Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today released the following statement after his vote in support of an amendment designed to address the ISIL threat:

"ISIL is a threat to our country that must be eliminated. Today's vote is an important step toward accomplishing that goal while preventing the United States from involving itself in another extended ground war and nation-building effort.  I will closely follow our mission against these violent terrorists in the weeks and months ahead and do whatever I can to keep all Americans safe and secure."

Can both recent reports on the economic muscle of black women in the United States be correct?

On the one hand, businesses owned by women of color - 42 percent of them African American - have skyrocketed since 1997, far surpassing even the impressive growth rate of businesses owned by all women. And they've grown far faster in terms of revenues and employees than the average for all women.

On the other hand, compared to other U.S. women, black women are less likely to be employed or insured, to hold college degrees or be represented in elected office - all indicators of prosperity.

"It appears to be a paradox, unless you understand black women," says Dr. Venus Opal Reese, CEO of Defy Impossible, Inc. (www.DefyImpossible.com), a coaching business that helps black women -- and men and women of all ethnicities -- break the seven-figure ceiling.

"The survival strategies our ancestors learned from slavery are passed down to us and become our 'normal.' We're taught that to feel good about ourselves, we have to work hard, sacrifice for others, prove ourselves, overcome; those are survival skills for which we're socially rewarded. But when we allow society to dictate our inherent value, our self-worth, we will always come up short."

That's why so many smart, successful black women stay in jobs they hate - jobs that pay well but will never allow them to achieve their financial potential. That's why they sacrifice for their children, their church, their community, but not for themselves. It's why they can accomplish a great deal but still feel emotionally and financially impoverished.
"Our self-worth and our mindset around money are our biggest barriers to breaking the million-dollar mark," Dr. Venus says.

What do black women millionaires do differently? Dr. Venus shares some of their secrets, which are lessons for men and women of every ethnicity:

•  Make money from what you "know" instead of from what you "do."
As employees, we rent out our behaviors for a certain number of hours each day. We're paid to use our skills and accomplish tasks that benefit our employer. We all know how to make survival money from what we do.

Give up the working-class mentality of making money from what you "do" and start making money from what you "know." Everyone has a skill, but not everyone has your story and your unique perspective on life - what you've learned from walking through fire. You have a million-dollar message that can be monetized to launch your entrepreneurial dream or take the dream you've launched to impossible new heights. First, you must identify it.

•  DON'T leave your day job until you have replaced your income.
Keep the job that's paying the bills while you work on the side to market your message and build your revenue stream.

If you're panicking about keeping the lights on, you're not going to have the enthusiasm and creativity necessary to give your entrepreneurial dream your full, amazing power. Plus, having the lights on makes it a lot easier to get things done!"

Once you're making enough money to replace that salary or hourly wage, give up the day job!

•  Don't position yourself as a low-cost leader.
Imagine being a Kia and then trying to be a Bentley. The market won't believe you. If you want to go high-end, you have to stop charging low. It takes clarity, trust and confidence to up your rates, but it also forces you to get crystal clear on why people should pay top dollar to work with you. If you start low with the intention of going high, you will attract all the people looking for a deal. These people will never want to pay more. So don't build your business on low-end items.

•  Trade on value instead of volume.
Another pitfall of charging low ticket is that it is dependent upon a high volume of people buying in order for you to earn a living. When you move into the world of high-end leadership, you don't make your money from volume. You make your money from the value you bring your clients. The more value you provide, the more you can charge. Value can be tangible, emotional, prestige, exclusivity, or customization. When you build your business around value instead of volume, you naturally charge more -- and get more -- high-end clients.

About Dr. Venus Opal Reese

Dr. Venus Opal Reese, CEO of Defy Impossible, Inc. (www.DefyImpossible.com), is an acclaimed international speaker; CEO Mindset, Messaging and Marketing Mentor; and entrepreneur coach. She holds two master's degrees and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, and worked as a university professor before investing in herself by testing her entrepreneurial skills. Her business, Defy Impossible, grossed $1.2 million less than three years after launching.

Congressman's proposal helps current students with tuition costs, while providing relief with high levels of student loan debt interest

Washington, D.C. - Rep.  Bruce Braley (IA-01) today continued to roll out his College Affordability Plan by introducing legislation designed to help students and parents manage rising tuition costs, as well as provide relief to those facing significant student loan interest payments.

"The value of the American Opportunity Tax Credit and student loan interest deduction have declined significantly?while at the same time tuition and student debt levels are higher than ever?that's not right," Braley said. "These incentives need to have their value restored and indexed to inflation so that we're not facing the same situation in another five or ten years."

Braley is introducing the College Tuition and Debt Relief Act of 2014 today, which is designed to renew and extend tax incentives that help current and future college students afford rising tuition costs, while providing those with high student loan interest costs tax relief. Braley's legislation would:

1) Strengthen American Opportunity Tax Credit

The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) provides college students relief from the high cost of tuition. The AOTC is a $2,500 tax credit that can be taken to offset the cost of tuition, fees, and course materials for undergraduate students at two and four year colleges and universities. However, the AOTC is set to expire at the end of 2017. Braley's legislation would:

·         Make the AOTC permanent and increase the credit from $2,500 to $3,000

·         Index AOTC to inflation to ensure that the credit increases as tuition rises

2) Double Student Loan Interest Deduction

This important deduction allows student loan borrowers to deduct up to $2,500 on interest paid on their student loans. The $2,500 limit, originally established in 2001, has not kept pace with inflation or rising tuition costs, significantly reducing its real value. Iowa students graduate with the 6th highest average student debt of any state. According to the Project on Student Debt, the average debt of an Iowa college graduate is $29,456 and Iowa ranks 3rd nationally in the percentage of students who graduate with debt, with nearly 71% taking on student loan debt. Braley's legislation would:

·         Double the deduction from $2,500 to $5,000

·         Index the deduction to inflation ensuring that it will increase as tuition rises

Earlier this week, Braley unveiled the outline of his College Affordability Plan which contains four central components to help students, graduates and parents deal with rising tuition costs and growing student loan debt. The plan includes tax incentives, a grant program for current college students facing financial hardship, and a bill allowing students to refinance their loans at lower market rates.

Yesterday, after asking for and receiving hundreds of stories about Iowans' experiences attaining and paying back student loans, Braley shared those comments with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

For decades college tuition costs have been rising significantly. Student loan debt today totals $1.2 trillion, $864 billion of which is backed by the federal government. More than 70 percent of students who graduated from college in 2012 had student loan debt.

A copy of Braley's College Tuition and Debt Relief Act of 2014 is available online HERE.