By The Iowa Statesman The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on the need for oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In his opening remarks, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the committee, said congressional oversight of the Executive Branch is a “critical function […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Monday, the Iowa Senate approved the Fiscal Year 2016 appropriations bill that covers the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission on a party- vote. Senate File 494 was a “status quo” bill in […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said today that Luis Angel Martinez of Des Moines and Harrison Patrick Gudorf of West Des Moines have received appointments to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY, for the 2015-16 […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor With four new “probable cases” of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in northwest Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is now briefing the General Assembly and the general public about the outbreak. IDALS held a press conference Monday afternoon in which officials explained […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Republican Conservative Steering Committee is filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court tomorrow as it hears oral arguments on a case in which they will consider the constitutionality of state gay “marriage” bans. You can add your signature to the brief by […]
From Press Release Legislation from U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to enhance the already successful Section 529 college savings plans program will receive Finance Committee consideration on Wednesday. “These reforms will make it even appealing for parents to use 529 college savings plans,” Grassley said. “The additions give […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs adapts its health care programs to meet the needs of the expanding female veteran population. “The Department of Veterans Affairs should offer health care that fits the population it serves,” […]
From Press Release U.S. Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA 1) led a bipartisan letter with 22 other Members of Congress to Speaker of the House John Boehner calling for H.R. 880, the American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2015, be brought for a vote as quickly as possible. The bill […]
By The Iowa Statesman Friday, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) will return to Iowa to discuss tax reform as part of an event being held in West Des Moines. LWBJ, one of the largest Certified Public Accountant firms in the country, will be hosting the event, which begins at […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) will discuss the Senate Judiciary Committee’s upcoming agenda for the 114th Congress at a National Press Club Newsmakers beginning right now. Grassley outd an agenda centered on boosting government accountability and protecting victims of crime while preserving the unique rights […]
From Press Release Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad today highlighted the success of the innovative new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System (TLC) at Southeast Polk Junior High School during his weekly press conference. The press conference occurred following the last of three visits with school districts this month to learn […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) got a huge boost for his presidential campaign over the weekend when former Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Lang gave his endorsement at an event in Atkins on Saturday. Saying it was time for a president who is serious […]
By The Iowa Statesman Friday afternoon, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed the following bills into law. Among them are provisions related to expanding existing strip search laws, increasing the penalties for disorderly conduct that funerals or memorial services, amending how compensation for county elected officials is established, and to […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has released his weekly video address, in which he discusses passage of the human trafficking bill. The bill had been ayed by Democrats who didn’t like an abortion measure included in the bill. The bill also features two provisions that […]
From Press Release Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) issued the following statement to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the genocide against the Armenian people upon the breakup of the Ottoman Empire: “The massacre of over one million people is a genocide the world must remember. Memorializing this senseless […]
By The Iowa Statesman The Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition‘s Spring Kickoff will be held Saturday afternoon and evening at Point of Grace Church in Waukee, just west of Des Moines. Nine announced or probable Republican presidential candidates will be speaking at the event; they are: • U.S. Sen. […]
By The Iowa Statesman Thursday, the Iowa Senate adopted Senate Resolution 35 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of signing the bill that combined Iowa’s technical schools and junior colleges, creating the state’s community college system. The man credited with the landmark legislation, former Senate President John “Jack” Kibbie, was […]
By The Iowa Statesman Tamara Scott, the Iowa state director of Concerned Women for America, sent out the following message Thursday to the organization’s membership. It relates to Gov. Terry Branstad’s anti-bullying legislation, Senate File 345. Earlier this week, Democrats attempted to force a vote on the measure, but […]
From Press Release In an effort to protect the investing public, improve the oversight of corporate auditing, and ensure that the financial reports of publicly traded companies are accurate and reliable, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today introduced the PCAOB Enforcement Transparency Act of 2015. […]
From Press Release Following a series of letters by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, investigating allegations of improper use of agency resources and questionable hiring practices at the U.S. Marshals Service (U), than a half dozen whistleblowers have come forward to corroborate these […]
From Press Release U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined a bipartisan group of Senators urging the Environmental Protection Agency to issue strong biofuels volume requirements for the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard and beyond. The Senators asked the EPA to reverse course on their proposed 2014 rule to achieve the […]
From Press Release U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the following statement after opposing the confirmation of Loretta Lynch as U.S. Attorney General. “I have serious concerns with Loretta Lynch’s intention to uphold President Obama’s policies – especially executive amnesty,” she said. “We need a chief legal advisor who […]
By The Iowa Statesman Shortly after the death of her father, Casey Kasem, Kerri Kasem began lobbying lawmakers across the U.S. for legislation to prevent what she and many of families have faced in the past. With the passage of Senate File 306 in both the House and Senate, […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) spe this morning to a forum hosted by the American Council On Renewable Energy Policy. In his speech, which focused on providing an outlo on renewable energy and federal government policy, he said the renewable energy industry “needs certainty […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has had a busy day, dealing with Justice Department nominations in the U.S. Senate. First, his Judiciary Committee to up the nomination of Sally Yates to be Deputy U.S. Attorney General, then the Senate as a whole to up the […]
From Press Release U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-IA 4) made the following statement after introducing his latest bill in Congress, the Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act of 2015. This bill strips federal courts of jurisdiction to hear cases related to marriage. The effect of the bill would prevent […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Despite no new movement on negotiations between the Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, work on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget continued this week. Although they are hundreds of millions of dollars apart on spending targets, and both budgets would increase spending to […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Wednesday he welcomed committee passage of legislation that will increase opportunities for expanded trade markets for U.S. products, including agricultural products, manufactured goods and financial products from Iowa. “Iowa farmers, manufacturers and services providers would like access to new markets,” […]
From Press Release Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA 1), along with Congressman Ken Buck (R-CO) and Congressman David Young (R-IA) introduced the House companion to the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015. U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) authored the legislation, which removes the […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor They tried and failed. Iowa House Democrats attempted Wednesday morning to bypass House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer (R-Clear Lake) and force a vote on Gov. Terry Branstad’s hallmark anti-bullying bill, Senate File 488. Conservatives across the state have fought the proposed legislation, saying it unnecessarily […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) drafted a resolution that was unanimously adopted by the Senate Wednesday, commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The full text of the resolution can be read by clicking here. Prior to the resolution’s adoption, Grassley made the following statement. Mr. […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today welcomed committee passage of an amendment he co-sponsored to prioritize agricultural trade technical assistance for businesses and sectors that engage women farmers and entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Women in developing countries can benefit from the technical assistance agricultural trade experts […]
From Press Release Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is continuing to press the Drug Enforcement Administration to answer questions about the agency’s detainment of Daniel Chong, a University of California-San Diego college student in 2012 who was left without food or water for five days. […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today made the following comment on a report released by the House Committee on Ways and Means on the IRS’ spending on priorities other than its essential roles of taxpayer service and fraud prevention, leading to what the agency itself called […]
From Press Release Story County GOP Chairman Brett Barker announced today that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will be attending the second annual Story County Freedom Run. Among the planned participants are U.S. Senator Joni Ernst and Iowa Auditor Mary Mosiman. The event will take place on Saturday, April […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor Conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt has been creating than his fair share of Campaign 2016 heads in the past few days. His latest involved perhaps the newest member of the deepening Team GOP bench. During what was supposed to be a friendly interview […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor At the conclusion of regular business on any work day in the Iowa House of Representatives, any member of the chamber may rise and speak about any subject of his or her choosing. These speeches, called “personal points of privilege,” are often used to publicly […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today asked the IRS commissioner to account for weaknesses in computer systems that create opportunities for taxpayer or employee data to be lost, corrupted or stolen. “Protecting taxpayers’ information and ensuring efficient and appropriate administration of the tax system are of […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to part Tuesday in a hearing on “improving accountability and oversight of juvenile justice systems” in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs. At the onset of the hearing, he gave the following prepared statement. In 1974, Congress passed the Juvenile Justice […]
From Press Release Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today applauded the Iowa House of Representatives for passing House File 641, a bill that aims to connect every acre of Iowa to high-speed broadband Internet. The bill passed 89-5. “We began calling for broadband legislation last […]
From Press Release U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services admitted it erred in granting deferred deportation to a known gang member who is now charged with four counts of first-degree murder in North Carolina. In a letter to Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, USCIS […]
From Press Release U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced the Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act of 2015 that would permanently authorize and require employers to use the E-Verify program, an Internet-based system that assists employers in determining the eligibility of employees to […]
From Press Release Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Sec. of Agriculture Bill Northey and Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi Durham today sent a letter to Iowa’s congressional egation encouraging the passage of Trade Promotion Authority, reforming and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, and authorizing market-opening trade […]
By The Iowa Statesman The U.S. Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. Both of Iowa’s senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, played roles in the bill’s passage. The Senate-passed bill also includes human trafficking legislation introduced by Grassley earlier this year. The […]
From Press Release Dallas County Republicans are pleased to announce our next and final speaker for the Dallas County Spring Speaker Series. This is the final speaker of our Dallas County Spring Speaker Series, and it will be held at the West Des Moines Marriott. The last head speaker […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor The Iowa Senate unanimously adopted a House of Representatives bill that would place preschools operated by or for local school districts under the purview of the Iowa Department of Human Resources. Last week, the Senate adopted House File 347, but with an amendment to further […]
By Bob Eschliman Editor For the fifth time in as many legislative work days, Iowa House Minority Leader Mark Smith (D-Marshalltown) asked Iowa House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer (R-Clear Lake) on Monday about the status of conference committee negotiations on school funding for the next two years. Last week, […]
By The Iowa Statesman The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza at a commercial laying facility in Osceola County, Iowa. The facility has 5.3 million hens and is the second confirmed case in the […]
From Press Release Q: What is civil asset forfeiture? A: Asset forfeiture is a crime-fighting tool that enables law enforcement to seize cash or property that’s considered linked to illicit activity. The theory behind the asset forfeiture system is to che off the funding stream used to bankroll criminal […]
By The Iowa Statesman U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to to the floor of the Senate to issue the following statement with regard to the complete and timely access for Inspectors General to conduct their necessary oversight of executive branch functions. Mr. President, the ability of the Congress to be […]
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