Grassley Explores Whether Pentagon Retaliated Against Colonel Who Questioned $800 Million Afghanistan Task Force Records
WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is seeking answers on allegations from an Army colonel that the Pentagon is slow-walking his performance review because he questioned the lack of accountability at the $800 million task force that oversaw an excessively expensive $43 million natural gas filling station in Afghanistan. Grassley wrote to Defense Secretary Ash Carter about Army Colonel John C. Hope.
"Being long overdue, (the evaluation) has placed his next assignment in jeopardy, leaving him in limbo," Grassley wrote to Carter. "He alleges he is being deliberately 'slow rolled' by his 'raters.' ... Would you please look into this and find out why Colonel Hope's (evaluation) has not been completed? I respectfully ask that you provide a deadline for completing that task and providing Colonel Hope with a new set of orders for his next assignment. Your assistance is necessary in this case."
Grassley wrote that Hope believes he's been singled out for retaliation and retribution for speaking out about a lack of accountability at the task force. He's been told he performed poorly at the task force, in contrast to four previous job reviews recommending a promotion to brigadier general.
"If the Pentagon is retaliating against someone for speaking out on poor accountability and wasteful spending, that's unacceptable," Grassley said. "It's detrimental to the individual and to the taxpayers."
The now-defunct Task Force for Stability and Business Operations spent $800 million in carrying out its mission to facilitate economic development in Afghanistan. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) faced impeded access to task force documents in reviewing the gas station cost over-run.
Grassley has asked the Defense Department to give him all records related to task force activities pertaining to Afghanistan, from January 1, 2009, through March 31, 2015; and all records concerning the task force from April 1, 2015, to the date of his request, including all records pertaining to SIGAR's requests for information regarding the task force, and all records discussing SIGAR reports, letters, or statements about the task force.
Grassley has pressed the Defense Department to cooperate with SIGAR by releasing all documents, names of staff involved and reasons for placing severe restrictions on information behind the construction of the natural gas filling station.
He plans to seek a Department of Defense inspector general audit of the $800 million task force expenditures and will ask fellow senators to join the request.
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Grassley, McCain Urge Greater Importation of Prescription Drugs from Other CountriesWASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. John McCain of Arizona have urged the secretary of Health and Human Services to use her full authority to increase the importation of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries for the benefit of U.S. consumers. Their action comes as the agency held a drug pricing forum on Friday and amid revelations of drug pricing excesses in the United States.
"As public concern over rising costs of prescription drugs continues, there is a need to reduce the financial burden that prescription drugs are placing on Americans," Grassley and McCain wrote to Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. "Given the priority that voters place on addressing the high cost of prescription drugs, we believe that it is time Congress and the Administration work together to take concrete steps to address pricing abuses."
Grassley and McCain described the significant statutory authority given to the secretary to increase the importation of prescription drugs under certain conditions, such as certification that the imported drug would be safe and reduce U.S. consumer prices. They urged importation under certain circumstances, including significant and unexplained increases in price and that the drug is produced in another country by the name brand manufacturer that initially developed the drug or by a well-known generic manufacturer that commonly sells pharmaceutical products in the United States.
Grassley and McCain asked the secretary to outline whether she needs additional statutory authority to undertake prescription drug importation to protect American consumers.
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Grassley-Cosponsored NOAA Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Legislation Clears Commerce Committee
WASHINGTON - The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Act to improve NOAA's response to harassment or abuse in the workplace. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley helped craft key provisions of the version that won committee approval. The reforms follow whistleblower accounts of inadequate procedures to assist victims of abuse at NOAA.
"Victims of sexual abuse and harassment should not be forced to endure insufficient reporting and support programs in the midst of recovering from their experiences. This bill ensures that victims have reliable access to advocates who can provide a safe place and needed guidance in a difficult time. I applaud the Senate Commerce Committee for recognizing the need for these important reforms to protect and empower victims of abuse and harassment at NOAA," Grassley said.
The bill would require NOAA to develop policies to protect its approximately 12,000 employees. Among its major provisions, the bill calls for:
· Specified procedures for reporting incidents, including those occurring after business hours, at sea, or in other remote geographically isolated locations;
· Availability of advocates to aid victims through the reporting and adjudication process;
· Protection for the rights of accusers and the accused, including changes of duty station; and
· Yearly reporting on the status of efforts to implement the new policies.
Whistleblowers called attention to the inadequate reporting procedures late last year when disclosing that they had been sexually abused and harassed while conducting research on behalf of universities aboard NOAA research vessels. Their reports prompted Grassley and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune to raise concerns with the Department of Commerce Inspector General. They also questioned the effectiveness of the current reporting system that directs victims to disclose misconduct through the chain of command, which may include the alleged perpetrator.
The bipartisan National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Act (S. 2206) was introduced on October 26, 2015, by Dan Sullivan of (R-Alaska) with Grassley and four other bipartisan cosponsors. The bill now awaits further consideration by the full Senate.
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Q&A: Syrian Refugees With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: Why is it important to take every precaution when considering whether to resettle thousands of Syrian refugees in the United States?
A: Americans have a generous, compassionate spirit that is reflected in service and philanthropy, such as toy and clothing drives, food pantries and homeless shelters in communities across the country. This shared sense of humanity also is reflected by U.S. asylum policies. The United States has a long history of extending and expanding resettlement programs for those seeking sanctuary from religious persecution, ethnic cleansing and humanitarian crises. Every year, for the past few years, the United States has offered safe haven for 70,000 refugees from around the world. Iowa, in particular, has a remarkable legacy that goes back to Governor Ray's starting a resettlement program in 1975 for thousands of refugees fleeing Southeast Asia. Since passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, refugees seeking asylum in the United States must meet a legal standard of "well-founded fear of persecution" to qualify for resettlement. The Obama administration is misplacing priorities by insisting on expanding Syrian refugee resettlement, especially considering a Syrian passport was reportedly found near the body of one of the Paris attackers.
America mourns for those who lost their lives and their loved ones in the brutal massacre in Paris. America still heals from the tremendous sorrow and loss inflicted by the 9/11 terror attacks. Like America, the City of Light will find its way out of the darkness. We stand in solidarity with our friends and allies around the world. Together we must work to extinguish violent extremism that breeds terrorism and threatens life as we know it. That is why we cannot allow America's welcome mat to be turned into a door mat for radicalized Islamic extremists who are hard-wired to kill innocent people and destroy our way of life. Unless and until the United States can figure out a stringent screening process to prevent terrorists from masquerading as refugees to infiltrate our neighborhoods and communities, President Obama needs to listen to the concerns voiced by more than half the nation's governors, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on both sides of Capitol Hill and the American people from across the entire country. So far, it doesn't appear the president is listening. That's why I am working to put at least a temporary halt on the implementation of the president's plan to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees into this country until our intelligence and national security agencies can certify the vetting process will keep out terrorists. Don't forget, the U.S. paused our refugee admissions program after 9/11 to re-evaluate and upgrade security processes. At this moment, we need reasonable responses to address widespread uncertainty, not rash disregard of national security.
Q: How does this differ from the "boat people" resettlement four decades ago?
A: America's humanitarian principles haven't changed. The times have changed. Remember, Iowa was the first state to open a government resettlement agency when it welcomed the Tai Dam into our communities and took in thousands of refugees from Southeast Asia. Over the years, Iowa has resettled other refugees facing persecution in their home countries, including Bosnia, Sudan and Burma. Refugee resettlements in Iowa faced barriers back then and face challenges still today. There's no question that considerable language and cultural barriers significantly impact transitions for refugees into local communities, in neighborhoods, schools and workplaces. Resettlement strains social services and takes broad, coordinated efforts from a wide variety of government agencies, faith-based organizations and volunteers to work.
Notwithstanding the challenges with transportation and housing and the burdens on local schools, hospitals and other public services, the refugee resettlement in America should not be an avenue for terrorists to sneak in and do us harm. Like it or not, the reality of the 21st century differs significantly from just a generation ago. Today we are facing a reign of terror that recruits and radicalizes Islamic extremists to inflict violence and spread fear across civilized society. The atrocities of the 20th century were rooted in tyrannical government regimes, such as Nazism and Communism, led by the likes of Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, who oppressed freedom and murdered millions of innocent people. Today, extremists are trying to poison peace and prosperity by orchestrating acts of terror on unsuspecting victims and venues to spread widespread fear. Today's battlefields are vastly different than 20th century conflicts. We are talking about people who have made no bones about it. Their goal is to kill Americans. From drones, to suicide bombers and hijacked airliners, the targets and times have changed. No doubt, America's leadership is needed to purge terror and make the world a safe place for our children and grandchildren. It will require bold, strategic plans with a broad coalition of our friends and allies that reaches across military, intelligence, diplomatic, financial and humanitarian channels.
However, a relatively simple way for the Obama administration to put national security first is by calling a time-out on the Syrian refugee resettlement program. The president already underestimated ISIS once before, dismissing the extremist militant group as a JV team. Now look where we are seven years into his Middle East foreign policy. Considering the misguided Iran deal, the effort to relocate detainees from Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil and calls for resettling up to 10,000 Syrian refugees, it's no wonder Americans are questioning what else the president is miscalculating. When it comes to the safety of the American people and protecting our way of life - a way of life that generations of men and women in the Armed Forces have sacrificed life and limb to defend and uphold - the federal government has a fundamental constitutional duty to first protect national security and the sovereignty of the United States.
