My hometown of New Hartford was evacuated last night due to flooding just weeks after a tornado caused a lot of damage. My staff has been travelling to communities that have been hit by flooding as well as keeping in touch with city and county officials. The weather has hit many families in Iowa very hard. Please don't hesitate to contact my offices if there is anything my offices can do to help.

It seems Iowa can’t get away from bad weather recently. I’ve already had water in my basement this year for the first time in more than 15 years. Then the tornadoes hit in Butler County, southwest and south central Iowa. Now we’re seeing the remnants of storms that swept through

There have been many students that have visited me in the last few days. Summer always brings many groups to Washington to see the sights. I always enjoy visiting with the students and answering their questions. When I meet with them, the first thing we usually do is take a picture. I tell them a little bit about myself and remind them to check out my Facebook and MySpace pages. Then I take questions for about 15 minutes. Today I was asked about what I do during a normal day, the 2008 presidential election, the Farm Bill and alternative energy. Since yesterday morning, I have visited with 4-Hers

Today, Barbara and I personally treated the summer interns in my Washington office out to lunch in the Members dining room in the Capitol. We talked about different forms of government as one of my interns is from England, my town hall meetings last week, the tornados in Parkersburg and New Hampton, and a few other policy issues. I was able to learn a lot from them as well. If you are interested in an internship either in the fall, spring or summer call my office at 202-224-3744 or visit the intern section on my website.

I’ve finished my town hall meetings this week that started on Tuesday while the Senate is in recess for Memorial Day. Since my last blog on Tuesday I have visited Bloomfield, Lamoni, Mt. Ayr, Creston, Corning, Bedford, Glenwood, Avoca, Red Oak, Atlantic, Exira and Coon Rapids for town hall meetings. I also was able to tour EZ Way and Lisle Corporation in Clarinda and visit with employees. I stopped in Hamburg and visited with the Kiwanis Club there as well. Today I toured the Whiterock Conservancy prior to my town hall meeting in Coon Rapids. We talked a lot about energy related issues as well as the new farm bill and many health care related issues in the town hall meetings.

I just finished the first leg of my town hall meetings this week while the Senate is on recess for Memorial Day. Today I was able to visit students at Oak Street Middle School in Burlington, visit with employees and tour Roquette America in Keokuk and hold my Van Buren County town hall meeting in Keosauqua. I will continue on with more town hall meetings the rest of this week. I enjoy listening to folks in Iowa and taking their concerns to Washington. That’s what representative government is all about.

Butler County, my home town of New Hartford, and several communities around us took the direct hit of a tornado on Sunday. After touring the area both Sunday night with my grandson and Monday with the governor, it's hard to believe the devastation. I’ve lived in New Hartford my entire life, so I’ve known many of these people a long time. President Bush has declared Butler County a disaster area, so we know that help is on the way to help the people in the area rebuild. Iowans are known for their resilience and I know our friends and neighbors throughout the communities that have been hit will bounce back. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones. My office will do everything possible to help those who lost family members,

With the Senate in recess for the Memorial Day holiday, I look forward to town hall meetings in the coming week. I have visited each of the 99 counties every year since I have been in the Senate. It's important to have this kind of communication in representative government. I am one-half of the equation and those who come and speak with me are the other half. It’s important for me to make time to listen to them and then take their thoughts and concerns to Washington. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see you at my meetings next week. Have a good and safe Memorial Day holiday.

Every child deserves to be loved. Today I introduced legislation that would help children with special needs in foster care get placed in safe, permanent and loving homes. Six Iowa families were on hand today at my press conference introducing the legislation and a few spoke about their struggles with the current adoption system. I’ve worked on this issue for many years and am committed to helping families who are giving permanent homes to kids who need it most.

National Bike to Work Week is coming to a close. Sometimes that may not be possible, but sometimes it’s a matter of choice. Riding a bike can be an important way to conserve on the amount of gas you use each week. Bill O’Reilly has said on his show that if we each drive 10 percent less, that it would make the oil companies and oil producing countries feel it. Well I don’t know if that is true or not, but either way trying to conserve is important. Biking, walking, or running to wherever you are going to help conserve will certainly make your wallet feel it in a good way.

I really enjoyed my visit with students from the Des Moines Central Academy this afternoon via video conference over the ICN. They asked a bunch of really good questions about ethanol, college tuition, the 2008 elections and more. I get a chance to do this about once a month with different schools across Iowa. It's nice to see young people involved in government and the political process.

For my life to evolve the way it has to be a United States Senator, I owe it to two mothers. One my natural mother who taught me to respect America, to appreciate government, and to understand America through history. And it was because of that background that I got interested in public service. And secondly, my wife of 53 years because she filled a void when I was absent from the home so much by being a mother and a father and she encouraged my public service. So I’m thankful to these two women and remember them on Mother’s Day.

When the Vietnam veterans returned home, they were not appreciated as veterans had been in other wars. That was not right, and Iowa and the country look back now and are sorrowful that those veterans weren’t welcomed home as heroes. We need to do what we can to make up for that, and that’s why we will not forget about them and we’ll honor them today on Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day in Iowa.

I’d like to thank all of Iowa’s teachers today for National Teacher Day. Teachers work extremely hard to make sure all children receive a quality education. This hits close to home for me as my sister Lois West was a high school teacher in northeast Iowa for nearly 40 years. The teacher that touched my life the most was Dr. Irma Plaehn at the University of Northern Iowa. She took such a personal interest in the welfare of her students beyond the classroom. Thank you to all teachers for the important work you do.

Marilyn Adams, founder of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, has been honored as “America’s Greatest Hometown Hero” at the Volvo Life Awards. Marilyn has been a crusader for children’s safety since her son died tragically in an accident on their family farm. I have visited with her many times in my office and at her headquarters, spoken at events for her, and donated personal funds to the cause. She truly deserves this honor for all her hard work to promote farm safety.

This morning I participated in the American Council of Life Insurers Capital Challenge. It’s a three-mile race in Anacostia Park a few miles from the Capitol. All the proceeds go to the D.C. Special Olympics. It was nice to get to run for a good cause with a few members of my staff and colleagues in the legislative, executive and judicial branches, as well as the media. I even improved my time from last year!

April 27th – May 3rd is National Volunteer Week and the theme is “Volunteer to Change the World.” I like to encourage people to recognize what a big difference they can make, what a big difference one person can make, by getting involved, stepping up or lending a hand. So today I say thank you to everyone who volunteers their time, this week and throughout the year to make a difference and improve Iowa, the nation and the world. Volunteering means good flows both ways, as it often rewards the volunteer with as much if not more in terms of knowledge and life experience than what was spent of their time and resources. I encourage everyone to be an active volunteer and remember what a difference they can make.

When I was on Fox Business this afternoon the host said I was a Senator from Ohio. This is something all Iowans deal with. I was glad because I was I got to tell my joke about how the host might have though the University of Idaho was in Iowa City, Ohio on national television. It took her a few seconds, but she laughed. Have fun with it and use that one the next time it happens to you!

I could sure tell that was corn fed Iowa beef last night at the Siouxland Steak Fry dinner. Unfortunately I was not able to make the reception before the dinner since Farm Bill negotiations were going on during that time, but I stuck around afterwards for discussions with those that attended. Everyone was very friendly and I enjoyed it. Go four-lane Highway 20!

It was good to be able to listen and speak with Iowans from the Siouxland Chamber today. They talked about immigration issues, tax issues, and many more. I look forward to getting together with them again tonight at their Siouxland Steak Fry reception and am glad are here in Washington to voice their concerns.

I’m optimistic at this point in time about getting the Farm Bill completed, and we’re aiming to get it done this week. This has been an extremely fluid situation where I’ve been optimistic before and then saw the bottom fall out of a compromise, so I suppose that should be taken with a grain of salt. I want to give farmers certainty for the next five to six years, and that will be done if we can hammer this out soon. If not, we go with a one-year extension or back to the 1949 Farm Bill. I hope that doesn’t happen, but obviously the extension would have to be better than going back to 1940’s legislation with all the advances farmers have gone through in those sixty years.

The National Guard deserves to be represented in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The National Guard is part of the standing Army during war situations. They should not be considered the runt of the litter. The National Guard deserves the full status that the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff share in reflection of the reliance we have placed on them during the War on Terror.

It is Earth Day today and with record high oil prices at the moment, Bill O’Reilly may have the right idea. Bill wants people to drive ten percent less and that should be able to put enough pressure on oil companies to lower the price of oil. I don’t know if it will work since they only handle about 15 percent of the world’s oil while foreign governments hold access to 85 percent of the world’s oil. They are kind of forced to pay what the 85 percent wants. But I’m willing to try Bill’s plan, so I sat down with Barbara last night and we figured out we need to cut out 8.8 miles a week, and I’m encouraging my staff to try and do this as well. To fix America’s oil problem we need to conserve and produce alternative

I introduced Federal Reserve Chairman Dr. Ben Bernanke this morning to a meeting of the Siouxland Chamber during their trip to Washington DC. Some people at my town-hall meetings have asked why we have the Federal Reserve rather than Congress handling monetary policy. The answer is that the Federal Reserve is not political and they are pretty good at what they do. I think we can all agree that it is a better system than Congress setting the interest rates. I’m glad the Siouxland Chamber got the opportunity to hear Chairman Bernanke speak in person and ask him questions.

The Boston Marathon was held this morning. Those athletes that competed in the 26-plus mile run today deserve recognition for their hard work. Running has many health benefits. It helps keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control, helps reduce blood clots, prevents muscle and bone loss that occurs with age, and many more benefits. I usually run two or three miles a day and I encourage you to take up running or some other form of exercise as well. It’s a good way to improve your health.

As National Library Week comes to a close, it's important to remember the important role libraries play in our country. Libraries are a gathering place for young and old alike to expand their minds and learn great things. I enjoy reading anything I can get my hands on and encourage others to read as often as possible. Libraries provide great services to their communities and deserve recognition. So I hope you'll go pick up a book and enjoy, not just during National Library Week, but all 52 weeks of the year.

I was able to see Pope Benedict XVI today when he visited the White House. It was an honor to be with a great religious leader. His peaceful and pro-life message was well received. It was great when the crowd starting singing Happy Birthday to him. I was also able to be at the White House the last time a Pope had visited in 1979.

Today may be one of the least favorite days of the year for many Americans. Today is the final day to file without receiving an extension. A delay in passing an AMT patch for 50 million taxpayers caused even more difficulty. I’m glad that the AMT finally was worked out so middle income taxpayers were not hung out to dry.

Now I’m working to make sure that tax relief I got through Congress while I was Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is extended. If this tax relief is allowed to expire, Americans will be hit with the biggest tax increase in history, and it will happen without a vote of Congress. The last thing families, small businesses and investors need in a sluggish economy is a tax increase, but that’s what will happen

I visited with students from Dike-New Hartford today via video conference. Students always have great questions and today was no different. They asked questions ranging from the FAIR tax to military issues in Iraq and Afghanistan. These video conferences over the ICN give me yet another way to communicate with Iowans. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to video conference with many other schools in the future.

President Bush declared today National D.A.R.E. day. D.A.R.E helps spread an important message that drugs are dangerous. If we keep our kids’ drug free early in their lives when peer pressure is the greatest, chances are lower they will try and become addicted as they get older. The parents, law enforcement officials, teachers, and counselors who help with this program deserve praise for their continued hard work to keep drugs out of the hands of our youth.

I was excited to see so many young Iowans today. There were groups of students from LeMars, Belle Plaine, Iowa City, and Drake University. They had some great questions about a lot of issues ranging from universal health care to my daily schedule. I’d like to thank them for visiting with me and I hope they enjoy the rest of their time in the nation’s capital!

Driving into the District this morning, it was hard not to notice the color of the cherry blossom trees surrounding the tidal basin around the Jefferson Memorial. This year, the National Cherry Blossom festival will be coming to a close on April 13th. It's amazing to see all the people who make it out to Washington D.C. for what’s become an annual rite of passage in our nation’s capital. I always enjoy seeing the Iowans who come to visit me in Washington D.C. during their sightseeing trips. To make it extra special this year, a former intern in my office will be here representing our state as Iowa’s 2008 Cherry Blossom Princess.

Owning a home is part of the American dream for millions of families, and our tax code should help those looking to own a home realize their dream. Yesterday, I introduced legislation aimed at boosting our nation’s housing market. The bipartisan proposal I developed along with Senator Baucus provides tax relief to key players in the housing sector including homeowners, homebuyers and homebuilders. Our interconnected economy depends on a strong housing market and this legislation will help the many businesses tied to the housing sector. I hope this bill is acted on quickly so we can help current homeowners, as well as put more people in homes and more workers to work.

Beginning this morning and going late into the evening, I will be participating in one of the Senate’s most hectic days of voting called the vote-o-rama. The vote-o-rama occurs each year as the Senate debates the budget resolution for the next fiscal year. This year’s vote-o-rama began around 11:00 a.m. We could have more than 40 amendments receiving a vote, so we may still be voting past midnight. With the Senate’s longest consecutive voting streak, you'll see me casting my vote for each amendment. Stay tuned to C-SPAN2!

I'll soon be sitting down to watch the first of four Iowa Girls State Basketball Championships. This is my 30th annual trip to the girls' tournament and I always enjoy watching the competitive action. It’s also nice to see so many Iowans who make the trip to Des Moines to cheer on their school.

I'll also be speaking at an Iowa Farm Bureau meeting on Sunday night to welcome a Chinese Biotech Delegation. In order to remain major producers for the world market, Iowa farmers realize that they must be receptive to new technologies, including biotechnology. American farmers have embraced agricultural biotechnology since the commercialization of biotech seeds in the United States in 1996. I understand that China now ranks sixth in the world in

This morning I was happy to chair a Judiciary Committee Hearing that looked at my legislation that clarifies the original intent of the False Claims Act. I wrote the 1986 False Claims Act update to protect the government from being hoodwinked by fraudulent contractors and companies. The law has returned more than $20 billion in taxpayer money to the federal treasury. My legislation would help correct court decisions that have applied this legislation wrongly. I hope the committee votes on my legislation in the next few weeks.

I just wrapped up my Hardin County town hall in Eldora and I was proud to see many in the community braved the cold winter weather to attend. Those who came out for the meeting showed why Iowans have a well-deserved reputation for being engaged in politics and government. These town hall meetings give me an opportunity to listen to Iowans and put their input to work in Washington.

Tomorrow I'm attending the UNI v. Drake basketball game in Cedar Falls. UNI is my alma mater so I'm rooting for the Panthers, but Drake is having a great season and it’s always good to see an Iowa team performing well. Look for me at center court at half-time, too. We'll be talking about a statewide initiative I started in the 1990s to help address Iowa's drug problem at the grassroots. "Face It Together" was designed to help Iowans work together to keep their schools, workplaces and communities drug-free. I look forward to a good game and hope to see many of you in the stands.

Earlier today I met with top executives from Spanish energy companies to talk about renewable fuels and Iowa’s leadership in this industry. My conversation with these folks began last month when I visited Spain as part of an international trade trip. My goal in continuing this conversation is to convince them of our country’s commitment to renewable energy and to encourage them to explore the great investment opportunities in Iowa. Companies like Siemens, Acciona and Clipper Wind have shown the benefit of international collaboration and I hope our Spanish friends will soon follow their lead.

I had some great visits today in Ankeny. At my first visit to Faith Baptist College, I took a lot of good questions from several students and a teacher. The questions ranged from faith to taxes. I then went to Embria Health and had a very interesting visit. I learned a great deal about their product and how it might interact with other drugs and even the impact on our bodies.
It was a great day and I thank all the people I met today!

This morning I'm making a couple stops in Central Iowa before heading to Washington, D.C. I'll be talking to and taking questions from students and faculty at Faith Baptist College in Ankeny. Then I'm off to Embria Health Sciences which is also in Ankeny. I'm looking forward to seeing Embria's new facility and innovative products and hearing about the economic impact they've had on the community.

Yesterday afternoon I participated in a virtual town hall meeting with students from Prairie City Monroe High School. Visiting with students and hearing what is important to young Iowans has always been a priority of mine. That’s why during my annual visits to Iowa’s 99 counties, I usually visit several schools and students groups. Using this teleconference technology will allow me to hear from many more students and several other schools. And it is almost as good as being in the classroom, and I don't have to worry about being snowed out!

The Finance Committee just met and passed the much talked about economic stimulus package. I used my position as Ranking Member to make sure the committee kept its eye on the ball. The approved package is appropriate and temporary. Included in this package was an amendment I sponsored that extends key tax incentives for the production of renewable energy that I believe will help spur economic growth. Hopefully the full Senate will swiftly take action an economic stimulus package so businesses can begin using the incentives and the IRS can start sending out the rebate checks. These steps should help put our economy right back on track.

I’m getting ready to head to the House Chamber for President Bush’s final State of the Union. The State of the Union is an annual assessment of our country that provides the President with the opportunity to lay the groundwork for the Administration’s goals in the coming year. I expect the president will touch on a broad range of issues, including several topics of interest to Iowans. I hope to hear a forward looking agenda that focuses on the economy, the War on Terror and energy security. Be sure to check my website after the speech to get my reaction.

I just got back to Des Moines and had an event at the State Capitol with Senator Harkin, Congressman Boswell and Ellen and Randy Omvig. We presented a special copy of the bill named in honor of the Omvig's son, Joshua. The legislation, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, was signed into law in November. The Omvig's crusade to help get more help to veterans returning home has brought much needed attention to a problem that is often shoved aside. I hope the small gesture today helps the Omvigs continue to forge ahead in hopes of helping other brave men and women returning home.

I taped another installment of my weekly webcast from the Capitol Visitor Center this afternoon and was impressed with this new addition to the CVC. I last toured the CVC in September 2006 when the facility was still under heavy construction. Now the beautiful underground complex is nearly complete and offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience to those visiting the capitol. I hope Iowans visiting Washington will take advantage of the new Capitol Visitor Center and learn more about our country’s most historic building.

The Senate started it's second session of the 110th Congress today. I was lucky to make it out of Waterloo yesterday. I understand the area ended up getting 7 inches of snow. Sounds like I'll have some work to do shoveling my driveway this weekend. But, before I can get back to the farm, we're working on an economic stimulus package to give a shot in the arm to the economy. We had our first hearing in the Senate Finance Committee this morning. Stay tuned because this will be moving fast!

Mitchell Report Part 2

I’m in Iowa today beginning my annual visits to all of Iowa’s 99 counties. I’m also paying close attention to what happened today in the House oversight committee. Former Senator George Mitchell, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, and the head of the Players Association Donald Fehr all testified about the Mitchell report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. They all seemed committed to implementing the report recommendations. Major league baseball has had a dismal record when it comes to policing its own players during the "steroid era," so it was also good to hear the commissioner say he’s getting behind reform legislation, including a bill I introduced last year to limit

Mitchell Report

I’m sure many of you baseball fans out there are just as disappointed as I am to hear about some of our favorite players being revealed in the Mitchell Report today.

The report showed that every team in Major League Baseball had at least one player who was using drugs. It’s disappointing to think professional athletes felt they needed to fall back on harmful substances in order to gain an edge. These athletes showed little respect for their bodies and to the integrity of America’s favorite pastime. What’s worse, they don’t appear to realize the detrimental impact they’re having on younger athletes. Professional athletes need to realize that whether they like it or not, they are role

A lot of people have been asking me what Congress will be working on before we adjourn for the year. We will be in session for two or three more weeks and there is still a lot to accomplish.

One of the most important items left to do is to create a patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax or the AMT, or what I like to call it; the absolutely maddening tax. Congress has never waited this long to pass a legislative patch. It’s now December 4, and it is totally unclear what form this legislative fix will take. Tens of millions of working families in Iowa and around the country will be affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax, not only with regard to their tax liability but tax season will be here very soon and people will want a prompt receipt of

Hello everyone, next week is the time of year that we should reflect on all the things we are thankful for. I hope you are all able to spend the holiday with your family and friends, but if not I hope you still get some Turkey.

I have several things I’m thankful for this year. I celebrated my 53rd year of marriage to my wife Barbara. 20 years ago, Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer, and today she is a lucky survivor. She continues to be an outspoken advocate of early detection and screening and I’ve joined her in this battle. Barbara and I have been blessed with five children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. I am looking forward to hosting another Grassley Thanksgiving this year as family members travel from

I have recently asked six media media-based ministries for information regarding expenses, executive compensation and amenities given to their executives. This has nothing to do with church doctrine. This has everything to do with the tax exemption of an organization. Is that tax exemption being used according to law, and is the money that's donated under the tax exemption being used for legitimate, non-profit purposes?

This is part of a long-standing priority of mine to make sure that tax-exempt organizations are accountable to their donors. Over the years, my investigations have led to some real reform in other non-profit organizations.

Whether it’s using a private jet, driving a Rolls Royce or Bentley, or installing a

This week Sen. Thune and I sent a letter to President George Bush asking him to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to approve appropriate higher blends of ethanol, such as E15, E20, and E30 in a safe and timely manner.

With consideration of a new farm bill as well as a new energy bill well underway, ethanol and renewable fuels are at the forefront of the discussion. And, while we’ve seen a tremendous jump in knowledge, promotion and usage of renewable fuels, there remain very real barriers. In the absence of widespread E85 use at this time, it’s important to ensure a market for today’s ethanol production.

Earlier this fall, I sent letters to several Southern governors asking that they remove their

We’re starting to see the light at the end of the farm bill tunnel. We were able to pass the 2007 farm bill out of committee so it can be debated by the full Senate.

A longstanding priority of mine has passed and was included in the farm bill today. My amendment makes it unlawful for a packer to own or feed livestock intended for slaughter. The Packer Ban excludes single pack entities and packers that are too small to participate in the Mandatory Price Reporting program. The bill also exempts farmer cooperatives where the members own, feed, or control the livestock themselves.

Outlawing packer ownership of livestock would make sure the forces of the marketplace would work for the benefit of the farmer just as much as it does

Hi everyone, I’m sure many of you, especially the farmers, have been patiently waiting to see the Senate move towards the 2007 farm bill. Yesterday, the Agriculture Committee was briefed on the latest developments. While it was positive to hear we’re moving forward, it’s unfortunate to see that some significant legislation will not be included.

We have yet to see the language, but it’s my understanding that my legislation to put a hard cap on farm payments was not included. It’s disappointing because these provisions have support from constituencies across the country. And, I have yet to see a good reason for 10 percent of farmers getting 72 percent of the benefits of the farm program. As for the rest of the bill,

Hi everyone, as the holiday travel season is within sight, we’ll soon be hunting for the best bargains. Whether buying an airline ticket for a business trip or a vacation you will be looking to keep expenses low and make the family trip affordable. Apparently that’s not the case for some federal employees who fly on the taxpayer’s dime.

As a steward of taxpayer dollars in the U.S. Senate, I work to bring accountability, transparency and integrity to the process when government workers are carrying out the people’s business.

Since 2003 when I found widespread abuses within the Department of Defense, I’ve had my eye on travel spending amongst federal employees. According to a

Last night we passed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, 67-29, a veto proof majority. SCHIP provides health coverage to American children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid, but can’t afford private insurance. The bipartisan, bicameral agreement to renew SCHIP will bring health coverage to approximately ten million children in need – preserving coverage for all 6.6 million children currently covered, and reaching millions more low-income, uninsured American children in the next five years.

The legislation gets the children’s health insurance program back on track by making states enroll low-income children and cutting off adult coverage. About half the new money is just to keep the

October will be the 22nd observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My wife Barbara is a 20-year survivor of breast cancer. Tomorrow she’ll receive an award from the Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness program. It’s designed to tap the visibility that congressional spouses have to help educate, motivate and advocate cancer awareness and early detection.

This year alone, 175,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Barbara is a lucky survivor, and she’s always working to get out the word about the importance of early detection and annual exams. Several years ago I was able to shepherd through Congress the law that allows lower-income uninsured women who would not otherwise be Medicaid-eligible to

October will be the 22nd observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My wife Barbara is a 20-year survivor of breast cancer. Tomorrow she’ll receive an award from the Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness program. It’s designed to tap the visibility that congressional spouses have to help educate, motivate and advocate cancer awareness and early detection.

This year alone, 175,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Barbara is a lucky survivor, and she’s always working to get out the word about the importance of early detection and annual exams. Several years ago I was able to shepherd through Congress the law that allows lower-income uninsured women who would not otherwise be Medicaid-eligible to

Today I hosted a pro-trade rally with key administration officials to express support for advancing the trade agenda, including pending trade agreements, this fall. I was very pleased with the turnout. The rally was in the Finance Committee Hearing room and the room was overflowing, which tells me there is a great deal of support from business and agriculture groups. I’ve been working to get other members interested in passing the pending trade legislation.

United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns joined me at the rally.

Hi everyone, I hope you were all able to enjoy the Labor Day weekend with family and friends. Now that summer has come to a close we have a new school year and harvest season to look forward to. Not to mention the UNI football season!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the communities around the state that experienced the heavy August rain. Today I sent a letter to President George Bush asking for prompt consideration of a request for federal assistance for the affected counties. These counties deserve all the help we can give them. The president’s quick approval will help them get back on their feet as early as possible.

Thank you all for coming to my town meetings throughout August. Hearing your common sense input is

This week the Senate passed a reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. It’s a relief that we were able to get such an important piece of legislation passed before leaving for break. Now, we’ll be working with the House of Representatives to work out the differences between our two versions of the bill.
Today I’m on my way back to Iowa and will be there through Labor Day. I’ll stay busy holding town meetings, visiting businesses and leading my bi-annual

Hello everyone. This week before the Senate adjourns for the August break we will be considering the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or SCHIP. In Iowa we call it the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa program or the HAWK-I program.

I worked hard to get this bipartisan bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month and I will be busy on the Senate floor this week.

Congress is expected to be in a home-state work period during August. During next month I’ll stay busy holding town meetings, visiting businesses and leading my bi-annual Ambassadors Tour. And, of course I’ll be visiting the Iowa State Fair. Please check my website to see where I’ll be.

Hello everyone. I hope you are all enjoying your summer and staying cool. I’m sure many of you will be participating in two of Iowa’s greatest summer traditions; RAGBRAI this week and of course my personal favorite, the Iowa State Fair in August.

RAGBRAI is a 35 year old Iowa tradition and has become the largest touring bicycle ride in the world. It has even reached celebrity status bringing in Lance Armstrong and Presidential candidates. For those of you who are riding, I’d like to remind you to ride safe and stay properly hydrated.

I will be at the State Fair on Friday, August 17 as I wrap up this years Ambassadors tour. I hope to see many of you then.

This week in the Senate we began consideration

Yesterday a Cresco Iowa native received the highest honor that Congress can bestow on someone – A Congressional Gold Medal. Borlaug joins the ranks of national legends such as George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II to name a few.

The U.S. Congress presents this distinguished award as its highest expression of national appreciation. At least two-thirds of federal lawmakers must sign on to support a nominee before his or her nomination is allowed to advance through committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate respectively. The first Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to George Washington in 1776.

Dr. Borlaug has become a good friend of mine and can not think of a better way to honor him than with

Hi everyone, I just arrived back in Washington from Iowa after visiting 14 counties last week. I was home for the 4th of July Congressional recess.

Thanks to those of you who came and shared your views with me. I brought back to Washington a lot of feedback from each of my meetings.

In addition to my town hall meetings, I was also able to attend a rotary meeting in Sibley, visit a farm in Little Rock, tour the VA health clinics in Fort Dodge and speak at the grand opening of the USDA Large Animal Research Facility in Ames.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns participated in the grand opening of the new USDA facility which shows the national importance of this project. The importance to consumers of a safe food supply can’t be

Across the country on Wednesday, Americans will be gathering together with friends, family and neighbors to celebrate our Nation’s birthday and the red, white and blue.

The national holiday stirs patriotism and pride in people from all walks of life, from newcomers to fifth-generation Americans and everyone in between. It’s a good time to remember why we celebrate the Fourth of July.

America’s forefathers of independence had a dream that we would live in a safe and free society. They put everything on the line to create a country that would represent a better life and greater opportunities for generations to come. The country they created became nothing less than the leader of the free world. And today, brave men and women serving in the

I had a great time at the Indy 250 last weekend. The race was at the new Iowa Speedway in Newton. Newton was an exceptional host for the IndyCar Pro Series and the Iowa Speedway found itself a good home. The coming events should look forward to the fine facilities.

The Iowa Speedway was one of 17 stops in the series and brought drivers, sponsors and fans from all over the world. I had the opportunity to meet each of the drivers before the race started.

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 also did a great job promoting ethanol and renewable fuels. This race was sponsored by corn and ethanol producers and starting this year every car in the Indy Racing League is running on 100 percent ethanol. Iowa is the perfect home for one of IndyCar’s national races since we are the

Today is one of my favorite days in Washington D.C. – the annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party! This has been a tradition in Congress for 25 years now and I certainly haven’t missed too many of them.

This week in the Senate we have been continuing debate on the energy bill.

Yesterday, we fought off several amendments promoted by Big Oil. And, earlier this week Senator Baucus and I advanced a tax incentives package out of the Finance Committee that was a big boost for renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, biomass and wind energy. Unfortunately, Big Oil reared its ugly head and worked to defeat the package on the Senate floor.

I'll keep working with Senator Baucus to get the Finance Committee package to

Hi everyone, this week in the Senate we have been debating the energy bill and I’ve already gone to work by offering a couple of amendments to the bill.

One amendment I filed along with Sen. Salazar of Colorado is the ’25 x ’25 resolution. The resolution says that, “By 2025, America's farms, forests and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber.”

Another amendment to the energy bill that I am co-sponsoring would let the federal government take action against price fixing by OPEC,

Last night, the majority leader pulled the immigration reform bill from the Senate floor. This was after 3 cloture votes failed. For those of you who don’t know what a cloture vote is, it is a procedural move in the Senate to end debate.

I was prepared to offer several amendments yesterday, but the majority was demanding to set which amendments I could offer and how many minutes we could debate them. At one point they said we could have 6 minutes/per side to debate one of my amendments. This is a major amendment that deserves full consideration and debate, not just a few minutes.

The process the majority used to bring the legislation to the floor was undemocratic from the beginning. Not only did they fail to give us ample opportunity to debate our

I hope that everyone got to enjoy Memorial Day yesterday. I was able to spend some time with my family on my farm in New Hartford.

On Memorial Day it’s good to remember the men and woman who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We need to honor their acts of heroism and pay tribute to their selflessness as they fought to protect American values and ensure freedom for not only the present generation but for generations to come.

The Senate is in recess this week due to Memorial Day so I will be having a few more county visits. On Thursday of this week I will be in Davenport at a Kiwanis meeting and then I’ll head to De Witt for my Clinton County town hall meeting. On Monday, June 4 I will have my Winneshiek

I'm back in Iowa today for the start of the Memorial Day Congressional Recess. Next week gives members of Congress the opportunity to travel back to their home state or district to talk with constituents. I travel home to Iowa nearly every weekend, but an extended time period like this allows me to get to even more parts of the state.

This past week has been interesting as we began debate on an immigration reform bill. I've said it many times, but if there's amnesty in this bill, Iowans can be assured that I'm not voting for it. I've seen several good things in the legislation, but the bottom line always shows amnesty, which I can't support.

On Monday I was happy to hear that several provisions I've been pushing to reform the H-1B

As most of you probably know, immigration is on the front burner here in the U.S. Senate. Today I offered an amendment to the immigration reform bill to close a loophole that allows an alien to stay in the country after their visa has been revoked, including on terrorism charges.

Under current law, visas approved or denied by consular officers are non-reviewable and are deemed final. However, if a visa is approved but later revoked, and that individual is on U.S. soil, the decision by the consular officer is reviewable in U.S. courts. My amendment would treat visa revocations similar to visa denials because the right of that person to be in the United States is no longer valid.

Current law handicaps our law enforcement and makes it nearly impossible to deport

I just arrived in Windsor, Ontario, Canada for the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group meeting. The conference was started in 1959 by legislators from Canada and the United States to discuss issues of mutual interest. We’ll be meeting to talk about trade and economics, defense and environmental issues, trans-border issues and international relations.

There will Senators and Representatives both Republicans and Democrats on the trip to work on these important issues in a bi-partisan fashion. Anytime you can meet with lawmakers from other countries it is beneficial to maintain international diplomacy.

After a day of meetings tomorrow we’ll be going to a baseball game at Comerica Park. The Detroit Tigers are playing the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hello everyone, yesterday I had the honor of attending the State Arrival Ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the Duke of Edinburgh at the White House.

The Queen of England hadn’t visited the United States in 16 years. Her visit comes as we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia.

There is great tradition and historical significance of the royal family of Great Britain. It was an honor to be a part of her majesty’s visit.

This week in the senate we are debating the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act, S. 1082. Yesterday I offered two amendments to this bill. These two amendments, Amendment Nos. 998 and 1039 are intended

This week I introduced legislation with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) to increase the federal criminal penalties for drug dealers who entice young people with candy-flavored methamphetamine and other flavored drugs. Recent reports have shown a growing trend of drug dealers using new techniques and gimmicks to target children. I want to send the message to these criminals there are severe consequences for targeting vulnerable children.

Research has shown time and again that if you can keep a child drug-free until they turn 20, chances are very slim that they will ever try or become addicted. This makes it all the more important that we put an end to the practice of purposely altering illegal drugs to make them more appealing to young people.

Sen.

Hi everyone
I just wrapped up another busy week in the U.S. Senate.

Yesterday there was a vote to proceed to a bill that would allow the federal government to negotiate Medicare prescription drug prices. I just don’t see the rationale in destroying a program that is working for seniors all over the country. And, in fact, the Congressional Budget Office says that the legislation would raise drug prices for veterans, Medicaid and other drug consumers. 60 votes were needed to proceed and they only got 55. I’m glad this bill didn’t move forward; Medicare is working just fine as it is and I always say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

You can read more about the vote in this

Hello everyone.

Yesterday, The Finance Committee passed The Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007. Next week the full Senate plans to begin debate on this. The legislation would put the Government in the driver’s seat for dictating drug prices. You can see my opening statement I gave at the Finance Committee Mark-Up last night by clicking here.

Since the majority shift in congress at the begging of this year, I have led the opposition to this misguided policy that even the Congressional Budget Office says will lead to higher drug prices for veterans, Medicaid and others in the private sector.

This week I’m back in Iowa for the Easter Congressional Recess. Yesterday I held town hall meetings in Audubon, Harlan, Missouri Valley, Oakland and Atlantic. Today I had town meetings in Fontanelle, Aracadia and Aspinwall. I was also in Des Moines to speak at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Iowa Rural Development State Meeting.

Many Iowans and farmers have brought up similar ag-related concerns. Farm payment limits, the commodity title, corn prices and renewable fuels seem to be on the minds of everybody right now. Other issues have come up too and I’ll continue to welcome discussion on any topic, but agriculture policy has been the main focus so far.

In other agriculture related news, a trade agreement was reached between the United

Hi everyone – it’s nice to be back in Iowa. I’m home for the April Congressional Recess and I will be holding town hall meetings focusing on the new farm bill. My town meetings will be in Audubon, Adair, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Hancock, Harrison, Humboldt, Kossuth, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Winnebago and Wright Counties. Please read my press release for details:

In my Kossuth County Town Hall Meeting I will be presenting Melvin Faber of Burt with a Bronze Star for his heroic service in the Vietnam War. I will be joining Jason Faber, Melvin’s son to present the Bronze Star to Melvin.

In addition to my town meetings I will also visit Lincare in Spencer, Sioux Central School in Sioux Rapids, Sac City Junior/Senior High School and Dobson Pipe

If any of you watch C-Span you probably saw a lot of me this week. We have been busy debating the federal budget on the Senate floor. Things on the hill always get hectic when the budget resolution comes up and we all spend a lot of time in the Senate Chamber.

I offered several amendments that would mesh the demands of the Finance Committee with the numbers in the budget. From a Finance Committee perspective, where I'm the ranking member, we might as well just write 60 vote bills designed to ignore the budget. The only thing certain with this budget is that new spending will occur. The deficit impact of not realistically dealing with the tax, trade, and health policy spending priorities of the Finance Committee disguises the deficit built into this budget.

The

I just arrived back in Washington from a very enjoyable weekend in Iowa. On Friday and Saturday evenings I attended the all of the championship games at the Girls State Basketball tournament in Des Moines. This is my 29th year in row that I’ve attended the tournament.

On Saturday I visited the Veterans Affairs medical center in Des Moines. The facilities are already very nice but they’re expanding and improving their care facilities for Veterans. I was able to visit some patients in their rooms and each patient I spoke with told me they loved the care they were receiving. My brother was a patient in the Iowa City VA medical center several years ago and he received very good care. After I toured the facilities I was able to have a Q & A discussion with the

Hi everyone, I want to make sure and remind all of you to be safe if you have to travel today. The Iowa Department of Transportation has already closed several roads and I’m sure as the storm continues throughout the day, we’ll see more closures.

The best thing to do is to stay off the roads if possible.

I don’t remember winter storms this bad since the 1960’s. I remember one winter we lost electricity for several days. I was working on my mother’s farm and our cattle hadn’t had any water during that time. The only thing I could think to do was take an axe down to the nearest creek and try to break the ice. It was the weirdest thing how all of the cattle followed me down there without any coaxing. I got through the ice and

Hello everyone,
I just finished up my first full week of my county visits. I went to 25 counties this week and will have 4 more visits on Monday before I return to Washington. These meetings have been very helpful to me and I will put your common sense ideas to good use.

Different issues came up in each town, but some things were on the minds of people in every town. Iraq, Iran, defense spending, Medicare cuts, farm programs, No Child Left Behind, budget, Social Security, homeland security all came up often.

On Monday I will be having Town Hall Meetings in Benton, Poweshiek and Tama counties. I will also visit the Belin-Blank Center Program at Williamsburg High School. The program is operated by the University of Iowa and offers advanced course work in

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to remind you all that I’ll be in Iowa next week as I start my visits to all of Iowa’s 99 counties. I’ll be in 27 counties during the February Congressional recess and I hope you will be able to come out and let me know what’s on your mind. I enjoy communicating with you because representative government requires the type of dialogue that these meetings are all about. I take your common sense input back to Washington and put it to good use.

I’ll be holding town meetings which are open to the public in Benton, Butler, Chickasaw, Clarke, Dallas, Delaware, Dubuque, Franklin, Floyd, Lucas, Madison, Monroe, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Warren, and Union counties. Please look under my events section on my website for the

Hi everyone, I hope you are all staying as warm as possible.

My wife Barbara and I were back in Iowa for the Iowa Student Leadership Conference over the weekend and it was blistering cold. It didn’t stop us from enjoying the conference though. We were proud to meet with the young Iowans who participated in the conference to learn about faith and values in leadership. We heard from great speakers who inspired all of us.

Today I participated in a Finance Committee hearing on the President’s fiscal 2008 budget. U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson testified before the Committee. The hearing focused on the revenue side of the budget. The President’s budget acknowledges that the bipartisan tax relief has not gutted the tax base. In

Hi everyone, I just got back to Washington, DC tonight. Today I visited Cono Christian School in Walker and spoke with students at an assembly. One highlight at Cono was the beautiful singing from the students during the assembly. After leaving Walker I drove down to Iowa City Regina High School and visited with economics classes. While I’m out touring Iowa and doing my county visits, I always try to meet with several groups of students in addition to my town hall meetings. I was very impressed by the intelligent and thought provoking questions the students at both schools had for me.

I really enjoy meeting with students and hearing their interest in the political process. I’m making decisions in Washington, DC that will impact young and old Iowans, and

I just got back from the President’s State of the Union address. My staff tells me that if you were watching the speech on TV, you probably saw me. I was the guy with a smile as wide as the Mississippi River when the President talked about the need for renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. I hope we can continue the policies that have helped us get where we are today, including the tariff on imported ethanol and the excise tax credit.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the historic moment witnessed tonight in the House Chamber. For the first time in our country’s history we saw a female Speaker of the House introduce the President of the United States to the Congress. What a great moment for our country!

As the President said tonight,

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.

With the 110th Congress underway I would like to let you know what I’m doing in Washington to represent Iowa. Even though I’m not home in Iowa with all of you everyday, technology allows us to maintain communication.

The lobby reform bill was the first item of business for the new Congress and we worked in bipartisan fashion to pass the bill 96 – 2. Included in this is a provision to ban secret holds. These secret holds allow a single senator to hold up legislation or a nominee without being identified. I think it’s only right that senators notify each other as well as their constituents what they’re doing. To learn more about this issue, check out

Argentina has been a very good experience. Yesterday we met with the American Chamber of Commerce and several government officials. It was interesting to hear the perspectives of the American businesses that are located in Argentina. We met with the Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Agriculture. We also had lunch with several Senators from the Argentine Congress with heavy interests in agriculture. It was a very good discussion between the Senators from the two countries.

Today we visited a 9000 acre ranch outside Buenos Aires. We saw crops of corn, wheat, soybeans and even blueberries. They also raise Angus beef cattle and Argentine Criollo horses. We also saw their herd of embryo-receptor cows

Wow, what a visit we had today. We saw a facility that used sugar cane as the source for its ethanol. In Iowa we see corn being used in the same capacity. On our way to the plant we saw acres and acres of sugar cane fields growing right beside corn, soybeans and coffee plants.

The one major difference in the ethanol facility that I saw was the fact that they can get four by-products out of the sugar cane where we can only get two by-products out of corn. We saw them take a stalk of sugar cane and break it down into ethanol, yeast, raw sugar and energy. There is no waste.

The ethanol facility also has a unique partnership with a company that uses yeast from the ethanol plant and natural enzyme technology to create new
herb

Today we started by visiting an agriculture research facility in the Cerrado region of Brazil. The facility, Embrapa, specifically works on the development of the Brazilian farming sector by creating technologies that help increase productivity and competitiveness of Agribusiness. Soybean Rust is one of the major research programs that Embrapa is engaged in. They hope to develop a soybean that will respond after only one spraying, instead of four or five that are currently being used to rid the plant of rust.

We've also spent quite a bit of time meeting with our friends in the Brazilian Government. This morning we met with the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Agriculture. We spent a great deal of time discussing trade and the World Trade

Today was our first day in Brazil. We certainly made the most of our time.

 
I have been thoroughly impressed with what I’ve seen. Our day started at 7 this morning with a briefing from Rita Mesquita, from the Amazonas Department of Environment and Sustainable Development. She spoke to us about the devastating effects deforestation and land robbing are having on the Amazon region.

We then went to the Brazilian Amazon Research Institute. Some of the best researchers in the world are looking at how to protect the various species in the rainforest, including the fresh-water manatee. They also explained to us the importance and necessity of protecting the Amazon environment as agriculture continues to move into the region.

At our next visit