Tuesday, August 27, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chuck Grassley today encouraged Iowa students to consider competing for one of two spots in the U.S. Senate Youth Program.  All together, 102 student delegates from the 50 states and the District of Columbia will participate in this program's 52nd annual Washington Week next March 8-15.

Student delegates selected for the program will learn about the relationship between the three branches of the federal government and will meet with Senators, cabinet officials, and other government leaders and policy-makers.  The students will visit Capitol Hill, the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the Supreme Court, and other sites in Washington.

The program pays for participants' trip to the nation's capital, and each student receives a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship.

"It's important for students to learn about government and understand the democratic process," Grassley said. "This is an opportunity for students to gain firsthand knowledge and witness government in action.  I encourage young leaders in Iowa to apply."

Delegate selection is administered by individual states' chief school officer in cooperation with high school principals.  Applications are due October 4, 2013, and the names of students selected will be formally announced by the U.S. Senate Youth Program in December.  Interested applicants should contact their high school principal or the state-level selection administrator to apply.  In Iowa, the administrator is:

Stefanie Rosenberg-Wager

Social Studies Consultant

Grimes State Office Building

400 SE 14^th Street

Des Moines, Iowa  50319

(515) 275-7842

stefanie.rosenbergwager@iowa.gov

According to the program, selected students generally rank academically in the top one percent of students in their states, in addition to possessing outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to public service.  Delegates must be juniors or seniors and elected student officers for the 2013-2014 academic year, and they must reside in the state where they attend school.  Eligibility considerations may also be made for student representatives elected or selected (by a panel, commission or board) to district, regional or state-level civic or educational organizations.

This program was created by a Senate Resolution in 1962.  Since then, more than 5,000 students have participated.  The educational program continues to be sponsored by the U.S. Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundation.

The 2014 program brochure with detailed rules and information about the selection process and the program's annual yearbook are at www.ussenateyouth.org.

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Klobuchar, Grassley: FTC Will Examine Allegations of Possible Anti-Competitive Practices by Oil Companies, Good News for Consumers

In a letter, FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez assured the senators that the FTC will evaluate concerns that oil companies may be undermining efforts to distribute renewable fuels that help boost energy security and lower the price of gas for consumers

Recently the senators sent a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez urging the Administration to take action to investigate recent reports indicating this potential anti-competitive behavior by oil companies

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D, MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today announced that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will examine possible anti-competitive practices by oil companies that limit consumers access to homegrown renewable fuels. Recently, Klobuchar, the chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee and Grassley, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez urging the Administration to take action to address recent reports indicating that oil companies may be undermining efforts to distribute renewable fuels, including higher ethanol gasoline blends, that help boost our nation's security and lower the price of gas for consumers.

"Consumers deserve to have access to homegrown renewable fuels that not only lower costs at the pump but also help boost our energy security," Klobuchar said. "It is imperative that the Administration investigate any possible anti-competitive behavior by the oil companies that might limit consumers' access to renewable fuels. I'm pleased to see the Federal Trade Commission is taking steps to investigate whether certain practices by oil companies may be impeding competition, and I will continue to work to ensure that Americans can continue to realize the benefits of cheaper, cleaner renewable fuel."

"The allegations from retailers about possible anticompetitive practices from Big Oil are disheartening, but not surprising, knowing the lengths Big Oil will go to in order to keep biofuels out of the fuel supply," Grassley said. "It's going to take an 'all-of-the-above' approach to wean the United States off of foreign sources of oil, so it only makes sense that we all work together. I appreciate the FTC taking a look at the allegations and look forward to their conclusions."

 

In the letter to Klobuchar and Grassley, Ramirez assured the senators that the FTC will evaluate the information provided and address the concerns expressed in the senators' letter under pertinent antitrust standards.

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WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley will hold constituent meetings in 15 Iowa communities next week.

With these meetings, Grassley will have been to every one of the state's 99 counties this year for meetings with Iowans.  Grassley has held a meeting in every county, every year since 1980, when he was first elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

On August 26, 27, and 28, Grassley will hold town meetings in Ida Grove, Onawa, Denison, Carroll, Sac City, Spencer, Primghar, Cherokee, Le Mars, Rock Rapids, and Spirit Lake.  He also will speak at a downtown Sioux City Rotary Club meeting and in at a roundtable with Hy-Vee store directors in Sioux City. Grassley will visit high schools in Sibley and Storm Lake for Q&A with students.  In Sioux Center, he will tour the plant and hold a Q&A session with employees of Link Manufacturing, Ltd.

"Representative government is a two-way street.  It's strengthened by dialogue between elected officials and the people we represent," Grassley said.  "I like to hold a combination of town meetings, where everyone is invited to attend and ask questions on any subject, and meetings where I go to people in their workplaces and at community events to talk with Iowans who may not go to a town meeting.  I also really enjoy meeting with high school students as they study how our system of government works and gain an understanding of current events and government."

More information about Grassley's meeting schedule is below. The 11 town meetings are open to the public.  Questions about other events should be directed to the host.

In addition to these meetings, Grassley is spending most of the August recess of the U.S. Senate in Iowa. He is participating in numerous public affairs programs with Iowa broadcasters and holding business meetings with Iowa community leaders. He spoke at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames and spent a day at the Iowa State Fair. Grassley is also visiting the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum in Missouri and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Kansas.

Monday, August 26

8:30-9:30 a.m.

Ida County Town Meeting

Ida County Courthouse, Courtroom

401 Moorehead Street in Ida Grove

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

11:00-11:45 a.m.

Roundtable with Hy-Vee Store Directors

Hy-Vee

2827 Hamilton Boulevard in Sioux City

12 noon-1:00 p.m.

Speak with the Rotary Club of Sioux City

Sioux City Convention Center

801 4^th Street in Sioux City

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Monona County Town Meeting

Onawa Community Center, Kelly Hall

320 10^th Street in Onawa

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

4:30-5:30 p.m.

Crawford County Town Meeting

Denison Municipal Utilities, Community Room

721 Broadway in Denison

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Carroll County Town Meeting

Charlie's Steakhouse

1730 U.S. 71 North in Carroll

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

Tuesday, August 27

7:30-8:30 a.m.

Sac County Town Meeting

Law Enforcement Center

100 Northeast State Street in Sac City

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

9:15-10:15 a.m.

Q&A with Storm Lake High School Students

Storm Lake High School

621 Tornado Drive in Storm Lake

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Clay County Town Meeting

Clay County Administration Building, Board Room

300 West 4^th Street in Spencer

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

1:45-2:45 p.m.

O'Brien County Town Meeting

O'Brien County Courthouse, Assembly Room

155 South Hayes in Primghar

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Cherokee County Town Meeting

Cherokee County Courthouse, Courtroom

520 West Main Street in Cherokee

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

Wednesday, August 28

8-9 a.m.

Plymouth County Town Meeting

Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center

714 Lincoln Street Northeast in Le Mars

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

9:45-10:45 a.m.

Business Visit to Link Manufacturing Ltd.

Link Manufacturing Ltd.

223 15^th Street Northeast in Sioux Center

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

12:15-1:15 p.m.

Lyon County Town Meeting

Rock Rapids Public Library

102 South Greene Street in Rock Rapids

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes before the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

1:45-2:45 p.m.

Q&A with Sibley-Ocheyedan High School

Sibley-Ocheyedan High School

120 11^th Avenue Northeast in Sibley

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

4-5 p.m.

Dickinson County Town Meeting

Spirit Lake Library, Community Room

702 16^th Street in Spirit Lake

*Grassley will be available for 15 minutes after the meeting to answer questions from local reporters.

 

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Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is looking into how hospitals are using a discount prescription drug program, known as 340B.  Certain hospitals appear to be making sizeable profits from the program at the expense of Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance.  Grassley has asked the federal agency in the charge of the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration, about its oversight of the program and corresponded with several individual hospitals.  He made the following comment on a new report responding to criticism of program uses.

"A report by an association representing the affected hospitals is not objective.  Through my inquiries, I've been able to document that several hospitals are profiting from the 340B program rather than simply providing discounted drugs to the uninsured.  Instead of using the deeply discounted drugs these hospitals receive for the most vulnerable in need, the hospitals are up-selling those drugs to patients with Medicare and private insurance because those patients can pay more. The hospitals are keeping the difference.  Even if the 340B program allows this kind of upselling, that doesn't make it right.  It also isn't right that we don't know how hospitals are reinvesting 340B revenue. Nothing that I know of requires 340B hospitals to report how they use program savings and revenue.  They could use the money for uninsured patients or they could use the money toward building a new wing. Without verification and oversight by HRSA, it's impossible to know how each hospital uses the program.  Each hospital should provide public documentation of how it uses program proceeds.  Then the public would be able to evaluate claims of how hospitals use the money."