Braley predicted Social Security will be "one of the big topics" is his race against GOP nominee Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Red Oak, for the seat now held by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

He and Ernst "have drastically different opinions" on what should be done to ensure the long-term viability of Social Security, Braley added.

Social Security is "part of that promise of retirement security" that seniors rely on and younger Americans expect to be there when they reach retirement age. Privatization is nothing more than "gambling on the stock market," he said.

Full article: http://qctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/retirees-tell-braley-about-social-security-worries/article_9f17ec8b-1481-5e0d-9b68-ea66118f070d.html


KGAN CBS2 Iowa
Braley Hosts Retirement Security Roundtable in Cedar Rapids
June 16, 2014

Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJTKmv-gdEw

WOI ABC 5 News at 5
Braley Hosts Retirement Secuirty Roundtable in Des Moines
June 16, 2014

Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Q1U5pVmA0

DECORAH, IA (06/17/2014)(readMedia)-- 752 Luther students were named to the spring 2014 dean's list. To be named to Luther's dean's list, a student must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and must complete at least 12 credit hours with 10 hours of conventional grades (A, B, C, D).

Audrey Bird, Luther College junior of Rapids City, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Bird is the daughter of Steven and Susan Bird.

Emily Crowe, Luther College freshman of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Crowe is the daughter of Catherine Hanson and David Crowe.

Tyler Crowe, Luther College senior of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Crowe is the son of Catherine Hanson and David Crowe.

Kelli Golinghorst, Luther College senior of Dixon, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Golinghorst is the daughter of David and Linda Golinghorst.

Lauren Gonyier, Luther College junior of East Moline, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gonyier is the daughter of Kirk Gonyier and Sheryl Kotula.

Chloe Gumpert, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gumpert is the daughter of Joseph and Tamra Gumpert.

Miranda Gumpert, Luther College sophomore of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Gumpert is the daughter of Joseph and Tamra Gumpert.

Carrie Kilen, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Kilen is the daughter of Kathryn and David Kilen.

Justin Kreiter, Luther College freshman of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Kreiter is the son of Nancy and Eugene Kreiter.

Blake Letney, Luther College sophomore of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Letney is the son of Todd and Robin Letney.

Melissa Lockwood, Luther College junior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Lockwood is the daughter of Jeff and Lora Lockwook.

Lindsay Lovaas, Luther College sophomore of Davenport, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Lovaas is the daughter of Jeffrey and Judy Lovaas.

Kayla Naber, Luther College senior of Eldridge, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Naber is the daughter of Glan and Jacqueline Naber.

Kylie Romeo, Luther College junior of Moline, Illinois, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Romeo is the daughter of Kelly and Anthony Romeo.

Kelsey Rose, Luther College senior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Rose is the daughter of Kevin and Mary Ann Rose.

Lucille Vens, Luther College senior of Bettendorf, Iowa, has been named to the 2014 spring semester dean's list. Vens is the daughter of Christine Little and Gregory Vens.

Luther is a selective four-year college located in northeast Iowa. The college has an enrollment of 2,500 students and offers a liberal arts education leading to the bachelor of arts degree in 60 majors and pre-professional programs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Insisting that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" when it comes to police officers being permitted to violate American citizens' constitutional rights, The Rutherford Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hold law enforcement officials accountable to knowing and abiding by the rule of law. Specifically, in filing an amicus curiae brief filed in Heien v. State of North Carolina, Rutherford Institute attorneys argue that courts must suppress evidence seized as a result of an improper stop of a motorist even though the police officer reasonably, but mistakenly, believed he was authorized by law to stop the vehicle.

The Rutherford Institute's amicus brief in Heien v. State of North Carolina is available at www.rutherford.org.

"It's a toss up which is worse?law enforcement officials who know nothing about the laws they have sworn to uphold, support and defend, or a constitutionally illiterate citizenry so clueless about their rights that they don't even know when those rights are being violated," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of the award-winning book A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. "Thomas Jefferson recognized that an educated citizenry is the only real assurance that freedom will survive. At the very least, anyone taking public office or working for the government in any capacity?whether it's a police officer, a school teacher, or a member of Congress?should be required to have a working knowledge of the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, and should be held accountable for upholding their precepts. At heart, that's what this Heien case is really all about: ensuring that ignorance of the law, especially the Fourth Amendment, does not become a ready excuse for government officials to routinely violate the law."

In April 2009, a Surry County (N.C.) law enforcement officer stopped a car traveling on Interstate 77, allegedly because of a brake light which at first failed to illuminate and then flickered on. The officer mistakenly believed that state law prohibited driving a car with one broken brake light. In fact, the state traffic law requires only one working brake light. Nevertheless, operating under a mistaken understanding of the law, during the course of the stop, the officer asked for permission to search the car. Nicholas Heien, the owner of the vehicle, granted his consent to a search. Upon the officer finding cocaine in the vehicle, he arrested and charged Heien with trafficking. Prior to his trial, Heien moved to suppress the evidence seized in light of the fact that the officer's pretext for the stop was erroneous and therefore unlawful. Although the trial court denied the motion to suppress evidence, the state court of appeals determined that since the police officer had based his initial stop of the car on a mistaken understanding of the law, there was no valid reason for the stop in the first place. On appeal, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that even though the officer was wrong in concluding that the inoperable brake light was an offense, because the officer's mistake was a "reasonable" one, the stop of the car did not violate the Fourth Amendment and the evidence resulting from the stop did not need to be suppressed. In weighing in on the case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Rutherford Institute attorneys warn against allowing government agents to "benefit" from their mistakes of law, deliberate or otherwise, lest it become an incentive for abuse.

Affiliate attorney Christopher F. Moriarty assisted The Rutherford Institute in advancing the arguments in the amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Iowans sign open letter as hundreds of US adoptions continue to be needlessly delayed

Washington, D.C. - After months of advocacy aimed at resolving hundreds of stalled adoptions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry calling on him to make solving this issue a top priority. Over 1600 Iowans from across the state signed the letter in support.

Braley highlighted the case of Michael and Erin Peat of Dubuque, who are still waiting on an exit visa from the Congolese government to bring home their two children.

"I was overwhelmed with the amount of support my office received from Iowans on this issue," Braley said. "I'm going to make sure that Secretary Kerry knows that the people of Iowa care deeply about this issue and we aren't going to let up until the Peats and hundreds of other families like them are able to bring their rightfully adopted children home."

"No child should be denied a loving home because of bureaucratic paperwork," the letter reads.

Last month, the State Department announced that the Congolese government would issue a total of 62 'exit letters'?15 of which would be issued to American families?but the overwhelming majority of U.S. families have received no update from the Congolese government and their adoptions remain in limbo.

Approximately 460 families have had their adoptions suspended, but the Peats are one of only about 50 families that have had it occur at such a late stage in the process. They were granted their adoption visa by the United States. However, the DRC suddenly refused to issue exit letters, which is the final step allowing families to bring their children to the United States.

Braley has written the Congolese Prime Minister, the Congolese Ambassador to the United States, and Secretary of State John Kerry calling for a resolution to this issue.

The letter to Secretary can be found HERE.