WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today urged Attorney General Eric Holder to produce any evidence to back a serious claim about a prior attorney general's having knowledge about a gun-walking operation called Wide Receiver and to apologize if no such evidence is available.  Holder made the claim about prior attorney general Michael Mukasey at a Judiciary Committee hearing this week.  If any such evidence exists to back Holder's claim, it has yet to come to light after months of scrutiny, and the charge should not stand without any evidence to back it up.

Grassley's letter to Holder is available here.  Supporting documents are available here.

Grassley, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the Holder charge.

Grassley Statement

On Fast and Furious, I was extremely disappointed to hear Attorney General Holder try to deflect criticism of himself and his Department by pointing the finger at his predecessor.

Specifically, he said to Senator Cornyn: "An Attorney General who I suppose you would hold in higher regard was briefed on these kinds of tactics in an operation called Wide Receiver and did nothing to stop them - nothing.  Three hundred guns, at least, walked in that instance."

That's a serious charge. The problem is: we have absolutely zero evidence that it's true.

Nothing in the documents produced by the Justice Department and no information provided by any whistleblowers that I know of suggests that Attorney General Mukasey was ever briefed about Wide Receiver.  Period.

If Attorney General Holder made that kind of a charge about Attorney General Mukasey to this Committee without any evidence to back it up, that would be an outrage.

So, I'm sending a letter this morning to Attorney General Holder asking him to provide any evidence he has to support his allegation against Attorney General Mukasey.

And, I'm asking for a response before the hearing record is closed next week.

If he can't produce evidence that Attorney General Mukasey was briefed on Wide Receiver, then he owes Mr. Mukasey an apology.

It appears to be an effort to shift blame away from himself, but I'm willing to hear his explanation.

The highest-ranking Justice Department official I'm aware of who knew about gun-walking in Wide Receiver is not Attorney General Mukasey.  It is Lanny Breuer.

Breuer did nothing to stop ATF from walking guns after learning about it in April 2010. That is why I called on him to resign. The evidence shows he and his deputies did not focus on making sure ATF never did it again. Instead, emails indicate they discussed how to help ATF be prepared to minimize the potential embarrassment over gunwalking in the press.

If Attorney General Holder wants to criticize senior Department officials who knew about gunwalking and did nothing, he should start with the current head of his own Criminal Division, Lanny Breuer.

 

 

-30-

If Congress fails to act by July 1^st, student loan interest rates will jump from 3.4% to 6.8%

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today urged House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to put aside politics and work together to stop the looming increase in federally subsidized student loan interest rates.  Unless Congress acts, student loan interest rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1^st.

"Iowa college graduates have the third highest student debt load in the nation and unless Congress acts Iowa students will have thousands of dollars more debt piled on at the end of the month," Braley said.  "In our increasingly global economy, good jobs go to those with a good education.  Our colleges and universities are avenues of economic opportunity, and we need to keep higher education within reach of everyone who wants to attend.

"That's why I'm urging the House and Senate to put aside partisan point-scoring and get to work to stop the student loan interest rate increase.  This shouldn't be another issue that devolves into a down-to-the-wire partisan hostage situation."

In January, Braley introduced a bill that would permanently keep the interest rate for federally subsidized Stafford loans at their current rate of 3.4 percent.  More information on the bill can be found at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/dv4

Braley's letter to Boehner and Reid can be downloaded at the following link; the full text of the letter follows: http://go.usa.gov/vcj

--

 

June 14, 2012

 

The Honorable John Boehner                       

Speaker                       

U.S. House of Representatives               

H-232, U.S. Capitol                       

Washington, DC 20515                         

 

The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

522, Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

 

Dear Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Reid:

As you know, the interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans are scheduled to double in just over two weeks, unless congressional action is taken.  I urge you both to stop playing politics and come to an agreement over this issue.

College students across Iowa and the nation are waiting for Congress to solve this problem.   Many of them have no faith in our ability to come to an agreement.  If you cannot come to an agreement then these students will see tens of thousands dollars in extra costs when paying back their loans.  For example, a student taking out the maximum $23,000 in subsidized student loans would see an increase of $5,200 over a 10-year repayment period and $11,300 over a 20-year repayment period.

While college students wait, both sides continue to play political games.  One solution offered would have us pay for this extension by forcing middle class Americans to take a pay cut through increased pension contributions.  Middle class Americans should not have to take a cut in pay because of failed leadership in Congress.

As college tuition continues to drastically rise, students cannot afford thousands of more dollars in bills because Congress failed to act.  After witnessing the debacle that occurred over the payroll tax extension, I would hate to see a similar scenario occur with this issue.  Stop playing political games and pass an extension of the current student loan interest rates.  I stand ready to work in any way possible to make sure we keep student loan interest rates at their current level.

Sincerely,

Bruce L. Braley

# # #

AMES, Iowa - Registered dietitians have a new source for continuing education on safe food preservation. Preserve the Taste of Summer, a research-based program from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, has been approved for up to 20  continuing education units from the Commission of Dietetic Registration, the credentialing agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

As Iowans continue to be interested in local foods, gardening and preserving food themselves, registered dietitians need to be aware of safe food preservation practices so they can properly advise their clients, said Sarah Francis, an assistant professor and nutrition specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. Gardens are advocated as a means for helping families meet the MyPlate fruit and vegetable recommendations needed for good health. Home food preservation helps families keep the produce from the garden safe year round, Francis said. "The more people who know about safe food preservation methods, the safer Iowans are going to be," Francis said.

Preserve the Taste of Summer consists of eight online lessons covering food safety, the basics of canning, and information on specific food preservation methods, including pressure canning, freezing and drying, as well as preparing and preserving fruit spreads and pickled and fermented foods. People who do not have computer access have the option to view the online lessons in a group setting during four in-person sessions at a participating ISU Extension and Outreach county office.

After completing the online lessons, participants are eligible to take any of the four hands-on workshops covering salsa making and freezing, jams and dehydrating, pickle making or pressure canning.

Completing the online lessons and workshops does not qualify registered dietitians to teach Preserve the Taste of Summer, but does provide the research-based information they need regarding food preservation methods so they can accurately advise clients. Those who are interested would be eligible to serve as volunteers to assist ISU Extension and Outreach nutrition and health specialists with future workshops and program promotion.

Registered dietitians may receive four continuing education units for completing the online lessons and four CEUs for completing one workshop (eight CEUs total) for a combined registration fee of $100. They may receive an additional four CEUs for each of the remaining workshops (up to 12 additional CEUs), with a registration fee of $40 per additional workshop. The entire program (eight online lessons and four workshops) will provide 20 CEUs for $220. Registration is available online at http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/preservation/home.html. Registered dietitians should sign up for Preserve the Taste of Summer at the professional level and indicate that they are registered dietitians seeking CEUs.

Registered dietitians must complete 75 CEUs every five years to retain their registration. Francis, who also is a registered dietitian, said, "With 20 CEUs, Preserve the Taste of Summer provides a solid foundation for that continuing education."

-30-

Restructuring Package Stabilizes Medicaid and

Preserves Care for Most Vulnerable

CHICAGO - June 14, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed into law a package of reforms that will rescue the state's Medicaid system from the brink of collapse and make the program sustainable for the future, one of his top priorities this legislative session.

The series of new laws reaches the governor's goal of $2.7 billion in Medicaid savings, which includes $1.6 billion in Medicaid spending reductions, an increase in the price of cigarettes and resulting dollar-for-dollar federal matching funds. The legislation targets fraud and abuse in Medicaid, reduces rates for providers and decreases the burden of smoking on the Medicaid system through a dollar-a-pack increase in the price of cigarettes, which will also prevent children from smoking. The new laws also provide new federal funding for hospitals, and end the long-time practice of balancing the budget by pushing Medicaid bills into the next fiscal year.

During his budget address in February, Governor Quinn called for the fundamental restructuring of Medicaid through $2.7 billion in liability reductions to repair the program's long-term deficit. To achieve that goal, the governor convened a working group of bipartisan legislators to develop numerous options to reach the savings. In April, the governor laid out a proposal to rescue Medicaid that was informed by the working group, which served as the basis for successful negotiations on the final package of legislation he signed today.

"One of our most important missions in Springfield this year was to save Medicaid from the brink of collapse," Governor Quinn said. "I applaud the members of our working group and of the General Assembly, who worked together in a bipartisan manner to tackle a grave crisis. As a result, we preserved our healthcare program that millions of our most vulnerable rely upon."

As Governor Quinn cited in his budget address, the Medicaid program faced a $2.7 billion budget gap this year and the pile of unpaid bills would have grown to $21 billion by 2017 without a series of difficult but necessary reforms. During his budget address, the Governor called for a combination of eligibility reforms, reductions in optional services, controls on utilization and cuts in provider rates to close the gap.

Governor Quinn assigned Director Julie Hamos of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to craft a Medicaid rescue package in cooperation with a bipartisan Legislative Medicaid Advisory Committee, led by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) and Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Rep. Patricia Bellock (R-Hinsdale).

The Governor signed five pieces of resulting legislation today:

·         SB 2840, sponsored by Sen. Steans and Rep. Feigenholtz:  The "Save Medicaid Access and Resources Together Act" (SMART Act) includes $1.6 billion in 62 spending reductions, utilization controls and provider rate cuts.

·         SB 2194, sponsored by Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg (D-Evanston) and Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago):  $1 per pack increase in the price of cigarettes provides $350 million and dollar-for-dollar federal matching funds of $350 million for Medicaid; a new hospital assessment program provides $100 million for Medicaid and $480 million for hospitals.

·         HB 5007, sponsored by Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and Rep. Currie:  The Cook County Waiver authorizes the Cook County Health & Hospitals System to provide a limited Medicaid coverage to their patients, prior to the Affordable Care Act 2014 implementation, at no cost to the state; also extends the state's moratorium on Medicaid expansion to 2015.

·         SB 3397, sponsored by Sen. Steans and Rep. Currie:  Phases out the long-time practice of balancing the budget by pushing Medicaid bills into the next fiscal year

·         SB 3261, sponsored by Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago): defines charity care for purposes of property tax exemptions for non-profit hospitals.

The SMART Act scales Medicaid to fit available funding sources through spending reductions, utilization controls and provider rate cuts. Its key provisions include :

·         Reducing eligibility for adults in the FamilyCare program to 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($30,660 for a family of four).

·         The state's subsidy for the federal prescription drug (Part D) program, IL Cares Rx, is terminated, but "Extra Help/Low Income Subsidy" provides federal assistance to low-income seniors and people with disabilities eligible for Medicare.

·         New integrity measures will aggressively target client and provider fraud through:

o   Enhanced eligibility verification of income and residency through use of private vendor's access to national databases for annual redeterminations; and

o   Expanded authority of the HFS Inspector General to deny, suspend and recover overpayments and conduct pre-payment and post-payment provider audits.

·         Eliminates some optional services, such as group psychotherapy and adult chiropractic services, and places utilization control on certain optional services such as adult dental services (restricted to emergencies), adult podiatry services (restricted to diabetics), and adult eyeglasses (limited to 1 every 2 years).

·         Limits are placed on adult and children's prescriptions to four per month, with additional prescriptions available based on patients' needs.

·         Most provider groups receive a rate cut of 2.7% except for doctors, dentists, clinics, safety-net hospitals and critical access rural hospitals. Non-exempt hospitals receive a rate cut of 3.5%.  Nursing home cuts average 2.7%, but the homes serving clients who have the highest care needs are being impacted less.

"This has been a difficult process, but I applaud the Governor and my colleagues for addressing the structural deficit in the Medicaid program that has been building up for years," said Rep. Feigenholtz. "Without making these tough choices, we could not continue to provide the critical services to those who depend on the program most."

"The Medicaid program had become unsustainable. By taking these actions, we are ensuring that the program will survive in the future and be there to serve the most fragile and vulnerable members of society," said Sen. Steans. "And we were able to avoid cuts to more vital services by increasing the cost of cigarettes, which will help lower our overall health care costs."

"The Medicaid system was on the brink of collapse and was threatening financial health of our health care delivery system and state government as a whole," said HFS Director Julie Hamos. "Now that we have put the program on a sustainable financial path, we can focus on our ultimate goal of transforming the program from one which simply pays medical bills, to one that keeps its clients healthy by coordinating their care and making sure when they do get sick, they get care that is effective and results in better outcomes."

The dollar-a-pack increase in the price of cigarettes was hailed by healthcare advocates as an important public health measure. The price increase will decrease smoking-related costs to Medicaid, which came to $1.5 billion last year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The organization estimates it will help about 60,000 people quit smoking, prevent 60,000 deaths from smoking-related conditions and keep 80,000 kids from taking up smoking in the first place.

"The price increase for tobacco is a great win for public health because it will do more than just ease the state's Medicaid issues," said Joel Africk, president and chief executive officer of Respiratory Health Association. "The tax increase will help people who want to quit, it will save lives from being lost to tobacco-related illnesses, and it will discourage our youth from starting to smoke. Congratulations to Governor Quinn and all of the law's supporters."

"The American Cancer Society supports Governor Quinn's actions to improve  the health of Illinois residents," said Katherine L. Griem, M.D., President of the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division. "Smoking remains the leading cause of cancer and curtailing and preventing it, especially in our youth, will save thousands of lives."

For more information, go to: http://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/agency/Pages/Budget.aspx

 

###