Thursday, September 26, 2013

Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement on the response he received from the National Security Agency Inspector General to his August 27 letter.  Grassley asked the Inspector General to provide additional information about the intentional and willful misuse of surveillance authorities by NSA employees, while providing as much unclassified information as possible.  The Inspector General's response can be found here.  Grassley's original letter can be found here.

"I appreciate the transparency that the Inspector General has provided to the American people.  We shouldn't tolerate even one instance of misuse of this program.  Robust oversight of the program must be completed to ensure that both national security and the Constitution are protected."

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa has written to two drug companies on behalf of an Iowa hospital that is not receiving required discounts on two drugs, despite a federal program to help uninsured patients with deeply discounted drugs.  Grassley is seeking information from the companies and also more oversight from the federal agency in charge of the drug program to ensure the companies provide the required discounts.

"The program is designed to help patients who have no means of receiving prescription drugs except through a hospital or community health center that agrees to treat them," Grassley said.  "The federal agency in charge of the program has to make sure the program is working.  That means making sure hospitals get the discounted drugs they're entitled to receive so they can treat patients in need."

Grassley wrote to CSL Behring, the maker of a drug called Kcentra, used as an antidote for blood thinner poisoning; and to Pacira Pharmaceuticals, the maker of a drug called Exparel, used in surgical closings, on behalf of an Iowa hospital that is having difficulty obtaining the required discounts on the drugs through the federal 340B program.  The constituent hospital, which prefers not to be named at this time, brought the concerns to Grassley's attention in July, and Grassley's staff has been working with the Health Resources Services Administration, which oversees the 340B program, and the constituent hospital since that time to resolve the problem.

Grassley, a long-time supporter of the 340B program to extend the Medicaid drug discount to the most vulnerable of patients at covered entities, has worked on his own and with other members to bring greater transparency and federal agency oversight to the program.  Over the past several years, he has written letters seeking information on uses of the program by both drug manufacturers and hospitals and other entities eligible for the drug discounts under the program.

The letters are available here and here.

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Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today as the current farm bill expires at midnight. The Senate passed a bipartisan farm bill earlier this year, while at the same time the House was unable to pass its own comprehensive version.  This led to House leaders playing politics with Iowa farmers, rural communities and those who rely on food stamps by passing two separate pieces, the agriculture portion of the farm bill along with the nutrition portion. Congressman Loebsack introduced the Senate bill in the House after Republican leaders failed to pass a comprehensive farm bill. As of today, the House has not appointed people to work out the differences with the Senate. At midnight tonight when the law expires, it will revert back to the permanent law from 1938 and 1949.

"As the clock ticks down towards midnight when the current farm bill is set to expire, it is shameful that we are still nowhere near passing long-term, commonsense legislation that our farmers and rural economy need. House Leaders have refused to show any leadership on this issue and have left Iowa farmers, our rural communities, and those who rely on nutrition assistance to shoulder the burden. There is simply no excuse why we should not already have a farm bill that's been signed into law. I have been fighting to get a bipartisan farm bill signed into law and will continue to do so. We must pass a long-term, comprehensive farm bill without further delay."

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Ham, Sausage, Bacon, Chops, Ribs, Tenderloin. No wonder we are excited to celebrate National Pork Month at the Shed! Although we are serving up delicious pork dishes all year long, we are planning some exciting additions for the month of October. Over the years The Machine Shed has won many awards for our pork dishes. This October we will be featuring award winning pork dishes and customer favorites from our past including The Smoke House Pork Chop, The Pioneer, and The Tangy Tenderloin. Be sure to try our new favorite, The Caramel Apple Bacon Pork Loin. When you stop in make sure you sign up for our Pork Giveaway packages compliments of the Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota Pork Producers. We will draw winners at the end of the month.

Check out our Machine Shed Blog to get our Fall Harvest eBook featuring delicious Pork Recipes as well as our Facebook page for more Pork Month fun. The Machine Shed is located at Northwest Blvd and I-80 in Davenport, IA.