NEW GAO REPORT CAN BE FOUND HERE 

SENATORS: NEW WATCHDOG REPORT REVEALS SHAM SCHOOLS ARE PEDDLING STUDENT VISAS TO FOREIGN NATIONALS?FRAUD SCHEME COULD OPEN A BACKDOOR FOR TERRORISTS TO ENTER U.S.

More Than 1 in 3 Flight Schools That Admit Foreign Students Are Not Even Accredited By FAA?Two 9/11 Hijackers Had Applied for Student Visas To Attend Flight Schools

A Decade After Congress Mandated Audit of All Schools That Issue Student Visas, Feds Have Only Recertified 19% of Schools

Senators Announce Hearing, Legislation to Stop Fraud In Student Visa Program

WASHINGTON, D.C.?On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released a disturbing report by an independent watchdog revealing that the federal government has unknowingly permitted sham colleges and universities to award student visas to foreign nationals. The report, by the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO), warns that the fraud scheme could make the nation vulnerable to potential terrorists seeking to enter the United Sattes.

The report found that a "significant number" of schools certified to give out visas to international students are not even certified by the state in which they operate. Of 434 flight schools that provide student visas, an astounding 167?or 38 percent?are not accredited by the Federal Aviation Administration. This finding is especially worrisome since two of the 9/11 hijackers successfully applied for student visas to attend flight schools.

The GAO report was requested by the four senators after a high-profile case of a sham school in California surfaced in February 2011. Tri-Valley University had enrolled over 1,500 foreign students until a federal investigation exposed the school as a scam. Tri-Valley officials were caught giving F-1 visas to undercover agents, posing as foreign nationals, who explicitly professed no intention of attending classes.  Students paid $5,400 per semester in tuition to the school to obtain those student visas until the school was shut down.

The GAO report found that the Tri-Valley case is part of a larger trend of sham schools defrauding the student visa program. In the aftermath of 9/11, Congress demanded that the Department of Homeland Security complete an audit of the roughly 10,000 schools in the U.S. that provide student visas. But the report found that eight years after the deadline for the completion of the audit, federal authorities have only recertified 19 percent of visa-issuing schools.

"The report shows that more than a decade after the 9/11 attacks, the student visa program remains dangerously vulnerable to terrorists," said Senator Schumer. "These sham schools are providing a dangerous backdoor entrance to the United States. The bogus school in California exposed last year was really just the tip of the iceberg."

"More than a decade after 9/11 hijackers used student visas to fraudulently enter the United States, this GAO report makes it clear that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement still has no process in place to monitor whether foreign students are actually enrolled in school, or even whether the schools they claim to attend are legitimate," said Senator Feinstein. "With more than 850,000 foreign students enrolled in 10,000 U.S. schools at the beginning of this year, it's clear that monitoring activities of students in this country on visas and shutting down sham schools that serve as fronts for criminal activity are questions of national security."

"As we keep working to fully secure our nation's borders, we've got to lock any back door that people are using to illegally enter our country," said Senator McCaskill. "Sham universities undermine the student visa program and pose a serious threat to national security. Federal officials need to take the recommendations of this report seriously, and put proper safeguards in place."

"The Obama administration needs to promptly adopt the independent GAO recommendations and make enforcement of the guidelines for the foreign student visa program its top priority," said Senator Grassley.  "This is a national security matter.  Foreign student visas were issued to terrorists who attacked the United States both in 1993 and on September 11.  A lesson should have been learned, particularly with regards to flight schools, but Homeland Security officials seem slow to react and have a poor track record in identifying fraud.  Today, participation in the program is growing, yet federal agency officials responsible for keeping track of the students continue to take a lax approach and knowingly, or not, continue to make it fairly easy for fraudulent activity.  That's completely unacceptable, and it's time for Secretary Napolitano to manage the program so it can work as Congress intended and national security requires."

In response to the report, Schumer announced Tuesday that the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security will be holding a hearing on July 24 to assess Congress' options for reform of the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).  Witnesses at the hearing will include Rebecca Gambler, the author of the GAO's report, and John Woods, Assistant Director for National Security Investigations at ICE.

The senators are also introducing legislation to implement many of the GAO report's recommendations. Among other provisions, the planned bill would: require schools and universities to be certified by the state in which they operate before they can issue student visas; require flight schools to be certified by the FAA before they can issue student visas; bar schools from issuing student visas while they are under federal investigation, and; stiffen penalties for officials involved in the operation of sham schools.

###

Washington, D.C. - July 17, 2012 - Congressman Dave Loebsack today applauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing an agriculture disaster designation for the entire state of Missouri.  The designation also includes 10 Iowa counties along the border.

"Iowans who have lost livestock, have seen the quality of their crop decline, and are seeing grazing land dry up are in need of this assistance.  I applaud the USDA for their decision and stand ready to assist the farmers and rural areas who have been greatly impacted by the recent heat wave and lack of rain.  As Iowans continue to struggle to recover, our rural areas and farmers need this assistance to help assure they are well-positioned to contribute to our economic recovery."

The 10 contiguous counties in Southern Iowa where benefits are also available include Appanoose, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Lee, Page, Ringgold, Taylor, Van Buren and Wayne.

###
July 17, 2012

202-224-3254

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded two Iowa organizations with a combined total of $609,713 through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program.  Grantees, which include private, non- profit organizations and consumer cooperatives, will provide supportive services to very low-income Veteran families' living in or transitioning to permanent housing.

"No one who served their country should face challenges with one of life's primary needs: housing," said Harkin.  "This funding is an important step toward aiding Veteran families and to ending the problem of homeless veterans."

Details of the Grants are as Follows:

Primary Health Care, Inc. - $362,170 to provide service to approximately 150 participant households in Marshall and Polk Counties.

Humility of Mary Shelter, Inc. - $247,543 to serve approximately 125 participant households in Scott County, IA and Rock Island County, IL.

###

Join us for a Webinar on July 19

Space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/661574858

This Webinar will feature experts from the media, research and consulting professions and highlight key state ballot measures for the 2012 election. This Webinar will offer a brief look at competitiveness of the ballot measures in key states and how those measures will test the attitudes of the electorate. This Webinar will proudly feature an analysis by veteran direct democracy expert, Joe Mathews of the LA Times.

Speakers will reveal information about four "health care freedom" measures in Alabama, Florida, Montana and Wyoming that would prohibit mandatory participation in any health care system, among other issues.

Title: Analysis of State Ballot Measures

Date: Thursday, July 19, 2012

Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees:  Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees:  Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Junior DeAnna Marguglio earned an athletic letter for outstanding participation on the Coe College women's track team during the spring 2012 season. Marguglio, a 2009 Davenport Central  graduate is the daughter of Dr. Vard and Sharon Marguglio.

Marguglio is a first year letter winner in women's track. The women's track and field team is under the direction of fifth-year Head Coach Michael Warta. Coe finished 13th at the NCAA Indoor Championships and 28th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Yearly national award recognizes theme, selections in choosing recipients

Davenport, IA - Bix Bistro, the restaurant within Hotel Blackhawk, has been chosen as a 2012 Award of Excellence recipient by Wine Spectator, the preeminent voice of the wine industry. The award will be featured in the August issue of the magazine (hitting newsstands July 24th).

An Award of Excellence is received by a restaurant whose lists offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Typically, these lists offer at least 100 selections. The recognition is part of Wine Spectator's annual Restaurant Wine List Awards.

"We're delighted to have Bix Bistro recognized by Wine Spectator," said Hotel Blackhawk General Manager Tim Heim. "It's very rewarding to see our food and beverage team, including Abe Blair, our Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, setting this standard in the Quad Cities."

Wine Spectator began in 1976 as a tabloid newspaper with circulation of under 5,000. It is now the most widely-read wine magazine in the world. In 1996, it launched www.winespectator.com and is the online source for news and information about the wine industry. The site includes archives of over 250,000 wine reviews.

Hotel Blackhawk re-opened December 15th, 2010. The hotel retains its 95-year-old historic character while featuring modern conveniences throughout the 130 guestrooms and extended-stay suites, six meeting rooms and up to 300-person banquet capacity in the signature Gold Room.

Other features include wireless internet, a fitness center, business center, swimming pool, hot tub, Spa Luce (lu-CHAY), Milan Flower Shop, the Bix Bistro restaurant, the Beignet (been-YAY) Done That coffee shop and Blackhawk Bowl & Martini Lounge. The hotel is part of the Summit Hotels & Resorts group (www.summithotels.com) and the Historic Hotels of America network (www.historichotels.org).

For more, visit www.hotelblackhawk.com or find us on www.facebook.com (Search: Hotel Blackhawk).

-30-

Biden's Trip Focused on Outreach to Veterans and Military Families

DES MOINES - On Thursday and Friday, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, son of Vice President Joe Biden, will campaign for President Obama in Iowa. He will lay out the differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney's plans for veterans and their families. Biden is a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq in 2008.

The President knows that sacred trust we have with those who serve and protect our nation. It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end -- we owe our veterans and their families the care they were promised and the benefits they have earned.

July is Veterans for Obama Month, which was announced during the launch of the Veterans & Military Families for Obama Steering Committee on July 2.

Thursday, July 19

1:30 PM

WHAT:          Iowa Veterans for Obama Meet and Greet with Attorney General Beau Biden

WHERE:        Iowa Veterans Home, Malloy Leisure Resource Center, 1301 Summit St., Marshalltown, IA

 

5:45 PM

WHAT:          Des Moines Veterans Meet and Greet with Attorney General Beau Biden

WHERE:        Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 33, 2501 Bell Avenue. Des Moines, IA

 

Friday, July 20

WHAT: Friday Details to be Determined

DES MOINES - On Saturday, Actress Gabrielle Union will host a "We've Got His Back" block party in Davenport as part of an African Americans for Obama outreach effort.

Gabrielle Union will talk about how President Obama and Mitt Romney offer African Americans and all Americans two fundamentally different visions of how to run the country.  President Obama is focused on creating jobs and restoring economic security. He understands that too many African Americans have been hurt by a decade of declining wages and unemployment and he's fought for policies that give everyone a fair shot and the opportunity to succeed.

In 2011, President Obama appointed Union to the National Committee for Violence Against Women. In February, she first campaigned for President Obama at North Carolina Central University.

Saturday, July 21

1:00 PM - Block Party Starts

2:00 PM - Gabrielle Union Speaks

WHAT: Actress Gabrielle Union hosting a "We've Got His Back" Block Party

WHERE: Cork Hill Park, corner of Farnam and E 10th St, Davenport, IA

Company Moves Production of New Crossover from Japan to Normal; Keeps 1,200 Jobs in Illinois

NORMAL, Ill. - July 17, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today joined executives with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) to launch production of the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport in the U.S. market. Mitsubishi has invested $45 million to retool its Normal, Ill. facility to begin production of the new Outlander Sport Crossover Utility Vehicle, which was previously produced in Japan. Mitsubishi's expansion in Illinois follows Chrysler's growth from 200 jobs in 2009 to more than 4,000 jobs this summer and Ford's addition of a third shift of workers in Chicago.

"Illinois' automobile industry has seen tremendous growth over the last few years," Governor Quinn said. "Mitsubishi Motors had a choice and they chose Illinois as the place to build their new Outlander Sport. That's because our state is a great place to invest and grow, and our workers are the best in the world."

The Outlander Sport is built upon the same highly flexible vehicle platform used for the Lancer compact car and Outlander SUV. In Feb. 2011, Mitsubishi announced that production of the new vehicle would be a part of the corporation's global strategy and would significantly increase production at the Normal facility. Sales of the Outlander Sport, which received "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, are already up 13 percent compared to this time last year.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Managing Director in charge of global production Tetsuro Aikawa noted that bringing production of the Outlander Sport to the Normal plant reinforces MMC's commitment to the U.S. market.

Mr. Aikawa estimated that about half of the Outlander Sports produced will be exported. "We will build vehicles here not just for the United States, but for many nations around the world," he said.  "This is the chance for employees at the Normal plant to prove that its quality and productivity are competitive in the global automobile market."

Last year, Governor Quinn announced a targeted investment package which bolstered Mitsubishi's expansion in Illinois and enabled the automaker to keep 1,200 jobs at its Normal plant. The state investment consists of Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credits, which are based on job-creation, and Employer Training Investment Program job-training funds that will help enhance the skills of the company's workforce. Mitsubishi is also located in an Enterprise Zone.

Since January 2010, Illinois has added 136,000 private sector jobs and 40,700 manufacturing jobs.

For more information on why Illinois is the right place for any business, visit www.illinoisbiz.biz.

###

DES MOINES, IA (07/17/2012)(readMedia)-- There are only two weeks left to reserve your spot on the State Fair Express. The convenient and affordable State Fair Express provides round-trip transportation to the Iowa State Fair from 42 locations throughout the state. The 2012 Iowa State Fair runs August 9-19.

Each State Fair Express ticket includes:

• Round trip transportation on a deluxe Windstar Lines motor coach

• Fair admission

• A complimentary bottle of water

• Fair coupon book offering food and drink discounts with more than $30 in savings

• Daily Program with map of the Fairgrounds

• Easy pickup and drop off in the Fair's North Lot at Gate 15

The State Fair Express will arrive at the Fair at approximately 10 a.m. and will depart at 6 p.m. Adult fare includes ages 12 and over, child fare includes ages 5-11 and children under 5 ride free. Persons under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Ticket pricing varies by location. A complete list of routes, pricing and pick-up locations is attached.

New in 2012, the State Fair Express will offer four non-stop routes. These routes include Cedar Rapids (August 9), Charles City (August 10), Sioux City (August 10) and Ames (August 12).

To register, call Windstar Lines Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 888.494.6378 or visit www.gowindstar.com/iowa-state-fair.php. Payment must be made in full at the time of reservation. Windstar accepts Visa and MasterCard.

Reservations can be made up to one week prior to departure. The State Fair Express runs rain or shine and no refunds will be issued. A minimum of 30 people must book for the trip to run. If the trip does not meet the minimum requirement, cancellation of the trip will occur seven days prior to departure and you will be notified by Windstar Lines. If a cancellation occurs refunds will be given.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

* * *

Pages