News Releases

Grassley Urges Trade Promotion Authority for the President ? Sen. Chuck Grassley, a leader of the Senate Committee on Finance, today called for Congress to grant the President Trade Promotion Authority this year, saying the United States is falling behind in world trade. "For 50 years, the United States led the world trading system," Grassley said. "Now...

Leahy, Grassley Seek to Expand Oversight of FBI ? Key senators said today that they will draft legislation that would empower the Inspector General for the Department of Justice to oversee the FBI. The DoJ Inspector General's office is now prevented from looking into FBI activities unless the FBI specifically authorizes the scrutiny. Following an oversight...

Hearing of the Committee on Finance on Trade Promotion Authority I am very pleased that the Finance Committee is holding hearings today and tomorrow on trade promotion authority. This is an important and timely topic. I commend Chairman Baucus for holding these hearings now. I see these hearings as part of the hard, bipartisan effort that is required for...

Medicare Governance: Perspectives on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Today's hearing gives us an opportunity for a progress report on the efforts of Secretary Thompson and his team to strengthen the administration of Medicare and Medicaid. These programs are critically important to our constituents, and we must make them work better. In my...

Tax Rebate Checks The Treasury Department has responded to Sen. Chuck Grassley's inquiry regarding agency preparations to ensure that the mailing of 95 million tax rebate checks will go smoothly. Congress approved the rebate checks via the comprehensive tax cut legislation enacted with Grassley's leadership as Finance Committee chairman. Grassley made the...

Tax Rebate Checks The Treasury Department has responded to Sen. Chuck Grassley's inquiry regarding agency preparations to ensure that the mailing of 95 million tax rebate checks will go smoothly. Congress approved the rebate checks via the comprehensive tax cut legislation enacted with Grassley's leadership as Finance Committee chairman. Grassley made the...

Tax Rebate Checks The Treasury Department has responded to Sen. Chuck Grassley's inquiry regarding agency preparations to ensure that the mailing of 95 million tax rebate checks will go smoothly. Congress approved the rebate checks via the comprehensive tax cut legislation enacted with Grassley's leadership as Finance Committee chairman. Grassley made the...

HARKIN, GRASSLEY REQUEST FUNDING FOR O'HARE RUNWAYS -- In an effort to increase service to Iowa travelers and decrease delays in and around O'Hare International Airport U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with 10 Senators sent a letter to the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee leaders toady urging that the Committee...

Global Business Dialogue Conference on the World Trade Organization Thank you for inviting me to the Global Business Dialogue Conference on the World Trade Organization. It is a real pleasure to be here this morning. In just over four months we hope to kick-off the fourth WTO Ministerial Meeting in Qatar. If all goes well, we will be able to launch a new...

Victory for Education in U.S. Senate Grassley Works for Talented and Gifted Legislation --- Sen. Chuck Grassley yesterday completed work on the inclusion of talented and gifted legislation in the U.S. Senate's Education Reform Bill. The B.E.S.T Act, Better Education for Students and Teachers, passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 91-8. Grassley's talented...

Grassley Helps Iowans Pinpoint When Tax Rebate Checks Will Be Mailed Iowa Senator Adds Tax Rebate Calculator to Website ? Sen. Chuck Grassley has added an interactive tax calculator to his website to help Iowans determine when their tax rebate checks will be mailed. "Iowans will first experience tax relief this year when they begin to receive rebate checks...

Trade Promotion Authority  Today Rep. Philip Crane is expected to announce the introduction of legislation to grant Trade Promotion Authority to the President.  Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, made the following comment on this development.  "It's time to move beyond ideological differences over trade...

Statement Regarding EPA Decision to Deny California Oxygenate Waiver Sen. Chuck Grassley today hailed the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency has denied the State of California's request to waive the federal oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline. The denial of an oxygenate waiver is expected to sharply increase demand for...

Grassley Takes Careful Approach to Prescription Drug Coverage ? The federal tax code contains key incentives for land conservation, and tax laws should go even further to protect natural resources, Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, said today. "Private land owners are using tax incentives to save flood plains in Iowa, forests...

Finance Committee Hearing Will Address Land Conservation Tax Initiatives Hearing:"Preserving and Protecting Our Natural Resources" Date/time:Tuesday, June 12, 2001, at 10 a.m. Location:215 Dirksen Senate Office Building Description:The Committee on Finance, led by Sen. Max Baucus, chairman, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member, will convene a hearing to...

U.S.-China agricultural agreement The United States and China reached agreement early this morning on agricultural farm subsidies, which was the major outstanding area of disagreement between China and the United States that had stopped progress on Geneva negotiations in the World Trade Organization China Working Party that would result in China's accession...

prescription drug benefit The Congressional Budget Office today released cost estimates for several major approaches to adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, favors concepts from the "Breaux-Frist II" approach, which would cost $176 billion over 10 years, according to today's...

Word On: Student Loans   Q: How does the newly enacted tax relief law help out college students? A: As the chief Senate architect of the third biggest tax cut since World War II, I strongly supported education-related tax breaks to help more Americans afford higher education. A good education is like a non-stop flight to prosperity. However, some folks...

Keeping A Farmer’s Promise By Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa   Farmers accustomed to grappling with small wet, low-lying areas located smack dab in the middle of their fields will be glad to hear that sign-up has begun for a newly created conservation program that offers eligible producers economic incentives to restore these wetlands and adjacent...

U.S.-Vietnam Trade Agreement President Bush has submitted the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Agreement to Congress. Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, earlier encouraged the President to send the agreement. Grassley made the following comment on today's action. "In 1991, then-President George Bush laid out a road map for normalizing...