Comprehensive reform increases access to affordable care, makes health insurance companies more accountable and includes historic investment in prevention, wellness

Education reconciliation provisions increase college affordability

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) issued the following statement after the U.S. House passed the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.  With this vote, comprehensive health reform has passed and will go to President Obama for his signature.  The reconciliation package now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration next week.  Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"With this vote today, the House took a major step forward in the fight to put American families and small business owners?not the insurance companies?in control of their own health care.

"This legislation makes the Senate-passed comprehensive bill even stronger by providing coverage to some 95 percent of Americans.  This will be affordable coverage, which will save thousands of lives and give peace of mind to those who have coverage now, but have a 50/50 chance of losing coverage in the next decade.  It will provide relief from skyrocketing and unstable premiums and holds insurance companies accountable to keep premiums down and prevent denials of care and coverage, including for pre-existing conditions.

"I am particularly encouraged that in passing comprehensive reform, we will, for the first time make an historic investment in prevention and public health to change our current sick care system into a true health care system.  These reforms will truly bend the cost curve and rein in rising health care costs.

"And we provide all of these reforms while also reducing the deficit by $138 billion over next ten years, and by $1.2 trillion more over the following decade; reducing waste, fraud and abuse, paying for quality over quantity of care.

"With the reconciliation package, the Senate is also on track to enact one of President Obama's key education priorities - a move that will make college more affordable and accessible.  The measure eliminates billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies to banks and redirects that money to students and families in the form of increased Pell Grants to low-income college students, putting the priorities of students and families ahead of subsidies to lenders.

"We are on the cusp of history in this country.  I congratulate Speaker Pelosi and House leaders on this historic achievement and look forward to working in the Senate to get a final bill to the President's desk as soon as possible."

For a list of the immediate health benefits of the bill, please click here.

For a list of the key improvements to the bill, please click here.

For a list of the Harkin-led prevention benefits, please click here.

For more details about the education reconciliation proposal unveiled earlier this week, please click here.

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said President Barack Obama amended a major disaster declaration for Iowa, triggering the release of FEMA funds to help more Iowa counties recover from the severe winter storm and snowstorm that occurred from December 23 - 27.  Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation.

"Winter weather hit Iowa extremely hard and caused an enormous amount of damage," Grassley said.  "It's good to see this disaster being addressed by President Obama so Iowans can continue cleaning up the damage."

FEMA will additionally provide assistance to Buena Vista, Dickinson, O'Brien, Palo Alto, Plymouth and Pocahontas counties through the Public Assistance program.  The Public Assistance program assists state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

FEMA will also provide snow assistance to additional counties for emergency protective measures for a 48-hour period for Buena Vista, Dickinson, O'Brien, Palo Alto and Plymouth counties.

All Iowa counties are also eligible to apply for assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant program.  The Hazard Mitigation Grant program assists state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards.

Grassley sent a letter to Obama asking him to grant Governor Chet Culver's request to declare Iowa a major disaster area as a result of the severe winter storm and snowstorm that occurred on December 23 - 27.

Click here to see a copy of Grassley's letter.

from Senator Charles Grassley's office:

A new report from the Renewable Fuels Foundation says the expiration of ethanol production tax incentives would result in the loss of more than 112,000 jobs in all sectors of the economy, including those directly involved in ethanol production and all other jobs supported by the industry.  The excise tax credit (the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, or VEETC) and the small ethanol producer tax credit both expire on Dec. 31, 2010.  Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member and former chairman of the Committee on Finance, has been instrumental in ensuring the growth and success of ethanol production through tax incentives.  Grassley made the following comment on today's report.

"We hear a lot of talk from the Democratic majority in Congress and the President about green jobs, clean energy, and restoring jobs and income security for the middle-class.  But the kind of policy to support clean energy jobs for the middle-class falls by the wayside under the current leadership.  The Democratic-led Congress easily could have extended the biodiesel tax credit before it expired at the end of 2009.  But the Democratic leaders chose to tangle up the biodiesel tax credit in more controversial debates, at the expense of renewable energy development and production.  As a result, the biodiesel industry has lost 29,000 clean-energy jobs, and 23,000 more jobs will be lost if that tax credit is not extended.  So there's every reason for concern about what could happen with ethanol this year.  That industry supports 400,000 jobs, and more than 112,000 jobs depend on extending the tax incentives.  These jobs are often in rural communities where employment is hard to come by.  And ethanol builds U.S. energy independence from imported oil.  Congress needs to make sure the ethanol tax incentives are extended sooner rather than later."

Dwight, Ill. (March 18, 2010) - Beginning April 3, ALDI will close its Brady Street store location in Davenport.  The select assortment discount grocer will reopen with a replacement store in the same location this fall.  ALDI continues to offer Davenport grocery shoppers a smarter alternative at its other Davenport stores, located at 5266 Elmore Ave. and 2825 Rockingham Road.  Known for its premium ALDI select brands, ALDI is able to offer high quality grocery items at unbeatable prices.

"As many loyal Davenport shoppers know, our Brady Street location has been in operation since 1976," said Heather Moore, ALDI Dwight division vice president. "We look forward to giving our customers a new, modern shopping experience.  In the interim, we have two nearby locations that will continue to provide customers with high quality products at unbeatable prices."

Customers can expect to find more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased items sold under its select brands for prices up to 50 percent less than traditional supermarkets.  A model of efficiency, ALDI eliminates overhead costs by offering smart and efficient practices including a cart deposit system where shoppers insert a quarter to release a cart and get the quarter back upon the cart's return.  Other cost-saving practices include a smaller store footprint, open carton displays and encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags.

ALDI also saves consumers money by keeping stores open during prime shopping times - typically from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

A grocery retailer that has grown without merger or acquisition, ALDI opened 80 new stores across the United States in 2009 and plans to open another 80 U.S. stores in 2010, including 30 new stores in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas.