
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement on the confirmation of Eugene Scalia to be the next Secretary of Labor.
“It’s the responsibility of Congress to confirm qualified, service-minded men and women to lead our federal agencies. The decisions they make impact millions of Americans’ lives in many different...
Q: What’s your back to school message for the new school year? A: Families across the state are easing into the new school year with back-to-school rituals and preparing for busy fall schedules in the months ahead. After capturing first day of school photos, managing car pools and figuring out bus routes, parents and kids reacclimate family...
Q: What’s your take on the so-called Green New Deal? A: The Green New Deal is a throwback to FDRs New Deal from decades ago. It ostensibly was proposed to address climate change. However, a closer look at the details reveals an out-of-touch mindset and off-the-wall overreach by big government extremists. Proponents of the plan staked out...
Q: What draws people to the Iowa State Fair year after year? A: With countless attractions, there’s something for everyone at the Iowa State Fair. This world famous agricultural and industrial exposition began 165 years ago and has grown into the largest family friendly celebration in the state of Iowa. The 450-acre fairgrounds and adjacent campgrounds...
Q: Why is the USMCA trade agreement so important for Iowa? A: Since passage of the original free trade agreement with our northern and southern neighbors, goods and services exported from Iowa to Canada and Mexico have expanded our state economy and created jobs. Just in 2017, Iowa exported $6.6 billion worth of exports to Canada and Mexico, supporting...
Q: Why does Congress recognize National Whistleblower Appreciation Day on July 30? A: It’s an appropriate coincidence National Whistleblower Appreciation Day occurs in the same month as America’s Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the nation’s Founders declared freedom from tyranny and the sovereign right of the American people to...
Q: What progress has been made to narrow the digital divide in America? A: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 put in place a framework to ensure all Americans would have universal access to advanced telecommunications. It tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement reforms needed to make it happen in a “reasonable and timely...
Q: How serious is the crisis at the southern border? A: Illegal border crossings are at the highest level in recent history. This fiscal year, immigration officials are on track to apprehend more than one million migrants crossing illegally into the country – more than double the volume of previous years. In May, more than 144,000 migrants were...
Q: What are your reflections on this Independence Day? A: On this Fourth of July, America celebrates 243 years of independence. We are just seven years away from the 250th anniversary – or the sestercentennial – of when 56 delegates in 1776 signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. This founding charter declared freedom...
Q: Does secrecy contribute to health care costs? A: Sticker shock for health care in America has been a growing concern for decades in the United States. From prescription drugs to lab tests, durable medical equipment, outpatient surgery and hospital stays, Americans increasingly feel they pay through the roof for medical care. As chairman...
Q: What is FARA? A: In the years preceding World War II, Congress passed the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938 to unmask Nazi propaganda and identify foreign efforts to shape public policy and opinion in the United States. FARA requires any individual operating at the behest of a foreign interest to register with the U.S....
Q: How did stopping elder abuse become one of your priorities in Congress? A: Close-knit families and communities across Iowa are enriched by the contributions and lifeexperiences of older citizens. Unfortunately, some members of society don’t treat their elders with the respect and dignity they deserve. One in 10 Americans ages 60 and...
Q: What amendment did you get included in the federal disaster relief package? A: Catastrophic flooding across Iowa has caused tremendous damage throughout the Missouri and Mississippi River basins impacting more than two-thirds of Iowa’s 99 counties. Breached and overtopped levees and swollen tributaries have swamped hundreds of thousands of...
Q: What prompted you to step up your oversight of taxpayer-funded research? A: As a longtime taxpayer watchdog, I keep check on taxpayer dollars as they make their way through the federal pipeline – from the nation’s defense to farm payments, medical research, criminal justice, veterans benefits and the health care safety net. As chairman of...
WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating the week of September 23 through September 27, 2019, as “Malnutrition Awareness Week.” The resolution recognizes registered dietitian nutritionists and other nutrition professionals, health care providers, social workers and...
Q: What reflections do you have for Iowans on this Memorial Day? A: For as long as I can remember, Memorial Day has been a day for families, friends and neighbors to share collective grief and gratitude for the profound sacrifice our hometown heroes made to keep us safe. From a young age, I recall local members of veteran service organizations...
Washington – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today released the statutory text of the
Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA), S. 2543. The text mirrors the chairman’s mark that
passed the Finance Committee in July with a bipartisan, two-thirds majority.
“President Trump...
WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to the presidents of Duke University, Harvard University, Sarah Lawrence College and Villanova University seeking information on the current culture of academic freedom on their campuses. Grassley also expressed his concerns in an op-ed published today by the Wall Street...
Q&A: Small Business WeekWith U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley Q: Why celebrate Small Business Week? A: The locomotive for the U.S. economy – small businesses – continues to move full steam ahead during the first two years of the Trump administration. The roaring U.S. economy opened the first quarter of the year with 3.2 percent...
