Video can be found here.

Introduction of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015

Today, I led a bipartisan group of senators to unveil the biggest criminal justice reform bill in a generation.

It's the product of thoughtful, bipartisan deliberation by Congress.

We brought together very different perspectives to create a bill that will make a big difference.

To highlight a few items --

First of all, we preserve the main mandatory minimums.

But, we lower and expand some of the enhanced minimums to make sure violent and repeat drug offenders stay in prison and out of our communities.

That will be a big help in cities across the country who face rising homicide rates from violent offenders who have been released from prison.

For the first time, we are cutting back many of the most severe mandatory minimums so that they apply more fairly.

We are also expanding the current safety valve and even creating a second safety valve so that offenders who have minor criminal histories or play minor roles in drug organizations are not swept up.

And we are bringing real reform to our prisons that gives low-risk inmates a chance to return to society earlier and with better prospects.

This landmark legislation is a positive step forward in addressing legitimate over-incarceration concerns while targeting violent criminals and major players in the drug trade.

Sharing Resources for Informal Science Learning Opportunities in Agriculture

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today signed a partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) that will provide more than 500 member museums and science-technology centers with resources to incorporate agricultural science and research in their programs.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Vilsack and ASTC President and CEO Anthony (Bud) Rock at USDA headquarters in Washington. ASTC and its members provide social and interactive learning experiences that are tailored to the unique needs of their communities. Under the agreement, USDA will provide ASTC with resources for programs, exhibits, and other education and outreach activities based on the department's work at its network of Research Centers, Land-Grant Universities, Tribal Colleges, Forest Service, National Arboretum, and other programs.

"USDA is at the forefront of scientific and technological research, ranging from using satellites to sense soil moisture from 400 miles above the Earth to creating biomass-based energy sources," said Vilsack. "This partnership with science and technology centers is another step to ensuring we maintain the pipeline of students engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math education."

"Science centers and museums are ideal places for inspiring people to interact with agriculture and all its facets, ranging from biofuels and sustainability to conservation and trade," said Anthony (Bud) Rock, ASTC President.

USDA is helping to lead transformational change across the country in energy, nutrition, trade, research, conservation, and in building a bio-based economy from the ground up. For more than 150 years, USDA has reached a widespread audience through its extension activities and fostered an understanding of the dynamic science and future of agriculture, and to encourage more students to consider the field. Today's agreement builds on this foundation.

"We are facing a shortage of scientists in agriculture," Vilsack said. "I want to commend USDA's Chief Scientist, Dr. Catherine Woteki, who was instrumental in bringing this agreement into being. Having developed her own interest in science by visiting museums as a young girl, she recognized the potential of museums to inspire the next generation of scientists and to help recruit them into the exciting field of agriculture. This will be a key factor in meeting the challenge of feeding 9 billion people by the year 2050."

Photos of today's signing ceremony will be posted on the USDA Flickr Photostream.

Ascentra Scholarship Competition offers ten scholarships for members

BETTENDORF, IOWA - The Ascentra Credit Union Scholarship Competition announces another round of scholarships for area students.  A total of $10,000 in scholarships are made available to Ascentra members planning to further their education starting the 2016 - 2017 school year.   The ten scholarships will be awarded to students as follows:

• Five $1,000 scholarships for high school students planning to enter college
• Five $1,000 scholarships for members age 19 or over, considered non-traditional or continuing education students

"By providing opportunities such as our scholarship program for those who are entering or returning to college and adult learners going back as non-traditional students, we are investing in a more financially stable region that ultimately benefits all of us who live here," said Ascentra President & CEO Dale Owen.

The scholarship entrants will be judged on a 500 word essay on the topic, "How do you plan on using your education to improve your community?"

All entries are judged on their essay, resume, awards, extracurricular activities, volunteer services and work experience.  Deadline for the Ascentra Scholarship Competition is March 1, 2016.  Applications and official rules may be picked up at any of our branches or found online at www.ascentra.org/scholarships. There members can find information on other scholarships.

Awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships is another way Ascentra Credit Union recognizes that financial planning and education is essential to lifetime success for its members and the community.

About us:

Founded in 1950, Ascentra Credit Union, is Iowa's premier credit union with more than $359 million in assets and 10 branches serving the communities of Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport, Le Claire, Muscatine, Iowa and Moline, Ill. Learn more about Ascentra Credit Union at ascentra.org. Follow Ascentra on Facebook and on Twitter @ascentra.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tickets to preliminary rounds of the 2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship go on sale at 10 a.m. local time Saturday, Oct. 17, to each host city. Fans wishing to buy tickets to the First Four^®, first- and second-round games or regional competition should go to www.NCAA.com/MBBTickets.

The 2016 championship begins on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, March 15-16, with the First Four -- four first-round games taking place in Dayton, Ohio. First- and second-round action takes place Thursday and Saturday, March 17 and 19, in Denver; Des Moines, Iowa; Providence, Rhode Island; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Also, hosting first- and second-round games Friday and Sunday, March 18 and 20, will be Brooklyn, New York; Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Spokane, Washington.

Louisville, Kentucky, will serve as the South Regional site and Anaheim, California, will host the West Regional on Thursday and Saturday, March 24 and 26. Philadelphia will be the site for the East Regional and Chicago will host the Midwest Regional on Friday and Sunday, March 25 and 27.

"This is a great opportunity for college basketball fans to see March Madness® in some of our traditional cities with a long history of hosting the tournament, as well as a couple of new cities that have never hosted before," said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's vice president of men's basketball. "From major markets to smaller cities, there's a great chance that America's best sporting event is going to be played reasonably close to any fan in the country, so it's a terrific opportunity to come watch history unfold."

The 78^th NCAA Men's Final Four^® will be co-hosted on April 2 and 4 by the University of Houston, Rice University and Texas Southern University. General tickets to the games at NRG Stadium in Houston are sold out, but fans still have the opportunity to purchase ticket and hospitality packages from PrimeSport, the official ticket and hospitality provider of the NCAA, by visiting www.NCAA.com/VIP. The NCAA Experience^® ticket and hospitality packages for all preliminary rounds of the championship can also be purchased at that website via PrimeSport.