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Grassley files budget amendment on disallowing tax credit under 2014 executive actions

Grassley files budget amendment on disallowing tax credit under 2014 executive actions

From Press Release   U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) filed an amendment Tuesday to the budget legislation under consideration by the full Senate that would disallow the Earned Income Tax Credit for those made newly eligible for past benefits under the President’s executive actions on immigration.  The amendment tracks Grassley’s […]

by · March 25, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Blum leads effort to block harmful EPA regulations

Blum leads effort to block harmful EPA regulations

From Press Release   This week, Congressman Rod Blum (R-IA) led a bipartisan letter to the House Committee on Appropriations requesting a prohibition on funding for the EPA’s proposed Waters of the United States regulations. The bipartisan letter garnered signatures from 104 Members of Congress and if implemented would prevent […]

by · March 24, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Ernst introduces first piece of legislation in U.S. Senate

Ernst introduces first piece of legislation in U.S. Senate

By The Iowa Statesman   Monday, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced her first piece of legislation, the Prioritizing Veterans’ Access to Mental Health Care Act, which prioritizes veterans’ mental health care first and provides a back-stop to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs mental health care treatment, and prioritizes incentives […]

by · March 24, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Ted Cruz is officially running for POTUS

Ted Cruz is officially running for POTUS

By The Iowa Statesman   U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) officially announced he is running for the Republican nomination for President of the United States at an event today at Liberty University. The event was televised. To see the video of the event, scroll down.  

by · March 23, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Presidential candidate Chris Hill, left, met Iowa veteran leader Lee Booten, right, during the Iowa Ag Summit earlier this month. Booten will serve an important roll in Hill's campaign by seeking the support of Iowa's veterans. (submitted photo)

Desert Storm vet kicks off presidential bid

By The Iowa Statesman   While the heads over the weekend focused on a U.S. Senator from Texas who is expected to announce his formal candidacy for President of the United States later today, another official candidate has already been working over the state, growing support in a key demographic. […]

by · March 23, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Walker aide critical of Iowa resigns

Walker aide critical of Iowa resigns

By The Iowa Statesman   According to the Associated Press, Liz Mair, the aide to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s political action committee who was critical of Iowa, has resigned. She told AP reporters Tuesday she was leaving Walker’s team just a day after she had been tapped to lead his […]

by · March 18, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Follow the Israeli Knesset Elections

Follow the Israeli Knesset Elections

By The Iowa Statesman   Parliamentary elections have been underway since the wee hours of this morning, Iowa time, and will conclude when polls close at approximately 2 p.m. You can follow the happenings via the live blog hosted by Haaretz by clicking here. The Jerusalem Post is also providing […]

by · March 17, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Walker hire stirs Iowa conservatives – not in a good way

Walker hire stirs Iowa conservatives – not in a good way

By Jacob Hall Contributor   Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has a funny way of trying to entice Iowa Caucus voters to consider supporting his presidential candidacy. His latest hire will likely throw those on the fence about his candidacy back to the side of undecided. According to CNN Monday morning, […]

by · March 17, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
House investigation into Clinton emails likely

House investigation into Clinton emails likely

By The Iowa Statesman   According to ABC News, House Speaker John Boehner is expected to announce this week a new investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e practices as Secretary of State, including her admission that than 31,000 es were destroyed because she determined them to be personal, top House […]

by · March 16, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Iran, Hezbollah removed from terror list

Iran, Hezbollah removed from terror list

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Times of Israel, an annual report ivered recently to the US Senate by James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, removed Iran and Hezbollah from its list of terrorism threats, after years in which they featured in similar reports. The unclassified version of […]

by · March 16, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
House Democrats making plans for ’16

House Democrats making plans for ’16

By The Iowa Statesman   If you thought the Democrats were down and out after the beating they to in 2014, think again. The Hill is reporting that Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic Caucus are making big plans for 2016. According to the report, Pelosi says a […]

by · March 16, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
See what the ‘Big 3’ didn’t want you to see

See what the ‘Big 3’ didn’t want you to see

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Washington Free Beacon, major networks decd to run an ad on their Sunday morning news shows from a bipartisan group of former senators warning of the seriousness of an Iranian nuclear bomb. The ad comes from a new group called American Security […]

by · March 12, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Secret Service agents investigated for WH crash

Secret Service agents investigated for WH crash

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Washington Post, the Obama administration is investigating allegations that two senior Secret Service agents, including a top member of the president’s protective detail, drove a government car into White House security barricades after drinking at a late-night party last week, an agency […]

by · March 12, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Cops shot during Ferguson protest

Cops shot during Ferguson protest

By The Iowa Statesman   According to Reuters, two police officers were shot and wounded during a protest rally in Ferguson, MO, early on Thursday, hours after the city’s police chief resigned in the wake of a scathing U.S. Justice Department report finding his force was rife with racial bias. […]

by · March 12, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
USGS: Chances of 8.0 quake in California nearly doubled

USGS: Chances of 8.0 quake in California nearly doubled

By The Iowa Statesman   According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s latest California earthquake forecast, the estimated chance of that state experiencing a massive earthquake within the next 30 years has nearly doubled. In a press release Tuesday, the USGS said the Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, or UCERF3, […]

by · March 11, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
ATF backs down on AR-15 ammo

ATF backs down on AR-15 ammo

By The Iowa Statesman   In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced it was walking back on a proposed plan to remove the exemption for “green tip” AR-15 rounds used for sporting purposes. The statement said the formal commenting period […]

by · March 11, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Obama’s Christmas vacation cost $3.7M

Obama’s Christmas vacation cost $3.7M

By The Iowa Statesman   According to Judicial Watch, U.S. Air Force documents reveal the Obama family’s 2014 Christmas vacation to Honolulu, HI, cost taxpayers $3,672,798 in flight expenses alone. Costs for the trip to Hawaii, to the West Coast, and to Martha’s Vineyard last year, cost nearly $3 million alone […]

by · March 11, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Obama labels Venezuela ‘security threat’

Obama labels Venezuela ‘security threat’

By The Iowa Statesman   According to Reuters, President Obama earlier this week signed and issued an executive order, declaring Venezuela a national security threat and ordering sanctions against seven officials from the oil-rich country. But the move stes tensions between Washington and Caracas just as U.S. relations with Cuba, […]

by · March 11, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
‘Border Surge’ down slightly, but summer spike expected

‘Border Surge’ down slightly, but summer spike expected

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Los Angeles Times, the number of Central American children and families illegally crossing the southern border, particularly in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, is likely to be smaller this year than last, but large enough to overwhelm shelters and courts, new Border Patrol […]

by · March 11, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
ObamaCare premiums to see ‘significant spike’

ObamaCare premiums to see ‘significant spike’

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Washington Times, Obamacare exchange customers are about to see spikes in their premiums, the Congressional Budget Office predicted Monday, saying insurers that offer plans are facing twin pressures from the government and the marketplace that will mean hikes of than 8 […]

by · March 10, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Navy chaplain fighting for his career

Navy chaplain fighting for his career

By The Iowa Statesman   According to our good friend, Todd Starnes at FOX News, a chaplain who once ministered to Navy SEALs could be thrown out of the military after he was accused of failing “to show tolerance and respect” in private counseling sessions in regards to issues pertaining […]

by · March 10, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
GOP Senators send letter to Iran

GOP Senators send letter to Iran

By The Iowa Statesman   According to Politico, a group of Republican senators gave Iranian leaders — and the president — a refresher on the constitutional balance of power. In a highly unusual move, a group of 47 Republicans in the upper chamber has written to Iran’s top leaders to […]

by · March 10, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Obama defends Iran nuke deal

Obama defends Iran nuke deal

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Wall Street Journal, President Obama said during a televised interview this weekend the U.S. and other world powers have offered Tehran “an extraordinarily reasonable” nuclear deal after efforts during the past week to move the negotiations forward and shore up support among […]

by · March 9, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
The Hill ranks ‘most vulnerable’ in U.S. Senate

The Hill ranks ‘most vulnerable’ in U.S. Senate

By The Iowa Statesman   The Hill, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, has updated its list of Top 10 “most vulnerable” senators who are up for re-election in 2016. With Republicans defending than twice as many seats as Democrats, it should come as no surprise that the GOP dominates […]

by · March 9, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Gowdy: Gaps in Clinton emails span months

Gowdy: Gaps in Clinton emails span months

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Hill, U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the House select committee investigating Benghazi, said that there is a period of missing Hillary Clinton es from her time as secretary of State spanning several months. “There are gaps of months, and […]

by · March 9, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
EC President proposes EU army

EC President proposes EU army

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Financial Times, the president of the European Commission has called for the creation of an EU army in order to show Russia “that we are serious about defending European values”. In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Jean-Claude Juncker, who leads […]

by · March 9, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Obama commemorates Selma marches

Obama commemorates Selma marches

By The Iowa Statesman   Yesterday, President Obama joined thousands of Americans at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, to honor the sacrifice and bravery of the men and women who to part in the first of three marches for equal voting rights that to place […]

by · March 9, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Lew: Debt limit will be reached March 16

Lew: Debt limit will be reached March 16

By The Iowa Statesman   According to CNBC, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has informed Congress that unless it takes action, the U.S. will hit its debt limit on March 16, but his department intends to begin taking “extraordinary measures” to finance the government on a temporary basis before that. […]

by · March 6, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
The Hill: Dems have Boehner’s back

The Hill: Dems have Boehner’s back

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Hill, a number of conservative Republicans, long wary of a lack of commitment on the part of Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) regarding GOP efforts to undo several of President Obama’s policies, have openly considered a coup in an attempt […]

by · March 6, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Kids, parents defy Capitol Hill sledding ban

Kids, parents defy Capitol Hill sledding ban

By The Iowa Statesman   According to The Hill, dozens of children and their parents to to Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon to protest a controversial sledding ban. Capitol Police have refused to lift the sledding ban, but some parents organized a “sled in” on the west lawn of the Capitol […]

by · March 6, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Hillsdale now offering class on Constitution

Hillsdale now offering class on Constitution

By The Iowa Statesman   Hillsdale College is now offering one of its required undergraduate courses on the U.S. Constitution on. “The U.S. Constitution: A Reader” features 113 essential primary source documents, and is divided into eleven sections with introductions by members of Hillsdale’s Politics Department faculty, readings cover the […]

by · March 6, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Possible ethics violations for Reid?

Possible ethics violations for Reid?

By The Iowa Statesman   In an exclusive report in The Washington Free Beacon, Lachlan Markay reports corporate donors to a green energy nonprofit operated by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D., Nev.) former staffers and a current campaign operative have received billions of dollars in federal loan guarantees and […]

by · March 5, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Iran Foreign Minister: ‘Close’ to nuke deal

Iran Foreign Minister: ‘Close’ to nuke deal

By The Iowa Statesman   Iran has no intention of building a nuclear weapon, and the sooner the world recognizes that, the sooner there will be a deal aimed at curbing its nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of crippling economic sanctions, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told NBC […]

by · March 5, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
SCOTUS gives no hint on ObamaCare

SCOTUS gives no hint on ObamaCare

By The Iowa Statesman   Chief Justice John Roberts remained nearly silent. Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy did not. And, at the end of the day, those hoping for a clue as to how the U.S. Supreme Court may rule on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s subsidies in King […]

by · March 5, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Senate Republicans’ failures continue

Senate Republicans’ failures continue

By The Iowa Statesman   The Senate failed on Wednesday to override President Obama’s veto of legislation approving the Keystone XL oil sands pipe, falling five votes short of the two-thirds majority needed in a 62-37 vote. According to The Hill, it’s the first time Congress has voted on whether […]

by · March 5, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Europe considering ‘Net overhaul

Europe considering ‘Net overhaul

By The Iowa Statesman   Just days after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ruled in favor of “Net Neutrality,” signalling the end to a two-speed Internet in the United States, Europe has a different thought on the issue. According to The Financial Times, European internet providers would be allowed to […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Petraeus pleads guilty

Petraeus pleads guilty

By The Iowa Statesman   U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus (ret.) has reached a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department and admitted providing his highly classified journals to a mistress when he was the director of the CIA. According to The New York Times, Petraeus has agreed to plead […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Target to layoff thousands

Target to layoff thousands

By The Iowa Statesman   Target Corporation, which operates 22 stores in Iowa, as well as a distribution center in Cedar Falls, has announced it will layoff thousands of its employees over the next few years as part of a multi-billion-dollar restructuring plan meant to address the company’s recent lagging […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Alabama Supreme Court halts gay ‘marriages’

Alabama Supreme Court halts gay ‘marriages’

By The Iowa Statesman   Tuesday, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a writ of mandamus, ordering a halt to gay “marriages” in the state. The order, request by Liberty Counsel on behalf of the Alabama Policy Institute and the Alabama Citizens Action Program, comes a few weeks after a U.S. […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
DOJ releases report on Ferguson cops

DOJ releases report on Ferguson cops

By The Iowa Statesman   The latest development in the Ferguson, MO, officer-involved shooting of Michael Brown probably is the least surprising in quite some time. The Eric Holder-led U.S. Justice Department has concluded the Ferguson Police Department is racist. According to Reuters, the report stated FPD routinely engages in […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
UPDATE: Amb. Lippert in stable condition after attack

UPDATE: Amb. Lippert in stable condition after attack

By The Iowa Statesman   U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert was injured Thursday in an attack by a razor-wielding assailant who said he was against the ongoing military drills between the two countries. According to reports from South Korea, Lippert, 42, is in stable condition with non-life threatening […]

by · March 4, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Iowa’s congressional delegation responds to Netanyahu’s speech

Iowa’s congressional delegation responds to Netanyahu’s speech

By The Iowa Statesman   Some members of Iowa’s congressional egation offered their thoughts on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session today. Some did not, however. The senior member of Iowa’s egation, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, made the following comment on the speech: “The speech was […]

by · March 3, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
WATCH LIVE: Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Congress

WATCH LIVE: Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to Congress

By The Iowa Statesman   Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, is about to speak to a joint session of Congress to lay out the case against a deal with Iran over its nuclear program. The speech is being broadcast by C-SPAN. You can watch it on your computer, tablet, […]

by · March 3, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Experts: Hillary broke the law

Experts: Hillary broke the law

By The Iowa Statesman   Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the presumptive frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 2016, very likely bre the law, according to several legal experts. It was recently disclosed that she exclusively used a personal e account to conduct government business as Secretary […]

by · March 3, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
A new contender for 2016?

A new contender for 2016?

By The Iowa Statesman   Mark Dice was recently at it again, exposing how the intersection of ignorance and the cult of personality bred by our current media environment has impacted America in a new YouTube video. Scroll down to check it out.  

by · March 3, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Is ‘executive taxation’ next?

Is ‘executive taxation’ next?

By The Iowa Statesman   The U.S. Constitution clearly lays the power to tax in the hands of Congress. President Obama, however, may lo for another “end around” Congress through an executive action involving the IRS, according to his press secretary. In response to a question regarding U.S. Sen. Bernie […]

by · March 3, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Armed raid conducted at Texas meeting

Armed raid conducted at Texas meeting

By The Iowa Statesman   A group of Texans with a lengthy list of qualms with the federal government, mostly with the behavior of the American legislative and executive branches, got quite a surprise during a meeting last month. According to The San Antonio Express-News, at least 20 officers corralled, […]

by · March 2, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
California hiring foreign workers with taxpayer money

California hiring foreign workers with taxpayer money

By The Iowa Statesman   According to an investigative report by KBET-TV of Sacramento, CA, foreign workers using H-1B visas are replacing American workers for high-paying jobs, including those working on a $200 million project for the state’s Employment Development Department. According to the report, U.S. Department of Labor data […]

by · March 2, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Is Lois Lerner going to jail?

Is Lois Lerner going to jail?

By The Iowa Statesman   The IRS’s inspector general confirmed Thursday it is conducting a criminal investigation into how Lois Lerner’s es disappeared, saying it to only two weeks for investigators to find hundreds of tapes the agency’s chief had told Congress were irretrievably destroyed. According to The Washington Times, […]

by · February 27, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics
Treasury paid $3 billion to insurers without approval

Treasury paid $3 billion to insurers without approval

By The Iowa Statesman   The U.S. Treasury Department has rebuffed a request by House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R- Wis., to explain $3 billion in payments that were made to health insurers even though Congress never authorized the spending through annual appropriations. According to The Washington […]

by · February 27, 2015 · Comments are Disabled · National, Politics