Here is information about Senator Grassley’s schedule this week.  The Senate is in session.

Senator Grassley will meet with Iowans from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Iowa Telecommunications Association, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Iowa Rural Letter Carriers, the Appraisal Institute, and the Paper Recycling Coalition.

Senator Grassley also will meet with Iowa families visiting Washington from Johnston, Des Moines, Ankeny, and Iowa City.

Senator Grassley will be a guest this week on public affairs programs hosted by Ryan Schlader of WMT Radio in Cedar Rapids and Mike Adams of AgriTalk, which airs on 13 Iowa radio stations.

On Monday, May 21, at 2:30 p.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will speak to the Whistleblower, Civil and Human Rights Summit.

Senator Grassley will answer questions and respond to comments via Skype with fourth graders at MOC-Floyd Valley Community Schools in Hospers on Tuesday, May 22, at 1:30 p.m. (CT), and with students in the contemporary issues class at Marshalltown High School on Thursday, May 24, at 8:30 a.m. (CT).

On Wednesday, May 23, at 10 a.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will participate in a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the courts titled “Protecting Our Children:  The Importance of Training Child Protection Professionals.”

On Wednesday, May 23, at 1:15 p.m. (ET), in the Capitol Visitors Center, SVC-215, Senator Grassley will speak about the impact of intellectual property laws on jobs at an event of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center.  The Center will be releasing a new study.

On Wednesday, May 23, at 2:30 p.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will participate in a hearing of the Judiciary Committee to consider nominations to the federal judiciary.

DES MOINES, IA (05/21/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is looking for over one million people who are owed over $239 million. The spring publication of the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is scheduled to begin soon and includes thousands of names that have been received in the last year. Fitzgerald wants Iowans to know they do not have to wait much longer to see if they have extra funds coming to them in the form of unclaimed property.

"We look forward to the spring publication every year," said Treasurer Fitzgerald. "Our goal is to locate the rightful owners of the unclaimed property. I'm sure that when we publish the new list, a lot of individuals will be pleasantly surprised." Treasurer Fitzgerald would also like to remind individuals that they do not have to wait for publication to begin to see if they have unclaimed property. "Individuals can go to www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com and search the entire Great Iowa Treasure Hunt list for their names anytime. It just makes sense to check."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $143 million in unclaimed property to more than 359,000 individuals since Fitzgerald started it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer's Office, where it is held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.

Everyone is encouraged to keep watch for the upcoming publication coming soon to papers across the state. In the meantime, all Iowans are urged to visit www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com and check to see if they have unclaimed property. Individuals may also send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For those who prefer corresponding by mail, please write to: State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319. Please make sure to provide current name, previous names and addresses.

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Monday, May 21, 2012

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, released a letter today to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski concerning a planned judicial conference in Maui, Hawaii.  In their letter, the senators note that the taxpayer-funded conference, scheduled for Aug. 13 to Aug. 16, features opportunities for numerous recreational activities not related to any official judicial business, and that the expense of travel and accommodations will be significant.  Grassley and Sessions requested a full reply to their questions no later than June 15.

To view the senators’ letter, please click here. Statements from Grassley and Sessions follow:

“Technology is so advanced that people are earning college degrees online and soldiers serving halfway across the world use Skype with their families at home,” Grassley said. “Likewise, a judicial circuit court should be capable of using technology to share information without requiring a trip to an island paradise.  It’s especially tone-deaf to plan a pricey conference after the GSA debacle. The taxpayers can’t sustain this kind of spending, and they shouldn’t have to.  The court should re-examine whether this is the best use of tax dollars.”

“This conference is further evidence the federal government is in a state of financial chaos,” Sessions said.  “How can anyone in Washington ask for more taxes when this culture of excess continues? Americans struggling to pay their bills are tired of watching the government throw lavish events on the taxpayer dime. They are tired of watching entire sectors of government behave in a fashion totally disconnected from the reality of our perilous financial state. At this time of fiscal crisis, America needs leadership that will restore accountability and ensure a disciplined budget is adopted at last.”

NOTE: As detailed in the senators’ letter, a previous Ninth Circuit conference, also held in Maui, cost taxpayers more than $1.1 million in travel and accommodation expenses alone. To view information about activities scheduled at this year’s conference, including yoga, surfing lessons, and a Catamaran snorkel trip, please click here.

Governor and Maj. Gen. Enyart receive Commander’s Cross award from President Bronislaw Komorowski

MARSEILLES– May 20, 2012.  Governor Pat Quinn and Major General William Enyart of the Illinois Army National Guard (ILARNG) welcomed President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski today at the Marseilles Training Center, where they visited with ILARNG soldiers and Polish officers in training. Governor Quinn and Maj. Gen. Enyart, of Belleville, Adjutant General for the ILARNG, were presented with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which is bestowed upon foreigners for distinguished contribution to international cooperation with Poland. Thirteen of the soldiers were also presented with the cross.

“We welcome President Komorowski to Illinois and thank him for the continued economic and military partnership with our state and the Illinois Army National Guard," Governor Quinn said. "This visit is a show of solidarity and support for our troops, and a testament to the great friendship that we have with Poland. I am honored to accept the Commander's Cross with Illinois’ outstanding servicemembers.”

In addition to maintaining a strong military partnership with Poland, Illinois exports to the country totaled nearly $200 million in 2011, an 11% percent increase over 2010. Overall, Illinois ranks 5^th among U.S. state in exports to Poland. Approximately 1 million Polish-Americans live in the Chicago-Area, the largest gathering of people of Polish Heritage outside of Warsaw.

The visit by Polish dignitaries coincides with the NATO Summit, taking place in Chicago May 20-21. In the past day, Governor Quinn also met with world leaders including the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Prime Minister of Belgium, Foreign Minister of Greece, President of Turkey, Prime Minister of Italy and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to strengthen economic partnerships and increase trade opportunities for Illinois.

“It was important for President Komorowski to see what training happens here in Illinois before his Soldiers deploy to a combat zone with Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers,” said Enyart. “We truly value the great relationships we have developed with Poland since 1993 and today’s visit only enhanced those relationships.”

The Soldiers honored with the Commander’s Cross included: Brig. Gen. Johnny Miller of Tamms, Col. Albert Cox of Newark, Lt. Col. Drew Dukett of Roodhouse, Lt. Col Joseph Schweickert of Peoria, Maj. Eric Davis of Mount Pulaski, Maj. Stanley Manes of Champaign, Capt. Andrew Adamczyk of Springfield, Capt. Douglas Coop of Jacksonville,, Master Sgt. Richard Schap of Sycamore, Master Sgt. Terry Martin of Dunlap, Master Sgt. David Ray of Millstadt, Sgt. 1^st Class Ryanzo Perez of Springfield, Sgt. 1^st Class Michael Markham of Glenarm.

Komorowski and other Polish dignitaries witnessed various training including firearms and vehicle rollover simulations, as well as assembling and dissembling of military equipment. ILARNG Soldiers have co-deployed with every Polish rotation to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. Prior to deployment, Polish Soldiers travel to Illinois to conduct training at MTC. Governor Quinn visited Afghanistan on a mission led by Polish troops and supported by the ILARNG in 2009. As governor, he serves as the commander-in-chief of the ILARNG.

The Illinois National Guard State Partnership Program with Poland is one of the oldest and largest of all the state partnerships in the nation. Poland has been a state partner with the Illinois National Guard since 1993. It was originally created to assist Poland with military transformation and acceptance into NATO.

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