Latest estimate shows national veterans homelessness fell by nearly 12 percent

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $83,870 to the Davenport Housing Commission in Iowa to supply permanent housing and case management for 15 homeless veterans in the state.

The permanent supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a program administered by HUD, VA, and local housing agencies across the country.  Read a complete local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today.

"It's a national disgrace that one out of every six men and women in our shelters once wore a uniform to serve our country," said HUD Secretary Donovan. "But we know that by providing housing assistance and case management services, we can significantly reduce the number of veterans living on our streets.  Working together, HUD, VA and local housing agencies are making real progress toward ending veteran homelessness once and for all."

"Under the leadership of President Obama, we have made significant progress in the fight to end homelessness among veterans, but more work remains," said VA Secretary Shinseki. "The partnership between the federal government and community agencies across the country has strengthened all of our efforts to honor our veterans and keep us on track to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015."

This funding to local housing agencies is part of the Obama Administration's commitment to end Veteran and long-term chronic homelessness by 2015.  Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local agreements to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former servicemen and women.

The grants announced today are part of $75 million appropriated for Fiscal Year 2012 to support the housing needs of approximately 10,500 homeless veterans.  VA Medical Centers (VAMC) provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans. This is the first of two rounds of the 2012 HUD-VASH funding.  HUD expects to announce the remaining funding by the end of this summer.

"These grants are reducing the number of homeless veterans in Iowa and one day we will see this travesty end," said HUD Regional Administrator Derrith Watchman-Moore.

VAMCs work closely with homeless veterans then refer them to public housing agencies for these vouchers, based upon a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of the homelessness and the need for longer term more intensive support to obtain and maintain permanent housing.  The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff provides.

Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.  VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and  transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available at www.hud.gov and  http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

-Award Recognizes Dealer Excellence in Customer Service -

Cherry Hill, N.J. - 3/19/12 Subaru of America, Inc. today announced that McLaughlin Subaru of Moline, IL is one of an elite group to be a recipient of the prestigious Subaru Stellar Care Award.

Developed by Subaru of America in cooperation with Subaru dealers, the Stellar Care program focuses on delivering an excellent ownership experience to Subaru customers. The program has as its focus that developing positive, long-term relationships with  Subaru customers is a fundamental part of daily business for a Subaru retailer.

Subaru dealers must dedicate significant time and resources to the customer experience throughout the year. Performance measures for the program range from participation in all customer-focused Subaru programs to maintaining a customer-friendly, inviting facility. Dealers must also achieve outstanding satisfaction scores for all key areas in Sales and Service.

McLaughlin Subaru is located on John Deere Road and 41st St. Moline, IL . For more information, the dealership can be contacted at 309-797-5654 or at qcsubaru.com

About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Bill will help small businesses grow and expand

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement today after voting to send a bill that will help small businesses expand and create jobs to the President's desk:

"Iowans can't afford any more gridlock or inaction from Congress on job creation.  Americans want to see politicians in Washington working together to get results.  They don't care about partisan labels.

"That's why I've voted twice to pass the JOBS Act.  It will reduce small business restrictions so they can get the capital they need to grow and expand.  I urge the President to sign this bill into law immediately."

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act would make it easier for small businesses to raise capital to grow and expand their businesses by making changes to federal business regulations.  For more information on the bill, visit: http://go.usa.gov/PB5

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

 

This morning, Senator Grassley attended an hour of the oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on the 2010 health care reform law.  After listening to the arguments, Senator Grassley commented on the proceedings and how allowing cameras in the courtroom would allow millions of people to see one of the most historic cases heard by the court in the last 60 years.  Grassley is leading the effort to permit cameras in federal courtrooms, including the Supreme Court.  He was the first member of Congress to ask Chief Justice John Roberts to allow cameras in the Supreme Court during the health care reform proceedings so, "Every American (can) have the opportunity to see and hear this landmark case as it plays out, not just the select few allowed in the courtroom...Video coverage would help with the public's understanding of the controversial law, as well as the American judicial system."

 

Grassley's comments today are available at several places.

Video:  Click here to download the HD version of Grassley's comments. A SD version of the comments will be available today between 2:45 and 3 pm Central Time at the following coordinates:

AMC 1

Transponder 23 Horizontal

Downlink 4160

Audio - C-band analog

Audio: Comment is available on Senator Grassley's website at the following link:

Grassley Supreme Court Proceedings

Here is additional information about Grassley's efforts to permit cameras in federal courtrooms.

 

Q&A on Cameras in the Courtroom 

with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

 

Q:        Who is able to witness arguments made in a case before the Supreme Court?

A:        The Supreme Court case to consider the constitutionality of the health care law enacted in 2010 has brought public access to court proceedings front and center.  While arguments are made for and against the sweeping health care law that requires citizens to obtain health insurance and puts unprecedented demands on states to provide Medicaid coverage, the justices, the lawyers, a few reporters, and 250 people have the opportunity to see them.  Some people with these seats may stay for the entire argument.  Others must leave the courtroom and give their seats to the next in line after three to five minutes.  In response to requests from me and others, the Supreme Court is making audio recordings of arguments available on its website later the same day.

 

Q:        What about anyone else being able to see the arguments?

A:        I've been working to give America a front-row seat to Supreme Court cases, as well as the proceedings in the nation's federal courts.  I've sponsored legislation for more than a decade to grant federal judges the authority to allow cameras in federal courtrooms.  That sunshine legislation has been passed many times by the Senate Judiciary Committee and with bipartisan support.  I've also introduced legislation for broadcast coverage of the Supreme Court, and the Judiciary Committee has voted to pass such a reform.

 

Short of enacting legislation, this year I appealed to the Supreme Court to allow broadcast coverage of the health care case.  Every citizen is impacted by this law, and it affects one-sixth of the nation's economy.  The first time I appealed for broadcast coverage of oral arguments before the Supreme Court was in 2000 in the Bush v. Gore case regarding the presidential election.  Audio was released immediately following the arguments.  Since then, the Court occasionally releases the audio of oral arguments the day it hears significant cases.  However, in most cases the Supreme Court now releases the audio recording of arguments at the end of each week.

 

In addition, a three-year experiment now is under way allowing camera coverage in 14 federal district courts across the country, including the Southern District of Iowa, in civil proceedings.  This program was adopted by the Judicial Conference, the policy-making entity for the federal courts, because of congressional interest.

 

These are steps in the right direction, but more can be done and should be done, so I will continue to work for passage of both pieces of legislation and complete access to the proceedings of the Supreme Court and federal courts.

 

Q:        What's the basis for your effort to allow broadcast coverage?

A:        Allowing cameras in the federal courtroom is consistent with the intent of America's founders that trials be held in front of as many people as choose to attend.  The First Amendment requires court proceedings to be open to the public and, by extension, news media.  As the Supreme Court articulated in 1947, in Craig v. Harney, "A trial is a public event."  And, "What transpires in the courtroom is public property ... ."  Beyond First Amendment implications, enactment of my legislation also would assist courts in complying with the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of public trials in criminal cases.

 

Public access to the proceedings of the courts reflects the democratic values of government transparency, due process, integrity of court proceedings, and civic education.  The best way to make sure government is accountable to the people is to establish transparency.

 

Most every state allows broadcast coverage of state courts.  In Iowa, it's been the case for more than 30 years.  In fact, for the Iowa Supreme Court, expanded media coverage includes not only traditional broadcast but also live and archived streams of all oral arguments.  The Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington last December about the success and value of this accessibility.  He said that "cameras expose the courts to what they are - a proud institution of justice."

 

Monday, March 26, 2012