DIXON – After recent headlines of a court ruling in California that protects lying about military honors, Senator Shawn Hamerlinck (R-Dixon) filed legislation this week that prevents disingenuous Iowans from lying in order to profit from prestigious military awards, such as the Purple Heart.

In 2006 Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act which made it a federal crime to lie about receiving medals of honors from the United States military. On August 17th the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California ruled the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional in a 2-1 vote citing it violates the First Amendment. The case is being appealed to the Supreme Court.

Appeals Judge Milan D. Smith wrote if the courts upheld the law, "then there would be no constitutional bar to criminalizing lying about one's height, weight, age or financial status on Match.com or Facebook, or falsely representing to one's mother that one does not smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, is a virgin, or has not exceeded the speed limit while driving on the freeway.  The sad fact is, most people lie about some aspects of their lives from time to time."

“If upheld as it currently stands, it becomes acceptable for individuals to lie about military service and honors of valor in order to profit in some way,” stated Senator Shawn Hamerlinck (R-Dixon). “Demeaning the Congressional Metal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart to the weight recorded on a driver’s license is appalling.”

Per capita, Iowa has more active duty soldiers currently deployed than another other state in the nation. “In Iowa, those who volunteer for service are held at a higher regard than the credit offered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California,” Hamerlinck went on to say.  “Knowing that the U.S. Supreme Court process could take another two years, I have filed a Stolen Valor Act in Iowa and am confident that it will be embraced by the Legislature and win approval in the upcoming session.”

###

Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund to support buyouts, relocations, home improvements

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $312 million to 13 states to invest in efforts to reduce the human, physical, and economic toll of future disasters.  The grants announced today are provided through HUD’s Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund (DREF) and are intended to encourage states to undertake activities and long-term strategies that focus on reducing damages from future natural disasters.

In the past two years, HUD allocated more than $5.6 billion in disaster recovery funding through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to these states.   The DREF was established to support the long-term recovery following dozens of natural disasters in 2008.  As a result of having received CDBG funds for those disasters, these 13 states were eligible to receive additional allocations based on the significant investment they’ve made by targeting their CDBG funds to disaster mitigation.

“An ounce of prevention today can spare communities a world of hurt tomorrow,” said Donovan.  “We’re making a serious investment in our future by making certain that when disaster strikes, the impacted communities in these states can weather the storm.”

Disaster mitigation, like those that qualify for funding through the DREF, are a sound investment.  According to an independent study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, every dollar spent on disaster mitigation activities saves taxpayers $4 in future disaster recovery expenses.  The 13 states that received funding through the DREF invested nearly $876 million in disaster mitigation which translates into a total anticipated return on investment of more than $3.5 billion.

The purpose of the DREF is to reward states that invested CDBG disaster recovery funding in activities that reduce risks from future disasters.  HUD recognizes that while these types of activities are often more expensive in the short-term, they dramatically cut recovery costs over the long-term.  To help assist with the additional cost of mitigating future risk, DREF funds can be used toward projects meeting unmet disaster recovery needs, and those that include:

Ø Buyout payments for homeowners living in high-risk areas;

Ø Optional relocation payments to encourage residents to move to safer locations;

Ø Home improvement grants to reduce damage risks (property elevation, reinforced garage doors and windows, etc.);

Ø Improving and enforcing building codes; and

Ø Developing forward-thinking land-use plans that reduce development in high-risk areas.

HUD is awarding DREF grants to the following states:

###

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and  transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

WASHINGTON --- Senator Chuck Grassley and Representative Darrell Issa have asked Inspectors General from 29 government agencies to review whether federal agencies are taking new steps to limit responses to Freedom of Information Act requests from lawmakers, journalists, activist groups and watchdog organizations.

The request from Grassley and Issa is based on what was reported earlier this summer about Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano requiring FOIA requests to be given more scrutiny, depending on who the requestor was.  The Inspectors General also have been asked to determine the extent to which political appointees are systematically made aware of FOIA requests and their role in decision-making.

“The question is to what extent an effort has been made to inhibit the accountability that’s established through the Freedom of Information Act with new hurdles or by making politically appointed officials part of the FOIA review process within the various federal agencies.  These requirements could delay disclosures, and that’s a disservice to the public,” Grassley said.

“Getting through a non-partisan bureaucracy to obtain information through FOIA is difficult enough without political appointees inappropriately injecting partisan political considerations into the process,” said Rep. Issa.  “There’s a clear public interest in finding out if what happened at Homeland Security is also taking place in other federal agencies.  This inappropriate interference by political appointees in FOIA requests further undermines President Obama’s promise to create an unprecedented level of openness in government.”

Click here to read a copy of the letter that was sent to the 29 Inspectors General, including those from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Elections Assistance Commission, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, the General Services Administration, the Government Accountability Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.