12 Jul 2012

Christian Care Announces Award First Congregational Church, UCC Supports Christian Care

By Ann Ring
Rock Island, IL - First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ has awarded a grant to
lend financial support for technology upgrades at Christian Care's rescue mission and domestic
violence shelter. "We are thankful that First Congregational Church in Moline has made it
possible for Christian Care to upgrade its software," said Dr. Elaine Winter, the organization's
executive director. "Men and women who come to Christian Care need our help. One way we
do this is by providing a computer for job searches, and software for these men and women to
complete their GED or college coursework. First Congregational Church's financial support will
enable us to upgrade our software needs for both clients and staff."

Christian Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating two facilities?a domestic violence
shelter for women and children and a rescue mission for homeless men. It serves homeless
individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and
those with mental illnesses.

For all those who need a meal, Christian Care's Community Meal Site is located at its Rescue
Mission, 2209 3rd Avenue, Rock Island. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays
Monday through Friday, and for breakfast and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast is
served at 6:30 a.m., lunch at 12:15 p.m., and dinner at 6:30 p.m. If you know of someone in
need, call the Christian Care Crisis Hotline any hour of the day at (309) 788-2273 or visit online
at christiancareqc.org.
12 Jul 2012

Harkin Announces more than $6.8 Million in Community Development and Housing Assistance Grants for Iowa

By Sen. Tom Harkin

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that five cities in Iowa have received funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Shelter Grant, and the HOME programs.  The cities of Ames, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Iowa City, and Sioux City will all receive funds to assist moderate, low and very-low income families improve their economic circumstance and to provide housing.

"The importance of helping those of modest means improve their chance to move upward economically and to provide decent housing is especially crucial for families raising children," said Harkin.  "These funds will help cities with the programs that allow these families to find quality, affordable housing and feel a sense of security in their living situation."

The Community Development Block Grant program provides annual grants to develop viable urban communities by providing housing and a suitable living environment, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

The Emergency Shelter Grants program provides annual grants to improve quality and number of emergency homeless shelters.

The HOME program helps to expand the supply of decent affordable housing to low- and very low-income families by providing grants to fund housing programs that meet local needs and priorities.

Details of the Grant are as Follows:

Ames - $511,276.00 from the Community Development Block Grant program.

Cedar Rapids - $1,091,099.00 from the Community Development Block Grant program and $361,579.00 from the HOME program.

Davenport - $1,328,125.00 from the Community Development Block Grant program and $410,918.00 from the HOME program.

Iowa City - $ 638,918.00 from the Community Development Block Grant program and $385,380.00 from the HOME program.

Sioux City - $1,507,259.00 from the Community Development Block Grant program, $197,984.00 from the Emergency Shelter Grants program, and $376,184.00 from the HOME program.

###
12 Jul 2012

Republican House Votes to Strip Health Care Benefits from Millions of Americans

By Brad Wright

House Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act = Politics as Usual

"We are in this fight to keep Medicare benefits from being stripped away from millions of seniors by Members of Congress who vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The ACA will save lives, it will provide coverage to millions who lack insurance and it already provides improved benefits for less cost to seniors in Medicare. America's health and economic security should take priority over election-year politics; however, this vote proves once again, politics trumps policy in the House.  The Affordable Care Act is law, it's working, and it's long past time for Congress to start making economic growth a priority." Max Richtman, President/CEO

While political rhetoric dominated much of today's House repeal debate, the facts about the benefits provided to seniors in Medicare -- which would be lost if health care reform was repealed -- were largely ignored.  Here are just a few of the benefits that would be lost if the Affordable Care Act was repealed.

*  The typical senior would lose $4,200 over the next decade in prescription drug savings provided in the ACA

*  The Part D coverage gap known as the 'donut hole' would return

*   Annual wellness visits for beneficiaries would no longer be covered by Medicare

*   Seniors will now pay more for preventive services. Medicare would no longer fully cover

screenings like mammograms, pap smears, bone mass measurements, depression screening,

diabetes screening, HIV screening and obesity screenings

*   Almost 3.3 million uninsured Americans ages 50-64 who would have been insured under

Medicaid will remain uninsured

*   The Medicare Trust Fund's solvency would be shortened by 8 years

A full analysis of the Medicare and Medicaid improvements that were preserved as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act can be found on the National Committee's website.

###

The National Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.

12 Jul 2012

Braley Statement on House Vote to Repeal Healthcare Reform Law

By Jeff Giertz

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement today after voting against a Republican bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

"I voted against repeal today for the sake of thousands of Iowans like my nephew, Tucker.  Tucker survived a fight with liver cancer at age 2 because he had health insurance.  But his parents lived in constant fear of losing their jobs because if they did, Tucker would be denied new insurance due to his pre-existing condition.  The healthcare reform law ended those fears - but repealing the law would roll back this important reform and many more.

 

"Because of the Affordable Care Act, 18,000 young Iowans can stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26, insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage due to preexisting conditions, screenings for diseases like breast cancer are covered 100 percent, and 42,000 Iowa seniors are saving an average of $615 per year on their Medicare prescription drug benefits.

 

"Iowans can't afford to go back to where we started."

 

# # #
12 Jul 2012

LOCAL CHURCH CONNECTION HOSTS BLOCK PARTY IN CONJUNCTION WITH SCHOOL SUPPLY GIVEAWAY

By Jason Holtgrewe
On July 21, 2012, Connection Church throws a party. In effort to build neighborhood community and to help kids in need, Connection will host a Block Party featuring free food, fun games, and a school supply giveaway.

At 4pm the party begins with free food and exciting games. Two in?atable bouncers, a dunk tank, a photo booth and other games, as well as a free raf?e for an iPod and passes to Splash Landing and Niabi Zoo will provide a fun, family-friendly evening. Walking tacos, popcorn, and snow cones will be available for free to eat.

Besides having fun, the Block Party will be an opportunity to give backpacks and school supplies to kids in need. Last year's party saw 40 kids receive backpacks and school supplies; this year, the goal is to give away even more.

Jason Holtgrewe, a pastor at Connection, believes the Block Party is a great way to help those in need. "Not only is this party a way to bring neighbors together for a little fun, it's also an opportunity to be there for others," says Jason. "There are more families in our city than we realize who need help meeting the ?nancial demands of  another school year."

Quad City families wanting school supplies are encouraged to call Connection at 563-355-0919 before the day of the party. Those who don't call can still receive supplies, but please know, they'll be handed out on a ?rst-come, ?rst-served basis.

Connection is throwing a party and giving away school supplies on July 21st 4-7pm. The location of the party is 4374 State Street, Bettendorf. Please call 563-355-0919 or email jason@connectionqc.org for more information.
12 Jul 2012

offshore tax transactions, Grassley clip out of context

By Grassley Press
Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is receiving media questions about a new video from President Obama's campaign that includes a Grassley clip.  The following is a statement from a Grassley spokeswoman:

"The video clip lacks any context and is blatantly misleading.  In the clip, Sen. Grassley is talking about tax policy for tax-exempt organizations.  The ad is talking about tax policy for other kinds of taxpayers.

"The Grassley clip comes from a March 2010 nomination hearing in the Finance Committee.  In his comments and questions, Sen. Grassley was revealing that President Obama's nominee for Treasury Under Secretary of Domestic Finance - Jeffrey Goldstein - was a partner in a firm that engineered offshore accounts for tax-exempt organizations/businesses to avoid Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT), even while President Obama had attacked offshore vehicles for avoiding taxes."

Background:

The hearing record is available here.  Sen. Grassley's back-and-forth with Jeffrey Goldstein is on pages 13-16 and pages 75-81.

Sen. Grassley's oversight of UBIT goes back to his reviews of tax-exempt hospitals and other nonprofit oversight.  A Finance Committee hearing in 2007 highlighted how charities avoid taxes with offshore funds.  This testimony led to Sen. Grassley's oversight of tax-exempt university endowments.  UBIT is designed for tax-exempts that engage in commercial activity.  Boys and Girls Club is a good example, as it's used offshore tax havens to shield otherwise taxable income from taxation.  Boys and Girls Club is not only tax-exempt but also receives taxpayer funded federal grants.

In August 2011, Sen. Grassley wrote to President Obama asking for his definition of tax loophole (below).  The Treasury Department responded, saying it agreed with Sen. Grassley that tax loopholes are unintentional benefits derived by taxpayers who may have found a way to game the system.

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

Grassley Urges Attention to Charitable Loophole Subsidized by Taxpayers

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today urged the Administration and congressional colleagues to take action to limit or close a charitable loophole that taxpayers heavily subsidize yet results in financial gains for a few principals and very little money for charities. At a Finance Committee hearing today, Grassley gave the example of the George Kaiser Family Foundation, which is in the news as a key investor in the now-bankrupt Solyndra solar energy company.

Grassley said the George Kaiser Family Foundation converted from a private foundation to a supporting organization about ten years ago, as reported by The New York Times in 2005.  He said if the organization had remained a private foundation, it likely would not have been able to invest as much as it did in Solyndra or the other private equity or hedge funds in which it invested.  It also would have been subject to strong restrictions on self-dealing and excise taxes on its investment income.  The donors who contributed $1 billion in cash and securities, including non-publicly traded securities, over the past three years would have been subject to lower limits for deductibility if it had remained a private foundation.

"So, with Solyndra, the government didn't just lose out on its investment through the $535 million loan guarantee," Grassley told the Finance Committee. "It also lost out on the tremendous subsidy it provided the George Kaiser Family Foundation through the charitable contribution deduction."

Grassley urged the Finance Committee leaders, as they schedule tax reform hearings, to schedule a hearing "to examine the standards for tax exemption and the increasingly blurred line between public charities and private foundations."  Grassley also wrote to the Treasury secretary and the IRS commissioner, citing the George Kaiser Family Foundation example and urging them to finish a long-overdue study on appropriate pay-out rates for supporting organizations.

Grassley wrote in his letter, "The study was intended to inform the Treasury as to what was an appropriate pay-out level.  The idea was that the pay-out requirement should be no less than what is required of private foundations since these supporting organizations were clearly formed to skirt the private foundation rules.  If the Administration is serious about closing loopholes, it should prioritize the completion of the study and the finalization of the pay-out rules for those supporting organizations Congress deemed to be exploiting the tax code.  Both of these will be helpful as Congress continues to consider tax reform."

Grassley is a senior member and former chairman and ranking member of the Finance Committee, with exclusive Senate jurisdiction over tax policy.
Grassley's statement at the Finance Committee today is available here.

Grassley's new letter to the Treasury and IRS is available here.

Grassley's staff analysis of the George Kaiser Family Foundation is available here.

Grassley's Aug. 11, 2011, letter to President Obama on the definition of tax loopholes is available here.

Treasury's Oct. 3, 2011, response is available here.
The Grassley-Baucus 2005 letter to Treasury regarding supporting organizations and a related press release are available here.


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12 Jul 2012

Charities Help Fight Tide of Human Rights Violations

By Ginny Grimsley
Scholar Says They Empower a World of Bystanders

Despite the international outrage they provoke, genocides have flourished since World War II, when the term was first coined.

"Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Sudan offer contemporary examples of a practice that is one of the most aberrant examples of human behavior," says Renata Reinhart, author of In the Course of My Life (www.rexvita.com), a fact-based novel that recounts the little-known Soviet genocide of 2 million Eastern Germans in 1945.

"Many of these ethnic cleansings, including the slaughter in East Germany, don't come to the public's attention because they're kept secret or denied," she says. "In the case of East Germany, both England and the United States were complicit, so it's not a story they're eager to tell.

"But if history is written by the victors, then we have an obligation to get it right -- the best predictor of future genocide is denial of a past genocide."

One phenomenon that helps perpetuate the practice is psychic numbing - a person's inability to feel compassion for large numbers of people, Reinhart says.

"In a recent experiment, psychologists asked Americans to contribute money to a starving African orphan, and about half were willing. But when two orphans were presented, far fewer Americans were willing to contribute," she says.

Neuroscientific research has found evidence of psychic numbing, says Reinhart, who thinks it may be the response of an overwhelmed brain.

"We can easily conceive of helping one person, but any more than that and real help can seem implausible," she says.

However, she adds, when people are aware of trustworthy organizations making a positive impact, they're more likely to offer their own help. She recommends these:

• Genocide Watch: Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of the charity organization aimed at preventing genocide, recently published a two-pronged approach to turn the tide of mass murder, which is occurring in several hot spots throughout the world today. One prong includes compassion and awareness from the global community, and the other is an institution or institutions to track and prevent genocide, or at least hold leaders responsible.

• Women for Women International: "The cure for poverty has a name: The empowerment of women," said by the late world-renowned journalist and public intellect Christopher Hitchens. This charity is a humanitarian organization that provides emotional and financial support to women survivors of war. Job training and business development are just a few of the programs that assist impoverished populations, a preemptive measure against vulnerability, war and mass murder.

• CARE: This is another international group focused on women because, as its mission statement reads, "equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty." The organization's efforts includes the prevention of spreading disease, improved basic education, increased access to clean water and sanitation, and increased economic opportunity.

• Africare: The oldest and largest African-American led organization in the interest of aiding the continent; the group's initiatives include agriculture, micro enterprise, health, environment and women's empowerment.

• International Peace Institute: IPI is an independent, not-for-profit think tank with qualified staff representing 20 different nationalities, located near the United Nations in New York City.

"There are plenty of impactful charities that can be easily reviewed online," Reinhart says. "The events of genocide tend to begin from a chain of prior states, especially poverty and ignorance. My message is an educational effort, and I hope I contribute to the solution."

About Renata Reinhart

Renata Reinhart is the pen name of the author, a scholar of World War II history who spent years researching the Red Army's march across Eastern Europe in 1945. While the book is fictionalized as a memoir, the historical elements are accurate and based on numerous documented sources.

12 Jul 2012

Schilling Seeks Affordable and Accessible Health Care

By Andie Pivarunas

Supports House efforts to repeal the health care reform law; wants to replace with true efforts to lower cost
Washington, DC - Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) today released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 6079, legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

"The wait on the health care reform law's constitutionality is over, but the uncertainty remains for folks across the country," said Schilling.  "Workers are unsure of how this law will change their current health care plans or impact their employment, and business owners are unsure of what complying with the law will cost them in time and resources.  Meanwhile, health care costs continue to rise.  

"My goal is to make health care affordable and accessible, and this law just doesn't do the trick.  I will continue working with anyone I can to roll back this law and replace it with efforts to guarantee folks in Illinois' 17th Congressional District and throughout the country have access to health care that's high quality, patient-centered, convenient, and affordable."

Believing it is important for Members of Congress to lead by example, Schilling rejected the Congressional health care plan and brought his own health care plan to Washington.  As the father of 10, he knows well the need to reduce the cost of health care and improve its accessibility.

Prior to the Supreme Court releasing its decision on the law's future, Schilling released a detailed plan for true health care reform that can be found here on his website.  He is also seeking input on his continuing efforts to improve health care.  

Schilling spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 6079, which passed the House today in a bipartisan vote of 244-185.  Text of his remarks as prepared for delivery can be found below, and video can be found here.   

Mr. Speaker, like many in Illinois' 17th District, I'm disappointed that the Supreme Court decided to uphold the President's health care reform law.

The court ruled what we all knew from the beginning but the president wouldn't acknowledge -- the law's "individual mandate" is really as a tax on the American people and businesses that create jobs.

Under this law, health care costs remain too high.

Government bureaucrats remain between patients and their doctors.

Too many Americans remain unemployed, with national unemployment hovering above 8 percent for the last 41 straight months.

The law's medical device tax will continue to raise health care costs and limit the ability of facilities like Cook Medical in Canton, Illinois to expand and grow jobs.

And the law's employer mandate will continue to force employers to choose between paying a penalty, increasing the number of employees eligible for health care coverage, replacing full time staff with part-time employees, or laying folks off.

Mr. Speaker, now is not the time to raise taxes on working class families or employers.

We need to repeal this law and get to work on bipartisan health care reform that lowers costs and makes health care more convenient and more affordable.

I'm new to Congress, but I have a plan to address rising health care costs while ensuring those who need it have access to coverage.  I urge men and women from across America to visit schilling.house.gov to take a look.

I yield back the balance of my time.

# # #
To send Congressman Schilling an e-mail, click here
12 Jul 2012

Treasury nominees on hold over IRS whistleblower office

By Grassley Press

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Grassley Objects to Two Treasury Nominees over IRS Whistleblower Office Concerns

WASHINGTON - As promised, Sen. Chuck Grassley is formally objecting to Senate consideration of two Treasury nominees until the Treasury and IRS provide responses to his latest letter on the IRS whistleblower office.  The nominees are Mark J. Mazur, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and Matthew S. Rutherford to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

"The IRS could and should be doing a lot more to stop big-dollar tax cheats," Grassley said.  "Progress on the whistleblower office is critical for tax compliance."

Grassley wrote to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman on June 21, the latest in a series of letters to explore the reasons for slow-going on whistleblower case processing and pay-outs.  While Treasury and IRS have provided information in meetings among staff, Grassley intends to object to Senate consideration of the nominees until he receives written responses to his June 21 letter.

Grassley's notice of intention to object from the Congressional Record follows here.  The text of his June 21 letter is available here.  A press release describing Grassley's history on the issue is available here.

INTENTION TO OBJECT -- (Senate - June 27, 2012)

[Page: S4668]

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I intend to object to proceeding to the nominations of Mark J. Mazur, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and Matthew S. Rutherford to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.

My support for the final confirmation of these nominees will depend on both Treasury and Internal Revenue Service responses to questions I have posed regarding their implementation of the tax whistleblower program. I rewrote the statute in 2006 to encourage whistleblowing on big-dollar tax cheats. However, nearly six years since those changes were enacted, Treasury has yet to issue much needed regulations and IRS has paid less than a half dozen awards under the new program.

I have sent several letters to Secretary Geithner and Commissioner Shulman to get to the bottom of this. Our staffs have been meeting, including most recently on June 26, 2012. I understand that Secretary Geithner and Commissioner Shulman intend to provide written responses to my questions. Until I receive those responses, I will object to proceeding with the nominations of Mr. Rutherford and Dr. Mazur.

-30-

12 Jul 2012

Braley Applauds $59 Million in Grants for Rural Electric Cooperatives

By Jeff Giertz

Loans will help improve electrical infrastructure across Iowa

Washington, D.C. - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today applauded news that the Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and the Corn Belt Power Cooperative have been approved for over $59 million in guaranteed loans by the US Department of Agriculture.

The Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative has been approved for a $3,250,000 loan that will be used to build and improve hundreds of miles of distribution lines across Iowa, including smart grid projects. The Corn Belt Power Cooperative has been approved for a $55,788,000 loan that will allow the cooperative to begin generation system improvements, as well as environmental improvement projects.

"These loan guarantees will modernize and improve the electric grid, creating jobs now and helping to spur economic growth across rural Iowa in the future," Braley said.  "Improving Iowa's infrastructure is a big job. Today's announcement will make this job possible, while at the same time creating opportunities for Iowans involved in upgrading the infrastructure across the state."

 

The guaranteed loans are backed by the Federal Financing Bank and approved by Rural Development, a division of the US Department of Agriculture.

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