(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, today, with  representatives of the Des Moines Symphony, the Food Bank of Iowa, Dahl's Foods, and Bank of the West announced the official start of the 5th annual Yankee Doodle Drive Against Hunger.

"The Yankee Doodle Drive Against Hunger is a wonderful campaign that raises awareness and collects much-needed non-perishable food items for the Food Bank of Iowa," said Reynolds. "I am honored and proud to be a partner with community businesses to shed a light on the importance of hunger in Central Iowa."

The public is encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items at area Dahl's or Bank of the West locations, or at the Des Moines Symphony's 20th Annual Yankee Doodle Pops. In addition, the Office of Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will accept donations from the public at their office in the State Capitol.

Yankee Doodle Pops will be held on the state Capitol grounds on July 3 at 8:30 p.m. All donations from the food drive will benefit the Food Bank of Iowa. The drive runs through July 4.

For more information on the Yankee Doodle Food Drive, visit www.foodbankofiowa.org.

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by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

This week the President held a high-profile Rose Garden ceremony to announce his nomination of three judges for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

News reports indicate the White House wants to put more of its own judges on the D.C. Circuit because President Obama is looking for ways to circumvent Congress.  Senate Democrats make such intentions clear when they say things like the President needs to fill the court by whatever means necessary, and that the D.C. Circuit was 'wreaking havoc' on the country by opposing administration policies.  Arguments for court-packing to gain advantage in public policy debates reflect a major misunderstanding of the purpose of the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government in our system.  It is the job of elected representatives of the people, the Congress, to make legislative decisions.  It is the job of the Courts to resolve cases and controversies.  Neither Congress nor the people who elect those who serve in Congress should want the Courts doing the job of making legislative decisions.

In addition, it's hard to imagine the rationale for nominating three judges at once for this particular federal appeals court with the many vacant emergency seats across the country.  That is unless your goal is to pack the court to advance a certain policy agenda.  The D.C. Circuit ranks either last or nearly last in many categories for measuring workload.  There were nearly 200 fewer appeals filed in the D.C. Circuit in 2012 than in 2005.  In fact, the number of cases that each active judge handles is nearly the same today as it was in 2005, despite having two fewer judges.

I've introduced legislation this year to reallocate these judgeships based on workload and to use taxpayer resources wisely.  My approach to this is nonpartisan.  In fact, the legislative record will show that I previously twice introduced legislation to eliminate a seat on the D.C. Circuit during the Bush Administration.  My effort was ultimately successful in 2007, when a judgeship on the D.C. Circuit was moved to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has a very high caseload.  In addition, nearly 20 years ago I conducted an exhaustive review of the workloads of the various federal circuits with the goal of distributing taxpayer resources wisely.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today said he will submit formal questions to the President's nominee for United States Trade Representative on the nominee's offshore accounts and carried interest plans.  The questions and answers will become part of the Finance Committee's record on the hearing to consider Michael Froman, the nominee.

"The President has nominated three Cabinet-level nominees in recent months who benefited from the offshore accounts the President criticized," Grassley said.  "The White House and the nominee should help Congress and the public understand the President's double standard."

Grassley, a senior member of the Finance Committee, will submit the following questions to the United States Trade Representative nominee.

Question 1:

Mr. Froman, I want to be clear here.  If the President is going to set standards on what he says are "tax scams," he should apply the same standard to his friends as he does to his opponents.

On May 4, 2009, the President called Ugland House "the largest tax scam in the world."  Just months before, in February 2009, the President appointed you Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs.

Your financial disclosures indicate you have nearly $500,000 invested in the Cayman Islands at the Ugland House.

What questions did the White House ask about your Caymans Islands investments in 2009?  Were concerns raised about your participation in what the President later called "the largest tax scam in the world"?

If so, can you tell us who raised concerns and what questions they asked?

Question 2:

I understand that as part of your employment with Citigroup, you were vested in three carried interest plans, according to what you submitted to the Finance Committee. Upon leaving for the Administration in 2009, Citigroup paid you $2 million to waive your rights in two of these partnerships "and in recognition of [your] service to Citi in various capacities since 1999."

I understand that as part of your employment with Citigroup, you were vested in three carried interest plans, according to what you submitted to the Finance Committee. Upon your leaving Citgroup for the Administration in 2009, Citigroup paid you $2 million to waive your rights in two of these partnerships "and in recognition of [your] service to Citi in various capacities since 1999."

What prompted you to waive your rights to these plans in return for a substantial payment from Citi?  Did someone in the Administration recommend you take this action?

Do you know what your interest in the "carry plans" were valued at when you waived your rights?

What percentage of the $2 million was based on the value of the carried interest plans and what percentage was in recognition of your 10 years of service?

In figuring the amount paid to you by Citigroup, was any consideration given to the fact you would be subject to ordinary income tax rates of 35% instead of the capital gains rate of 15%?

You had a third carried interest that you transferred to your wife.  Why was it decided this third carried interest would be transferred to your wife instead of being sold to Citi?

Question 3:

On January 16, 2009, Citigroup announced losses of $18.7 billion.  The same day, Citigroup received $301 billion federal bailout through loan guarantees on its toxic mortgage assets. Around the same time, you accepted a bonus from Citigroup for over $2 million for work you performed in 2008.

Were you aware that Citigroup was about to receive a multibillion-dollar federal guarantee when you accepted your bonus?

Can you explain why it is morally acceptable to take more than $2 million out of a company that was functionally insolvent and about to receive billions of dollars in taxpayer support?

In response to a written question submitted to you during your Finance Committee review, you indicated that you donated "a significant portion of the net proceeds" from the bonus you received in 2009 to charity.  Could you clarify what you mean by "a significant amount"?

More information on Grassley's views on the President's hypocrisy on nominees with offshore accounts is available here.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today introduced legislation that will help students apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to real world experiences by incorporating volunteerism and civic engagement in curriculum.  The Engaging Students Through Service-Learning Act aims to connect the classroom to the community by establishing a national center to expand opportunities for students to incorporate skills that are critical to success in the 21^st century economy, such as critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration, with activities outside the classroom. The bill would also help teachers to provide students with this hands-on education.

"Iowans have a strong sense of community and have seen firsthand the difference dedicated volunteers can make.  The earlier we can start incorporating volunteerism and civic engagement in school settings, the more likely it is that students will continue to participate in their communities in meaningful ways throughout their adult lives," said Congressman Loebsack. "When students engage in this type of hands-on learning, it can boost their academic engagement and performance, which will help them secure good jobs and contribute to Iowa's economy in the future."

"We must make our schools better. We simply can't keep organizing our classrooms and using the same teaching approaches that have been used for decades if we want to improve outcomes that result in students who are truly college and career ready and internationally competitive," said Teri Dary, Co-Chair National Coalition for Academic Service-Learning.

Specifically, the Engaging Students Through Service-Learning Act will:

·         Ensure states have the resources and support needed to establish effective service-learning programs;

·         Strengthen a federal-state partnership to improve quality through creation of the National Center for K-12 Service Learning and ensure adequate oversight through effective evaluations;

·         Encourage states to grow professional development models for service-learning and provide resources to local education agencies and communities to apply service-learning in different content areas and in schools and communities with high percentages of struggling youth.

Examples of effective service-learning programs in Iowa include :

• In 2012, the Reach Out Iowa program engaged over 4,000 youth between the ages of 5 and 17 in service-learning programs and activities. The youth provided more than $100,000 in volunteer hours to communities across the state, specifically targeting Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Des Moines, Marshalltown, Winterset, and Adair County.
• 13,000 Iowans benefitted from the service learning projects.
• Additionally, 50 partner organizations received training on effective service learning principles and practices.  Of these partners, more than 60% of the organizations now engage youth in leadership positions.