Adaptive housing grant program makes it easier for disabled vets to live in their homes

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today announced the introduction of legislation he's authored to help more blinded veterans qualify for a Veterans Administration grant program designed to help injured and disabled veterans live in their homes.  VA adaptive housing grants provide one-time funding for permanently disabled veterans to remodel their homes and make them more disability-accessible.

Currently, to qualify for VA adaptive housing grants, a blinded veteran must have visual acuity of 5/200 or worse (meaning that individual must be five feet away from an object to see it with the same acuity that an individual with normal vision can see at 200 feet).  Someone with 5/200 vision generally has an inability to distinguish whether they're in a lit environment or an unlit environment.

Many veterans who have suffered the effects of impaired vision as a result of military service do not meet this very high standard, but still face a significant disability that affects their quality of life.

Furthermore, at 20/200, federal law has a less restrictive standard for blindness than the Veterans Administration.  In fact, the American Medical Association first adopted this standard for blindness in 1934, and the Social Security Administration adopted it in 1968.  And other programs in the Veterans Administration use the 20/200 standard already.

HR 5999, the Housing for Blinded Veterans Act, that Braley introduced will apply the American Medical Association and federal government's 20/200 standard for blindness to the VA's adaptive housing program.  This will expand eligibility for the program to more blind veterans and create a more uniform standard for blindness across federal agencies.

"This is the definition of a common sense change," Braley said.  "It's silly for the federal government to use one standard for blindness and the Veterans Administration to use another, tougher standard... and just for one program, too.  Applying the commonly recognized standard for blindness to the VA adaptive housing grant program  means more disabled veterans will qualify for help.  Plus, it just makes sense."

Braley has been a staunch advocate for expanding veterans' eligibility for and improving the VA's adaptive housing grant program, which provides grants to permanently disabled veterans to make their homes more disability accessible.  Last year, Braley introduced the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act, a bill that renews the adaptive housing grant program.  The bill was passed by the US House last spring and is still being considered by the Senate.

Full bill text of the Housing for Blinded Veterans Act can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/vGw

Amendment would reverse regulation threatening Marshalltown refrigeration manufacturer

Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan amendment written by Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) and Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03) that would remove burdensome government regulations on refrigerated deli-style display cases that threaten the future of their manufacture in the United States was adopted by the US House today.

Lennox Industries, Inc., which makes the deli-style display cases covered by the regulation, has a manufacturing facility in Marshalltown, Iowa, that employs about 1,000 people.  The adoption of the amendment will help protect Iowa manufacturing jobs.

"When government regulations defy common sense and put jobs at risk, it's time for a change," Braley said.  "With their regulation, the Department of Energy has effectively outlawed refrigerated display cases found in grocery stores and delis.  The regulation is unfair and harmful to manufacturing in Iowa and America.

"The bipartisan amendment adopted today will reverse this misguided regulation and protect Iowa jobs.  I'm proud to work across the aisle with Representative Westmoreland to pass this common sense solution that won support from both parties."

The problem remedied by the amendment stems from the federal government's interpretation of a 2005 law that increases energy efficiency standards for appliances.  The Department of Energy believed it was required by the law to include refrigerated deli display cases in the same category as standard refrigerators.  However, the inherent design of such display cases makes it impossible for the equipment to reach the minimum efficiency standards set forth for refrigerators in the 2005 law, effectively outlawing their manufacture in the United States.

Braley and Westmoreland's Better Use of Refrigerator Regulations Amendment creates a new energy efficiency category for refrigerated deli-style display cases, effectively reversing the regulation and safeguarding the product's continued manufacture in Marshalltown and other locations in the US.

The amendment was added to HR 4480, the Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012, by a unanimous, bipartisan voice vote.

A copy of the Better Use of Refrigerator Regulations Amendment can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/vQM

A photo of the refrigerated deli-style display cases manufactured by Lenox can be viewed below:

If Congress fails to act by July 1^st, student loan interest rates will jump from 3.4% to 6.8%

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today urged House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to put aside politics and work together to stop the looming increase in federally subsidized student loan interest rates.  Unless Congress acts, student loan interest rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1^st.

"Iowa college graduates have the third highest student debt load in the nation and unless Congress acts Iowa students will have thousands of dollars more debt piled on at the end of the month," Braley said.  "In our increasingly global economy, good jobs go to those with a good education.  Our colleges and universities are avenues of economic opportunity, and we need to keep higher education within reach of everyone who wants to attend.

"That's why I'm urging the House and Senate to put aside partisan point-scoring and get to work to stop the student loan interest rate increase.  This shouldn't be another issue that devolves into a down-to-the-wire partisan hostage situation."

In January, Braley introduced a bill that would permanently keep the interest rate for federally subsidized Stafford loans at their current rate of 3.4 percent.  More information on the bill can be found at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/dv4

Braley's letter to Boehner and Reid can be downloaded at the following link; the full text of the letter follows: http://go.usa.gov/vcj

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June 14, 2012

The Honorable John Boehner                       

Speaker                       

U.S. House of Representatives               

H-232, U.S. Capitol                       

Washington, DC 20515                         

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

522, Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid:

As you know, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans are scheduled to double in just over two weeks, unless congressional action is taken.  I urge you both to stop playing politics and come to an agreement over this issue.

College students across Iowa and the nation are waiting for Congress to solve this problem.   Many of them have no faith in our ability to come to an agreement.  If you cannot come to an agreement then these students will see tens of thousands dollars in extra costs when paying back their loans.  For example, a student taking out the maximum $23,000 in subsidized student loans would see an increase of $5,200 over a 10-year repayment period and $11,300 over a 20-year repayment period.

While college students wait, both sides continue to play political games.  One solution offered would have us pay for this extension by forcing middle class Americans to take a pay cut through increased pension contributions.  Middle class Americans should not have to take a cut in pay because of failed leadership in Congress.

As college tuition continues to drastically rise, students cannot afford thousands of more dollars in bills because Congress failed to act.  After witnessing the debacle that occurred over the payroll tax extension, I would hate to see a similar scenario occur with this issue.  Stop playing political games and pass an extension of the current student loan interest rates.  I stand ready to work in any way possible to make sure we keep student loan interest rates at their current level.

Sincerely,

Bruce L. Braley

By: Rep. Bruce Braley

I worked hard to put myself through college and law school 30 years ago, spending my summers with the Poweshiek County Roads department repairing roads and bridges, waiting tables, and tending bar.  But I couldn't have made it through school without the help of low-interest federal student loans.

When my daughter headed off to Iowa State a few years ago, it again brought home how much student loan interest rates have increased since my college days.

And college students are facing a big challenge in just a few weeks.  Unless Congress acts by July 1^st, interest rates on federally subsidized student loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.  This drastic increase would mean a student taking out the maximum Stafford student loan of $23,000 would pay a whopping $11,000 more in interest over the 20 year repayment period of the loan.

In January, I introduced legislation to stop the student loan increase and keep interest rates at 3.4 percent.  But the bill hasn't moved forward because Washington politicians are using the issue to score political points rather than help middle class families.

You'd think that keeping the college dream within reach of more people would be a goal that could attract wide support from both sides of the aisle.  Yet the debate over this important issue has devolved into all-too-typical partisan finger-pointing.

A college degree is the ticket to job opportunities in our increasingly knowledge-based economy.  Yet increasingly, the dream is too expensive.  It's no secret that the cost of college in Iowa has dramatically increased in recent years.  The skyrocketing costs have far outpaced inflation and left graduates with mountains of debt.  Since 2000, tuition at Iowa's public universities has increased by 83 percent.  Iowa college students graduate with the third highest debt in the entire country.

College debt is threatening the economic recovery by putting graduates deeply in debt before they even start their working lives.  College costs are threatening the very accessibility of college to the middle class.

Time is running out.  Congress needs to come together and act by the end of the month.  Keeping college affordable is just too important to job creation and economic growth.