Trip to Focus on Manufacturing, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Education and Tourism

CHICAGO - September 20, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn will lead a trade mission to Brazil Sunday in an effort to increase economic opportunities between Illinois and Brazil. The governor will arrive in Brazil Sept. 23 for a six-day mission designed to strengthen Illinois exports, foster education and boost tourism.

"Brazil's strong economy and expanding middle class make the country an important market for Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "We are bringing together leaders from business, government and education to create and develop the relationships that will help fuel economic growth in Illinois."

Governor Quinn is the first Illinois governor to lead a trade mission to Brazil. With Illinois already leading the Midwest in exports, the trade mission will build on the state's prior successes as part of Governor Quinn's agenda to aggressively pursue international trade and create jobs in Illinois. In 2011, Illinois exports to Brazil totaled $2.55 billion, up 24 percent from the previous year, making Brazil the state's fifth-largest export market. Illinois is the fourth-largest exporter to Brazil in the U.S.

A delegation of officials from Illinois businesses, educational institutions, and state and local governments will accompany Governor Quinn on the trip, which includes stops in São Paulo, Brasilia and Recife. During the mission, Governor Quinn will preside over the signing of several memorandums of understanding as part of the Doing Business with Illinois program, which is designed to establish ties in manufacturing, agriculture, biotechnology and education. The trip will also pave the way for Illinois companies to take advantage of business opportunities as Brazil invests $150 billion of public money to build out its transportation and physical infrastructure.

While in São Paulo, the governor will address the Brazil travel trade industry to encourage Brazilians to visit Illinois. The opportunity to attract more international tourism spending to Illinois is significant, with 1.5 million Brazilians visiting the U.S. in 2011, but less than 4 percent traveling to Illinois. At each of the three stops in Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and Recife, Governor Quinn will hold meetings with key private sector leaders, top government officials and potential trading partners in order to open up more markets to Illinois companies.

The state is also working with Illinois colleges and universities to attract more Brazilian students. Last year, the Brazilian government unveiled plans to fund 100,000 scholarships to send students abroad to study science, engineering and math. The program, called Science Without Borders, provides scholarships for one year of study at colleges and universities in the U.S.

For the current academic year, nine Illinois universities and colleges are hosting 91 Brazilian students through the program. The mission will build on this strong foundation and expand the relationship. A number of Illinois companies have made plans to donate scholarship funds for Brazilians to attend Illinois universities for the 2013 to 2014 school year.  In addition, some Illinois companies will also provide internships to Brazilian students through the Science Without Borders program.

or follow him on Twitter at @GovernorQuinn. More information about Illinois trade and business opportunities can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website at

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Floor Speech of Senator Chuck Grassley

on the Disclosure of Tax Returns by Administration Officials

Delivered Wednesday, September 19, 2012

On August 2, the Majority Leader decided that the valuable time of this body would be best employed by speculating on the contents of the tax returns of presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney.  These remarks also touched upon the vetting process of the Finance Committee.  As a senior member of the Finance Committee, as well as a former Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee, I have come to familiarize my colleagues with the Committee's vetting process.

On Thursday, August 2, the Majority Leader exclaimed, "As we know, he has refused to release his tax returns.  If a person coming before this body wanted to be a Cabinet officer, he couldn't be if he had the same refusal Mitt Romney does about tax returns."

This statement demonstrates a misunderstanding of the confirmation process for cabinet officials and the Finance Committee vetting process in particular.

The fact is, most prospective cabinet officers do not need to disclose their tax returns.  Actually, no prospective cabinet officer is required to make their tax returns public in ordinary circumstances.

To my knowledge, the Finance Committee is the only committee that asks nominees to provide copies of tax returns.  Specifically the Finance Committee asks that nominees provide copies of their last three Federal tax returns.  The Committee may request further returns if it is warranted by the circumstances.

The Committee asks for this information for a few reasons.  To begin with, many nominees referred to the Finance Committee, such as the Secretary of the Treasury and the Commissioner of the IRS, will be able to exercise significant influence over tax policy and administration.  Additionally, the examination of a nominee's tax returns sheds light on the nominee's character.

Over the last few years, several high-flyers in the Obama administration have come up short when measured by their tax returns.   Therefore, the vetting process utilized by the Finance Committee has received a lot of attention.

Only two cabinet officers and one position with the status of cabinet-rank are referred to the Finance Committee.  These are the Secretaries of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Trade Representative.

As I said before, to my knowledge the Finance Committee is the only Committee to requests copies of actual tax returns.  This means that, not counting the vice president, there are 19 members of the cabinet who do not release their tax returns during the Senate confirmation process.

As I said, no cabinet official is required to make his or her tax returns public.  This goes to the details of the Finance Committee's vetting process.

All nominees referred to the Committee are required to submit copies of their last three filed tax returns.  These copies, along with other financial data, are shared with a very limited number of staff specially designated by the Chairman and Ranking Member.

While being reviewed, the returns themselves are kept under very tight control.  Most staff for the Chairman and Ranking Member do not have access to the tax returns.  Neither the Chairman nor Ranking Member may unilaterally release the tax returns or information obtained from them.

This means that even when I was Chairman, the Committee rules prohibited me from unilaterally releasing a nominee's tax returns or even making public that nominee's specific tax information.

When an issue is identified pertaining to a nominee's tax information, the Chairman and the Ranking Member jointly determine how to proceed.  Information is only released under bipartisan agreement, and after consultation with the nominee.

For example, Secretary Geithner was given the opportunity to withdraw his nomination before the world learned of his failure to pay all of his taxes. He was also provided an opportunity to review the bipartisan memo that the Committee eventually released.

In sum, no nominees vetted by the Finance Committee need to make their tax returns public, and in the majority of cases no information is released.  Additionally, the purpose of the vetting is not to damage the credibility of the nominee.  I bet those seeking Governor Romney's tax returns are operating under a different standard.

I especially find it interesting that the Majority Leader compared Governor Romney to cabinet officials when speculating as to the contents of Governor Romney's returns.  There seems to be an implication that a discovery of unsatisfied tax obligations would be problematic to the Leader.

While the Majority Leader may want to speculate as to whether or not Governor Romney has paid his taxes, there are nominees and officials of the current administration we know did not completely satisfy their tax obligations.

I will start this trip down memory lane with our current Treasury Secretary.  Due in large part to his failure to pay self-employment taxes, irregularities in Mr. Geithner's returns added up to his owing a total of $48,268 in taxes and interest to the IRS.  Those seeking a full accounting of the episode may read the bipartisan memorandum prepared by the Finance Committee, which is part of the record of his January 2009 nomination hearing.  As I said, we don't need to speculate whether or not Secretary Geithner completely paid his taxes; we know he did not.

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius disclosed that in preparation for her confirmation she filed amended tax returns for 2005, 2006, and 2007.  She voluntarily made this information public in the form of a letter to Chairman Baucus and me.  This letter was printed in the record of her nomination hearing.  The result of those amended returns was that she paid a total of $7,040 in additional tax and $878 in interest to the IRS.

Finally, I want to mention former Senator Tom Daschle, who was the administration's nominee to be Secretary of HHS for a brief period.  Though Mr. Daschle withdrew his nomination before the Finance Committee held a hearing on his nomination, it was widely reported, including in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, that he failed to pay more than $128,000 in taxes in the three years prior to his nomination.

In mentioning Secretaries Geithner and Sebelius, and Mr. Daschle, I'm not suggesting anything beyond the reported facts of their circumstances or that their tax errors were intentional.  I just wanted to remind the Majority Leader of these situations where it is not necessary to speculate on whether or not taxes were owed.

While I appreciate the Leader's newfound attention to the Finance Committees vetting process, I want to ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the Committee's process.  I'd be happy to discuss the Committee's procedure with any interested colleague.  I am sure Ranking Member Hatch and his staff would also be happy to discuss the process with anyone who is interested.

Company was first joint partnership announced under Loebsack-Schilling Arsenal law

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after he met with the leadership of Mack Defense.  Earlier this year, the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (JMTC) and Mack Defense announced a public-private partnership.  The agreement was the first of its kind since provisions authored by Congressmen Loebsack and Bobby Schilling (IL-17) were included in the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  This agreement will provide Mack Defense access to the only remaining U.S. Army foundry and the Army's only vertically integrated metal manufacturing facility and support good jobs at JMTC.

"I was pleased to meet with the leaders of Mack Defense today to get an update about the work they will be doing with the Arsenal.  I was proud to have worked with Congressman Schilling and the bipartisan delegation to give the Arsenal the ability to utilize these types of partnerships to support good jobs and strengthen the Arsenal. I will continue my work to ensure the Arsenal remains strong."

Young Iowans Join Together to Commit to Re-Electing President Obama

DES MOINES - Today, Obama for America announced "For All," a nationwide campaign initiative designed to engage young Americans between the ages of 18 and 29.  "For All" illustrates the shared values of the President and young Americans across the country: that if we work together, we can continue to move this country forward.  As part of this effort, OFA Iowa launched the new Iowa "For All" Leadership Council.  It was announced by Johnna Cleaver, a Dowling High School student, Alex Shaner a Drake University Student and Shekinah Young, a young professional from Des Moines.

The Iowa "For All" Leadership Council is a group of about 100 Iowa high school students, college students and young professionals who are dedicated to re-electing President Obama and who have chosen to make sure that young people in their communities are registered and voting early, which starts on September 27.

Working together, we can continue to restore the strongest middle class the world has ever known - the promise that hard work will pay off, responsibility will be rewarded, and that everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share and plays by the same rules.

The "For All" initiative asks supporters to post a photo on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that highlights why we are greater together regardless of race, background, sexual orientation or zip code. The campaign will launch "For All" on its Instagram account and asks young people to join in protecting the progress we've made and moving our country forward. These images will be online at barackobama.com/photos-from-the-field/forall.

It's an easy three step process: 1) write on your right hand what progress means to you, 2) put your hand over your heart for a quick smartphone photo, and 3) tweet using the hashtag #forall. Supporters kicked it off with their own photos asking young people to join them in protecting the progress we've made and moving our country forward.

The collective voices of young people drive this campaign through student to student, peer to peer and neighbor to neighbor outreach, organization and communication about the issues they care about.  From expanding access to affordable, quality health care, to ensuring more students can attend college, to standing up for our country's servicemen and women, to advancing equal rights, President Obama has proven time and again that he is committed to issues important to young Americans.

In conjunction with this launch, the campaign will also release a new radio advertisement that highlights what is at stake for young people.  The ad will air in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. To listen to the ad please click HERE.

The Iowa "For All" Leadership Council is the latest group of Iowans committed to moving our country forward by reelecting President Obama in November. The campaign has already released Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs, Latino, Rural, Veterans & Military Families, African Americans and Women for Obama committees. For more information about the campaign's outreach to young Americans, please visit youngamericans.barackobama.com.

The members of the newly formed Iowa "For All" Leadership Council include :

• Zach Wahls, Equal rights activist, author and speaker
• Austin Clark, Ames High School student
• Ann Guhin, Bellevue volunteer and National Delegate to the Convention
• Antonio  Montoya, Des Moines Area Community College student and National Delegate to the Convention
• Ryan Romerman, Des Moines young professional
• LaVerne Greenfield, Des Moines young professional
• Pierre-Alain Blosse, Des Moines young professional
• Shekinah Young, Des Moines young professional
• Johnna Cleaver, Dowling High School student
• Matt Van Hoeck, Drake University student
• Riley Willman, Drake University student
• Sumit Sen, Drake University student
• Marissa Fernholz, Drake University student
• Jeff Marschke, Drake University student
• Alex Shaner, Drake University student
• Nora Sullivan, Drake University student
• Alexis Davis, Drake University student
• Priyanth Manjooran, Drake Law School student and President of the Drake Law School Democrats
• Nic Hockenberry, Dubuque young professional
• Andrea Nemecek, Grinnell College student and National Delegate to the Convention
• Mary Grace Brandsgard, Grinnell College Student and President of the College and Young Democrats of Iowa
• Nyajuok Deng, Iowa State University student
• Veronica Tessler, Iowa City small business owner
• Aaron Rosenberg, Iowa State University student
• Pasha Beresnev, Iowa State University student
• Claire Yetley, Iowa State University student
• Kyle Upchurch, Iowa State University student
• Deepak Premkumar, Iowa State University student
• Mischa Olson, Iowa State University student
• Monica Leier, Iowa State University student
• Abhishek Vemuri, Iowa State University student
• Ross Kimm, Iowa State University student
• Monica Diaz, Iowa State University student
• George Zacharaskis-Jutz, Iowa State University graduate student
• Riley Kilburg, Loras College student
• Emily Greenlee, Morningside College student
• Nick Graham, Pomeroy young professional
• Dillon Thiner, Indianola young professional
• Ryan Steele, University of Iowa student
• Grant Houser, University of Iowa student
• Julie Gagnon, University of Iowa student
• Haley Bjorn, University of Iowa student
• Ali Cassity, University of Iowa student
• Monika Sehic, University of Iowa student
• Megan Burnside, University of Iowa student
• Yeltsin Rodriguez, University of Iowa student
• Margaret Murphy, University of Iowa student
• Calvin Hoff, University of Iowa student
• Rachel Lipson, University of Iowa student
• Morgan Brittain, University of Iowa student
• Joe Rajchel, University of Iowa student
• Broderick DeBettignies, University of Iowa Student and UDEMS Operations Director
• Caroline Dvorsky, University of Iowa Student and UDEMS Vice President
• Rob Swestka, University of Iowa student and UDEMS President
• Jasmine Phelps, University of Iowa student
• Sam Odeyemi, University of Iowa student
• Casey O'Brien, University of Iowa student
• Shadee Giurgius, University of Iowa medical student
• Rose Daugherty, University of Northern Iowa student