Senate to Remain In Session While Deficit Reduction Negotiations Continue
WASHINGTON - Two members of his staff will represent Senator Chuck Grassley at the 12 town meetings in Iowa which Grassley had planned for himself for next week.
The change from Grassley to staff members was necessary because of the announcement today that the U.S. Senate will remain in session, instead of recess for the week of the 4th of July, while negotiations continue over how to achieve $2.4 trillion in savings in the federal budget in order to offset an increase in the amount of debt the federal government can legally borrow. The deadline for an agreement on raising the debt ceiling is August 2, at this point.
Grassley had planned the town meetings as part of his annual visit to every Iowa county for dialogue with constituents. Now, in Grassley's place, Regional Director Donna Barry and Legislative Aide Sherry Kuntz will conduct town meetings in Adams, Audubon, Carroll, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Taylor counties. Grassley's scheduled appearances at the Atlantic and Denison Rotary meetings on July 5 and July 7 have been postponed. Grassley said he will reschedule constituent meetings in all of these counties.
"My staff will be at each of the town meeting locations next week to hear the concerns of Iowans in these counties, many of which are being impacted directly by the Missouri River flooding," Grassley said. "Donna Barry and Sherry Kuntz are prepared to answer questions and to follow-up on any issues that Iowans want to bring to my attention. I look forward to returning to all of these counties myself as soon as possible this year. It's important to me to be able to meet in person with Iowans in every county, every year, and I appreciate participation by local residents in this kind of dialogue with their elected representative. Next week, I need to be in Washington because when the Senate is in session, I'm there representing the people of Iowa." Grassley holds the record in the Senate today for the longest streak of not missing a roll-call vote.
A copy of Grassley's original schedule is available here.
Details about the July 5-7, staff-led town meetings are below.
Tuesday, July 5
8 - 9 a.m.
Carroll County Town Meeting
New Hope Village, Activity Center Gymnasium, 1211 E. 18th St., Carroll
10:15 - 11:15 a.m.
Audubon County Town Meeting
Audubon County Economic Development (ACED), Community Room, 800 Market St., Audubon
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Adams County Town Meeting
Corning Community Building, 601 Sixth St., Corning
4:15 - 5:15 p.m.
Taylor County Town Meeting
Taylor County Farm Bureau, Meeting Room, 607 Pollock Blvd., Bedford
Wednesday, July 6
8 - 9 a.m.
Page County Town Meeting
Shenandoah Medical Center, Rapp Meeting Room, 300 Pershing Ave., Shenandoah
10 - 11 a.m.
Fremont County Town Meeting
The Gathering Place, Corner of Cass and Ohio Streets, Sidney
Noon - 1 p.m.
Mills County Town Meeting
Glenwood Senior Center, 20 N. Vine St., Glenwood
2 - 3 p.m.
Montgomery County Town Meeting
Montgomery County Family YMCA, 101 E. Cherry St., Red Oak
4 - 5 p.m.
Pottawattamie County Town Meeting
Oakland Community Building, 129 Harrison St., Oakland
Thursday, July 7
7 - 8 a.m.
Harrison County Town Meeting
United Western Coop, 222 E. Lincoln Highway, Missouri Valley
9:45 - 10:45 a.m.
Monona County Town Meeting
Onawa Community Center, 320 10th St., Onawa
2 - 3 p.m.
Shelby County Town Meeting
Harlan Public Library, 718 Court St., Harlan
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