{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\" and state = \"IA\" sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/democrats-block-ernst-effort-to-protect-taxpayer-dollars-from-fraudsters", "Democrats Block Ernst Effort to Protect Taxpayer Dollars from Fraudsters", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Democrats blocked passage of Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst\u2019s (R-Iowa) comprehensive, bipartisan anti-fraud package, that could have saved American taxpayers approximately $240 billion. Senator Ernst called on her colleagues to pass this critical legislation to prevent fraudsters from stealing $1.4 billion every single day, but Senate Democrats objected.\n\nFollowing the massive fraud schemes that were uncovered in Minnesota and Ohio, Ernst has been fighting to pass her bill that would recover stolen funds, protect taxpayer dollars, and stop fraudsters.\n\nYesterday, Ernst exposed a list of con artists who fraudulently billed government programs for over one billion dollars, highlighting that \u201cif grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would be the fifth largest.\u201d\n\nWatch Senator Ernst\u2019s remarks here.\n\nErnst\u2019s full remarks as delivered:\n\n\u201cMr. President, while hardworking Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities, there\u2019s one class of people who\u2019ve never had it better: Fraudsters\n\n\u201cScammers are stealing more than $1.4 billion from taxpayers every day.\n\n\u201cYesterday, I released a list of con artists who each fraudulently billed government programs for ONE BILLION DOLLARS or more.\n\n\u201cThese billionaire bandits looted programs for the elderly, poor, disabled, and veterans to lavish themselves with million-dollar mansions, Rolex watches, expensive jewelry, and luxury cars.\n\n\u201cOne fraudster brags, \u2018I had everything. I had houses, I had cars, I had watches.\u2019\n\n\u201cHe ripped off Medicare for over a decade before getting turned in, and says, \u2018It\u2019s just so easy. It\u2019s unbelievable.\u2019\n\n\u201cBased upon the numbers, he isn\u2019t lying.\n\n\u201cIf grift was a government agency, the Department of Fraud would be the fifth largest.\n\n\u201cThe $521 billion going to fraud every year exceeds the individual annual budgets of the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, Homeland Security, State, and Justice.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s right, folks, fraudsters are being better taken care of than our veterans and farmers.\n\n\u201cFraud is not a victimless crime, either.\n\n\u201cIn fact, it has far-reaching consequences.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve learned taxpayer dollars stolen from U.S. Small Business Administration financed the assassination, yes, you heard it right, the assassination of Haiti\u2019s president in 2021.\n\n\u201cA team of Colombian mercenaries and their pistols, rifles, and tactical gear were all paid for with the support of $840,000 fraudulently obtained from the SBA.\n\n\u201cThe political instability resulting from the assassination forced hundreds of thousands of Haitians to flee their nation, taking refuge in the United States.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration provided many of these migrants with food stamps and medical care, also paid for by Americans taxpayers.\n\n\u201cThe inability to safeguard small business assistance resulted in taxpayers footing the bills for both the crime and its consequences.\n\n\u201cMany of these scams also involve identity theft that upend the lives of the unsuspecting Americans who then must suffer the consequences.\n\n\u201cFor example, the Medicare number of a woman in California was stolen by scammers who used it to fraudulently bill for hospice care.\n\n\u201cWhen she sought physical therapy for an injury, Medicare denied her coverage because she was listed as dying in hospice.\n\n\u201cThink about that.\n\n\u201cThe same government agency that wouldn\u2019t provide her with the health care she was promised, approved and paid for bogus medical bills submitted by scammers using her information.\n\n\u201cMedicare exists to ensure folks like her receive medically necessary care, not to make billionaires out of fraudsters.\n\n\u201cYet, the identities and personal information of more than one million Americans have been stolen by Medicare mobsters to file phony health care claims.\n\n\u201cOne illegal alien submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health insurers over just six months using stolen identities.\n\n\u201cHe laundered millions of the stolen tax dollars overseas to the Russian mob before some of his victims alerted Medicare that they were not receiving notices for care and items they did not receive prescribed by doctors they had not visited.\n\n\u201cAnother con artist orchestrated a billion-dollar fraud machine that used foreign call centers to submit bogus bills.\n\n\u201cHe treated programs meant to care for the elderly, veterans, and servicemembers like his own personal cash register.\n\n\u201cFrom fake day care centers to phony small businesses, the examples are absolutely endless, but the public\u2019s patience is not.\n\n\u201cAccording to the latest Gallup poll, nine out of ten Americans say government corruption is widespread, that\u2019s a record-high number.\n\n\u201cI challenge you to find any other issue where Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree with each other more strongly.\n\n\u201cWe owe it to all Americans to stop the government grift.\n\n\u201cMy Protecting American Taxpayers Act would do just that by\u2014\n\n\u201c Stopping government agencies from handing out quick cash with no questions asked; triggering automatic investigations when there are sudden and suspicious spikes in payment claims; banning convicted fraudsters from receiving taxpayer dollars; taking back the money that was already stolen; and sending those darn scammers to the slammer.\n\n\u201cIf enacted, this bill could save $240 billion. That\u2019s \u2018billion\u2019 with a B, folks.\n\n\u201cThe choice is quite simple: Give the money to fraudsters or return it to taxpayers.\n\n\u201cWhat would really be criminal is if the Senate left town today without passing this meaningful legislation to eliminate fraud.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-america-cant-hit-pause-on-ai-while-china-charges-ahead", "Ernst: America Can\u2019t Hit Pause on AI While China Charges Ahead", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, during a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Management hearing, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) praised how Super Intelligence (SI), also known as artificial intelligence, helps keep Americans safe while acknowledging Congress\u2019 responsibility to ensure proper guardrails are in place.\n\nErnst questioned Kurt Gaudette on how Congress can better empower SI developers and companies to collaborate to ensure we can deter and respond to cyber-attacks, emphasizing that \u201cAI has been so helpful in medical research and protecting our troops from drone swarms or missile attacks\u2026 so we need to keep moving forward. If we pause, we're not going to see China pause.\u201d\n\nWatch Ernst\u2019s questioning here.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe hearing followed President Trump\u2019s signing of an executive order focused on incorporating \u201cSuper Intelligence\u201d (SI) and recognizing the continued advancement of the technological frontier and the opportunities it presents for the American people.\n\nThe hearing examined the growing risks posed by increasingly capable SI systems, including SI agents acting beyond their intended instructions and the potential for hostile actors to use SI to target critical infrastructure, strategic industries, and government agencies.\n\nThe hearing featured testimony from:\n\nChris Painter, President of the Model Evaluation and Threat Research\n\nMarius Hobbhahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Apollo Research\n\nPaul Ohm, Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center\n\nKurt Gaudette, Senior Vice President of Intelligence and Services at Dragos, Inc.\n\nDaniel Kokotajlo, Executive Director of the AI Futures Project\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-joins-washington-watch-to-recap-arctic-frost-oversight", "ICYMI: Grassley Joins \u201cWashington Watch\u201d to Recap Arctic Frost Oversight", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Tony Perkins on Washington Watch to discuss Jack Smith\u2019s sweeping Arctic Frost investigation and the new revelations Grassley exposed during yesterday\u2019s oversight hearing.\n\n\u201cThere's no justification for what Smith did. Not only was he after Trump, but we found out through all the hundreds, or I should say, thousands of pages of documents that we received... that he was after the Republican Party,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nListen to the full interview HERE. Excerpts follow.\n\nOn revelations from the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing:\n\n\"Well, I think everything [Smith] said was justification for his effort to put Trump in prison, and there's no justification for what Smith did. Not only was he after Trump, but we found out through all the hundreds, or I should say, thousands of pages of documents that we received \u2013 which includes text and email and everything you could think of \u2013 that he was after the Republican Party.\n\n\u201cThere was no reason for [Smith] to get the records of 44 members of Congress, and I was one of those included. And it's a violation of the constitutional right of what we call the \u201cSpeech and Debate Clause.\u201d And they even sought communications from roughly 50 journalists and their organizations to government sources, and private checks. Can you imagine getting financial contributions from 4,782 Americans, including 42 Iowans? So, their privacy is violated by the FBI having in their files the addresses, the check numbers, everything personal about these 42 Iowans or [4,782] Americans.\n\n\u201cSo, you can see, it was a sweep of about 400 Republican organizations [and] 44 members of Congress. And...January 6th \u2013 that was just an excuse. It was just a pretext for everything else they wanted to do.\n\n\"[Jack Smith\u2019s team was] making a case to know all they could about the Republicans, and what [they could] do to destroy the Republicans. And yet, through all this process, there was only one indictment, and that was Trump. And that was their goal: to put him in prison so he couldn\u2019t ever run for president again.\"\n\nOn the origins of Arctic Frost at the Biden FBI:\n\n\u201cAnd one thing that I don't want you to forget \u2013 Jack Smith was not really the start of this. This goes way back to people within the FBI that just hated Trump. And they did all sorts of shenanigans to present a platform for Smith to take off from.\u201d\n\nOn congressional oversight and whistleblower retaliation:\n\n\"[Congress has a] constitutional responsibility to not only pass laws and appropriate money, but to make sure that the executive branch faithfully executes those laws, and that's the legislative branch's responsibility. You don't just pass a law and then say, \u201cForget about it.\u201d You\u2019ve got to make sure the president does his job, and that's true whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.\n\n\u201cAnd you know...we get a lot of information from whistleblowers. In fact, Smith could not have known that we had these documents, because we got most of this stuff from the whistleblowers. We even got some grand jury information that we would have never otherwise gotten. And Smith [and] his team retaliated against whistleblowers. So, consequently, you can see how far they go.\n\n\u201cWe had an instance in which somebody on [Smith\u2019s] team went to the Department of Justice Inspector General and said, \"You\u2019ve got to investigate these whistleblowers.\u201d Just think what a chilling effect that has on whistleblowing. And if you have a chilling effect on whistleblowing, you aren't going to get the information that Chuck Grassley needs to make sure that the president of the United States, whether he's a Republican or Democrat, faithfully executes the laws.\u201d\n\n\u201d[W]hat we need to do is to have congressional oversight that exposes the wrongdoings of people like Smith or the FBI being weaponized against Trump and a few people in the FBI [who] hate Trump. They may not be there now, but they were there enough to create all the basis for Smith to move ahead.\n\n\"I've been [exposing] the truth, and...I think it proves that you can't rely on the Democrats running the government in a responsible way.\u201d", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/video-grassley-blasts-democrats-for-blocking-legislation-to-protect-families-from-data-center-energy-costs", "VIDEO: Grassley Blasts Democrats for Blocking Legislation to Protect Families from Data Center Energy Costs", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Click HERE for broadcast quality video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blasted Senate Democrats for blocking overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation that would protect Americans from energy costs associated with data centers.\n\nGrassley is a cosponsor of Sen. Jon Husted\u2019s (R-Ohio) Ratepayer Protection Act, which builds on President Trump\u2019s Ratepayer Protection Pledge signed by major tech and AI companies. The legislation encourages data centers to bring, buy or build their own energy without passing costs onto the community.\n\nThis month, the House of Representatives approved the legislation with nearly unanimous, bipartisan support by a vote of 417-3. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) voted for the legislation. On Wednesday, the White House announced its support for the legislation.\n\nIowa is home to some of the cheapest, cleanest and most predictable energy sources in the country, in part due to renewable energy and the long-standing partnership between Iowa\u2019s utility companies and data center companies.\n\nVideo and a transcript of Grassley's remarks are below. Broadcast quality video can be found HERE.\n\nVIDEO\n\nMany Iowans have asked me about data centers and their impact on energy costs.\n\nRepublicans are taking action to protect Iowans from energy costs associated with data centers, all while supporting economic growth.\n\nRepresentatives Hinson, Miller-Meeks, Nunn, and Feenstra voted in the House of Representatives to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require data centers to foot the bill for their own energy.\n\nIowans shouldn\u2019t pay the price for data centers\u2019 energy needs. So, we have this bill, the Ratepayer Protection Act that would [support ensuring] that the homeowners don\u2019t pay for the electricity that data centers use.\n\nNow, Democrats are against this bill, seemingly. They don\u2019t get that common sense that this bill predicts.\n\nIn fact, Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked this bill that will lower energy costs for all Americans.\n\nRepublicans will keep working to unleash American energy while bringing costs down for all Iowans.", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-grassley-mark-15-years-of-iowa-kosovo-partnership", "Ernst, Grassley Mark 15 Years of Iowa-Kosovo Partnership", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to introduce a resolution to recognize the 15-year partnership between the Iowa National Guard (IANG) and the Republic of Kosovo, highlighting its contributions to advancing peace, democracy, stability and mutual understanding.\n\nAs Russia, China and Iran seek to weaken Western institutions and undermine Euro-Atlantic integration, the IANG\u2013Kosovo partnership helps provide stability to the eastern European region. Last week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited IANG Joint Force Headquarters in Johnston to highlight the partnership\u2019s benefits and recognize Iowa\u2019s longstanding relationship with Kosovo.\n\n\u201cHaving served in the Iowa National Guard and trained alongside the Kosovo Security Forces during my service, I know firsthand the value of the partnership between Iowa and the Kosovo Security Force that has been built over the past 15 years,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cDuring my recent visit, I saw firsthand the strength of this bond and the deep respect Kosovars have for Iowa and our men and women in uniform. Through joint training and operations, our forces advance a shared commitment to security and stability. I am proud to mark this milestone and look forward to this partnership growing even stronger.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very proud Iowa has such a close relationship with one of the most pro-American countries in the world,\u201d said Grassley. \u201cIn those fifteen years, both our peoples have felt the benefit of this bond and strengthened our security postures. I\u2019m happy to partner with Senator Ernst in leading this resolution to honor Iowa\u2019s historic partnership with Kosovo and celebrate its enduring impact.\u201d\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-investigation-reveals-fraudsters-becoming-billionaires-by-bilking-taxpayers", "Ernst Investigation Reveals Fraudsters Becoming Billionaires by Bilking Taxpayers", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released her latest investigation revealing how fraudsters are becoming billionaires by bilking taxpayers.\n\nErnst highlights ten scammers who collectively billed government programs for over $21 billion. More than $3.1 billion of those bogus charges were paid. The crooks spent the loot on million-dollar mansions, luxury vehicles, extravagant jewelry, and a beachside resort. They also laundered millions of dollars overseas to China and the Russian mob.\n\n\u201cKlepto-currency is creating a new class of billionaire bandits,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cWhile Iowans are juggling rising health care costs, these criminals are building empires by stealing from government health care programs and using the proceeds to bankroll mansions, luxury cars, and lavish lifestyles. Fraudsters are literally putting the con in convertible. For too long, Washington focused on taxing the money earned by hard working Americans while giving it away without even checking to see who is taking it. Enough is enough. Let\u2019s put these scammers in the slammer!\u201d\n\nAmong the cases Ernst is highlighting:\n\nBrett Blackman allegedly used foreign call centers and fraudulent doctors\u2019 orders to exploit senior citizens and submit approximately $1 billion in bogus claims for orthotic braces and other unnecessary medical equipment. More than $450 million in claims were allegedly paid. Blackman also reportedly flaunted his fraud-financed wealth, including a gold necklace in the shape of a dollar sign, in a music video filmed at his mansion.\n\nAlexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King allegedly submitted approximately $1.2 billion in fraudulent claims for unnecessary wound grafts to Medicare, TRICARE, and CHAMPVA. Approximately $615 million was allegedly paid, with proceeds used to purchase four luxury vehicles, real estate, and jewelry.\n\nMarizel Yukee allegedly submitted approximately $1 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare and TRICARE through a scheme involving bribes and kickbacks. Reports indicate that $297 million was paid out, with proceeds reportedly spent on expensive cars, jewelry, and real estate.\n\nBrian Rowan allegedly orchestrated a $1.2 billion scheme to defraud government health care programs through kickbacks, bribes, and sham sales invoices. Approximately $614 million in fraudulent claims was allegedly paid, helping finance multi-million-dollar mansions, luxury watches, and extravagant vehicles.\n\nErekle Gugava allegedly submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health insurers in a six-month period. Authorities allege that approximately $6.5 million was obtained and laundered to Russian organized-crime associates before Gugava fled the country.\n\nA Russian organized-crime group allegedly obtained nearly $1 billion by submitting fraudulent claims for medical supplies, primarily urinary catheters. The group allegedly submitted more than $10.6 billion in reimbursement claims to Medicare using the stolen identities of thousands of doctors and senior citizens.\n\nIbrahim Khaldoon Hilmi and Nika Machutadze allegedly posed as medical supply providers and submitted approximately $3.7 billion in fraudulent claims for orthotic braces, glucose monitors, and wound dressings to government-funded health care programs. Authorities allege that the pair received approximately $5.7 million before the scheme was uncovered.\n\nHerbert Leon Kimble allegedly led a scheme that submitted more than $1.2 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims for orthopedic braces. Using foreign telemarketing call centers, the operation allegedly targeted hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled patients with unnecessary knee, wrist, and shoulder braces. The scheme allegedly generated more than $200 million, which was used to purchase exotic automobiles, yachts, and luxury real estate.\n\nErnst is calling on the Senate to pass her Protecting American Taxpayers Act which would prevent fraud before it occurs, recover stolen taxpayer dollars, and hold fraudsters accountable. Ernst notes, \u201cevery day we delay passing my bill, fraudsters get away with stealing another $1.4 billion from taxpayers.\u201d\n\nShe\u2019s also giving her September 2026 Squeal Award to the Democratic Socialists of America for saying \u201cbillionaires shouldn\u2019t exist,\u201d while ignoring the government grift and graft that is making billionaires out of riffraff. In fact, the $500 billion the Democrats\u2019 proposed \u201cbillionaire tax\u201d would bring in isn\u2019t even enough to pay the total cost of the $523 billion the government gives away to fraudsters every year.\n\n\u201cWhen the socialists demand, \u2018Medicare for All,\u2019 apparently, they really mean it, even if that includes Russian mobsters and the FBI\u2019s most wanted fraudsters,\u201d said Ernst.\n\nRead the Protecting American Taxpayers Act text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/09/29/2026/icymi-grassley-on-newsmax-jack-smith-was-a-tool-of-the-biden-administration", "ICYMI: Grassley on Newsmax: Jack Smith Was a Tool of the Biden Administration", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined \u201cThe Record with Greta Van Susteren\u201d on Newsmax to discuss the committee\u2019s oversight hearing on Arctic Frost and Jack Smith\u2019s abuse of authority.\n\n\u201cJack Smith was trying to tell Congress that their investigation was solely related to what happened on January 6th. But we\u2019ve proved that it goes way beyond that. This was an effort to cripple the Republican party with subpoenas, violating people's privacy,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nGrassley highlighted the sweeping nature of Smith\u2019s investigation of President Trump and the Republican party, which collected thousands of Americans\u2019 personal banking information, nearly 50 journalists' communications with government sources, records from at least 430 Republican individuals and entities and the text messages of 44 members of Congress.\n\nWatch the full interview HERE. Excerpts follow.\n\nVIDEO\n\nOn new information released during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing:\n\n\u201cI think that we learned through the thousands of pages that I've released to the public that Jack Smith was a tool of the Biden administration to put Trump in prison. [Trump] was the only one indicted, but the records that we [made] public today, and a few days ago, show that he swept at least 400 Republican organizations into his investigation, and 44 members of Congress by subpoenaing their phone records. We also showed that [Smith] violated the constitutional right that protects Congress... the Speech and Debate Clause, they ignored that.\n\n\u201cThey even got the bank records of about 4,700 Americans, of which 42 of them were from Iowa \u2013 those were subpoenaed. They also subpoenaed at least a couple dozen media organizations and individuals.\n\n\u201cThis was very sweeping. Jack Smith was trying to tell us that their investigation was solely related to what [happened] on January 6th, when the Capitol was broken into. But we\u2019ve prove[n] that it goes way, way beyond that. [It was] an effort to really cripple the Republican organization with all of the subpoenas that they gave, violating people's privacy.\u201d\n\nOn Jack Smith and the Biden administration\u2019s weaponization of the Department of Justice:\n\n\u201c[There was] a double standard of enforcement \u2013 one thing for Democrats and another thing for Republicans. In addition, as I said in my opening statement today, they helped Hillary Clinton get rid of her emails and things of that nature, and they go after Trump. This process against Trump was opened up just three days after he announced he was going to run for president again. So, you see the political connections and the effort to destroy Trump so that he could never run for president again.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/breaking-jack-smiths-team-collected-checks-from-nearly-5000-americans-in-all-50-states", "BREAKING: Jack Smith\u2019s Team Collected Checks from Nearly 5,000 Americans in All 50 States", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Thousands of Americans across all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, who donated as little as $1 to President Trump and Trump-aligned Republican entities had their checks secretly subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team.\n\nRecords provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) via legally protected whistleblower disclosures reveal Smith\u2019s team acquired at least 4,782 checks from Americans who made mainly small-dollar donations to President Trump between September 2019 to August 2023. The checks reveal the donors\u2019 home addresses, bank account and routing numbers, and signatures.\n\nSmith\u2019s team acquired the checks as part of its \u201cArctic Frost\u201d election case against President Trump, allowing the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to gain access to nearly 5,000 Americans\u2019 highly sensitive information, including 42 Iowans. There may be additional subpoena returns that include more donor checks.\n\nWhistleblower records show the checks were routed to former FBI Special Agent Walter Giardina.\n\nGrassley confronted Smith about this massive violation of privacy during today\u2019s Judiciary hearing:\n\n\u201cNo matter what you say, there\u2019s no legitimate basis for what you did. Especially since your staff killed an investigation into the Clinton campaign. Donations to Republican groups wasn\u2019t necessary to your investigation, which is proved out by the fact it wasn\u2019t mentioned in your public report. Now, the Justice Department and FBI will forever possess thousands of people\u2019s addresses, phone numbers, banks, bank account numbers, bank routing numbers and copies of their true signatures. Every member on this committee ought to be outraged for what happened to their constituents. Which one of my Democratic colleagues will join me in that outrage?\u201d\n\nRedacted copies of all 4,782 personal checks whistleblowers provided to Grassley are available HERE.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-09-29-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 09-29-26", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this afternoon\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: $15 billion Mesabi steel plant announcement, Iran, diesel exports and Iowa\u2019s 2026 gubernatorial race.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-questions-jack-smith-at-senate-judiciary-oversight-hearing", "Grassley Questions Jack Smith at Senate Judiciary Oversight Hearing", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questioned former Special Counsel Jack Smith at today\u2019s oversight hearing on Smith\u2019s abuse of authority and targeting of Republicans.\n\nGrassley pressed Smith on his collection of thousands of Americans\u2019 personal banking information, as well as his team\u2019s exposure of classified materials, retaliation against whistleblowers and disregard for constitutional guardrails. Smith stood by his former colleagues\u2019 reckless and political actions.\n\nVideo and a transcript of Grassley and Smith\u2019s exchange follow.\n\nVIDEO\n\nJack Smith\u2019s targeting of Republican donor data and Americans\u2019 personal checks\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cDid your Special Counsel operation obtain possession of donor data, to include financial information? Yes or no?\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cYes, we acquired financial information. As I sit here right now, I cannot recite to you every subpoena we issued... I can tell you why we issued subpoenas, and it was to conduct a criminal investigation...\u201d\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cIndeed you did, Mr. Smith. According to protected disclosures to my office, you obtained at least 4,782 donor checks. Many of those checks were five to 10 dollars. The list includes checks from constituents in every state of every single member in this committee, both Republicans and Democrats. It includes 42 checks from Iowans who dared to donate money to Republicans.\n\n\u201cNo matter what you say, there\u2019s no legitimate basis for what you did. Especially since your staff killed an investigation into the Clinton Campaign. Donations to Republican groups wasn\u2019t necessary to your investigation, which is proved out by the fact it wasn\u2019t mentioned in your public report.\n\n\u201cNow, the Justice Department and FBI will forever possess thousands of people\u2019s addresses, phone numbers, banks, bank account numbers, bank routing numbers and a copy of their true signatures. Every member on this committee ought to be outraged for what happened to their constituents. Which one of my Democratic colleagues will join me in that outrage?\u201d\n\nViolations of law or policy and whistleblower retaliation committed by Jack Smith\u2019s investigative staff:\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cIn your public statements and testimony here today, you\u2019ve given glowing assessments of your staff, saying they had an unwavering commitment to justice regardless of personal costs. That is blatantly untrue. You\u2019re apparently in denial based on the litany of wrongdoing and political bias supported by reams of evidence that I referenced in my opening statement. And, I\u2019ve either released documents or will today that proves this.\n\n\u201cMoreover, in your public report you said, in part, \u2018Those materials comprised a small part of the Office\u2019s investigative record.\u2019 You\u2019re referring to J6 Committee materials. Records show that in your briefing memorandum for a meeting with [Attorney General] Garland you said your team \u2018fully read and reviewed\u2019 the J6 committee report. That memo also said your staff \u2018went over it page by page and incorporated it into our investigative plan.\u2019 The memo also said you \u2018will leverage\u2019 the report to avoid certain interviews. Your report provided false information to the public.\n\n\u201cYour staff also obtained subpoena returns that included the content of messages from 44 Members of Congress, not just toll records, as you\u2019ve testified previously. Based on information provided to the committee, that content was shared with the case agents and prosecutors before it went through any filter review for privileged information, which should\u2019ve been done like it\u2019s been in other cases. Those are clear violations by your staff.\n\n\u201cIn addition, your deputy, J.P. Cooney, said he\u2019d \u2018prosecute any nun who still wears a head habit.\u2019 Then Cooney also said regarding the Speech or Debate clause, \u2018I\u2019m an advocate for repealing the clause.\u2019 Lastly, Cooney and Molly Gaston filed a complaint with the Justice Department Inspector General. Your staff asked for the inspector general to investigate whistleblowers who\u2019ve bravely exposed abuses of authority to Congress by you and your staff. These are just some of the violations of law or policy your staff and office committed. And that doesn\u2019t include all of the violations disgraced former FBI agents like Thibault and Giardina committed while creating a false predicate for your cases and others\u2026\n\n\u201cShould whistleblowers who made lawful disclosures to Congress about your taxpayer funded work be investigated?\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cI'm not aware of any whistleblowers being investigated\u2026 The members of my team that you just mentioned, I'm extremely proud to have worked with them...\u201d\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cI gave you evidence that [your staff] asked for an investigation by the Inspector General.\u201d\n\nJack Smith and his investigative team\u2019s disregard for the Speech or Debate Clause:\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cWhen you became Special Counsel, what direction did you give your staff to handle Speech or Debate and Attorney-Client material? Did you issue any directives? If so, to whom? Please explain.\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cSo, with respect to the Speech or Debate clause, first, we took our obligations seriously under the Speech or Debate clause. It's, in my view, an important part of the separation of powers. I had members of my staff who were very familiar with the clause, having worked in the public integrity section for years. We also, when it was appropriate or required, consulted with the public integrity section regarding application of that clause.\u201d\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cMr. Smith, no amount of explanation can take away from the documentary record. My opening remarks and the statement I made about your staff\u2019s clear failures show unequivocally how you breached constitutional parameters and failed to require your staff to comply with relevant rules. Using the terrible acts on January 6 as a predicate for your misguided investigation is irresponsible.\n\n\u201cTo that end, either you are the world\u2019s worst manager, or you shared your staff\u2019s political animus to fuel your partisan investigation \u2013 an investigation that ruined the lives of many innocent people.\u201d\n\nPotential exposure of classified materials by Jack Smith and his investigative staff\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cFollowing up from my opening statement. For the classified document case, where did you store the classified material? Describe the [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF)] arrangement for both DOJ and FBI personnel during and after court sessions.\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cI can't speak to FBI facilities\u2026 our office had a SCIF, a place to store classified information, and my recollection is that there was, at least in Florida, an ability to store it there. I can't recall if it was at the FBI field office or at the courthouse. But we had a SCIF at our office as part of our investigation, knowing that classified information would be involved in the investigation.\u201d\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cI said in my opening statement that one of your staff members suggested leaving the door open, which [would] obviously be a violation of law.\u201d\n\nJack Smith\u2019s use of a personal device as former Special Counsel\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cIn October last year I asked you this question, but you never responded. Did you ever use a personal device for work purposes, to include communications such as email, text or the creation or editing of work product? If so, do you commit to providing that material to the committee? If not, are you testifying that you\u2019ve complied with all federal records requirements?\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cYes, when I first became special counsel, I did not have a government phone or government computer, and so in the initial days when I was appointed and I was still living in the Netherlands, I did use a personal device and email to communicate with folks in the Justice Department. What I did when I got government accounts is made sure, to the best of my ability, that that information was forwarded to government accounts, so it would be within the Federal Records Act\u2026\u201d\n\nJack Smith\u2019s relationship with former CIA Director John Brennan\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cHave you ever received any consultation or counsel by John Brennan, former CIA Director, whether during your time as Special Counsel or otherwise? If so, when and for what purpose?\u201d\n\nSMITH: \u201cI've never met John Brennan.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-documents-show-nara-general-counsel-assisted-in-classified-document-prosecution-calling-jack-smiths-court-filings-into-question", "ICYMI: Documents Show NARA General Counsel Assisted in Classified Document Prosecution, Calling Jack Smith\u2019s Court Filings into Question", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Records obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) refute statements made by former Special Counsel Jack Smith in a February 2024 court filing regarding the National Archives and Records Administration\u2019s (NARA) involvement in the classified document case against President Trump.\n\n\u201cJack Smith represented to court that the National Archives didn\u2019t substantively assist with the classified documents case against President Trump. These representations to the court were entirely false,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nIn response to President Trump\u2019s January 16, 2024, motion to compel discovery from NARA on the basis that NARA participated in the government\u2019s prosecution, the Special Counsel\u2019s Office on February 2, 2024, claimed to the court that NARA was not part of the prosecution team and therefore President Trump\u2019s motion should be denied. Specifically, the Special Counsel Office\u2019s filing says that no NARA personnel \u201cplayed any role in the development of prosecutorial strategy\u201d and \u201cNARA\u2019s involvement in the investigation consisted entirely of providing documents and information.\u201d\n\nHowever, according to NARA communications obtained by Chairman Grassley, former NARA General Counsel Gary Stern reviewed, commented on and gave edits to the Department of Justice\u2019s court filings related to the classified documents case against President Trump.", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-jack-smith-obtained-journalist-communications-with-government-sources", "ICYMI: Jack Smith Obtained Journalist Communications with Government Sources", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Whistleblower disclosures made to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), show that former Special Counsel Jack Smith swept up communications from over a dozen national media outlets as part of the \u201cArctic Frost\u201d election investigation into President Trump.\n\n\u201cWhat will the partisan media say about this disgraceful government overreach? This wasn\u2019t a normal prosecution by any means,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nNearly 50 journalists from the following news outlets had their communications swept up by Smith, including messages exchanged with government sources.\n\nTelevision:", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-jack-smiths-classified-documents-case-based-on-non-criminal-referral-initially-dismissed-by-fbi-as-spillage-issue", "ICYMI: Jack Smith\u2019s Classified Documents Case Based on \u201cNon-Criminal\u201d Referral, Initially Dismissed by FBI as \u201cSpillage\u201d Issue", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Records obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) show Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s classified documents case against President Trump began as a non-criminal referral with \u201clittle likelihood of being pursued as a criminal matter.\u201d\n\n\u201cJack Smith\u2019s operation was a partisan weapon. He broke the rules, lied to the court and engaged in bad faith throughout. His operation has no credibility \u2013 only to the partisan media and Democrats who cheered him on,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn February 9, 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) sent an email to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting guidance on classified records that NARA had received from Mar-a-Lago. This NARA OIG \u201creferral\u201d email served as the Biden DOJ\u2019s justification for opening its classified documents investigation, which ultimately led to a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and Special Counsel Jack Smith\u2019s criminal prosecution of President Trump.\n\nJack Smith asserted in court filings that the classified documents investigation into President Trump was entirely proper because it was \u201c[p]rompted by NARA\u2019s discovery of classified documents in the 15 boxes in January 2022 and a criminal referral from NARA in February 2022.\u201d\n\nHowever, according to a January 2023 entry in a NARA OIG case report, NARA OIG did not classify its February email to DOJ as a criminal referral. NARA OIG wrote, \u201cthe OIG determined that this matter and the other relevant matters be classified as -R (referral to DOJ for their assessment and guidance, not the same as a criminal referral for prosecution which is only done for criminal investigations).\u201d Additionally, internal NARA OIG communications obtained by Grassley show that the FBI had identified the classified documents matter as nothing more than a \u201cspillage\u201d issue, with \u201clittle likelihood of being pursued as a criminal matter.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-joins-president-trump-to-tout-transformative-15-billion-steel-investment-in-iowa", "Ernst Joins President Trump to Tout Transformative $15 Billion Steel Investment in Iowa", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined President Donald Trump at the White House to announce a $15 billion investment by Mesabi Metallics to build a new steel mill in eastern Iowa.\n\nWatch Senator Ernst\u2019s statement here.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to President Trump for securing this historic deal that will create thousands of jobs for Iowans,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cAs chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, I\u2019ve long advocated to make \u2018Made in America\u2019 the norm and not the exception. I am excited to see this project move forward and will continue working with the Trump administration to strengthen U.S. manufacturing.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nMesabi Metallics plans to invest $15 billion to build a major steel mill in eastern Iowa, with steel production expected to begin as soon as 2030.\n\nThe project is expected to support more than 1,700 jobs and initially produce 7.5 million tons of steel annually, with future development potentially increasing capacity to roughly 10 million tons per year.\n\nThe eastern Iowa location provides strategic access to the Mississippi River, allowing Mesabi to transport iron ore from its Minnesota mine directly to the facility.\n\nThe plant will process that iron ore for use in electric arc furnaces alongside recycled scrap steel, expanding domestic steel production and strengthening the American manufacturing supply chain.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-ludlows-steakhouse", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Ludlow\u2019s Steakhouse", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Ludlow\u2019s Steakhouse of Wayne County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s prime time to recognize Ludlow\u2019s Steakhouse,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cThrough their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to their employees and community, the Pershys have grown Ludlow\u2019s Steakhouse into a Wayne County staple \u2014 a job truly well done.\u201d\n\nFor more than two decades, Ludlow\u2019s Steakhouse has proudly served the people of Wayne County. Ron and Maureta Redmon opened Ludlow\u2019s in 2004 and operated the restaurant until 2013, when they sold the business to Craig and Brenda Onstot. Truett and Sheena Pershy took ownership in 2017 and have since expanded the menu, launched a catering business, and overseen a major renovation and relocation to better serve their customers and community. From custom-cut aged steaks and seafood to pasta, sandwiches, and more, Ludlow\u2019s offers something for everyone to enjoy.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-ernst-recognize-15-years-of-iowa-national-guard_kosovo-security-force-partnership", "Grassley, Ernst Recognize 15 Years of Iowa National Guard-Kosovo Security Force Partnership", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) are introducing a resolution to recognize the 15-year partnership between the Iowa National Guard (IANG) and the Republic of Kosovo, highlighting its contributions to advancing peace, democracy, stability and mutual understanding.\n\nAs Russia, China and Iran seek to weaken Western institutions and undermine Euro-Atlantic integration, the IANG\u2013Kosovo partnership helps provide stability to the eastern European region. Last week, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited IANG Joint Force Headquarters in Johnston to highlight the partnership\u2019s benefits and recognize Iowa\u2019s longstanding relationship with Kosovo.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very proud Iowa has such a close relationship with one of the most pro-American countries in the world. In those fifteen years, both our peoples have felt the benefit of this bond and strengthened our security postures. I\u2019m happy to partner with Senator Ernst in leading this resolution to honor Iowa\u2019s historic partnership with Kosovo and celebrate its enduring impact,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cHaving served in the Iowa National Guard and trained alongside the Kosovo Security Forces during my service, I know firsthand the value of the partnership between Iowa and the Kosovo Security Force that has been built over the past 15 years,\u201d Ernst said. \u201cDuring my recent visit, I saw firsthand the strength of this bond and the deep respect Kosovars have for Iowa and our men and women in uniform. Through joint training and operations, our forces advance a shared commitment to security and stability. I am proud to mark this milestone and look forward to this partnership growing even stronger.\u201d\n\nIn remarks on the Senate floor in February, Grassley marked the 18th anniversary of Kosovo\u2019s declaration of independence.\n\nText of the resolution can be found HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nIn 2011, the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Force were formally partnered through the National Guard Bureau\u2019s State Partnership Program, which was established to foster mutual interests and long-term relationships between National Guard units and partner countries.\n\nThe resolution notes Kosovo\u2019s Ministry of Defense is working to designate a military liaison officer, deployed to Iowa, to help foster continued cooperation.", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-iowa-congressional-delegation-applaud-historic-steel-investment-in-iowa", "Grassley, Iowa Congressional Delegation Applaud Historic Steel Investment in Iowa", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis historic investment is a major win for Iowa workers and further cements Iowa\u2019s role in the future of American manufacturing.\n\n\u201cAs the largest steel plant investment in U.S. history, this project will generate over 1,700 good-paying Iowa jobs, create new opportunities for Iowa families, and drive economic growth. Iowa has the workforce, work ethic, resources, and business climate to compete with anyone, and we are proud to welcome this project to our state.\n\n\u201cThe administration\u2019s pro-American manufacturing policies are incentivizing companies to invest, build, and create jobs in the U.S. We thank Governor Reynolds for her leadership in making Iowa a great place to do business and ensuring our state benefits from these policies by attracting transformational investments like this one.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-grassley-lead-resolution-honoring-iowan-ray-gaesser", "Ernst, Grassley Lead Resolution Honoring Iowan Ray Gaesser", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) are leading the Ray Gaesser Memorial Farm Safety Week resolution to honor the life and legacy of Ray Gaesser. Gaesser was from Corning, Iowa, and a leading advocate for farmers. He tragically passed away on September 5, 2026, following a farming accident.\n\nThe resolution designates the week of September 21, 2026, as \u201cRay Gaesser Memorial Farm Safety Week\u201d to raise awareness about farm safety and honor Gaesser\u2019s lifelong commitment to Iowa\u2019s agricultural community. In the U.S., approximately 160 agricultural workers are injured every day while nearly 400 agricultural workers die each year as a result of farm-related accidents.\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser embodied the very best of Iowa agriculture\u2014a hardworking farmer, a strong advocate for our producers, and a friend to so many across our state,\u201d said Sen. Ernst. \u201cHis tragic passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers our farmers face every day while working to feed and fuel the world. As we honor Ray\u2019s remarkable life and legacy, I encourage every farmer to look out for one another and make safety a priority.\u201d\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser was a friend, a family man, a farmer and a proud Iowan. His tireless advocacy for agriculture brought him on trade missions around the world and into high level meetings across the country,\u201d said Sen. Grassley. \u201cBy introducing our National Farm Safety and Health Week resolution in his name, we can honor his memory, raise awareness about the dangers family farmers face and promote education to prevent future tragedies.\u201d\n\nThe resolution was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and has been cosponsored by the entire Iowa delegation.\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser spent his life doing what he loved: farming, fighting for agriculture, and helping the next generation of producers continue Iowa\u2019s oldest tradition,\u201d said Rep. Nunn. \u201cRay was a trusted friend and advisor whose impact reached far beyond his own farm. We owe it to him, his wife Elaine, and every American farmer to honor his legacy and make sure every producer gets home safe this harvest.\u201d\n\n\u201cRay was a tireless champion for Iowa\u2019s farmers and a devoted steward of the land he loved,\u201d said Rep. Miller-Meeks. \u201cHis life was defined by his service to agriculture and his commitment to the farming community. We honor his memory by carrying forward his legacy and renewing our commitment to keeping our farmers and families safe. My thoughts and prayers are with Ray\u2019s family and loved ones.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m heartbroken that my friend and one of the most amazing Iowans I know, Ray Gaesser, is no longer with us. He put his heart and soul into advocating for Iowa agriculture and family farms. There was no stronger voice for farmers and agriculture,\u201d said Rep. Hinson. \u201cRay will be missed by so many who loved and knew him, and I\u2019m proud to join the Iowa delegation in introducing this resolution honoring his life and the contributions he made. My prayers continue to be with his wonderful wife, Elaine, and his entire family as we grieve this immense loss for Iowa.\u201d\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser represented the very best of Iowa agriculture. He was a dedicated farmer, respected leader, and tireless advocate for our producers who devoted his life to strengthening agriculture and leaving the land better for the next generation. His tragic passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks that farmers and their families face every day,\u201d said Rep. Feenstra. \u201cDuring National Farm Safety Week, I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this resolution to honor Ray\u2019s remarkable life and legacy while reaffirming our commitment to keeping our farmers, families, and rural communities safe. My prayers remain with Elaine, Chris, Jennifer, and the entire Gaesser family.\u201d\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-ernst-iowa-congressional-delegation-introduce-resolution-honoring-iowan-ray-gaesser", "Grassley, Ernst, Iowa Congressional Delegation Introduce Resolution Honoring Iowan Ray Gaesser", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), along with the entire Iowa congressional delegation, introduced the Ray Gaesser Memorial Farm Safety Week resolution to honor the life and legacy of Ray Gaesser. Gaesser was a Corning farmer and a leading advocate for agriculture. He tragically passed away this month due to a farming accident.\n\nThe resolution designates the week of September 21, 2026, as \u201cRay Gaesser Memorial Farm Safety Week\u201d to raise awareness about farm safety and honor Gaesser\u2019s lifelong commitment to Iowa\u2019s agricultural community. In the U.S., approximately 160 agricultural workers are injured every day while nearly 400 agricultural workers die each year because of farm-related accidents.\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser was a friend, a family man, a farmer and a proud Iowan. His tireless advocacy for agriculture brought him on trade missions around the world and into high level meetings across the country. By introducing our National Farm Safety and Health Week resolution in his name, we can honor his memory, raise awareness about the dangers family farmers face and promote education to prevent future tragedies,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser embodied the very best of Iowa agriculture\u2014a hardworking farmer, a strong advocate for our producers, and a friend to so many across our state,\u201d Ernst said. \u201cHis tragic passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers our farmers face every day while working to feed and fuel the world. As we honor Ray\u2019s remarkable life and legacy, I encourage every farmer to look out for one another and make safety a priority.\u201d\n\nIn the U.S. House of Representatives, the resolution was introduced by U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa).\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser spent his life doing what he loved: farming, fighting for agriculture, and helping the next generation of producers continue Iowa\u2019s oldest tradition,\u201d Nunn said. \u201cRay was a trusted friend and advisor whose impact reached far beyond his own farm. We owe it to him, his wife Elaine, and every American farmer to honor his legacy and make sure every producer gets home safe this harvest.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m heartbroken that my friend and one of the most amazing Iowans I know, Ray Gaesser, is no longer with us. He put his heart and soul into advocating for Iowa agriculture and family farms. There was no stronger voice for farmers and agriculture,\u201d Hinson said. \u201cRay will be missed by so many who loved and knew him, and I\u2019m proud to join the Iowa delegation in introducing this resolution honoring his life and the contributions he made. My prayers continue to be with his wonderful wife, Elaine, and his entire family as we grieve this immense loss for Iowa.\u201d\n\n\u201cRay was a tireless champion for Iowa\u2019s farmers and a devoted steward of the land he loved,\u201d Miller-Meeks said. \u201cHis life was defined by his service to agriculture and his commitment to the farming community. We honor his memory by carrying forward his legacy and renewing our commitment to keeping our farmers and families safe. My thoughts and prayers are with Ray\u2019s family and loved ones.\u201d\n\n\u201cRay Gaesser represented the very best of Iowa agriculture. He was a dedicated farmer, respected leader, and tireless advocate for our producers who devoted his life to strengthening agriculture and leaving the land better for the next generation. His tragic passing is a heartbreaking reminder of the risks that farmers and their families face every day,\u201d Feenstra said. \u201cDuring National Farm Safety Week, I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this resolution to honor Ray\u2019s remarkable life and legacy while reaffirming our commitment to keeping our farmers, families, and rural communities safe. My prayers remain with Elaine, Chris, Jennifer, and the entire Gaesser family.\u201d\n\nRead the full resolution HERE.", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-welcomes-over-182-million-in-federal-funding-to-support-iowa-communities", "Grassley Welcomes Over $18.2 Million in Federal Funding to Support Iowa Communities", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed news from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that Iowa will receive over $18.2 million in federal funding to benefit Iowans across the state. This funding will impact Iowans in Linn, Polk, Cherokee, Lyon, Woodbury, Buena Vista, Sioux and Pottawattamie counties.\n\n\u201cIowans have worked tirelessly to repair and rebuild after terrible storms struck our state,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cIt\u2019s encouraging to see these federal dollars coming to support the Hawkeye State as Iowans continue to be resilient. In the Senate, I\u2019ll keep working to ensure Iowans get the support they need.\u201d\n\nDetails on the FEMA awards follow:", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-protecting-fairness-in-sports", "Q&A: Protecting Fairness in Sports", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: Why did you hold a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on women\u2019s sports?\n\nA: Fifty-four years ago, Congress passed legislation to ensure schools provide fair and equitable treatment for male and female student-athletes. Title IX opened the door for women to participate in sports at educational institutions that receive federal money, from elementary schools through college. In the last five decades, the law has revolutionized athletic opportunities for females in gyms, courts, tracks, fields, pools and mats across America. Nine times as many girls are participating in high school sports today than when President Nixon signed the law in 1972. More than a quarter million women competed in college athletics in the 2024-2025 season. These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg. Millions of girls in communities across the country are empowered with self-confidence, teamwork, resilience, physical fitness and more by participating in clubs, recreational leagues and local teams.\n\nHowever, the equal footing launched in 1972 has one foot on a banana peel. Common sense and sound science have been thrown out the window by allowing men to compete in women\u2019s sports. What\u2019s worse, the practice is reckless and endangers opportunity, fairness and safety for female athletes. Simply put, allowing men to play in women\u2019s sports breaks the promise of Title IX.\n\nThe committee hearing I led gave female athletes a platform to tell their stories and inform policymakers about the impact of men competing in women\u2019s sports. Witnesses explained the damaging consequences of prioritizing men over women and called upon lawmakers to recognize how young female athletes are getting sidelined and harmed by allowing men to compete in women\u2019s sports. The Supreme Court ruling this summer allowed states to bar boys and men from competing in girls\u2019 sports. To date, 27 states have laws and policies in place to protect girls sports. At least 66% of American adults favor a law or policy that would require athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth. And yet, none of the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee fully participated at the hearing. Not a single one asked a question or called witnesses to testify. It\u2019s pretty ironic that the political party claiming to support women and science is the political party not backing science or girls\u2019 aspirations to compete.\n\nTestimony from a former professional women\u2019s soccer player pinpointed what\u2019s at stake for daughters and granddaughters across the country, \u201cWe are training girls to suppress their correct instincts and feelings to cater to the desires of boys. We are failing female athletes as a society, and we are raising girls who are punished for standing up for what is right and obvious.\u201d Women should not be asked to cede their opportunities just to make men comfortable.\n\nQ: What is the Protect College Sports Act?\n\nA: Sports is woven into the social fabric of America. From a young age, athletes aspire to succeed and put in the work and sacrifice to reach their full potential. Many Iowans plan their calendars around sporting events to cheer for their favorite teams. Barbara and I are lifelong Panther fans for our alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa. In recent years, collegiate sports have experienced quite a bit of turbulence navigating the ecosystem of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation rights, billion-dollar media contracts and the uncertainty of the transfer portal. Consensus has grown among fans, student athletes, coaches, and leaders of colleges and universities across the country to bring stability to college sports. A broad coalition supports the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. This legislation would help foster fair competition, promote transparency and bring certainty to the chaos that\u2019s disrupting collegiate sports in conferences across the country. It would establish a nationwide playbook so athletes, coaches, professional sports leagues and Olympic organizations are on the same page.\n\nHere\u2019s some key provisions in the bill:", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-budd-kaine-urge-trump-administration-to-prioritize-securing-the-freedom-of-detained-pastors-and-people-of-faith-at-us-china-summit", "Grassley, Budd, Kaine Urge Trump Administration to Prioritize Securing the Freedom of Detained Pastors and People of Faith at U.S-China Summit", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in sending a bipartisan letter to President Trump encouraging the administration to continue raising concerns with China at this week\u2019s meeting in Washington, D.C., on the persecution of religious groups in China, specifically including pastors and religious minorities being unjustly held because of their faith.\n\nThe letter highlights the persecution of ethnic and religious minority groups such as Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners. In May, President Trump successfully secured the release of Pastor Ezra Jin following conversations with President Xi Jinping at the U.S.-China Summit in Beijing. Jin was finally set free from Chinese captivity in July.\n\nThe senators are now urging President Trump to specifically raise the following cases at the U.S.-China Summit in Washington: Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, and Pastor Tang Bingyi of Light of Zion Church and the eight remaining members of Zion Church\u2014Gao Yingjia, Wang Lin, Yin Huibin, Wang Zhong, Wang Cong, Liu Zhenbin, Lin Shucheng and Wu Qiuyu.\n\n\u201cThe United States should continue to promote international religious freedom by calling on the Government of the People\u2019s Republic of China to end its harassment and persecution of members of religious organizations, unconditionally release all unjustly detained political prisoners imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religious belief, and ensure that detainees who have not yet been released are treated humanely,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nIn addition to Grassley, Budd and Kaine, the letter was signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).\n\nRead the full letter HERE and below.\n\nSeptember 22, 2026\n\nThe Honorable Donald J. Trump\n\nPresident of the United States\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nDear President Trump,\n\nThank you for raising Pastor Ezra Jin\u2019s case with President Xi earlier this year and working to secure his release. We were incredibly grateful to see him reunited with his family on July 3, right before we celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the United States.\n\nThe United States should continue to promote international religious freedom by calling on the Government of the People\u2019s Republic of China to end its harassment and persecution of members of religious organizations, unconditionally release all unjustly detained political prisoners imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religious belief, and ensure that detainees who have not yet been released are treated humanely.\n\nBuilding on your successful engagement leading to the release of Pastor Ezra Jin, we request that you continue keeping those persecuted for their faith in China, including ethnic and religious minority groups such as Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners, top of mind in conversations with President Xi.\n\nSpecifically, we ask that in your meeting with him in Washington in late September you raise the cases of remaining pastors like Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu and Pastor Tang Bingyi of Light of Zion Church in Xi\u2019an, Shaanxi Province and the remaining eight members of Zion Church in Beijing: Gao Yingjia, Wang Lin, Yin Huibin, Wang Zhong, Wang Cong, Liu Zhenbin, Lin Shucheng and Wu Qiuyu.\n\nThank you for your consideration,", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-judiciary-committee-advances-13-judicial-and-executive-nominees", "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances 13 Judicial and Executive Nominees", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the following nominations:\n\nAnna St. John, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nGregory Carl Cook, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nAdam Candeub, to be an Assistant Attorney General, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nJohn Peter Cronan, to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nJason Manion, to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nClaire McCusker Murray, to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission, by a vote of 15-7.\n\nLuis Felipe Restrepo, to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission, by a vote of 22-0.\n\nJoy Lynne Pittman Thorp, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nSteven Weinhoeft, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, by a vote of 19-3.\n\nWilliam Gerald Hardy, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Alabama, by a vote of 16-6.\n\nPhilip Lewis III, to be United States Marshal for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, by a vote of 15-7.\n\nSeth Reister, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Florida, by a vote of 18-4.\n\nJurgen Ryan Soekhoe, to be United States Marshal for the District of Columbia, by a vote of 12-10.\n\nWatch the executive business meeting HERE. Read Chairman Chuck Grassley\u2019s (R-Iowa) opening statement HERE.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-miller-meeks-bill-to-strengthen-us-manufacturing-heads-to-presidents-desk", "Ernst, Miller-Meeks Bill to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing Heads to President\u2019s Desk", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senator Joni Ernst\u2019s (R-Iowa) bipartisan Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act to decrease our reliance on foreign adversaries for key materials and boost manufacturing in rural America.\n\nThe bill instructs the Secretary of Commerce to identify critical goods that are currently being imported and find ways to help domestic producers manufacture them in rural areas and industrial parks, boosting manufacturing here at home.\n\nThe bill now heads to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\n\nErnst spoke on the Senate floor ahead of its passage.\n\n\u201cMy bipartisan bill will identify vulnerabilities in our supply chains and help bring manufacturing back to rural America, where Iowans are ready to roll up their sleeves, get to work, and once again make \u2018Made in America\u2019 the norm instead of the exception,\u201d said Sen. Ernst. \u201cI look forward to President Trump signing it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cIowa has the skilled workforce, manufacturing expertise, and strong communities America needs to lead the next generation of domestic manufacturing. For too long, critical production has moved overseas, leaving American workers behind and making our country dependent on foreign supply chains,\u201d said Rep. Miller-Meeks. \u201cThis bipartisan bill gives us a roadmap to bring that production home, create more opportunities for Iowa workers, and strengthen our nation\u2019s economic and national security. I\u2019m proud to have led this effort with Senator Ernst and grateful for her partnership in getting it across the finish line.\u201d\n\n\u201cSupply chains are critical to global competitiveness and our national security,\u201d said Sen. Blunt Rochester. \u201cI\u2019m proud to see this bipartisan legislation pass into law to help identify where we are over-reliant on foreign imports for critical infrastructure and explore how we can bring that manufacturing back to the United States. These investments will strengthen domestic production, secure our supply chains, and support good-paying jobs right here at home.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have become heavily dependent upon overseas supply chains, leaving us vulnerable to increased cybersecurity risks and price fluctuations,\u201d said Sen. Ossoff. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will take steps to mitigate those risks, while helping open the door to new manufacturing jobs in Georgia and across the nation.\u201d\n\nErnst\u2019s full remarks as delivered below:\n\n\u201cMr. President, I\u2019m here today to talk a little more about our national and economic security of the United States. This has really been the focus of my career, protecting that national and economic security.\n\n\u201cIn 1940, the United States became the \u2018Arsenal of Democracy,\u2019 and our country came together to quickly accelerate production of the weapons, vehicles, food, and supplies that enabled the Allies to defeat the Axis powers.\n\n\u201cAmericans in factories, farms, small businesses, and across the country did what was necessary to make what was needed.\n\n\u201cInstead of internalizing the lesson that our ability to make these critical items in the United States led to great success\u2026we spent much of the last 50 years offshoring our jobs and manufacturing capabilities.\n\n\u201cThis is something China, Russia, and other nefarious actors around the world have all been too happy to accommodate and take on themselves.\n\n\u201cToday, we have only ONE active facility producing cannon barrels.\n\n\u201cToday, we rely 100 percent on foreign sources for 12 critical minerals essential to our military and our economy.\n\n\u201cDuring COVID, we saw what happens when supply chains are strained.\n\n\u201cThere was a global shortage of microchips, which upended manufacturers\u2019 ability to make everything from cars to computers. At the same time, moms in the Midwest had to worry about finding baby formula due to supply chain issues at both the production and shipping levels.\n\n\u201cPut simply: we\u2019ve lost the ability to make what we need right here at home.\n\n\u201cIn the event of a conflict with one of our near-peer adversaries, supply chains will be challenged, and the United States will have to make what it needs.\n\n\u201cThank goodness President Trump, his administration, and Congress have been taking steps to put us on the right track and bring back the manufacturing capabilities we need right here at home.\n\n\u201cMy bipartisan Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act builds on these efforts.\n\n\u201cMy bill, which has already passed the Senate unanimously, directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify critical goods that are currently being imported and find ways to help domestic producers manufacture them in rural areas and shovel-ready industrial sites.\n\n\u201cRural Iowans are ready to roll up their sleeves and build the factories and processing facilities we need to secure our supply chains.\n\n\u201cWe can and need to make things here.\n\n\u201cBut you can\u2019t fix vulnerabilities you can\u2019t see.\n\n\u201cWhich is why my bill gives Congress and the Executive Branch the visibility necessary to identify gaps and close them.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks for introducing the House version of this bill, and for the House of Representatives passing the bill unanimously.\n\n\u201cNow it is time for the Senate to act and send this bill to the President\u2019s desk. Thank you.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-leads-senate-judiciary-republicans-in-standing-with-female-athletes-against-biological-men-in-womens-sports", "ICYMI: Grassley Leads Senate Judiciary Republicans in Standing with Female Athletes Against Biological Men in Women\u2019s Sports", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) co-hosted a press conference alongside Senate Judiciary Republicans and female athletes and advocates following today\u2019s committee hearing on empowering and protecting women in sports.\n\nSixty-six percent of U.S. adults favor a law or policy that would require transgender athletes to compete on teams that match their sex at birth. Despite this overwhelming support from the American public, every Democrat member of the Judiciary Committee refused to fully participate in today\u2019s hearing. Democrats called no witnesses and asked no questions.\n\n\u201cDemocrats love to claim they are the party that supports women. But today they didn\u2019t bother to bring a single witness to listen and engage with the concerns that athletes and scientists are raising about men playing in women\u2019s sports. These women deserve to have their stories heard,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cFemale athletes need our support.\u201d\n\n\u201cWomen and girls deserve fair competition in their sports, and privacy in their locker rooms. It was a historic moment, to see this issue come to such a huge platform, but it was also incredibly distressing to see that the Democrat senators were so dismissive of young women who are suffering across the country today,\u201d said Marshi Smith, cofounder of the Independent Council on Women\u2019s Sports (ICONS). \u201cThere are huge threats to women\u2019s sports. Adults need to stand up in leadership positions and do something about it.\u201d\n\nGrassley was joined at the press conference by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) and Darline Graham (R-S.C.), as well as the following athletes and advocates:\n\nMarshi Smith and Kim Jones, cofounders of ICONS\n\nCarly Smolak, a retired professional women\u2019s soccer player and U.S. Australian Football League national champion\n\nBriley Lechner, a high school volleyball player\n\nJeff Moravec, a father of an impacted female athlete\n\nMatt Sharp, Vice President of Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom\n\nLainey Armistead, a former NCAA soccer player and intervenor in the landmark Supreme Court victory for female athletes, Little v. Hecox\n\nKendall Kotzmacher, an NCAA softball player\n\nAngie Griffin, a U.S. Masters swimmer\n\nVideo and a transcript of Grassley\u2019s remarks follow.\n\nVIDEO\n\nI welcome you all to this press conference.\n\nAs you\u2019ve just heard at our hearing, the dangers biological men pose to women\u2019s sports are very real \u2013 very real dangers.\n\nFemale athletes need our support.\n\nWithout action, we\u2019re putting an entire generation of young women at risk.\n\nUltimately, this is an issue that comes down to safety and comes down to real commonsense.\n\nYou\u2019re in a part of our country, D.C., where it\u2019s surrounded by reality \u2013 if you wonder what\u2019s wrong with Washington, D.C.\n\nDemocrats love to claim they are the party that supports women.\n\nBut today they didn\u2019t even bother to bring a single witness to listen and engage with these concerned athletes that testified and were otherwise in attendance.\n\nThese witnesses and the people in attendance all raised the issue of men, and the dangers of men playing in women\u2019s sports, but mostly about the unfairness of it.\n\nThese women deserve to have their stories heard. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here today.\n\nI commend the brave athletes and advocates who often risk precious contracts and face public blowback for just simply speaking out and exercising their right under the first amendment of freedom of speech.\n\nSo, please know that you have this senator\u2019s support.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-north-lumber-and-home-center", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, North Lumber & Home Center", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: North Lumber & Home Center of Decatur County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cNorth Lumber & Home Center has truly gotten to the root of what it means to be a hardworking, dedicated small business\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cFor more than four decades, this family-owned and operated business has continued to branch out by providing quality services and staying actively engaged in its community.\u201d\n\nIn 1980, current owner Sally Dykes and her family purchased North Lumber. As the family continued to expand their inventory and operations to better serve its customers, they renamed the business to North Lumber & Home Center. In 2002, they opened a second store in Lamoni, Iowa. Today, Sally continues to run the lumberyard and building materials supplier business alongside her son, Tony Dykes.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-09-22-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 09-22-26", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this afternoon\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: Diesel prices, press access at the White House, the Farm Bill, Iran, the Improving Social Security\u2019s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act and the Kennedy Center.", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassleys-support-for-cancer-research-highlighted-in-new-nationwide-progress-report", "Grassley\u2019s Support for Cancer Research Highlighted in New Nationwide Progress Report", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, discussed his leadership and advocacy for cancer research in an interview featured in the American Association for Cancer Research\u2019s (AACR) 2026 progress report.\n\nThe report also highlighted Grassley\u2019s work to establish and reauthorize the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) program, which provides a lifeline for rural hospitals across the nation, including four RCHD participating hospitals in Iowa:\n\n\u201cInequities in access to screenings and follow-up care contribute to health disparities and reduced survival in some patient populations... Policymakers like Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are continuing to work to support these rural medical services, investing in programs such as the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration.\u201d -- AACR Cancer Progress Report 2026\n\nRead Grassley\u2019s full interview HERE and below.\n\nQ&A With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley\n\nAmerican Association for Cancer Research\n\nQ: What are some current gaps in cancer care and what is the role of Congress in closing these gaps?\n\nA: As with any public policy, the role of every lawmaker in Congress is to listen to constituents and grassroots advocacy groups and gather the facts to make informed decisions, including addressing gaps in cancer care. As a farm state lawmaker, I bring unique perspective to the policymaking tables to advocate on behalf of families and healthcare providers living and working in rural communities. For example, I\u2019ve prioritized keeping the doors of hometown hospitals, clinics and pharmacies open through flexible federal funding measures, such as the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration and Rural Emergency Hospital programs, as well as enabling local pharmacists to be reimbursed for providing healthcare services.\n\nI\u2019m also working to address the gap in how patients access and navigate cancer screening recommendations. Too often screening guidance is difficult to understand, changes over time, and is not readily integrated into the technology that patients and providers use every day. This can result in missed opportunities for early detection and treatment, particularly in rural communities where cancer mortality rates remain higher. By making screening information more accessible, timely, and patient-centered, the federal government can help reduce barriers to early detection and improve cancer outcomes. I want to enable more apps and web tools to get cancer screening information to the patient and provider similar to the Decision Precision+ and Cancer Screen Iowa tools.\n\nQ: Why does cancer research and survivorship remain truly non-partisan?\n\nA: Cancer impacts American families across the country, regardless of one\u2019s political ideology. That means lawmakers from both sides of the aisle represent Americans battling a cancer diagnosis. As a member of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on the Deadliest Cancers, I leverage my committee assignments in the U.S. Senate to raise public awareness and conduct oversight on federal investments in cancer research to help save lives. Through my policymaking and legislative work, I am committed to building bipartisan coalitions that push for robust research, prevention and treatment therapies to help cancer patients survive, thrive and lead healthy, high-quality lives. That includes reducing barriers to care, lowering costs to life-saving drugs, improving the pharmaceutical supply chain by boosting transparency and holding Pharmacy Benefit Managers accountable, expanding access to experimental treatments (such as those helping my former colleague Sen. Ben Sasse) and Right to Try laws, protecting the integrity of medical research and treating side effects of chemotherapy, such as my bipartisan success to enact the Lymphedema Treatment Act. I\u2019m also a champion for expanding access to cancer care in rural America, including my home state of Iowa that ranks second highest in the United States for new cancer cases. From expanding telehealth services to addressing provider shortages and securing the largest investment in rural health in history with passage of the Rural Health Transformation Fund, my advocacy for cancer prevention, treatment and cures will continue.\n\nQ: How have you worked to serve the cancer community?\n\nA: Since my first term in the U.S. Senate, my committee assignments have enabled me to roll up my sleeves at the policymaking table and shape federal policies on behalf of American families to improve delivery of care and health outcomes, from the \u201cKatie Beckett waiver\u201d to the Family Opportunity Act to the Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act. My work on behalf of cancer patients includes raising public awareness and expanding access to early screening and detection. My wife Barbara is a 39-year breast cancer survivor and attributes early detection and surgery with saving her life. I\u2019m glad the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act was signed into law in February. It will help clear the way to revolutionize cancer detection and expand coverage for Medicare patients for lifesaving cancer screenings. Thanks to remarkable strides in research, therapeutics and oncology treatments, a cancer diagnosis is no longer considered a death sentence. Just consider the recent promising breakthrough therapy for pancreatic cancer, for example.\n\nThrough congressional oversight, I\u2019m committed to ensuring public health care programs and federal agencies are efficiently and effectively serving the American people. That includes my efforts to improve care and outcomes for pediatric cancer patients. With the support of grassroots-led advocacy organizations, I spearheaded the bipartisan Accelerating Kids\u2019 Access to Care Act (AKACA) through the Senate to help kids kick cancer to the curb and live long, healthy lives. Representative government is a two-way street. I listened to the issues brought to my attention from families, patient advocates and providers who explained how red tape got in the way for kids with complex medical needs to receive timely care or participate in a clinical trial out of state. More than half of this pediatric population is covered by Medicaid and the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program that restricted care provided outside the child\u2019s home state. State lines shouldn\u2019t dictate if a child in the U.S. receives timely, lifesaving care. Having the AKACA on the books paves the way for specialty pediatric providers to enroll in multiple state Medicaid programs and gives families much-needed peace of mind. Moms and Dads have enough on their plate to manage without dealing with cumbersome, bureaucratic red tape that\u2019s delaying care for their sick child. I\u2019ll continue my oversight work to ensure these laws work as Congress intended.", 1, "2026-09-22T09:42:49Z", "2026-09-22T09:44:35Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-hassan-legislation-to-support-victims-of-identity-theft-heads-to-president-trumps-desk", "Grassley-Hassan Legislation to Support Victims of Identity Theft Heads to President Trump\u2019s Desk", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Improving Social Security\u2019s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act authored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), a fellow Finance Committee member, is heading to President Donald Trump\u2019s desk after the Senate unanimously approved the legislation on Thursday. The bipartisan legislation supports victims by strengthening and streamlining the process for Americans whose Social Security numbers have been stolen.\n\n\u201cMillions of Americans suffer from identity theft each year, and Social Security numbers are a top target. Unfortunately, when an identity theft victim calls up the Social Security Administration, they can be jerked around from one contact to another, having to reexplain the situation each time. By providing victims a single point of contact at the agency, our bill will help ease this frustrating and stressful process and make life easier for Iowans who may find themselves in this unfortunate situation. I want to thank my colleagues for their overwhelming support to get this legislation over the finish line,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cToo often, victims of identity theft are forced to navigate a long, confusing process to get support from the Social Security Administration. This process is frustrating to victims and unnecessarily drains the agency\u2019s resources. My bipartisan bill will help streamline support from SSA for so that victims of identity theft can get the help that they need more quickly. I worked with colleagues across the aisle to pass this commonsense legislation, and I look forward to seeing it being signed into law. I will continue pushing to make the government work more efficiently for victims of theft, fraud, and scams,\u201d Hassan said.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Grassley-Hassan Improving Social Security\u2019s Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act provides a single, focal point of contact at the Social Security Administration to more efficiently resolve an identity-theft victim\u2019s issues.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by numerous groups, including AARP, Social Security Works, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), Justice in Aging, and the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR).", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-keeping-america-safe", "Q&A: Keeping America Safe", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: What\u2019s driving lower crime rates across the country?\n\nA: In the first two years of the second Trump administration, promising new data show a historic decline in violent crime, particularly in urban areas. The downward trend is boosted by key policy victories to secure the border, lower taxes that strengthened small businesses and family take-home pay and deliver much-needed support for law enforcement. The Biden administration\u2019s disastrous open border policies gave criminal networks a green light to push their illicit drug and human trafficking operations into communities across the country. Turning the page on that chaotic chapter has restored U.S. sovereignty and returned law and order to America\u2019s streets to improve public safety across the country.\n\nAccording to the FBI, the historic drop marked the largest year-to-year decline in a century, delivering double-digit declines in violent crime across America. From 2024 to 2025, murder was down 18.1%; robbery lowered 18.5%, aggravated assault declined 7.2%; property crime fell 12.4% and motor vehicle theft dropped 22.7%. The downward crime trend is welcome news to families and businesses who benefit when law and order deliver safer streets. The surge in crime sprees and lawlessness during the previous administration was fueled by radical efforts to defund the police. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I\u2019ve worked to help fix the mess and advance President Trump\u2019s law-and-order judicial nominees at the fastest pace since the Reagan administration.\n\nAmericans deserve common sense crime-fighting laws and a justice system that enforces the law, investigates crimes and prosecutes offenders. That\u2019s why I take a hands-on approach with my congressional oversight responsibilities to keep check on the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to ensure they are doing their jobs, not weaponizing the government to go after political enemies.\n\nQ: What progress has been made to ensure the safety of children?\n\nA: When the FBI Director testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for an annual oversight hearing, I applauded his leadership for restoring the core mission of the nation\u2019s premiere law enforcement agency. During his two-year tenure, all ten of the FBI\u2019s Top 10 fugitives have been captured. What\u2019s more, the FBI has targeted child exploitation predators and helped to locate and identify more than 11,000 children who were victims of crime. That\u2019s up 21% from the previous 18 months. The FBI also has been involved in the arrest of more than 5,000 child predators and human traffickers. The men and women who helped bring online predators, sex traffickers, kidnappers and abusers to justice are bringing peace of mind to moms and dads across the country.\n\nFrom the helm of the Judiciary Committee, I led an investigation into eight major tech companies regarding their alleged failure to sufficiently report online child sexual exploitation. I\u2019m glad to learn from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that my inquiries led to a significant improvement of their reporting to the CyberTipline. All electronic service providers (ESPs) are required by law to report suspected cases of online child sexual exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline. These reports are critical for law enforcement to investigate and prosecute suspected predators.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-hinson-lead-bipartisan-push-for-stillbirth-prevention-and-awareness", "Grassley, Hinson Lead Bipartisan Push for Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Download audio HERE.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with Rep. Alma Adams, (D-N.C.) and others, to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution recognizing September 19, 2026, as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day.\n\nIn 2024, the bipartisan Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act, supported by Grassley and Hinson, was signed into law to help save the lives of mothers and babies across America.\n\nWith almost one-fourth of stillbirths being potentially preventable, this resolution stresses the importance of advancing evidence-based stillbirth prevention efforts in the United States.\n\n\u201cNo family should have to endure the heartbreak of a stillbirth. While states like Iowa have made progress at reducing stillbirths, there\u2019s still much more to be done to strengthen maternal healthcare, especially in rural areas, to help prevent these tragedies. Our bipartisan resolution raises awareness and promotes research to help target contributing factors and save babies\u2019 lives,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cImproving prenatal education and access to maternal care\u2014especially in rural areas where women may travel over an hour to see a provider\u2014is critical to protecting babies and reducing maternal deaths. Getting my Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act signed into law was a major step, but more must be done to support expecting moms and prevent stillbirths. I\u2019m proud to reintroduce this resolution recognizing September 19th as National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day and will continue working across the aisle to end the tragedy of stillbirth,\u201d Hinson said.\n\nIn addition to Grassley, Hinson, Merkley, Booker and Adams, the resolution is cosponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore) and by Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).\n\nThe bipartisan, bicameral resolution is supported by 46 organizations, including Healthy Birth Day, Inc.\n\nFull text of the resolution can be found HERE.\n\nDownload audio from the senator HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 183 births\u2014more than 20,000 per year\u2014tragically results in a stillbirth, which is more stillbirths annually than the number of babies who pass away during their first year of life. Parents who experience stillbirth are also at an increased risk for severe maternal morbidity, depression and mortality.", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-recognized-as-champion-for-biofuels", "Grassley Recognized as Champion for Biofuels", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, accepted Growth Energy\u2019s 2026 \u201cFueling Growth Award\u201d for his leadership on biofuels and his ongoing support for America\u2019s family farmers and biofuel producers.\n\n\u201cAs a lifelong Iowa corn and soybean farmer, I know firsthand how important our homegrown biofuels are for our national security, our pocketbooks and our environment. Biofuels are good, good, good. That\u2019s why I\u2019m continuing to fight tirelessly to get year-round, nationwide E15 over the finish line,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to be a strong voice for Iowa biofuels at the policymaking tables in Washington.\u201d\n\nSenator Grassley accepts the 2026 \"Fueling Growth Award\" from members of Growth Energy, including Iowa family farmer and biofuels advocate Bill Couser.\n\nDownload photo HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley helped establish the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and conducts oversight to ensure the executive branch appropriately implements the program.\n\nGrassley also met with the National Oilseed Association yesterday to discuss the RFS. The group presented Grassley with an award recognizing him as a Champion of Agriculture.\n\nGrassley has championed E15 in the Senate for over 15 years:\n\nApril 2026: Spoke on the Senate floor to support Iowa\u2019s Members of Congress for fighting for family farmers on E15 and the Farm Bill.\n\nMarch 2026: Spoke at an Agriculture Committee hearing in strong support of E15.\n\nJanuary 2026: Wrote an op-ed praising President Trump\u2019s support for legislation allowing for the year-round, nationwide sale of E15.\n\nSeptember 2025: Received Growth Energy\u2019s 2025 \u201cFueling Growth Award\u201d for his efforts to support biofuel production.\n\nOctober 2025: Called for any legislation that includes ad hoc payments to farmers to also include E15.\n\nAugust 2025: Introduced the bipartisan Ethanol for America Act to make it easier for Americans to fuel their vehicles with homegrown E15.\n\nApril 2025: Joined a bipartisan letter urging President Trump to permit the nationwide sale of E15 fuel through the 2025 summer driving season and beyond.\n\nFebruary 2025: Reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act with Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a congressional proposal to allow for E15 sales year-round and nationwide.\n\nApril 2024: Welcomed the EPA\u2019s emergency fuel waiver permitting nationwide E15 sales for the summer 2024 driving season.\n\nFebruary 2024: Applauded the EPA\u2019s decision to approve a petition from eight Midwestern governors to permanently authorize year-round E-15 sales in their states.\n\nDecember 2023: Pushed the EPA to quickly finalize a summertime waiver, helping retailers prepare for summer 2024 sales.\n\nApril 2023: Issued a statement on the EPA\u2019s decision to permit nationwide E15 sales for the summer 2023 driving season.\n\nApril 2023: Sent a letter urging President Joe Biden to issue an emergency waiver allowing for the summertime sale of E15.\n\nMarch 2023: Reintroduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act with Fischer and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).\n\nNovember 2022: Introduced legislation to expand the year-round sale of E15 nationwide, extending the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above 10%.\n\nMarch 2022: Sent a letter urging President Biden to permit the year-round sale of E15 fuel to restore American energy independence.\n\nApril 2021: Introduced the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act requiring the EPA to finalize its proposed rule removing certain barriers to expanded sales of E15.\n\nJuly 2021: Reintroduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act with Fischer and Klobuchar.\n\nMay 2019: Led the effort to encourage the first Trump administration to approve year-round E15.\n\nMarch 2019: Praised the EPA\u2019s proposed rule allowing the year-round sale of E15.\n\nFebruary 2019: Reintroduced the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act.\n\nJanuary 2019: Received the E15 award from the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Alongside Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for championing year-round sales of E15.\n\nOctober 2018: Released a video statement in support of the EPA beginning the process of allowing year-round use of E15 gasoline.\n\nMarch 2017: Introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.\n\nOctober 2018: Authored an op-ed with Ernst in support of year-round E15.\n\nMarch 2015: Introduced the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act to remove the EPA\u2019s impediments to market competition and innovation in the transportation fuel market.\n\nJanuary 2011: Praised EPA\u2019s decision to expand eligibility for its E15 waiver.\n\nOctober 2010: Welcomed the EPA\u2019s decision first authorizing E15 usage.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-earns-award-for-championing-iowa-pork-producers", "Ernst Earns Award for Championing Iowa Pork Producers", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, received the National Pork Producers Council\u2019s (NPPC) inaugural \u201cBringing Home the Bacon\u201d Congressional Award in recognition of her work supporting America\u2019s 60,000-plus pork producers.\n\nSenator Ernst receives the inaugural \u201cBringing Home the Bacon\u201d award from NPPC President and Iowa pork producer Rob Brenneman\n\nDownload more photos of Senator Ernst here.\n\n\u201cGrowing up feeding hogs and walking beans on my family farm in southwest Iowa, I learned early that agriculture is not just an industry in Iowa\u2014it is our way of life,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cIt has been the honor of a lifetime to fight for our pork producers, and I\u2019m grateful to be earning this award for my work. I will keep fighting to bring home the bacon by standing up to California\u2019s Proposition 12, protecting our herds from foreign animal disease, and opening new markets for Iowa farmers and producers.\u201d\n\n\u201cPork producers\u2014both in and outside Iowa\u2014benefit from Senator Ernst\u2019s pure grit and willingness to never back down from the good fight,\u201d said NPPC President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington County, Iowa. \u201cSenator Ernst always takes the time to hear our concerns and, most importantly, find solutions to help our industry thrive. We sincerely thank her for her years of service in the United States Senate.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-miller-meeks-applaud-house-passage-of-bipartisan-bill-to-expose-boondoggles", "Ernst, Miller-Meeks Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Expose Boondoggles", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) applauded the U.S. House of Representatives\u2019 unanimous passage of their bipartisan Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act.\n\nThis legislation requires taxpayer-funded projects that are more than $1 billion over budget or more than five years behind schedule to be made public. The bill now heads to the president\u2019s desk, and it is expected to become law.\n\n\u201cGoing a billion dollars over budget isn\u2019t a rounding error\u2014it\u2019s a financial trainwreck at taxpayers\u2019 expense,\u201d said Sen. Ernst. \u201cTaxpayers deserve transparency, and this legislation will shine a light on these boondoggles and hold Washington accountable for its out-of-control spending.\u201d\n\n\u201cIowans work hard for their money, and they expect Washington to be a good steward of every taxpayer dollar,\u201d said Rep. Miller-Meeks. \u201cWhen billion-dollar projects go years over schedule and billions over budget, taxpayers deserve answers and accountability. The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act will shine a light on these financial train wrecks and make sure Congress and the American people know where their money is going. I\u2019m proud to see this bill pass Congress and head to the president\u2019s desk, and I thank Senator Ernst for her partnership in getting this important legislation across the finish line.\u201d\n\nFollowing a report released by Ernst that exposed more than a dozen projects that collectively experienced $162 billion in cost overruns, Ernst and Miller-Meeks have worked hand in hand to lead the fight to pass this bill to require the Office of Management and Budget to compile and publicly report information on federally funded projects that are over budget and behind schedule.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\nBackground\n\nErnst has spent years working to expose and eliminate wasteful government spending, including successfully advocating for the defunding of California\u2019s high-speed rail project, which she has highlighted as an example of a major government project plagued by cost overruns and delays.\n\nIn 2022, Ernst secured a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act requiring the Department of Transportation to track taxpayer-funded projects that were significantly over budget or behind schedule. She continued pushing for greater transparency through the introduction of the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act in 2023 to shine a light on costly and delayed federal projects.\n\nIn December 2025, Ernst successfully led the U.S. Senate to pass her bipartisan Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act.\n\nEarlier this year, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform passed the bill out of committee. With the national debt now exceeding $40 trillion, the boondoggle report will give Congress a list of failed projects to fix or cancel to save taxpayers billions of dollars every single year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-welcomes-farm-bill-progress-more-work-needed", "Ernst Welcomes Farm Bill Progress, More Work Needed", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee successfully advanced the Farm Bill in a 12-11 vote:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s vote moves the Farm Bill process forward and brings us closer to delivering certainty for Iowa farmers and rural communities. The bill includes important priorities I have fought for, from expanding access to year-round E15 and protecting American farmland from China to supporting farmer mental health,\u201d said Senator Ernst. \u201cThere is still work ahead to build the bipartisan support needed to get a strong five-year Farm Bill across the finish line. I am ready to work with my colleagues across the aisle on a fair path forward for SNAP that strengthens accountability and treats states equally. The final Farm Bill must also include a long-term solution to Proposition 12 that protects livestock producers from a costly future patchwork of conflicting state mandates. I will keep working to deliver a Farm Bill into law that meets the needs of Iowa agriculture.\u201d\n\nWatch Senator Ernst\u2019s remarks here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/video-grassley-votes-to-advance-the-senate-farm-bill", "VIDEO: Grassley Votes to Advance the Senate Farm Bill", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Click HERE for broadcast quality video.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer, today voted to advance the Farm Bill in the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill was favorably reported by a vote of 12-11, with all committee Democrats voting against the Farm Bill.\n\nThe Farm Bill builds on the Working Families Tax Cuts Act Republicans passed last summer by strengthening the farm safety net, investing in rural communities and boosting America\u2019s long-term competitiveness. The legislation will invest in Rural America and provide needed certainty for the ag economy. Importantly, the bill advanced by the committee today also authorizes the permanent, year-round sale of E15.\n\nVideo and a transcript of Grassley\u2019s remarks are below. Broadcast quality video can be found HERE.\n\nVIDEO\n\nI\u2019m pleased to report the Senate Agriculture Committee has advanced a new five-year Farm Bill.\n\nRepublicans made a number of updates to strengthen the farm safety net in last year\u2019s Working Families Tax Cuts Act.\n\nThe Farm Bill provides greater certainty for family farmers and would finally deliver year-round, nationwide E15, which lowers gas prices for consumers and increases domestic corn demand and would put $14 billion more into the corn economy.\n\nEvery Democrat on the Ag Committee voted against the Farm Bill, and every Republican voted for it.\n\nI\u2019ll be pushing Leader Thune to get the Farm Bill passed as soon as possible.\n\nIowans know that I\u2019ve fought hard for E15 and a new five-year Farm Bill, and I\u2019m not done working toward that goal.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/washingtons-secret-spending-stops-today", "Washington\u2019s Secret Spending Stops Today!", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 After years of fighting to increase transparency around Washington spending, President Donald Trump signed U.S. Senator Joni Ernst\u2019s (R-Iowa) bipartisan bill, the Stop Secret Spending Act, into law to require public disclosure of previously hidden government expenditures.\n\nCurrent law requires most federal spending to be publicly reported on USAspending.gov, allowing taxpayers to see who receives federal funds and details about how, where, and why the money is spent. However, a loophole has allowed agencies to withhold thousands of spending arrangements known as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) from public disclosure \u2013 the Stop Secret Spending Act closes that loophole.\n\nThe law also requires the federal government to publish a summary of any spending that remains exempt from public disclosure, including the total amount withheld and the justification for doing so, increasing transparency and accountability across the federal government.\n\nBecause bureaucrats couldn\u2019t be trusted to fully enact the original law, the Stop Secret Spending Act includes several safeguards to guarantee full transparency:\n\nOver the next decade, the Inspectors General of government agencies and departments are required to conduct regular reviews to ensure spending information is being provided to taxpayers in a timely, complete, and accurate manner;\n\nThe Government Accountability Office will also conduct a review and make recommendations for improvements; and\n\nThe Treasury Department must issue an annual report providing the total amount spent on grants, contracts, and other awards not included in USAspending.gov along with the reason that data is not posted for the public.\n\n\u201cTaxpayers deserve the receipts. For years, I\u2019ve fought to drag Washington\u2019s secret spending into the sunlight, and I\u2019m grateful President Trump signed my bill into law,\u201d said Sen. Ernst. \u201cNow, bureaucrats won\u2019t be able to spend Americans\u2019 hard-earned money in the dark.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmericans deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being used. Right now, federal agencies are able to hide billions of dollars in spending from public view through agreements that are not subject to normal government spending disclosure requirements,\u201d said Sen. Hassan. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to see this bipartisan bill to bring more transparency to government spending become law.\u201d\n\n\u201cWaste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer resources by the federal government remains a concern for all Americans,\u201d said Sen. Peters. \u201cThis commonsense legislation will let Americans see how their hard-earned dollars are used, so I\u2019m quite glad that this critical, bipartisan bill has become law.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, billions of dollars in federal spending have gone unreported due to a loophole in the disclosure of other transaction agreements,\u201d said Rep. Panetta. \u201cI\u2019m proud that our bipartisan, bicameral Stop Secret Spending Act has been signed into law, closing that gap by ensuring these expenditures are accounted for on USAspending.gov. This is a commonsense step toward strengthening public trust, improving fiscal accountability, and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.\u201d\n\n\u201cWashington has spent far too long operating behind closed doors, and the American people deserve better. That is why I introduced the Stop Secret Spending Act, and I am proud to see President Trump sign it into law,\u201d said Rep. Moore. \u201cI am grateful to Senator Joni Ernst and Congressman Jimmy Panetta for standing with me in this fight to bring greater transparency and accountability to federal spending. This law closes a loophole that allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to escape public scrutiny and makes clear that American taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent. This is an important step toward changing the way Washington does business and putting taxpayers first.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Ernst has long advocated for greater transparency in federal spending. She first introduced the bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act after raising concerns about billions of dollars in undisclosed federal spending through Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and has repeatedly pushed the legislation forward.\n\nOver the past five fiscal years (October 1, 2021, through September 14, 2026):\n\nThe Department of War has obligated $85 billion for thousands of OTAs, through over 30,000 hard-to-track contracts, of which 1,898 are unclassified contracts of $10-million-or-more (438 $10mil+ contracts in just this fiscal year alone).\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security has obligated $52.2 million for over 700 OTAs; and\n\nThe Department of the Interior has obligated $858.8 million for over 220 OTAs, with many of these actually paid out for the Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 ARPA-H biomedical research contracts.\n\nIn August, the Stop Secret Spending Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously and was sent to the president\u2019s desk. Ernst has continued working across the aisle to advance the legislation and ensure taxpayers have greater visibility into how their hard-earned dollars are spent.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-09-15-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 09-15-26", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this afternoon\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: the Senate Judiciary Committee\u2019s FBI oversight hearing, diesel prices, Iran, whistleblower advocacy and the 2026 midterm elections.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-questions-director-patel-at-senate-judiciary-committee-oversight-hearing", "Grassley Questions Director Patel at Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questioned Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel at today\u2019s FBI oversight hearing.\n\nGrassley pressed Patel on the FBI\u2019s work to root out suspected Afghan terrorists that entered the country through the Biden administration\u2019s Operation Allies Welcome program and the FBI\u2019s expansion of counter drone capabilities, as well as the FBI\u2019s efforts to combat whistleblower retaliation and shine light on Operation Round River and the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Patel thanked Grassley for his Big Tech oversight, which the director confirmed has resulted in \u201csignificantly improved\u201d child safety reporting.\n\nVideo and a transcript of Grassley and Patel\u2019s exchange follow.\n\nVIDEO\n\nProtecting Kids Online\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cIn April 2026, I wrote to eight major internet companies to ensure NCMEC received enough data to hold online child predators accountable. NCMEC informed me last month that several companies have \u2018significantly improved\u2019 their child safety reporting. The FBI has assigned personnel to NCMEC to review online reports.\n\n\u201cWhat improvements can these companies make so that the FBI can more effectively turn the tables and hunt these predators down?\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThese companies\u2026 [have] allowed us to gain access to their intelligence and their databases for the first time ever, in a secure fashion, specifically for the role of man-hunting child predators and finding missing and exploited children.\n\n\u201cAs I stated in my opening, we have found and located over 11,000 children \u2013 that's up 20%. That's never happened before. So, thank you for that jolt in the arm that was needed in the private sector. We're going to continue to expand those engagements and work with Congress...so that this continuous flow of data can come in legally and lawfully, and that law enforcement can use it.\u201d\n\nOversight of the Afghan Parole Program\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has produced to my office letters of recommendation for two Afghan evacuees placed in the United States during the Biden administration. Department of Homeland Security has confirmed in writing that the government official who signed the letters was Morgan Killington. According to State Department emails, Killington is not a real person.\n\n\u201cThe Afghan evacuee charged with shooting two West Virginia National Guardsmen and the Afghan evacuee charged with funding ISIS-K received those letters of recommendation. Clearly, this is a sign of failed vetting.\n\n\u201cIs the FBI performing ongoing reviews to ensure known or suspected terrorists didn\u2019t slip into the country or otherwise should\u2019ve been barred from entry? What has the FBI found to date?\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cWe are working with our partners at DHS who lead this mission\u2026 the number of known or suspected terrorists encountered at the northern and southern border have dropped, thanks to the [security] of the southern border and thanks to the presence of law enforcement and DHS on the northern border\n\n\u201cWe're going to continue to work with our intel partners to reach back through and analyze Operation Allies Welcome after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and we\u2019ll continue to vet those individuals to make sure we never have an event, a tragic terrorist attack, like we witnessed here in the heart of Washington, D.C., last year in Thanksgiving.\u201d\n\nUncovering Prohibited Access Files and Operation Round River\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cAt last year\u2019s oversight hearing, I raised concerns about FBI files being hidden in Prohibited Access and Restricted Access cases. You noted last year that you\u2019d produce records found in these types of cases, which you\u2019ve done a good job of.\n\n\u201cPlease update the committee on the steps you\u2019ve taken to ensure these types of records are discoverable and that records can\u2019t be hidden from Congress, the courts and the American people.\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThe prohibitive cases, Mr. Chairman, were created just for that purpose \u2013 to evade transparency [and] to evade promulgation of FBI records that should be made available under FOIA and constitutional oversight. So, we simply did the following: I eliminated prohibited cases\u2026 we will work with your committee to continue producing records for what used to be called prohibitive cases.\u201d\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cAs I noted in my opening statement, I have concerns about how Round River records were stored, managed and classified. Round River was the operation that shut down certain government sources regarding the Biden family with apparently no justification. For example, some records include banner markings with \u2018Round River\u2019 as a classification code. This is highly unusual, if not outright improper.\n\n\u201cWhat steps have you taken to investigate any improper classification of Round River records and hold people accountable?\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThanks to your referral, Mr. Chairman, and shedding light on this, we looked at the classification processes surrounding this \u2018creation\u2019 of a [classification] called Round River. We discovered that there was no FBI policy to substantiate such a classification, and that it was basically made up.\n\n\u201cSo now, working with you and your staff, we are committed to continue to produce [records], on top of the nearly 2,000 pages of documents on Round River that we've already produced\u2026 We are conducting an internal investigation through the Inspection Division on the individuals who launched and codified this false and fake [classification].\u201d\n\nCombating Whistleblower Retaliation\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cAccording to an August 2026 Justice Department Inspector General report, FBI officials during [former FBI Director] Wray's tenure retaliated against an FBI employee named Jacob Mercer. These FBI officials are still employed.\n\n\u201cAt your nomination hearing, you committed to ensuring whistleblowers are protected from retaliation. What steps has the FBI taken to hold the retaliators accountable for their violation of law, and if nothing's been done, will you commit to updating the committee on accountability measures?\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThat is in the middle of an internal investigation. As soon as I'm able to update the committee, after working with our Department of Justice partners, I will do so.\u201d\n\nExpanding FBI\u2019s Counter Drone Capacity\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cThe Safer Skies Act granted long overdue authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to protect their communities from malicious drones. As of July 1st, the FBI had certified 46 eligible agencies to conduct drone mitigation, training a maximum of 16 officers per month. We can\u2019t get our law enforcement agencies certified to use these authorities fast enough.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the FBI doing to expand and expedite its counter drone training capacity for eligible state and local law enforcement agencies?\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThe FBI, under my leadership, stood up the first ever counter-UAS school, called NCUTC, down at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, where we've trained hundreds of law enforcement officers\u2026\n\n\u201cWhat we've asked Congress for is increased funding so that we can triple the size of that school, allowing more state and local officers to come in and work with us, and deploy them like we did during the World Cup on our ground intercept teams to cover 11 separate venues and take down 750 drones. We need more equipment, more tech and more bodies trained.\u201d\n\nExposing the Weaponized Crossfire Hurricane Investigation\n\nGRASSLEY: \u201cFor almost a decade, I\u2019ve exposed political weaponization during Crossfire Hurricane and so have you. President Trump issued an Executive Order in each of his administrations mandating declassification of Crossfire Hurricane records.\n\n\u201cPlease describe the steps you\u2019ve taken to ensure full declassification and whether other agencies, like the CIA, have created roadblocks to declassifying all records.\u201d\n\nPATEL: \u201cThe Crossfire Hurricane declassification at the FBI, at least what's under my control, Mr. Chairman, has been fully declassified. There is some information in there that I do not control because we do not own it, and we have vigorously worked with our intelligence community partners to declassify that. We've produced the largest amount of Crossfire Hurricane documentation to the Congress ever, and we're going to continue.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-five-sons-landscaping-and-design", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Five Sons Landscaping & Design", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa\u2019s 99 counties.\n\nRED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Five Sons Landscape & Design of Madison County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cFive Sons Landscape & Design has laid the groundwork for success through hard work, family values, and a commitment to serving their fellow Iowans,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cFrom a humble background, Brady started with a wheelbarrow and borrowed tools to build a full-service landscaping company alongside his family. Five Sons has continued to grow deep roots in the Winterset community through their dedication to their customers, conservation, veterans, and the next generation.\u201d\n\nFounded on a dream between father and son, Eric and Brady Pugh, Five Sons Landscaping began in 2013 after both returned from a military deployment to Afghanistan. Brady built the business from the ground up and named the company in honor of his family \u2013 Eric and Monica\u2019s five sons. Today, the Winterset-based company remains family-owned and operated and offers a variety of landscaping services, including paver patios and sidewalks, retaining walls, boulder walls, plantings, and property maintenance.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/during-national-truck-driver-appreciation-week-grassley-celebrates-efforts-to-deliver-safer-roads-for-families-and-industry", "During National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, Grassley Celebrates Efforts to Deliver Safer Roads for Families and Industry", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is welcoming improvements to roadway safety amid National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (September 13-19).\n\nIn a response to a Grassley oversight letter, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) touted their recent actions to prevent drivers from violating Department of Transportation (DOT) and FMCSA regulations. Additionally, the Trump administration recently announced a historic crackdown on fraud in the trucking industry, including stronger enforcement of English language proficiency requirements. The announcement comes after Grassley and other elected officials pressed for action.\n\n\u201cTruck drivers put in the miles to keep our economy moving and bring Iowa\u2019s world-class goods to market. I appreciate the Trump administration taking this issue seriously and responding to my oversight letters. By cracking down on fraudsters trying to game the system, this administration is standing with our truckers and working to keep America\u2019s roads safe,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cThe state of Iowa is proud to support the truck drivers and motor carriers who build our economy,\u201d said Scott Marler, Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation. \u201cOur commercial driver licensing programs, truck parking facilities, and highway improvements provide an environment where truckers can deliver for Iowans and across the nation.\u201d\n\nHelping drivers get safely back on the road:\n\nIn April, Grassley pressed FMCSA regarding allegations that a network of scammers was abusing the Return-to-Duty (RTD) program to circumvent FMCSA\u2019s legally mandated recovery process and to fraudulently collect fees from truck drivers.\n\nIn its response to Grassley, FMCSA reported its recent actions to protect the integrity of the RTD program and hold fraudsters accountable for violating DOT and FMCSA regulations. This includes new identity verification requirements and plans to discontinue the self-certification process later this year.\n\nCurbing CDL fraud:\n\nGrassley and others pressed the Trump administration to prevent illegal immigrants and fraudsters from obtaining commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and ensure CDL holders meet English language proficiency requirements. Numerous news reports have shown dangerous illegal immigrant drivers causing serious accidents that leave Americans severely injured or killed.\n\nIn August, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin joined other federal partners to announce a historic interagency effort to crack down on fraud in the trucking industry. The coalition is launching a nationwide audit of CDL testing and is removing over 110 CDL schools associated with thousands of drivers who failed English proficiency tests.\n\nCombating organized retail crime:\n\nGrassley and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) are leading the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to crack down on cargo theft and intricate retail theft schemes. Their bipartisan legislation strengthens the federal response to organized retail crime and establishes new tools to recover stolen goods and illicit proceeds. It\u2019s estimated that approximately $35 billion is lost to cargo theft each year.", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-marks-25-years-since-september-11-freedom-is-never-free", "Ernst Marks 25 Years Since September 11: Freedom Is Never Free", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran of the Global War on Terrorism, issued the following statement to reflect on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001:\n\n\u201cTwenty-five years ago, America\u2019s strength was tested. September 11th changed our nation forever, but it also showed the world the resilience, courage, and unity of the American people,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cA quarter-century later, we remember the innocent lives taken from us and honor the extraordinary Americans who came together in the face of unimaginable tragedy to help our nation heal and rebuild. We must never forget that freedom is never free\u2014it is defended every day by the brave men and women who answer the call to serve. Today, we renew our promise to Never Forget and remain steadfast in protecting the freedoms that keep America a beacon of hope and liberty around the world.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-upholding-public-trust-in-government", "Q&A: Upholding Public Trust in Government", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: What motivates you to hold meetings in every county across Iowa every year?\n\nA: When the Senate\u2019s not in session, I\u2019m home meeting with Iowans. Having dialogue with my constituents is the essence of representative government. As your senator, I bring your ideas and concerns back to Washington, D.C., to solve problems that are making it harder to get ahead and stay ahead. This year I completed my 99 county meetings for the 46th year in a row with more than 100 workers at Sub-Zero in Cedar Rapids. Holding Q&As at hospitals, manufacturing facilities and on the factory floor provides an additional benefit to keep on top of the challenges facing employers and the workforce, as well as learning about our high-quality products and services here in Iowa. I also make it a priority to foster civic engagement with younger generations and enjoy answering questions from students at schools across Iowa.\n\nI\u2019m often asked why I started my annual 99 county meetings. Before I was elected to the U.S. Senate, I was at a local restaurant and overheard someone say that \u201cit must be election time\u201d because politicians were in town. That remark stuck with me. That\u2019s when I decided to hold a meeting in every county, at least once, every year \u2013 not every six years. I\u2019m glad my approach to representative government has influenced presidential candidates and other elected officials to hold themselves accountable to the people with face-to-face meetings. Obviously, it\u2019s not possible to meet in person with more than three million Iowans, so I encourage people to share their opinions and concerns by calling my office or sending me an email at https://www.grassley.senate.gov/. Whether I interact in person at a county meeting, by email or in my office on Capitol Hill, feedback from Iowans informs my work at the policymaking tables.\n\nFor example, when Iowans told me about a steep price increase for their child\u2019s EpiPen that\u2019s used for emergency treatment for life-threatening allergic reactions, I investigated the situation that led to bipartisan legislation to fix the problem. More recently, I\u2019ve led efforts to fix California\u2019s Prop 12 that\u2019s added a costly burden to Iowa pig farmers\u2019 operations and adversely impacts Iowa\u2019s economy, the number one pork producing state in the nation. I\u2019m also leading a bipartisan push for much-needed reforms in the pharmaceutical industry that\u2019s making it harder for rural pharmacies to keep their doors open. Based on feedback from local employers across Iowa, I supported tax relief to boost the engine of the U.S. economy in the Working Families Tax Cuts Actthat enable small businesses to invest in their operations, create new jobs, raise wages and boost benefits for their employees. As your senator, I remind Iowans that my door is always open.\n\nQ: Why did you cosponsor the Stop Insider Trading Act?\n\nA: My annual 99 county meetings keep my finger on the pulse of Iowans as I work to strengthen public confidence in government. Years ago, Iowans often would ask why Congress doesn\u2019t have to follow the same laws it applies to American society. Prior to 1995, Congress was exempt from a dozen workplace laws. My bipartisan Congressional Accountability Act delivered a reality check to the people who write the laws of the land so that lawmakers walk in the shoes of our constituents.\n\nThere\u2019s also growing concern among Americans that elected officeholders enrich themselves while serving in office. Under no circumstances should members of Congress profit from insider information while shaping public policy. Public service is a privilege, not a stepping stone to a fat bank account. Among my efforts to restore public trust in government, I led efforts to improve the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act enacted during the Obama administration to prohibit members of Congress and federal employees from profiting from nonpublic, insider information. Since its passage, I\u2019ve worked to close loopholes in the law.\n\nMost recently, I\u2019ve cosponsored the Stop Insider Trading Act. This legislation would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks. Moreover, members would be required to file a seven-day public notice prior to the sale of any stock they presently own. Violations of the bill\u2019s requirements would result in stiff penalties and the forfeiture of any gain realized from the transaction. With the support of Iowa Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra, the House of Representatives passed the bill in July.\n\nVoters place their trust in elected representatives to do what\u2019s right and this bill establishes guardrails to do just that. After 46 years of holding Q&As in every county, every year across the state, it\u2019s an honor and a privilege to listen, learn and advocate on behalf of my fellow Iowans. Without a doubt, common sense runs rampant in Iowa and I\u2019m working as hard as ever to uphold the public trust in government by displacing Washington nonsense with Iowa common sense.", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-pipers-grocery-and-homemade-candies", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Piper\u2019s Grocery and Homemade Candies", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Piper\u2019s Grocery and Homemade Candies of Lucas County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cPiper\u2019s Grocery and Homemade Candies has sweetened the Chariton community for more than 120 years, preserving generations of tradition that make Iowans keep coming back,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cFrom handmade candies crafted with time-tested recipes to locally made products that support surrounding shops, Jill and her team have maintained a business that is truly a treat for Chariton.\u201d\n\nPiper\u2019s first opened in downtown Chariton in 1905 when Joe L. Piper began serving the community with fresh meats, bread, and everyday essentials. His son, Bob, later took over the business and introduced homemade candies using recipes and techniques that are still used today. After longtime employees Anne and Jim Kerns purchased Piper\u2019s in the 1980s, their daughter, Jill Kerns, took ownership in 1988. Today, Jill and her team continue making Piper\u2019s famous candies in small batches while offering deli meats and cheeses, fresh sandwiches, groceries, Iowa-made foods, and locally crafted products.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-shaheen-self-issue-statement-ahead-of-the-funeral-of-ratko-mladic", "Grassley, Shaheen, Self Issue Statement Ahead of the Funeral of Ratko Mladic", "2026-09-06", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, to issue the following statement ahead of Ratko Mladic's funeral.\n\n\u201cRatko Mladic was a war criminal and the architect of the Srebrenica genocide, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were murdered. His forces were also responsible for the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo, one of the longest in modern history. Together, his actions constitute some of the most inhumane atrocities committed on European soil since World War II.\n\n\u201cIt is a desecration\u2014to the memory of his victims and to a region still living with the consequences of his campaign of ethnic cleansing\u2014for any government to memorialize or glorify his death. It is already deeply troubling that Serbia has announced Mladic will be buried with state and military honors and that Milorad Dodik hailed Mladic as \u2018a fighter for Serbian freedom.\u2019\n\n\u201cAhead of Monday\u2019s funeral, we call on the Government of Serbia and the Government of Republika Srpska to refrain from any association with the planned ceremonies and to ensure that no public statement or official act memorializes Mladic as anything other than what he was: a convicted architect of genocide.\n\n\u201cThe coming days will be a test of whether Serbia and Republika Srpska are prepared to break from the past and advance toward EU accession and Euro-Atlantic integration\u2014or whether they will allow that past to once again stand in the way of a better future for their people.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/09/04/2026/grassley-announces-staff-traveling-office-hours-across-iowa", "Grassley Announces Staff Traveling Office Hours Across Iowa", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley\u2019s (R-Iowa) staff will hold traveling office hours in 48 counties from Monday, September 14, to Thursday, September 24. Iowans seeking assistance with a federal agency or wishing to share their views may stop by during the scheduled hours listed below.\n\nNOTE: Senator Grassley will not be in attendance. He will be represented by his Deputy State Director Penny Vacek and Regional Directors, Rochelle Fuller, Jonathan Bladt, Noah Schrad, Jacob Bossman and Clayton Brown.\n\n\u201cAs I always say, dialogue is the essence of representative government. I make an effort to meet with as many Iowans as I can face-to-face each year to hear what\u2019s on their minds. While I can\u2019t meet personally with all three million Iowans, my staff holds traveling office hours as an additional way to ensure Iowans\u2019 voices are heard and their issues are addressed,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI encourage Iowans needing assistance to stop by during these upcoming traveling office hours to meet with my staff, or contact me anytime at grassley.senate.gov.\u201d\n\nLast month Grassley completed his annual 99 county meetings for the 46th year in a row, and will continue to hold question-and-answer sessions with Iowans throughout the remainder of the year.\n\nThe schedule for Grassley\u2019s staff traveling office hours is as follows:\n\nMonday, September 14\n\nHancock County\n\n9 \u2013 10 a.m.\n\nGarner Chamber\n\n483 State Street\n\nGarner\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nWashington County\n\n9:30 \u2013 10:30 a.m.\n\nWellman City Hall\n\n316 8th Avenue\n\nWellman\n\nRegional Director Rochelle Fuller\n\nJefferson County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nFairfield City Hall\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n118 South Main Street\n\nFairfield\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nWinnebago County\n\n10:30 \u2013 11:30 a.m.\n\nLake Mills Truman Helgeson Community Center\n\n227 West Main Street\n\nLake Mills\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nWorth County\n\n12 \u2013 1 p.m.\n\nWorth County Supervisors Room\n\n1000 Central Avenue\n\nNorthwood\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nWapello County\n\n12:30 \u2013 1:30 p.m.\n\nOttumwa City Hall\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n105 East 3rd Street\n\nOttumwa\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nJohnson County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nJohnson County Extension Office\n\n3109 Old Highway 218 South\n\nIowa City\n\nRegional Director Rochelle Fuller\n\nMills County\n\n1:30 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nSouthwest Iowa Technical Career Hub\n\n58962 380th Street\n\nHastings\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nCerro Gordo County\n\n2 \u2013 3 p.m.\n\nMason City Chamber Conference Room\n\n9 North Federal Avenue\n\nMason City\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nDavis County\n\n2:30 \u2013 3:30 p.m.\n\nBloomfield Public Library\n\nSmall Meeting Room\n\n107 North Columbia Street\n\nBloomfield\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nMontgomery County\n\n3:30 \u2013 4 p.m.\n\nMontgomery County Economic Development Office\n\n307 East Reed Street\n\nRed Oak\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nTuesday, September 15\n\nFloyd County\n\n9 \u2013 10 a.m.\n\nNora Springs City Hall\n\n45 North Hawkeye Avenue\n\nNora Springs\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nMarion County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nKnoxville Public Library\n\nMeeting Room\n\n213 East Montgomery Street\n\nKnoxville\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nTaylor County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nTaylor County Farm Bureau Office\n\n607 Pollock Boulevard\n\nBedford\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nAllamakee County\n\n10:30 \u2013 11:30 a.m.\n\nMeehan Memorial Lansing Public Library\n\n515 Main Street\n\nLansing\n\nRegional Director Rochelle Fuller\n\nFranklin County\n\n11 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m.\n\nSheffield Public Library\n\n123 South 3rd Street\n\nSheffield\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nPage County\n\n12:30 \u2013 1:30 p.m.\n\nLied Public Library\n\n100 East Garfield Street\n\nClarinda\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nWarren County\n\n12:30 \u2013 1:30 p.m.\n\nIndianola Public Library\n\nMeeting Room\n\n207 North B Street\n\nIndianola\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nWright County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nBelmond City Hall Community Room\n\n112 2nd Avenue Northeast\n\nBelmond\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nAdams County\n\n2:30 \u2013 3:30 p.m.\n\nAdams County Economic Development Office\n\n710 Davis Avenue\n\nCorning\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nMadison County\n\n3 \u2013 4 p.m.\n\nWinterset Public Library\n\nPublic Meeting Room\n\n123 North 2nd Street\n\nWinterset\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nWednesday, September 16\n\nBremer County\n\n9 \u2013 10 a.m.\n\nTripoli City Hall Council Chambers\n\n303 South Main Street\n\nTripoli\n\nRegional Director Clayton Brown\n\nBoone County\n\n9 \u2013 10 a.m.\n\nEricson Public Library\n\n2nd Floor Library Meeting Room\n\n702 Greene Street\n\nBoone\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nO\u2019Brien County\n\n9:15 \u2013 10:15 a.m.\n\nO\u2019Brien County Courthouse\n\n1st Floor Assembly Room\n\n155 South Hayes Avenue\n\nPrimghar\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nAdams County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nAudubon County Economic Development Office\n\n800 Market Street\n\nAudubon\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nPlymouth County\n\n11 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m.\n\nRemsen City Hall\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n008 West 2nd Street\n\nRemsen\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nGreene County\n\n11 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m.\n\nGreene County Community Center\n\nNorth Room\n\n204 West Harrison Street\n\nJefferson\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nShelby County\n\n12 \u2013 1 p.m.\n\nShelby County Economic Development Office\n\nSuite 101\n\n1901 Hawkeye Avenue\n\nHarlan\n\nRegional Director Jonathan Bladt\n\nGuthrie County\n\n2 \u2013 3 p.m.\n\nMary J. Barnett Memorial Library\n\nSmall Meeting Room\n\n400 Grand Street\n\nGuthrie Center\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nThursday, September 17\n\nSac County\n\n9:30 \u2013 10:30 a.m.\n\nSchaller City Building\n\nFire Department Meeting Room\n\n101 East 1st Street\n\nSchaller\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nDelaware County\n\n9:30 \u2013 10:30 a.m.\n\nGreeley City Hall\n\n214 East 2nd Street\n\nGreeley\n\nRegional Director Rochelle Fuller\n\nBuena Vista County\n\n11 a.m. \u2013 12 p.m.\n\nStorm Lake City Hall\n\nConference Room\n\n620 Erie Street\n\nStorm Lake\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nDubuque County\n\n5:30 \u2013 6:30 p.m.\n\nSherrill City Office\n\nSherrill City Park\n\n5098 Sherrill Road\n\nSherrill\n\nRegional Director Rochelle Fuller\n\nMonday, September 21\n\nHamilton County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nHamilton County Courthouse\n\nBasement Conference Room\n\n2300 Superior Street\n\nWebster City\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nStory County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nAmes Regional Economic Alliance\n\nMain Floor Boardroom\n\n304 Main Street\n\nAmes\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nMarshall County\n\n3 \u2013 4 p.m.\n\nMarshalltown Public Library\n\nBrucklacher Conference Room\n\n105 West Boone Street\n\nMarshalltown\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nWednesday, September 23\n\nCalhoun County\n\n9:45 \u2013 10:45 a.m.\n\nRockwell City City Hall\n\n335 Main Street\n\nRockwell City\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nJasper County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nNewton Public Library\n\nMeeting Room\n\n100 North 3rd Avenue West\n\nNewton\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nScott County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nBuffalo City Hall\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n329 Dodge Street\n\nBuffalo\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nWebster County\n\n11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.\n\nBadger Community Center\n\n211 1st Avenue SE\n\nBadger\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nHumboldt County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nHumboldt County Courthouse\n\nBoard of Supervisors Room\n\n203 Main Street\n\nDakota City\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nPolk County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nAltoona Public Library\n\nMeeting Room B\n\n700 8th Street Southwest\n\nAltoona\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nDallas County\n\n3 \u2013 4 p.m.\n\nWaukee Public Library\n\nManders Meeting Room\n\n950 South Warrior Lane\n\nWaukee\n\nRegional Director Noah Schrad\n\nPocahontas County\n\n3 \u2013 4 p.m.\n\nLaurens Public Library\n\n273 North 3rd Street\n\nLaurens\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nThursday, September 24\n\nHenry County\n\n9:30 \u2013 10:30 a.m.\n\nMount Pleasant City Hall\n\n307 East Monroe Street\n\nMount Pleasant\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nOsceola County\n\n10 \u2013 11 a.m.\n\nSibley Public Library\n\nMeeting Room\n\n406 9th Street\n\nSibley\n\nRegional Director Jacob Bossman\n\nLee County\n\n11:30 a.m. \u2013 12:30 p.m.\n\nFort Madison City Hall\n\nCouncil Chambers\n\n811 Avenue E\n\nFort Madison\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek\n\nVan Buren County\n\n1 \u2013 2 p.m.\n\nBonaparte Community Improvement Association Building (BCIA)\n\nCafeteria\n\n602 8th Street\n\nBonaparte\n\nDeputy State Director Penny Vacek", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-welcomes-trump-administration-actions-to-support-american-beef-producers", "Grassley Welcomes Trump Administration Actions to Support American Beef Producers", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, welcomed new actions from the Trump administration to stand with family farmers and deliver relief to beef producers across Rural America.\n\nThe executive orders signed by President Trump today build on longstanding Grassley priorities, including robust enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, more options for shipping inspected meat across state lines and a renewed focus on mandatory country-of-origin labeling.\n\n\u201cIowa family farmers are in need of some good news, and today the Trump administration delivered just that. For years, I\u2019ve sounded the alarm about anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry and the need to support domestic producers\u2019 cattle markets. It\u2019s good to see President Trump acting on policies that will directly benefit Iowans,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley introduced the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act to strengthen enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act in the meatpacking industry by adding a team of investigators with subpoena power within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).\n\nGrassley is a cosponsor of the bipartisan New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act to allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold across state lines.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-beef_biofuels", "Q&A: Beef & Biofuels", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "UPDATE: Grassley welcomes Trump administration actions to support American beef producers\n\nLearn more HERE.\n\nQ: What can be done to help cattle producers grow their herds?\n\nA: Americans consume approximately 59 pounds of beef per person each year, a testament to this high-quality source of iron-and-protein-rich food known for its mouth-watering, nutritional value. In 2024, U.S. cattle production represented about 22 percent of the $515 billion in total cash receipts for agricultural commodities. During my annual county meetings, I\u2019ve discussed the hardship cattle farmers are facing to build back their herds and get a fair shake in the marketplace. I\u2019m glad U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche accepted my invitation to come to the Iowa State Fair and hear directly from Iowa farmers \u2013 who are among the two percent of the population raising food for the other 98 percent of the U.S. population \u2013 and feeling squeezed out of their livelihoods from anticompetitive practices of the Big Four meatpackers. During his confirmation hearing in July, I called upon the Attorney General to commit to enforcing federal competition laws with particular attention to the cattle markets.\n\nAmerica\u2019s cattle herd is at its lowest in about 75 years and still contracting after producers culled cow-calf operations due to natural disasters and other market conditions, including restrictions to mitigate the spread of New World Screwworm in the United States. It takes time to rebuild the cattle herd. I\u2019m working to ensure supply meets demand by supporting our domestic cattle markets and pushing the Trump administration to put America\u2019s cattle farmers and ranchers first. For example, I\u2019m sponsoring bipartisan legislation to look into the economic impact of livestock market consolidation on cattle producers and consumers. Cattle farmers sometimes earn pennies on the dollar in a marketplace where just four companies control 85% of the market. Farmers get less, and families pay more at the grocery store. That\u2019s why I\u2019m also sponsoring a bill to beef up enforcement of anticompetitive practices in the consolidated meatpacking industry. Most recently, I joined a letter calling upon the USDA and U.S. Department of Interior to keep working to expand grazing access for livestock producers and strengthen risk management tools that protect cattle producers from market volatility. I also joined a bicameral letter with more than 50 farm state lawmakers urging President Trump to build on his administration\u2019s successes with Australia and the United Kingdom to expand market access for high-quality, American-grown beef. Such trade agreements drive confidence in the market, giving cattle producers more certainty to expand and invest in rebuilding their herds.\n\nQ: How are you working to strengthen Iowa biofuels?", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-moran-smith-50-colleagues-to-urge-expanded-markets-for-us-cattle-producers", "Grassley Joins Moran, Smith, 50 Colleagues to Urge Expanded Markets for U.S. Cattle Producers", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, joined U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and 50 of their colleagues in a letter urging President Trump to prioritize policies that expand trade market access and provide certainty for American cattle producers. Members of Iowa\u2019s congressional delegation also joined the letter, including U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa).\n\n\u201cAmerican ranchers work diligently to do more with less, weather volatile markets, and provide a safe food supply,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cCattle markets are cyclical, and ranchers use the upswings to prepare for the inevitable downturn. Any intervention in the natural system, especially at a time when producers are making marketing decisions, threatens to pick winners and losers and undermine the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations throughout the supply chain.\u201d\n\nThe letter follows President Trump\u2019s recent proclamation to increase the \u201cother countries\u201d quota for lean beef trimmings by 300,000 metric tons for 90 days beginning on September 1, 2026, and indicated such imports will be sold at 25% below market price.\n\n\u201cAs you consider policy changes which could impact American livestock producers, we urge you to prioritize proposals which deliver long-term market stability and confidence while consulting closely with impacted stakeholders,\u201d the lawmakers concluded. \u201cWe are eager to work together to deliver certainty for American cattle producers while continuing to deliver safe, affordable, and high-quality American beef.\u201d\n\nA full list of cosigners can be found HERE.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found HERE and below.\n\nSeptember 2, 2026\n\nThe Honorable Donald J. Trump\n\nPresident of the United States\n\nThe White House\n\n1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20500\n\nPresident Trump,\n\nWe appreciate your attention to the issues impacting American consumers, farmers, and ranchers. A strong American agriculture industry leads to greater efficiency, availability, affordability, and security in our food supply chain. American farmers and ranchers face significant headwinds, including years of prolonged drought, devastating natural disasters, animal disease and pest threats, market swings, and burdensome regulations.\n\nAs you know, the cattle industry is facing 75-year low inventory yet continues to efficiently raise cattle and produce beef that is unmatched in quality anywhere in the world. This does not happen by accident. American ranchers work diligently to do more with less, weather volatile markets, and provide a safe food supply. Cattle markets are cyclical, and ranchers use the upswings to prepare for the inevitable downturn. Any intervention in the natural system, especially at a time when producers are making marketing decisions, threatens to pick winners and losers and undermine the long-term viability of family-owned cattle operations throughout the supply chain.\n\nLong term certainty can be delivered by fostering existing domestic demand and continuing efforts to expand overseas markets for American beef products, building on the successful trade deals you have already secured. As proven through the deals you struck with the United Kingdom and Australia, there is significant opportunity for advancing market access for American beef around the world. These trade deals, coupled with the significant benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts, will drive long-term confidence in the market and create a natural incentive for ranchers to rebuild and expand their herds. Additionally, your support for a modernized Farm Bill would strengthen access to capital and expand flexibility within grazing and conservation programs, providing producers with the tools they need to strengthen and expand the cattle herd.\n\nAs you consider policy changes which could impact American livestock producers, we urge you to prioritize proposals which deliver long-term market stability and confidence while consulting closely with impacted stakeholders. We are eager to work together to deliver certainty for American cattle producers while continuing to deliver safe, affordable, and high-quality American beef.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-to-host-seventh-federal-judiciary-youth-summit-in-des-moines-for-high-school-students", "Grassley to Host Seventh Federal Judiciary Youth Summit in Des Moines for High School Students", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will host his seventh Federal Judiciary Youth Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the U.S. District Courthouse in Des Moines.\n\n\u201cWhile the executive and legislative branches spend more time in the limelight, the federal judiciary\u2019s actions can impact decades, even centuries, of American life,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to announce my seventh Federal Judiciary Youth Summit, which will provide Iowa high school students a behind-the-scenes look at the federal judiciary and a unique opportunity to speak with a U.S. district judge and a U.S. attorney about their work to uphold Americans\u2019 constitutional freedoms. I look forward to our discussion this fall.\u201d\n\nThe summit will feature speakers from both sides of the Southern District of Iowa\u2019s courtroom: U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger and U.S. Attorney David Waterman. Grassley recommended both Ebinger and Waterman to their roles and helped secure their confirmations as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.\n\nThe event will start with a welcome reception followed by a question-and-answer session. Invitations have been sent to 78 area high schools. Each school is allowed to bring four juniors or seniors, accompanied by one teacher.\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley has served on the Judiciary Committee since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. He continually advocates for civic engagement and appreciation of the nation\u2019s system of checks and balances. Under Grassley\u2019s leadership in the 119th Congress, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced 141 of President Trump\u2019s nominees, including 11 circuit judges, 46 district judges, one Court of International Trade judge, 48 U.S. attorneys and 12 U.S. marshals. Among these 141 nominees, four are Iowans.\n\nLearn more about Grassley\u2019s role and responsibilities as Judiciary Chairman HERE.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-applauds-5-million-in-disaster-relief-for-iowa-communities", "Ernst Applauds $5 Million in Disaster Relief for Iowa Communities", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) applauded President Trump for delivering $5 million in federal disaster relief funding following severe weather and heavy rainfall that impacted Iowa between July 1 and July 4.\n\nErnst joined U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and the entire Iowa delegation in urging the administration to expedite disaster assistance for Iowa communities affected by the storms, which caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.\n\n\u201cI am grateful for President Trump\u2019s steadfast support and leadership in quickly answering our call for expedited disaster relief following the devastating storms that struck communities across Iowa,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cThis critical funding will be a lifeline for Iowans working to rebuild their homes and vital infrastructure. I will continue fighting to ensure our communities have the resources they need to recover and come back stronger.\u201d\n\nIn addition to requesting statewide hazard mitigation assistance, Governor Reynolds requested funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program to help repair damaged public infrastructure and facilities, as well as reimburse eligible emergency response and debris removal costs.\n\nThe FEMA Public Assistance request includes the following counties:\n\nJasper County\n\nPolk County\n\nStory County\n\nWarren County\n\nRead the Iowa delegation\u2019s full letter to the president HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn July 24, 2026, Governor Reynolds announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration approved her request to provide disaster assistance to eight counties impacted by the severe storms: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, and Warren counties. Read more HERE.\n\nDisaster loan applications can be submitted online at lending.sba.gov or in person at designated disaster assistance centers.\n\nIowans impacted by the severe storms who need assistance navigating available federal resources are encouraged to contact Senator Ernst\u2019s office or visit ernst.senate.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-marshall-barrasso-call-for-expanded-grazing-access-for-american-cattle-producers", "Grassley, Marshall, Barrasso Call for Expanded Grazing Access for American Cattle Producers", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer and a member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, joined U.S. Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) in a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of the Interior to keep working to expand grazing access for livestock producers and strengthen risk management tools that protect cattle producers from market volatility. America\u2019s cattle herd is currently at its lowest level in roughly 75 years.\n\n\u201cThe United States\u2019 beef industry is the greatest in the world and one of the brightest spots of American agriculture, making up nearly a quarter of U.S. agriculture receipts. The federal government must remain laser-focused on partnering with the industry and state efforts for ranchers, expand grazing on public and private lands, and improve protein processing capacity,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThe senators are urging USDA and the Interior Department to prioritize the production of American beef through several mechanisms, including finalizing the Bureau of Land Management\u2019s grazing rule and reevaluating federal programs that limit grazing capacity. They are also pressing the agencies to strengthen livestock risk management tools and improve meat processing capacity.\n\n\u201cRecent legislation such as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act has strengthened American agriculture and the producers who sustain it. We stand ready to build on that record through the 2026 Farm Bill and other upcoming legislation to support our ranchers and keep beef an affordable, nutritious choice for American families. Through regulatory and statutory reforms, together we can help to rebuild the herd,\u201d the senators continued.\n\nFull text of the letter can be found HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley has worked to support American cattle producers through efforts to bolster market transparency and take on market consolidation in the meatpacking industry.\n\nIn March, Grassley and U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced the bipartisan Livestock Consolidation Research Act to support research into the economic impact of livestock market consolidation on farmers, ranchers and consumers. A similar provision was included in the U.S. Senate version of the Farm Bill.\n\nLast year, he sponsored the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act to support cattle producers by beefing up enforcement of anticompetitive practices in the consolidated meatpacking industry.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-09-01-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 09-01-26", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this morning\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: Defense spending, Sen. Grassley\u2019s recent meeting in Aplington, Venezuelan oil, protecting small businesses, government funding and Grassley\u2019s completion of his 46th year of 99 county meetings.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-applauds-eleventh-circuit-ruling-upholding-whistleblowers-ability-to-help-fight-government-fraud", "Grassley Applauds Eleventh Circuit Ruling Upholding Whistleblowers\u2019 Ability to Help Fight Government Fraud", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the legislation that strengthened the False Claims Act, welcomed today\u2019s ruling from the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the constitutionality of the law\u2019s qui tam provision, which allows whistleblowers to bring lawsuits against fraudsters on behalf of the federal government and share in any recoveries. Grassley submitted an amicus brief to the Eleventh Circuit last year backing the qui tam provision.\n\n\u201cThe Eleventh Circuit just delivered a major win for whistleblowers and taxpayers alike. The False Claims Act is the government\u2019s greatest fraud-fighting tool, and patriotic whistleblowers who use the qui tam provision often contribute to the lion\u2019s share of recoveries. It\u2019s not an exaggeration to say this court decision saves billions of taxpayer dollars from being lost to fraud and deters would-be fraudsters from wasting even more.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley in 1986 updated the False Claims Act, the law enabling the government to recover taxpayer dollars from entities that defrauded federal agencies. A key provision in that update, qui tam, allows whistleblowers to sue alleged fraudsters on behalf of the government and share in the recoveries. Since Grassley\u2019s 1986 updates, the False Claims Act has recovered approximately $85 billion in taxpayer dollars.\n\nFiscal year 2025 (FY2025) marked the largest single-year recovery in the history of the False Claims Act, with the government recouping over $6.8 billion in fraudulent payments. Whistleblowers helped recover over $5.3 billion of that sum.\n\nWhistleblowers filed 1,297 qui tam lawsuits in FY2025, the highest number in a single year.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-the-bread-board", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, The Bread Board", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: The Bread Board of Marion County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cThe Bread Board has risen to the occasion, growing from Heidi\u2019s passion for baking into a thriving Pella bakery that brings people together,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cFrom serving fresh sourdough and homemade meals to supporting local businesses, schools, and community events, Heidi and her team have proven they have the perfect recipe for success.\u201d\n\nHeidi Rozenboom grew up baking fresh bread alongside her grandmother, always using the same bread board that would eventually inspire her business\u2019 name. Years later, Heidi started selling fresh bread to local coffee shops and cafes. As demand grew, she opened her storefront in downtown Pella in 2021 and named her bakery the Bread Board. Today, the Bread Board serves fresh sourdough bread, pastries, homemade meals, and other baked goods.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-statement-on-small-refinery-exemptions-and-biofuels-reallocation", "Grassley Statement on Small Refinery Exemptions and Biofuels Reallocation", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) announcement on Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs).\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s announcement by President Trump is a significant improvement from what was originally rumored and recognizes the importance of biofuels production. I appreciate President Trump and his policy advisors working closely with me and many other leaders from ag states, particularly Iowa, to ensure any small refinery exemption announcement did not undercut family farmers and the ag economy.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration and future administrations ought to follow today\u2019s precedent for full reallocation for 2026 and 2027. You can expect I will work to hold the White House to its commitment of full reallocation. President Trump\u2019s successful efforts to work with ag and biofuel leaders on this issue shows his ongoing commitment to America\u2019s farmers, rural communities and biofuels production and his continued focus on our fuel supply as Americans fill up their tanks.\u201d\n\nPer the EPA, the agency \u201cis exempting 1.76 billion [Renewable Fuel Standard] compliance credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), for 29 small refineries. EPA will propose to reallocate 100 percent of the difference between projected and actual exempted volumes for 2025 SREs into the 2026 and 2027 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) before the end of October 2026.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-op-ed-republicans-are-leading-a-public-safety-revival-americans-are-better-off-because-of-it", "ICYMI: Grassley Op-Ed: Republicans are leading a public safety revival. Americans are better off because of it.", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 Amid a historic drop in violent crime, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) authored an op-ed in Fox News highlighting Republicans\u2019 successful efforts to safeguard American communities, as well as his public safety priorities for the remainder of the 119th Congress.\n\n\u201cRepublicans\u2019 renewed focus on fighting crime, championing law enforcement and protecting American families has coincided with the largest drop in violent crime ever recorded in the United States,\u201d Grassley wrote. \u201cAmerica is the safest it\u2019s been in a century.\u201d\n\nRead the full op-ed HERE and below.\n\nRepublicans are making America safer by restoring law and order\n\nBy U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)\n\nMonday, August 31, 2026\n\nFox News\n\nThe 119th Congress will be remembered as a decisive turning point for American safety and security. By electing Republicans to the majority in 2024, voters rejected the leftist ideals of defunding the police, abolishing prisons and supporting violent criminals over victims. In turn, Republicans have led a resurgence in commonsense crime-fighting legislation, supported by the historic confirmation pace of judicial and executive nominees who interpret and enforce the law.\n\nNational security is the No. 1 responsibility of the federal government. The previous administration abdicated this duty by promoting soft-on-crime policies that left the American people with emboldened criminals, struggling police departments and Soros-backed district attorneys who refused to prosecute murderers, rapists and child abusers.\n\nBut where Democratic leadership failed, Republicans in the 119th Congress have delivered. Republicans\u2019 renewed focus on fighting crime, championing law enforcement and protecting American families has coincided with the largest drop in violent crime ever recorded in the United States.\n\nMurder and robbery declined approximately 20% from 2024 to 2025. And according to the Council on Criminal Justice\u2019s midyear report, 2026 is on track to meet, if not exceed, 2025\u2019s historic drop in crime.\n\nAmerica is the safest it\u2019s been in a century.\n\nThis Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been at the epicenter of Republicans\u2019 crime-fighting agenda. As chairman, I\u2019m proud to have ushered major pieces of public safety legislation through the committee, including the passage of my HALT Fentanyl Act to crack down on deadly fentanyl knockoffs, the Secure America Act to fund law enforcement and border security measures, and numerous bills that back the blue.\n\nI\u2019ve also led the confirmation of key Department of Justice leaders who have refocused federal efforts on protecting Americans, including Attorney General Todd Blanche. At the same time, I\u2019ve processed and advanced President Donald Trump\u2019s law-and-order judicial nominees at the fastest pace since the Reagan administration.\n\nWith less than six months left in the 119th Congress, my work as Judiciary Committee chairman is moving full steam ahead. I\u2019m keeping my nose to the grindstone to continue confirming Trump\u2019s nominees to keep our streets safe.\n\nI\u2019m also pushing a landmark nationwide crime package to protect children from online exploitation, crack down on organized retail crime, combat the spread of illicit xylazine and stem the flow of contraband in federal prisons.\n\nThis bipartisan legislation has garnered widespread support from major child safety, law enforcement and technology groups, as well as the Trump administration. It\u2019s imperative that this package is signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nI\u2019ve approached my responsibilities this Congress as a husband, father and grandparent who wants every American family to be safe from crime. I\u2019ve worked hard to do just that, and I\u2019m proud of Republicans\u2019 achievements in delivering lasting security for generations to come.", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-welcomes-grant-to-expand-iowa-veterans-cemetery", "Grassley Welcomes Grant to Expand Iowa Veterans Cemetery", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed an announcement that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has awarded $1,358,525 in grant funding to the state of Iowa to expand the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in rural Dallas County.\n\nThe grant will fund 2,160 columbarium niches and landscaping. Grassley attended the cemetery\u2019s dedication on July 3, 2008.\n\n\u201cWe owe a deep debt of gratitude to our veterans, who sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms and liberties. The Iowa Veterans Cemetery provides a peaceful and meaningful resting place for those who have served our country in uniform. This new funding will ensure the cemetery can continue its mission to honor these heroes and their families,\u201d Grassley said.\n\nBackground:\n\nSince 1980, the VA Veterans Cemetery Grants Program has awarded 525 grants totaling over $1.187 billion to establish, expand, improve, operate or maintain 125 veterans cemeteries.\n\nIn 2025, VA grant-funded cemeteries interred 44,705 veterans and eligible family members, which is approximately 25% of the total annual interments in all national, state, tribal and territory cemeteries (174,398).", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-completes-46th-annual-99-county-meetings", "Grassley Completes 46th Annual 99 County Meetings", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "LINN COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) concluded his 46th annual 99 county meetings across Iowa with a question-and-answer session with employees at Sub-Zero in Cedar Rapids. Earlier in the day, Grassley held a meeting with factory workers in Monticello. Grassley takes questions on any subject, and Iowans set the agenda.\n\n\u201cMeeting with Iowans face-to-face gives me the chance to meet with a cross section of people, which informs my work in Washington. Representative government is a two-way street, and having dialogue with constituents is what guides my policy priorities. Even though I\u2019d like to, I can\u2019t meet face-to-face with all three million Iowans. So, I always encourage people to get in touch with me by writing a letter, sending an email, or by calling or stopping by one of my offices,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cMy work to reach across the aisle in Washington, pass a five-year Farm Bill, make life more affordable for families and promote transparency and accountability in government are based on input I hear from my constituents in Iowa,\u201d Grassley continued. \u201cI look forward to many more question-and-answer sessions yet this year.\u201d\n\nIowans who attended this year\u2019s meetings raised comments on a variety of issues including pharmaceutical benefit managers, Social Security, foreign policy, election integrity, rural healthcare and the Farm Bill. They also shared support for bipartisanship in Washington, year-round E15 and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.\n\nFor a full list of Grassley\u2019s county meetings this year, visit his website. To view his photos and posts from the meetings, search #99CountyMeetings on X and Instagram. Grassley also posts meeting recaps on Facebook.\n\nBackground:\n\nGrassley has held his annual county meetings since 1981, when he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. For the past 46 years, he has held at least one question-and-answer session in each of Iowa\u2019s 99 counties every year and invites local media to attend his meetings and ask questions.\n\nGrassley\u2019s 99 county meetings consist of town halls, meetings with small businesses, farmers, students, healthcare professionals, factory workers, service clubs and more. Through this process, he hears from a wide range of Iowans, including those who are unable to take time off from work to attend his town meetings. Grassley\u2019s tireless efforts to meet Iowans where they work, study and live continues to set the standard for representative government.", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-iowa-law-enforcement-officers-for-roundtable-discussion", "Grassley Joins Iowa Law Enforcement Officers for Roundtable Discussion", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined local and tribal law enforcement leaders from Poweshiek, Jasper, Iowa and Tama counties yesterday for a roundtable discussion in Toledo as part of Grassley\u2019s 99 county meetings. The group discussed community mental health resources, federal public safety investments, no tax on overtime and more.\n\n\u201cIowa\u2019s brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. All Iowans, including myself, owe them a great debt of gratitude,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI was honored to meet with local law enforcement leaders yesterday to discuss their successes, learn about challenges in their communities and answer their questions. I look forward to bringing these insights back to the policymaking tables in Washington.\u201d\n\nDownload photos HERE.\n\nSupporting law enforcement is one of Grassley\u2019s top priorities as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This Congress, Grassley has advanced several bipartisan bills to back the blue, including legislation to improve officers\u2019 access to mental health resources, speed up critical benefits determinations and stem the flow of contraband in federal prisons. He also spearheaded large sections of Republicans\u2019 Working Family Tax Cuts, which eliminated tax on overtime and provided major investments for local law enforcement.\n\nIn Iowa specifically, Grassley has worked alongside community leaders and the U.S. Department of Justice to secure over $37.5 million in federal funds this Congress for the state\u2019s law enforcement and public safety initiatives.\n\nBackground:\n\nThis is Grassley\u2019s 46th straight year holding Q&As in each of Iowa\u2019s 99 counties. Grassley has held at least one question-and-answer session in every county, every year since he was first elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. He takes questions on any subject; Iowans set the agenda.\n\nLinks to Grassley\u2019s social media posts from this meeting can be found HERE and HERE. Follow along using #99countymeetings.", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/iowa-to-receive-nearly-175-million-from-fema-to-support-critical-projects-across-the-state", "Iowa to Receive Nearly $17.5 Million from FEMA to Support Critical Projects Across the State", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed an announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that dozens of projects in communities across Iowa will receive nearly $17.5 million in combined funding in response to severe storms in 2020, 2024 and 2025. The funding will benefit Iowans in the following counties: Cherokee, Clay, Jasper, Lyon, Monona, Polk, Poweshiek, Pottawattamie, Sioux, Story and Woodbury.\n\n\u201cFollowing multiple severe storms, the Hawkeye State has shown great resilience as Iowans continue to rebuild,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI'm glad to see FEMA move these funds out the door and into Iowa communities where they can be put to good use. In Washington, I\u2019ll keep fighting to ensure our state gets the resources we need for continued recovery.\u201d\n\nThe FEMA awards are:\n\nGrinnell Regional Medical Center: $260,042.06 to fund repairs or replacements to building exteriors, building interiors and other related components as a result of severe storms.\n\nCity of Minden: $227,978.25 to fund building repairs or replacements as a result of severe storms.\n\nCity of Slater: $239,655.18 to fund repairs or the replacement of the wastewater treatment plant greenhouse as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.\n\nPolk County Conservation Board: $2,216,734.68 to fund permanent repairs as a result of severe storms, tornadoes and flooding which severely damaged the river intake pump with sediment and debris.\n\nCity of Newton: $622,204.80 to fund bridge repairs or replacement as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.\n\nSioux County Secondary Roads: $572,625.00 to fund the repair or replacement of bridge-related components as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.\n\nCity of Cherokee: $298,009.50 to fund the repair or replacement of road surfaces, base and embankments as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes.\n\nClay County Secondary Roads: $101,250 to fund the repair or replacement of bridge approaches, decks and guard rails as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $267,264.21 to fund the repair or replacement of culverts, pipes and other related components as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nHoney Creek Drainage District #6: $418,899.03 to fund embankment repair or replacement as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $809,812.50 to fund the repair or replacement of bridge-related components as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads \u2013 Riverside 13W Bridge 231150: $1,380,497.25 to fund permanent repairs due to severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes that resulted in catastrophic damages to the bridge. As a result of high velocity flood water, the bridge superstructure and deck floated away.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $961,115.25 to fund bridge related repair or replacement as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $870,014.25 to fund bridge-related repair or replacement as a result severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $860,395.50 to fund bridge and other repairs or replacements as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nHoney Creek Drainage District #6: $411,996.93 to address the water control facility levee breach with scour repair or replacement as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nPigeon Creek Drainage District #2: $316,766.44 to fund levee breach repairs or replacements as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nCity of Sioux City \u2013 Wastewater Treatment Plant: $1,202,643.90 to fund permanent repairs as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes. As a result of flooding and increased debris intake, the equipment of the wastewater treatment plant was severely damaged.\n\nCity of Rock Valley: $2,601,823.97 to cover eligible emergency response costs associated with volunteer labor and donated equipment used during the June 2024 severe storms and flooding, including sandbagging, evacuations, rescue operations and debris cleanup.\n\nLyon County Secondary Roads: $211,903.86 to fund bridge-related repairs or replacements as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nCity of Spencer: $1,030,125 to help remove properties substantially damaged by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes that posed a threat to public health and safety.\n\nRock Valley Community School District: $150,746.74 to fund protective measures to lessen the threat to public health, safety and property as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nHoney Creek Drainage District #6: $190,002.69 to fund the repair or replacement of slope scour damage and other related components as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nLyon County Fair Association: $515,431.57 to fund the repair or replacement of building exteriors, building interiors, contents, road surfaces and guard rails damaged by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nSpencer Community School District: $613,809.42 to fund costs related to the management of Public Assistance grants as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nMonona County Secondary Roads: $143,919.32 to fund the repair or replacement of road surfaces and other related components as a result of a severe winter storm.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/iowa-to-receive-over-91-million-in-fema-funding-for-emergency-warning-systems-property-acquisitions", "Iowa to Receive Over $9.1 Million in FEMA Funding for Emergency Warning Systems, Property Acquisitions", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed an announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that Iowa will receive over $9.1 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding to support local communities through property acquisitions, emergency warning systems and other projects. The funding will benefit Iowans in the following counties: Dallas, Emmet, Jasper, Polk, Sioux and Woodbury.\n\n\u201cIowans are no strangers to severe weather,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cThis new FEMA funding will help these communities continue to recover and be better prepared for future storms. In Washington, I\u2019ll keep fighting to ensure Iowa gets the resources needed to rebuild and recover.\u201d\n\nThe awards are:\n\nDallas County Emergency Management Agency: $469,498.18 to fund warning and alert systems.\n\nJasper County: $433,851.10 to fund warning and alert systems.\n\nCity of Redfield: $193,800 to fund generators and emergency power.\n\nCity of Urbandale: $3,354,325.16 to fund the acquisition and demolition of six residential properties damaged by flooding.\n\nCity of Urbandale: $74,540.56 to fund the subrecipient management costs for the City of Urbandale to acquire and demolish six residential properties damaged by flooding.\n\nCity of Grimes: $357,695.25 to fund property acquisition as a result of severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes.\n\nCity of Estherville: $133,600 to fund property acquisitions, elevations, mitigation reconstruction and floodproofing.\n\nCity of Correctionville: $673,784.83 to fund property acquisition, elevations, mitigation reconstruction and floodproofing.\n\nSioux County: $1,645,275 to fund the acquisition of five residential structures that were substantially damaged by flooding.\n\nSioux County: $36,561.70 to fund the subrecipient management costs to acquire five residential structures.\n\nSioux County: $1,120,762.50 to fund the acquisition of two residential structures that were damaged by flooding.\n\nSioux County: $74,717.50 to fund subrecipient management costs to acquire two residential structures damaged by flooding.\n\nIowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management: $542,509.13 to fund management costs due to severe storms.", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-tax-law-boosts-workforce-and-small-business", "Q&A: Tax Law Boosts Workforce and Small Business", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: What is the Workforce Pell Grant?\n\nA: It\u2019s back to school season for families, students and teachers across the state. As students return to the classroom, schedules are filling up with homework and extracurricular activities and parents are off to the races juggling jobs, car pools and meal times. Many students are starting a new chapter with post-secondary education, including four-year colleges, community colleges and vocational programs. Studies show advanced training leads to job readiness, higher earnings and more opportunities.\n\nHowever, too many students are pushed into burdensome debt seeking a four-year degree that doesn\u2019t fit job market demands. For example, skilled trades are in growing demand and largely protected from artificial intelligence (AI) because the work can\u2019t be replaced by automation. That\u2019s where smart policymaking can help solve problems. I co-sponsored legislation to expand access to high-quality, short-term job training programs to help close the skills gap that I hear from employers at my annual 99 county meetings. During work on last year\u2019s tax bill, I pushed successfully to include my bill called Promoting Employment and Lifelong Learning (PELL) Act in the final package. It amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for Workforce Pell Grants that allow eligible students to use Pell Grants for short-term, accredited programs that provide workforce-focused credentials that meet employer needs.\n\nI\u2019m pleased Iowa is the very first recipient of the nation\u2019s first Workforce Pell Grant program. Eligible students at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge can use federal Pell Grant dollars to enroll in its Emergency Medical Technician Program. The 14-week program prepares students for public safety jobs that will fill a critical need in local communities across the state. These students will start their jobs with little to no debt and have the training credentials to launch good careers, provide for their families and serve their neighbors.\n\nQ: What are you hearing from small businesses at your county meetings?\n\nA: No matter the size of the community, small businesses make up the lion\u2019s share of employers across Iowa, and support nearly half the workforce. During my annual 99 county meetings, I regularly hold Q&As at small businesses, factories and manufacturing facilities so that I can hear directly from the workers and small business owners who can\u2019t take time off to come to an open town meeting. I want to hear about challenges they face and learn what\u2019s on their minds. From decades-old family-owned businesses to start-up businesses opening their doors, I\u2019m always impressed with the entrepreneurism and hard work that Iowa workers and employers put in each and every day to climb America\u2019s ladder of prosperity and serve their communities. I\u2019ve also come to the conclusion that Iowans don\u2019t brag enough about their high-quality products and services, so I\u2019m particularly glad to get a first-hand look at these businesses. Iowans set a high benchmark for a strong work ethic and it shows with workforce productivity and state-of-the-art manufacturing and technology.", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassleys-big-tech-investigation-yields-child-safety-results", "Grassley\u2019s Big Tech Investigation Yields Child Safety Results", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley\u2019s (R-Iowa) investigation into eight major tech companies has prompted \u201csignificantly improved\u201d and \u201cmore actionable\u201d reports of online child exploitation, according to a letter from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These improvements have allowed law enforcement to better respond to instances of child abuse.\n\n\u201cFollowing your direct outreach to these platforms regarding these issues, NCMEC is pleased to share that each of the companies have constructively engaged with NCMEC to significantly improve their reporting to the CyberTipline\u2026 more actionable CyberTipline reports are being submitted, enabling law enforcement to better investigate offenders and safeguard children from sexual exploitation,\u201d NCMEC wrote in a letter to Grassley.\n\nIn April 2026, Grassley opened a congressional inquiry into Meta, TikTok, Amazon, Snapchat, Discord, X.AI, Grindr and Roblox regarding the companies\u2019 alleged failure to sufficiently report online child sexual exploitation. In June 2026, Grassley released responses from each of the companies, which explained their efforts to improve reporting processes. In August 2026, NCMEC informed Grassley that each platform had taken \u201csubstantive measures\u201d to address its reporting deficiencies as a direct result of Grassley\u2019s oversight.\n\n\u201cProtecting children online is a top legislative and oversight priority for me as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman. I\u2019m glad to see my investigation into child safety reporting yield real results, and I appreciate these companies for responding to my oversight. I also thank them for working with NCMEC to ensure every suspected incident of online child exploitation is detected, reported and addressed,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI\u2019ll always work to hold Big Tech accountable to the American people, and I\u2019ll continue fighting for commonsense solutions to safeguard our nation\u2019s children.\u201d\n\nRead NCMEC\u2019s latest update HERE.\n\nGrassley\u2019s original inquiry can be found HERE, and the tech companies\u2019 responses can be found HERE. A summary of NCMEC\u2019s update can be found below:\n\nMeta\n\nAccording to NCMEC, Meta submitted nearly 11 million reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Meta has:\n\nImproved its reporting process to ensure reported conduct meets the legal threshold for CyberTipline reporting.\n\nIncreased its use of report annotations to provide additional context for law enforcement responding to incidents of child exploitation.\n\nResolved a technical issue that resulted in around 3,900 duplicate reports in 2025.\n\nUpdated its training and escalation protocols for reports involving suicidal ideation.\n\nTikTok\n\nTikTok submitted over 2.1 million reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline from January 2025 to June 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, TikTok has:\n\nSignificantly reduced reports of non-pertinent content.\n\nImplemented biweekly discussions with NCMEC to improve reporting quality and accuracy.\n\nAmazon\n\nAmazon AI Services submitted approximately 1.1 million reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025. After human review, Amazon determined 99.6% of the reports were false positives, and 4,376 were confirmed child sexual abuse material (CSAM).\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Amazon has:\n\nImplemented human review of public-web detections to confirm instances of child sexual exploitation before submitting reports.\n\nImproved its CyberTipline reporting process to include source URLs, file names, reported files and additional contextual information.\n\nConducted a comprehensive review of more than one million submitted reports and retracted false positives.\n\nSnapchat\n\nSnapchat submitted approximately 752,000 reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Snapchat has:\n\nImplemented new report annotations to indicate minor-to-minor interactions, sextortion and sadistic online exploitation.\n\nExpanded use of reported incident types, including \u201cunsolicited obscene material sent to a child.\u201d\n\nRefined reporting to provide evidence of an offender\u2019s knowledge of a child\u2019s age.\n\nImproved its reporting process to include additional chat history to provide greater context for law enforcement.\n\nDiscord\n\nAccording to NCMEC, Discord submitted nearly 490,000 reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Discord has:\n\nReduced reporting of non-pertinent content.\n\nImproved reporting procedures to ensure relevant user account and location information is included in CyberTipline reports or made available to law enforcement.\n\nImproved its reporting process to include port numbers.\n\nX.AI\n\nX.AI submitted over 135,000 reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, X.AI has:\n\nResubmitted previous CyberTipline reports with more complete user and location information.\n\nImproved its reporting process to include key subscriber information, including name, date of birth, email address, screen name, user identifier, registration or login IP address and profile URL.\n\nImproved its reporting process to ensure location information is included in the majority of reports.\n\nImproved its reporting process to include image-generation prompt information, when applicable, to provide additional investigative context.\n\nGrindr\n\nAccording to NCMEC, Grindr submitted over 111,000 reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Grindr has:\n\nSignificantly improved its reporting process to more frequently include user and location information as well as key subscriber information, including display name, user identifier, login IP address, port number, device ID, estimated location and profile bio when applicable.\n\nResubmitted approximately 7,000 reports with updated IP and location information.\n\nCommitted to resubmitting approximately 54,000 reports with additional location information.\n\nEstablished regular engagement with NCMEC and committed to participate in the 2026 CyberTipline Roundtable.\n\nRoblox\n\nAccording to NCMEC, Roblox submitted over 65,000 reports involving suspected online child exploitation to NCMEC\u2019s CyberTipline in 2025.\n\nFollowing Grassley\u2019s oversight, Roblox has:\n\nSignificantly improved its reporting process to better identify the child victim in incidents involving multiple children.\n\nConducted additional training for reporting personnel.\n\nIncreased its use of report annotations to provide additional context for law enforcement.\n\nWorked with NCMEC to improve identification and reporting of sadistic online exploitation.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-cracks-down-on-chinese-surveillance-of-us-military-shipments", "Ernst Cracks Down on Chinese Surveillance of U.S. Military Shipments", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced the Keeping China Off the Rails Act to strengthen national security by preventing cargo monitoring technology linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from being used to track sensitive military shipments.\n\nRail carriers rely on Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) tags and other cargo monitoring systems to identify and track rolling stock\u2014including boxcars, tankers, and other rail assets\u2014as they move throughout the rail network. The Department of Defense routinely relies on rail transportation to move heavy military equipment across the United States, making these tracking systems critical for military operational security.\n\nThe Keeping China Off the Rails Act would extend prohibitions in current law for new rail cars to existing ones by requiring rail carriers certify that cargo monitoring technologies or AEI tags linked to the CCP are not being used on trains carrying Department of Defense cargo. The legislation would provide the rail industry with a four-year schedule to comply with the restriction.\n\n\u201cNo foreign adversary\u2014especially one as hostile as Communist China\u2014should have access to information about sensitive military shipments or activities at some of our nation\u2019s highest-security facilities,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cAt a time of growing national security threats, it\u2019s essential that the United States protects critical military infrastructure and maintains our military edge. I am proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to strengthen our national security, close this vulnerability, and help ensure our critical military equipment remains protected from hostile foreign adversaries.\u201d\n\nThe legislation provides a four-year transition period to allow rail carriers time to replace covered technologies, gives the Secretary of Defense waiver authority for national emergencies, and includes exemptions for smaller Department of Defense shipments.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-henningsens-meat-processing", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Henningsen\u2019s Meat Processing", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Henningsen\u2019s Meat Processing of Cass County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cHenningsen\u2019s Meat Processing has been a cut above the rest for nearly five decades, carrying on a proud family tradition of serving up high-quality, locally sourced meat to southwest Iowa,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cRandy and his team continue to raise the steaks by serving up quality products and giving back to the community they call home. It\u2019s clear that service is at the meat of their mission.\u201d\n\nHenningsen\u2019s Meat Processing began in 1978, when Randy Henningsen returned home to Atlantic to be closer to family. Randy\u2019s father had previously owned a meat locker that tragically burned down in 1972. Six years later, Randy, his father, and his brother carried on the family tradition by opening Henningsen\u2019s Meat Processing to provide Atlantic and the surrounding communities with high-quality, locally sourced meat. Randy later purchased his father\u2019s and brother\u2019s shares and continued building on the family legacy.\n\nToday, Henningsen\u2019s specializes in custom pork and beef processing and operates a full-service meat counter serving customers throughout southwest Iowa. Beyond its wide selection of meats, customers can find everything from fish and frog legs to locally made cheeses. Nearly 50 years after opening its doors, Henningsen\u2019s Meat Processing continues to honor its family tradition while proudly serving the community that has supported the business for generations.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-08-24-2026", "Capitol Hill Report, 08-24-2026", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this morning\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: Beef imports, the farm economy, the 2028 election cycle, the national debt, the Iowa State Fair and Iran.", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-grassley-announce-service-academy-virtual-informational-nights", "Ernst, Grassley Announce Service Academy Virtual Informational Nights", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, IOWA \u2013 The offices of U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) are hosting two virtual informational events for Iowans interested in applying to U.S. Military Service Academies. Every year, Ernst and Grassley each nominate 15 students to the academies.\n\nEVENT | U.S. Military Service Academy Virtual Information Nights\n\nDATE | Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, from 6 - 8 p.m. CT\n\nAug. 31 session will be attended by representatives from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and the Military Academy at West Point. Sept. 1 session will be attended by representatives from the Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy.\n\nIowans who wish to attend the virtual informational session must RSVP to receive a link to the event.\n\nTo contact Senator Ernst\u2019s office, please email Brenda_Safranski@ernst.senate.gov or academy@ernst.senate.gov or call (515) 284-4272. To contact Senator Grassley\u2019s office, please email academy_nominations@grassley.senate.gov or call (515) 288-1145.\n\nClick here to view the academy nomination application. The application deadline is October 23, 2026.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-ernst-announce-service-academy-virtual-informational-nights", "Grassley, Ernst Announce Service Academy Virtual Informational Nights", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 The offices of U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will host two virtual informational events for Iowa students interested in applying to U.S. Military Service Academies in the fall of 2027 or 2028. The U.S. Service Academy Virtual Informational Nights will be held on Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1.\n\nRepresentatives from all five service academies will be available to answer questions about the application and nomination process. The Monday, August 31, session will be attended by representatives from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and the Military Academy at West Point. The Tuesday, September 1, session will be attended by representatives from the Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy.\n\nEach year, Grassley and Ernst nominate current and future Iowa high school graduates for a select few academy positions. The deadline to apply for admission to the academic year beginning in the fall of 2027 is October 23rd, 2026.\n\nWHAT: U.S. Military Service Academy Virtual Information Nights\n\nWHEN: Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, from 6 - 8 p.m. CT\n\nWHO SHOULD ATTEND: High school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who would like more information about attending a U.S. military academy. Parents, guardians and high school guidance counselors are also welcome to attend.\n\nWHO IS PRESENTING: Academy Nomination Coordinators for Grassley and Ernst, and representatives from all five U.S. Service Academies\n\nIowans who wish to attend the virtual informational session must RSVP to receive a link to the event. Please RSVP directly to academy_nominations@grassley.senate.gov or by phone at 515-288-1145.\n\nIowans can contact Grassley\u2019s office at 515-288-1145 and Ernst\u2019s office at 515-284-4272 with any questions. Click HERE to view the Academy Nomination application and learn more.", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-shaheen-mark-fentanyl-prevention-and-awareness-day", "Grassley, Shaheen Mark Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 On Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are driving awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and continuing to educate Americans on how to best protect themselves from the deadly drug. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the senators\u2019 bipartisan resolution earlier this month, designating August 21, 2026, as Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.\n\n\u201cFar too many American families know the pain of losing a loved one to fentanyl,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cFentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is a solemn reminder of the lives lost and the importance of local drug awareness and prevention efforts. As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I\u2019ll continue working to put a stop to this public health crisis.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad the Senate came together to unanimously pass our bipartisan resolution designating today, August 21, as National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and memorializing those who have lost their lives to drug overdoses,\u201d Shaheen said. \u201cThere\u2019s always more work to be done to address the substance use disorder crisis in New Hampshire, and driving more awareness in our communities around the dangers of fentanyl use is one important way we can prevent the loss of more lives.\u201d\n\nRead the full resolution HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThis Congress, Grassley has secured major victories in the fight against illicit fentanyl. His HALT Fentanyl Act, which permanently classified fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, became law after passing the U.S. Senate by an overwhelming majority of 84-16. Grassley also secured additional funding for federal efforts to combat drug trafficking and precursor chemicals, chaired a hearing on the dangers of fentanyl and introduced legislation to stem drug trafficking on social media.", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-fraud-drives-up-healthcare-costs", "Q&A: Fraud Drives Up Healthcare Costs", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: How would your fraud prevention bill recover tax dollars and improve healthcare?\n\nA: Americans work hard for their money. As a taxpayer watchdog, I take seriously the responsibility to ensure every tax dollar collected for government services is spent as intended. From the Pentagon to public healthcare programs, I lead efforts at the policymaking tables to sharpen fraud-fighting tools and protect taxpayer money. Starting with my decades-long crusade to empower whistleblowers, my updates to the False Claims Act have recouped more than $85 billion for taxpayers and saved tens of billions more by deterring would-be fraudsters. Notably, of the $6.8 billion in settlements and judgments in just the last fiscal year, the lion\u2019s share of the recoveries was from the healthcare industry. The Department of Justice lasered in on three areas of widespread fraud in the U.S. healthcare system: Medicare managed care, prescription drugs and medically unnecessary care.\n\nBuilding on this success, I recently joined forces with senators on the Senate Finance Committee to beef up resources to combat fraud, waste and abuse across federal health programs that serve families, kids and seniors. Federal healthcare spending is expected to exceed $24 trillion over the next decade. Every dollar lost to fraud, improper billing or neglect is another squandered tax dollar and one less dollar for patient care.\n\nAs a former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I\u2019m glad the committee\u2019s current chairman, Sen. Mike Crapo, and ranking member, Sen. Ron Wyden, teamed up with me and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. Our bill, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act, would help ensure long-term, stable funding to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud and keep pace with evolving, sophisticated schemes. According to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, our bill would save taxpayers at least $45 billion.\n\nSpecifically, our bipartisan bill would improve the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program to better scrutinize federal health programs and scrape fraud out of the taxpayer funding pipeline. Partners across multiple federal agencies will have more resources to coordinate and combat fraud in Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program, as well as related private insurance programs. Deploying better-equipped fraud fighters also put would-be fraudsters on notice that bilking taxpayers doesn\u2019t pay. The bill requires timely reporting to track the fraud and abuse control program\u2019s effectiveness and asks the Government Accountability Office to report on its performance for the first time in over a dozen years. The Trump administration has made fraud prevention, detection and prosecution a high priority, a mission I\u2019ve pursued throughout my time in Congress on behalf of the American people. I welcome this all-hands-on-deck effort and will continue working to ensure all the anti-fraud tools in the federal arsenal are razor sharp, including civil enforcement tools, such as my False Claims Act.\n\nQ: How will Iowa benefit from a new federal grant to target fraud and financial crimes?\n\nA: During his confirmation hearing, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division at the Department of Justice said he is committed to \u201cprosecute criminals who exploit the generosity of a country by stealing from taxpayer-funded programs.\u201d That\u2019s music to the ears of Iowans who are absolutely fed up with their hard-earned money lining the pockets of scam artists, such as the outrageous Covid-era schemes in Minnesota and elsewhere. I supported Colin McDonald to fill this new role at the Justice Department, who is leading efforts to snuff out the unacceptable and pervasive crimes of federal program fraud.", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-presents-squeal-award-to-the-shady-bunch-families-who-make-fraud-a-family-affair", "Ernst Presents Squeal Award to the Shady Bunch, Families Who Make Fraud a Family Affair", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced her August Squeal Award recipient: fraudster families who make a living scamming hardworking Americans.\n\nErnst is exposing 15 families who collectively stole $50 million taxpayer dollars and has introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act to prohibit government loans, contracts, grants, or other financial payments going to anyone living with a known fraudster or convicted criminal.\n\n\u201cCommitting fraud is literally all relative for these families of felons,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cWhile some families have a tradition of running 5Ks on holidays, fraud runs in these families\u2014they\u2019ll steal $5K or more and then make a run for it. My latest investigation found schemes sprouting from family trees across the country, with kin teaming up to rip off taxpayers to the tune of $50 million. That\u2019s why I\u2019m giving my August 2026 Squeal Award to the \u2018Shady Bunch,\u2019 families full of fraudsters who are chips off the old cell block. Their next scam-ily reunion will be in the slammer.\u201d\n\nSome of the most egregious examples include:\n\nThe now-infamous Mohamed family operating out of Minnesota stole more than $10 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Instead of feeding hungry kids, the family of felons spent the money on themselves.\n\nOne California clan of crooks made off with $18 million in COVID relief, using fake names and stolen identities to obtain taxpayer money that funded luxury homes, gold coins, diamonds, designer goods and even a Harley-Davidson. After their convictions, several family members cut off their tracking devices and fled the country before eventually being caught.\n\nFour sisters fleeced the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million by submitting nearly 200 bogus discrimination claims from fake farmers. The daughter of one sister helped the scheme by notarizing fictitious witness statements.\n\nA Florida family used a sham ministry to obtain more than $8 million in pandemic aid, then attempted to use the money to buy a multi-million-mansion at Walt Disney World Resort. When authorities closed in, the family was caught in a Mercedes SUV packed with bags of shredded documents.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-recognized-as-most-bipartisan-senate-republican", "Grassley Recognized as Most Bipartisan Senate Republican", "2026-08-19", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is the most bipartisan Republican in the U.S. Senate, according to an independent study by the nonpartisan project Bridge Grades. Grassley earned a score of 96.9 out of 100 in the report, ranking fourth overall among all 100 senators.\n\n\u201cAt my annual 99 county meetings, Iowans ask me why Democrats and Republicans can\u2019t get along. I tell them bipartisanship is happening in Washington, but it doesn\u2019t always get reported in the news media. In the U.S. Senate, most bills need 60 votes to advance, which means successful legislation must be bipartisan. I\u2019ll work with anyone to get things done for Iowa, from lowering prescription drug costs to boosting E15. I\u2019m honored to be recognized for building effective partnerships with my colleagues across the aisle, and you can bet I\u2019ll keep working with any of my fellow senators to make life better and more affordable for Iowans,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cOn behalf of constituents in Iowa who value representatives who govern with more collaboration and bipartisanship than their peers, we congratulate Sen. Grassley on being an A-rated bridge builder and encourage him to keep up the good grades,\u201d said Brad Porteus, Founder of Bridge Grades.\n\nBackground:\n\nBridge Grades\u2019 report uses objective third party data sources to measure whether members of Congress govern collaboratively or divisively. Grassley\u2019s score can be found HERE, and the full U.S. Senate Bridge Grades rankings for the 119th Congress can be found HERE.\n\nIn its most recent study, the nonpartisan Georgetown University\u2019s Lugar Center ranked Grassley tenth on its Bipartisan Index of all 100 senators, making him the fourth most bipartisan Senate Republican. The Lugar Bipartisan Index also ranked Grassley as the second-most bipartisan member among long-serving senators, behind only U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). In a lifetime score of all senators spanning 1993 through 2018, Grassley was the 14th most bipartisan senator of the 250 who served over those years.\n\nGrassley also was ranked within the top ten most effective senators in the 117th Congress by the University of Virginia\u2019s and Vanderbilt University\u2019s Center for Effective Lawmaking.\n\nRead a review of Grassley\u2019s bipartisan accomplishments from 2025 HERE.\n\nClick HERE for audio of Grassley discussing his 2026 Bridge Grades rating.", 1, "2026-08-20T05:28:41Z", "2026-08-20T05:29:58Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-the-farmers-daughters", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, The Farmer\u2019s Daughters", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: The Farmer\u2019s Daughters of Fremont County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\u201cThe Farmer\u2019s Daughters has decorated southwest Iowa with success, growing from a pop-up shop into a thriving family business serving Iowans,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \u201cWhether helping customers find the perfect piece for their home or creating arrangements for life\u2019s special moments, Stacy and Ron have made community service part of the perfect arrangement.\u201d\n\nThe Farmer\u2019s Daughters began in 2014 when Stacy Burgoin-Burge started selling vintage finds and home d\u00e9cor through small antique pop-up shops at events including Vintage & Made Fair and Junkstock. As the business grew in popularity, Stacy opened a storefront in Sidney and expanded into floral arrangements in 2017. Stacy\u2019s husband, Ron Burge, later joined the business full-time, and together they grew The Farmer\u2019s Daughters to include additional locations in Glenwood and Shenandoah.\n\nToday, The Farmer\u2019s Daughters offers carefully curated home d\u00e9cor, gifts, vintage items, locally made products, and personalized floral arrangements. The business also provides floral delivery and offers six- and twelve-month \u201cBloom of the Month\u201d subscriptions featuring fresh flowers and custom designs. The Farmer\u2019s Daughters gives back to southwest Iowa by supporting local fairs, youth programs, and educational initiatives.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-08-17-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 08-17-26", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this morning\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: Rural healthcare, the Farm Bill, ag and trade policy, mail-in ballots, the national debt and the Iowa State Fair.", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-russia-sanctions-pave-way-to-peace", "Q&A: Russia Sanctions Pave Way to Peace", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: How would the Senate-passed sanctions bill help end the war in Ukraine?\n\nA: With an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 86-11, the U.S. Senate sent a clear message to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin: stop the killing and end the largestland war since World War II. The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, the bill\u2019s leading champion who led the congressional effort to bring peace to Ukraine, was the driving force to cut off financing of Russia\u2019s war machine. The bipartisan legislation would impose stiff financial sanctions and put Russia\u2019s energy sector in the crosshairs of an international dragnet by targeting countries that export or invest in Russian oil and gas. The bill would empower the president to impose 100 percent tariffs on the top five importers of Russian energy and those who enable Russian sanctions evasion. The bill also targets Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members and Russian banks and financial institutions to apply additional financial pressure to help end the war.\n\nThe Senate-passed Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act takes a key step towards peace with a formidable recipe of sanctions and tariffs to leverage an end to the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of innocent civilians. As an original co-sponsor, I\u2019ll continue pushing to get this bill to the president\u2019s desk. History reminds us why Putin\u2019s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine cannot be ignored. Protecting America\u2019s national security and upholding sovereignty in Europe requires a resolute commitment to stop Putin\u2019s effort to resurrect the Soviet empire. I\u2019ll continue leading bipartisan efforts in the Senate to hold Russia accountable and put the brakes on Putin\u2019s violent scheme to trample freedom, persecute Christians and usurp sovereign territory through war and aggression. From the 2008 invasion of Georgia to the 2014 annexation of Crimea and now the full-scale, four-year war in Ukraine, Putin\u2019s diabolical obsession requires solidarity from the international community to nip it in the bud before more lives and territory are lost.\n\nQ: What is the status of your efforts to return kidnapped Ukrainian children?", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-whitehouse-statement-on-treasury-departments-final-rule-dismantling-key-element-of-corporate-transparency-act", "Grassley, Whitehouse Statement on Treasury Department\u2019s Final Rule Dismantling Key Element of Corporate Transparency Act", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) released the following statement on the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network\u2019s (FinCEN\u2019s) decision to permanently exempt over 99% of entities previously required to report their beneficial ownership information under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).\n\nCongress passed the CTA on a strongly bipartisan basis to clamp down on criminals and foreign enemies hiding assets from U.S. law enforcement, national security officials and tax authorities. The CTA is widely considered the most important anti-money laundering law in decades.\n\n\u201cThe Treasury Department\u2019s final rule exempting U.S. based companies from the Corporate Transparency Act\u2019s reporting requirements undermines the clear intent of the law. The Act gave the federal government needed tools to address criminal activity like human trafficking, terrorist financing, drug distribution, sanctions evasion and more without unduly burdening legitimate commercial entities. This decision is an unfortunate one that fails to use all available tools to protect Americans and crack down on illicit financial schemes,\u201d the senators said.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe CTA was designed to play an important role in protecting national security and public safety by providing law enforcement and national security officials with the names of the true owners (\u201cbeneficial ownership information\u201d) of U.S. corporations and other legal entities. This information facilitates the government\u2019s efforts to combat various forms of illicit finance carried out through shell and front companies.\n\nIn March 2025, the U.S. Department of Treasury announced that it would not enforce the CTA\u2019s beneficial ownership information reporting rule when it comes to U.S. citizens or domestic reporting companies. The department also stated it would issue new proposed rulemaking that would narrow the scope of the rule to foreign reporting companies only. A few weeks later, the department published an interim final rule eliminating reporting requirements for more than 99% of corporations and LLCs that were previously required to report, as directed by Congress. This week\u2019s final rule makes permanent the sweeping exemptions and deletes all beneficial ownership information data that domestic companies had already submitted.\n\nGrassley and Whitehouse were original sponsors of the TITLE Act, the precursor to the Corporate Transparency Act. The CTA passed as part of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act after more than a decade of bipartisan congressional deliberation. It was supported by a wide range of government, anti-corruption groups, human rights organizations, faith communities, financial institutions and real estate organizations.", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/icymi-grassley-joins-the-scott-jennings-show-to-discuss-ag-blanches-confirmation-the-farm-bill-and-the-rise-of-democrat-socialism", "ICYMI: Grassley Joins The Scott Jennings Show to Discuss AG Blanche\u2019s Confirmation, the Farm Bill and the Rise of Democrat Socialism", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined \u201cThe Scott Jennings Show\u201d this week to discuss his efforts as Judiciary Chairman to help secure Attorney General Todd Blanche\u2019s Senate confirmation, the importance of passing a bipartisan Farm Bill and supporting Rural America, and the Democrat Party\u2019s turn to socialism and more.\n\nWatch the full interview HERE. Excerpts follow.\n\nOn Blanche\u2019s road to confirmation:\n\n\u201cWell, [Blanche] did an awful good job at the hearing answering questions, and he was under oath. It happens that Senator Cornyn and Senator Tillis needed some additional certainty that the president's [Anti-]Weaponization Fund was not going to ever be used, and some other questions dealing with the president's settlement on his income taxes with the IRS. And it just took forever to get those things worked out, and it shouldn't have taken forever, because I think it was kind of a very simple process... [It] took about eight days that it shouldn't [have] taken, to get everybody worked out, and I was in the middle of trying to bring the people together... [E]ventually, it got him those two votes to get out of committee.\n\n\"...[I]t got down to two [Republican] senators voting no and [the nomination] carrying 50 to 49. And it [was] just a long process to go through...but I think he's going to make a very, very good Attorney General.\u201d\n\nOn Blanche\u2019s successful track record reducing violent crime:\n\n\u201cI talked about [Blanche\u2019s record] in my opening remarks in the committee, I talked about it in defending him to the journalists, and I talked about it in my closing comments on the Senate floor before he was approved... It's a very, very demanding reason why he should be...Attorney General instead of being Acting Attorney General.\u201d\n\nOn the need for Democrat support to pass the Farm Bill:\n\n\u201cIt's going to have to happen or we won't get a Farm Bill, because you\u2019ve got to have 60 votes to move the bill through the Senate floor.\n\n\u201cNow, just for a little bit of history. I've been a member of the Ag Committee since 1992. This is my seventh or eighth Farm Bill. This is the first one that never got out of committee with bipartisan support. The Democrats are holding it up because they don't like the reforms we made in the food stamp program. They want us to go back on some of those changes that were made. We offered them a compromise, and it wasn't enough for them. It was actually half the time that they wanted us to allow states to meet certain requirements, and they wanted two years. We have one year in it. We thought that was a reasonable compromise, but it wasn't enough to satisfy them.\n\n\u201cSo, consequently, we have to continue to work on it, and I hope we'll find a way to do it because we pass a Farm Bill every five years. The last one was 2018, so in 2023, we should have had a Farm Bill. So, effectively, by extending it for one year at a time, we have an eight-year Farm Bill now. There's a lot of changes that need to be made for the benefit of the farmers, because things have changed since 2018, and we need to update the Farm Bill and give the farmers some certainty.\u201d\n\nOn the top issues for Rural America:\n\n\u201c...[T]he ethanol issue that we call 'E15.\u2019 In other words, 15% ethanol mixed with your gasoline. We need a law passed to make that permanent, and that's about $14 billion of additional income to corn farmers. And that's the most important thing that I'm hearing from farmers.\n\n\u201cThe input costs are very high, so we have a fertilizer provision in this Farm Bill, if we get it passed. That should help in regard to [input costs].\u201d\n\nOn the rise of Democrat socialism:\n\n\u201cI wonder if [the Democrats have] ever read the Constitution of the United States...\n\n\u201c[O]ne of their platforms [is] to do away with the United States Senate. The Constitution says that \u2014 and it's called the only unamendable part of the Constitution \u2014 that, \u2018No state will have its Senate seats taken away from it without its permission.\u2019 Now, that means that, if you're going to do away with the United States Senate, you\u2019ve got to have 50 state legislatures say, \u2018We're going to give up our membership in the United States Senate.\u2019 There's a lot of things that just don't fit.\n\n\u201c...[I]t just seems very unrealistic. It doesn't seem like the real world. It seems like it's an almost revolutionary approach, and quite frankly, they're very open about wanting to change American society...\n\n\u201c[Democrat socialists] think that 535 members of Congress making all these decisions, running this big country and our big economy \u2013 that they're smarter than the 330 million people that each, in an individual way, [are] making their own individual choices, making their own decisions [about] how they're going to spend their money, and inventors what they're going to invent, and everything like that.\n\n\u201cThe greatness of America comes from the fact that we have an economic system and a constitutional system that allows anybody to do anything that they want to do, as long as it's within the law. And that's what's made America great. And I don't think [Democrat socialists] realize that.\u201d\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-08-11-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 08-11-26", "2026-08-11", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this morning\u2019s call is available HERE. Please see below for a transcript of the call.\n\nTopics include: the Farm Bill, vaccines, Grassley\u2019s bill to combat counterfeit imports, Iran, Grassley\u2019s vacuum cleaner (Beth) and health insurance.", 1, "2026-08-12T06:18:38Z", "2026-08-12T06:20:33Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-names-small-business-of-the-week-lone-arranger", "Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Lone Arranger", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "RED OAK, Iowa \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Lone Arranger of Adams County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.\n\n\"Lone Arranger has been in full bloom in Adams County for more than 28 years,\u201d said Chair Ernst. \"One bouquet at a time, Jessica has created beautiful arrangements for countless occasions \u2013 from displays for Governors Chet Culver and Terry Branstad to serving as a longtime vendor at the Adams County Fair. Lone Arranger is beloved for its high-quality products and attentive customer service, all stemming from hard work that has not gone unnoticed.\"\n\nLone Arranger got its start as the \u201cFlower and Garden Center\u201d founded by Dale and Caroline Jackson out of their home. Over the years, the business passed into the hands of Larry and Sherry Archer, followed by Ros and Darlene Peterson. In 1999, Jessica Wilson purchased the shop after completing two internships there and earning a degree in floriculture from Kirkwood Community College.\n\nToday, under Jessica\u2019s leadership, Lone Arranger has continued to grow its presence both locally and beyond. The shop contributed to the award-winning Rain Bird float featured in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade and has provided decorations for community organizations and events, including the Adams County Chamber of Commerce.\n\nThe florist is cherished by Iowans for its versatility to cater to all events, including proms, weddings, and baby showers. Jessica\u2019s \u201cOperation Dream Closet\u201d helps high schoolers in need access free prom attire through donations and has made an exceptional difference in the local community.\n\nStay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-grassley-hassan-bill-to-combat-counterfeit-imports", "Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Hassan Bill to Combat Counterfeit Imports", "2026-08-10", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are applauding the Senate\u2019s unanimous passage of their legislation to detect and intercept counterfeit imports. The bipartisan bill would authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share suspected counterfeit goods\u2019 packing and shipping information with key intellectual property (IP) rights holders, e-commerce platforms and transportation carriers.\n\n\u201cCounterfeit goods harm American businesses, threaten our nation\u2019s economy and put consumers at serious risk. By increasing communication between Customs and Border Protection, IP rights holders and commerce professionals, this bipartisan bill will effectively crack down on dangerous counterfeit products and prevent them from reaching our shores,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI\u2019m pleased the Senate has passed this important bill and look forward to its advancement in the U.S. House of Representatives.\u201d\n\n\u201cCounterfeit products brought over our borders hurt American small businesses and can put people\u2019s safety at risk,\u201d Hassan said. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will give law enforcement and businesses better tools to work together and intercept counterfeit products before they reach our communities. I\u2019m glad to see it pass the Senate, and I urge my colleagues in the House to take up and pass this bill.\u201d\n\nThe Grassley-Hassan bill is supported by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council, the Baby Safety Alliance, the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, the International Trademark Association, the Partnership for Safe Medicines, the Pharmaceutical Security Institute and the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade.\n\n\u201cU.S. Customs and Border Protection is our first line of defense against counterfeit goods, but they can\u2019t do that job alone. This legislation ensures their ability to work collaboratively with responsible stakeholders throughout the supply chain to protect American consumers, manufacturers, and retailers,\u201d said Bob Barchiesi, President of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. \u201cWe applaud Senator Grassley and Senator Hassan for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with our colleagues at CBP to put these new tools into action.\u201d\n\nDownload bill text HERE.", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-applauds-todd-blanches-confirmation-as-attorney-general", "Grassley Applauds Todd Blanche\u2019s Confirmation as Attorney General", "2026-08-08", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) issued a statement following the Senate\u2019s confirmation of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General, by a vote of 50-49. Grassley successfully advanced Blanche\u2019s nomination through the Judiciary Committee earlier this week, by a vote of 12-10.\n\n\u201cAmerica is safer with Todd Blanche at the helm of the Justice Department. Under his leadership, the United States\u2019 homicide rate fell to its lowest level in over 125 years. Every major violent crime category has fallen below pre-pandemic levels and violent crime arrests have increased 184%. In short, Americans are finally getting the justice they deserve.\n\n\u201cBeyond his obvious qualifications and successful track record, Blanche has demonstrated extraordinary patience, compassion and tenacity as he\u2019s made his way through the gauntlet of the Senate\u2019s advice and consent process. He\u2019s been forthcoming and responsive to my colleagues and has proven himself to be a steadfast advocate for the rule of law. Today, the United States Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination and advance the safety and security of Americans nationwide.\u201d\n\nGrassley spoke on the Senate floor yesterday in support of Blanche\u2019s nomination. Read his full remarks HERE.", 1, "2026-08-09T05:47:57Z", "2026-08-09T05:49:40Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernsts-urbandale-zip-code-fix-heads-to-senate-floor", "Ernst\u2019s Urbandale ZIP Code Fix Heads to Senate Floor", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs successfully advanced U.S. Senator Joni Ernst\u2019s (R-Iowa) bipartisan billrequiring the U.S. Postal Service to designate a single, unique ZIP code for 83 specific communities across the country. The bill passed by a vote of 10-3 and now advances to the full Senate for consideration.\n\nWatch Senator Ernst\u2019s remarks here.\n\nFor years, Ernst has worked to deliver certainty for Urbandale residents that would end confusing mail delays and delivery issues faced by Iowans and cities throughout the nation.\n\n\u201cThis vote brings residents of Urbandale and communities across the country one step closer to ending years of delayed and misdirected mail caused by ZIP code boundary disputes,\u201d said Senator Ernst. \u201cAll Americans deserve timely, accurate, and efficient mail service, and this bill provides a clear solution by establishing unique ZIP codes for 83 affected communities. I\u2019m proud we advanced this commonsense legislation and look forward to getting it across the finish line in the Senate.\u201d\n\nRead the full bill here.\n\nBackground:\n\nErnst has worked for years with Urbandale leaders to resolve the city\u2019s ZIP code boundary dispute, which has caused misdirected mail, delivery delays, and challenges for local businesses and services.\n\nIn 2025, she joined Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on bipartisan legislation directing USPS to establish unique ZIP codes for 14 communities, including Urbandale. Building on that effort and feedback from local Iowa leaders, in May 2026, Ernst introduced broader legislation establishing unique ZIP codes for Urbandale and 74 other communities nationwide.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-ernsts-bipartisan-stop-secret-spending-act", "Senate Unanimously Passes Ernst\u2019s Bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst\u2019s (R-Iowa) bipartisan bill requiring public disclosure of tens of billions of secret government spending was approved by the Senate today and is headed to the president to become law.\n\nWatch Senator Ernst\u2019s full speech here.\n\nCurrent law requires most federal spending to be publicly reported on USAspending.gov, allowing taxpayers to see who receives federal funds and details about how, where, and why the money is spent. However, a loophole has allowed agencies to withhold thousands of spending arrangements known as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) from public disclosure.\n\nThe Stop Secret Spending Act closes that loophole by requiring OTAs to be reported in the same manner as grants, contracts, loans, and other federal expenditures, helping ensure taxpayer dollars are fully accounted for. The bill also requires the federal government to publish a summary of any spending that remains exempt from public disclosure, including the total amount withheld and the justification for doing so, increasing transparency within Washington.\n\n\"When Iowans send their hard-earned tax dollars to Washington, they deserve to know exactly where every cent goes and why,\" said Senator Ernst. \"Bureaucrats have been playing hide and seek with tax dollars for far too long. I\u2019m forcing them to open the books, stop the secret spending, and give taxpayers the transparency they deserve.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nSenator Ernst has been a longtime advocate for ending secret federal spending and increasing transparency for taxpayers. She first introduced the bipartisan Stop Secret Spending Act after raising concerns about billions of dollars in undisclosed federal spending through Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and has repeatedly pushed the legislation. Ernst has continued working across the aisle to advance the bill, which previously passed the Senate with unanimous bipartisan support, and has consistently fought to get the legislation across the finish line to ensure taxpayers have greater visibility into how their hard-earned dollars are spent.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-cortez-masto-crapo-wyden-introduce-legislation-to-crack-down-on-healthcare-fraud", "Grassley, Cortez Masto, Crapo, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Crack Down on Healthcare Fraud", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the bipartisan Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Act. The legislation would improve and invest in the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) program, which was created to combat fraud, waste and abuse across federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.\n\nGrassley and Cortez Masto are members of the Senate Finance Committee. Crapo and Wyden serve as the committee\u2019s chairman and ranking member, respectively.\n\n\u201cMy oversight has revealed fraud, waste and abuse across our healthcare system, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Obamacare marketplace. By bolstering efforts to go after these bad actors, our bipartisan legislation will crack down on people stealing the taxpayers\u2019 money and driving up healthcare costs for families,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\u201cMedicaid and Medicare are lifelines for families. To ensure they are working as intended, we have to crack down on bad actors taking advantage of Americans,\u201d Cortez Masto said. \u201cFunding our national fraud and abuse investigation unit will save taxpayers billions and restore Americans\u2019 trust that the government can target and go after real fraud and abuse.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe best way to fight health care fraud is to fund the cops on the beat who can identify and prosecute fraudsters quickly and efficiently. This common sense approach empowers independent watchdogs in the federal government to use their know-how to recoup taxpayer dollars from these bad actors and widens the net to ensure every federal health care program has adequate protection from those seeking to bilk taxpayer dollars. I\u2019m pleased that this approach is receiving bipartisan support and I will be working to fund these fighters quickly on a bipartisan basis,\u201d Wyden said.\n\n\u201cHealth care programs account for the federal government\u2019s largest source of improper payments, including through waste, fraud and abuse. This commonsense legislation equips the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Justice with the resources they need to uncover and prevent fraud, preserving federal health care programs for those who depend on them while protecting taxpayer dollars,\u201d Crapo said.\n\nBackground:\n\nFederal healthcare spending is expected to exceed $24 trillion over the next decade. As healthcare fraud schemes continue to grow in scale and complexity, the HCFAC program needs long-term, stable funding to keep pace with evolving threats and strengthen efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud. This legislation would save taxpayers at least $45 billion, per estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).\n\nFor the first time, the bill allows HCFAC partners to use mandatory funding to combat fraud in the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and related private insurance programs. The legislation includes additional measures giving the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new tools to strengthen oversight and protect the integrity of the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). It also requires timely reporting to track the HCFAC program\u2019s effectiveness and asks the Government Accountability Office to report on HCFAC\u2019s performance.\n\nIn Fiscal Year 2025, the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General\u2019s (HHS OIG) HCFAC activities recovered $12 for every $1 spent on Medicare program integrity efforts, resulting in $5.7 billion in expected recoveries and receivables. HHS OIG also excluded more than 2,500 individuals and entities from doing business with federal healthcare programs for fraud and patient abuse and other misconduct. That conduct includes egregious neglect of nursing home residents, improper billing practices and facilitating fraudulent providers and suppliers.\n\nAcross all HCFAC partners, including HHS, CMS, HHS OIG, DOJ and the FBI, the program has had a positive return on investment since its inception, demonstrating the value of coordinated, multi-agency enforcement to fight fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.\n\nDownload bill text HERE.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-where-things-stand-on-the-farm-bill", "Q&A: Where Things Stand on the Farm Bill", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Q: What legislative priorities were you able to secure in the current Senate Farm Bill so far?\n\nA: The Senate Agriculture Committee recently met to consider the long-delayed Farm Bill. Building upon substantive reforms enacted last year to strengthen the farm safety net in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, farmers and rural communities are counting on Congress to enact a full, five-year Farm Bill to bring much-needed certainty to the struggling ag economy. As a lifelong family farmer, I understand the financial hardship farm families are facing today to keep their operations afloat. It\u2019s costing more money to put crops in the ground than what farmers are getting when they market their crops. High input costs, low commodity prices and trade uncertainty put farmers in an unsustainable financial situation. We can\u2019t afford to repeat the mistakes of the 1980s Farm Crisis. That\u2019s why I keep in touch with producers, commodity groups and community bankers to stay on top of the challenges in farm country. That feedback informs my work on behalf of farm families at the policymaking table to address market uncertainty and deliver stability.\n\nDuring the committee\u2019s work on the Farm Bill, a number of my legislative priorities were included to support family farmers and boost the ag economy, including:\n\nYear-Round E15, which would deliver a $14 billion boost in corn demand and lower prices at the pump by up to 40 cents per gallon.\n\nImprovements to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission whistleblower program to help uphold integrity in U.S. commodity markets that farmers use to manage risk and lock in prices for their crops.\n\nTransparency tools to help bring down fertilizer, seed and fuel costs.\n\nQ: Where does the Farm Bill stand in the Senate?\n\nA: I\u2019m disappointed the bipartisan, regional alliance that has helped shape the nation\u2019s Farm Bills for decades is on shaky ground. After hours of debate and a series of votes on amendments, the Senate Agriculture Committee did not advance the Farm Bill after every Democrat on the committee voted no. They chose to block the Farm Bill in protest over commonsense reforms to curb waste in the food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Their partisan blockade puts passage of the Farm Bill in jeopardy and leaves farm families hanging in the balance. Both Sen. Joni Ernst and I voted to advance the Farm Bill. The committee recessed so debate on the Farm Bill can continue in September and hopefully prove to be more fruitful.\n\nThe House of Representatives has already passed a version of the Farm Bill, backed by Iowa Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra. In the Senate, I\u2019m going to continue fighting to get the Farm Bill to the president\u2019s desk this year. That includes my efforts to deliver year-round E15, drive down input costs, fix Proposition 12, enact sensible farm payment reforms to reinforce the integrity of the farm safety net and sharpen tools at the USDA to stop anticompetitive practices in the meatpacking industry. Rural Americans are counting on us to get the job done.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-confirms-iowan-glen-smith-to-serve-as-under-secretary-of-agriculture-for-rural-development", "Senate Confirms Iowan Glen Smith to Serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed today\u2019s Senate confirmation of Glen R. Smith of Atlantic, Iowa, to serve as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Smith served as Chair of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) during the first Trump administration.\n\n\u201cGlen Smith is a product of rural Iowa who\u2019s spent his career serving fellow farmers. Having grown up in southwest Iowa, he understands our way of life and what it takes for family farmers to feed and fuel the world. I congratulate Under Secretary Smith on his confirmation, and I look forward to working with him to deliver for the hardworking men and women who keep food on our tables,\u201d Grassley said.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-republicans-confirm-four-us-attorneys-four-us-marshals-and-doj-inspector-general", "Senate Republicans Confirm Four U.S. Attorneys, Four U.S. Marshals and DOJ Inspector General", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) applauded the Senate\u2019s confirmation of four U.S. Attorneys, four U.S. Marshals and the Inspector General for the Department of Justice (DOJ). The nominees were confirmed as part of a nominations package of 74 executive nominees, by a vote of 51-47.\n\nUnder Grassley\u2019s leadership in the 119th Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced 141 of President Trump\u2019s nominees, including 11 circuit judges, 46 district judges, one Court of International Trade judge, 48 U.S. attorneys and 12 U.S. marshals. The Senate has now confirmed 136 of those nominees.\n\n\u201cU.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals are vital parts of our nation\u2019s law enforcement system \u2013 responsible for prosecuting violent criminals, protecting the American public and enforcing the rule of law,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cAs chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I\u2019ve been proud to advance and confirm President Trump\u2019s law and order nominees to protect communities across America.\u201d\n\nThe nominees advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee and confirmed today include:\n\nKenneth Sorenson, to be U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii.\n\nTimothy VerHey, to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.\n\nSean Costello, to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama.\n\nChristopher Nassar, to be U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.\n\nJohnson TeeHee II, to be U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.\n\nJames Arnott, to be U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Missouri.\n\nJack Chambers, to be U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia.\n\nJason Holt, to be U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Oklahoma.\n\nDon Berthiaume, to be Inspector General for the Department of Justice.\n\nBackground:\n\nHistorically, executive nominees, such as U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals, were routinely confirmed on a bipartisan basis due to their non-political and non-controversial nature. That bipartisan tradition was destroyed last year when Senate Democrats placed an unprecedented blanket hold on all of President Trump\u2019s 93 U.S. Attorneys.\n\nSenate Republicans overcame the partisan blockade in October of 2025, confirming 16 U.S. Attorneys as part of an initial nominations package of 107 executive nominees. The Senate then confirmed 14 U.S. Attorneys in December 2025, as part of a second nominations package, and 13 U.S. Attorneys and eight U.S. Marshals in May 2026, as part of a third package.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-joins-iowa-delegation-in-requesting-expedited-disaster-aid-for-iowa-counties-following-severe-flooding", "Ernst Joins Iowa Delegation in Requesting Expedited Disaster Aid for Iowa Counties Following Severe Flooding", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), along with U.S. Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), this week urged President Donald Trump to approve Governor Kim Reynolds' request for a major disaster declaration following severe weather and heavy rainfall that struck Iowa between July 1 and 4, 2026.\n\nThe severe weather brought high winds, flash flooding, and widespread river flooding across Iowa's river basins, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure and private property.\n\nIn addition to requesting statewide hazard mitigation assistance, Governor Reynolds requested funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance Program to help repair damaged public infrastructure and facilities and reimburse eligible emergency response and debris removal costs.\n\nThe FEMA Public Assistance Program request includes the following counties:\n\nJasper County\n\nPolk County\n\nStory County\n\nWarren County\n\nRead the Iowa delegation's full letter to the president HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn July 24, 2026, Governor Reynolds announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration approved her request to provide disaster assistance to eight counties impacted by the severe storms: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, and Warren counties. Read more HERE.\n\nDisaster loan applications can be submitted online at lending.sba.gov or in person at designated disaster assistance centers.\n\nIowans impacted by the severe storms who need assistance navigating available federal resources are encouraged to contact Senator Ernst's office or visit ernst.senate.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-statement-on-advancing-a-bipartisan-farm-bill", "Ernst Statement on Advancing a Bipartisan Farm Bill", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement after Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill, delaying critical support for America\u2019s farmers:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m disappointed the Democrats voted against advancing the Farm Bill today, leaving America\u2019s farmers and rural communities waiting even longer for the certainty of a five-year Farm Bill. The Farm Bill released by Chairman Boozman includes priorities I\u2019ve been fighting to deliver for Iowans for over a decade, from expanding access to year-round E15 and keeping our farmland out of the hands of China to supporting farmer mental health. While today\u2019s vote is a setback, I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure states are treated fairly as we strengthen accountability in SNAP, find a long-term fix to the harmful effects of Proposition 12, and build the bipartisan support needed to get a Farm Bill across the finish line and signed into law.\u201d\n\nWatch Ernst\u2019s remarks here.\n\n\u201cOur states have to get to a point where they don't have this huge discrepancy with the error rates. I've worked really hard with our friends across the aisle to try and find a solution to this, because I do think that what was done in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, it did favor certain states, and it doesn't allow for some of those states to really make the corrections as necessary,\u201d said Ernst.\n\nDownload audio of Ernst here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-issues-statement-after-democrat-opposition-stalls-farm-bill", "Grassley Issues Statement After Democrat Opposition Stalls Farm Bill", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a lifelong family farmer, issued a statement after the Senate Agriculture Committee failed to advance the 2026 Farm Bill due to Democrats\u2019 refusal to provide bipartisan support for the legislation.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very disappointed Democrats blocked the Farm Bill today in protest over commonsense reforms that root out waste in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and protect the integrity of the SNAP program. Democrats\u2019 obstruction leaves the fate of the Farm Bill in serious jeopardy at a time when farmers need our help.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve fought tooth and nail for years to deliver a new, five-year Farm Bill and nationwide, year-round E15 for Iowa\u2019s family farmers, and I\u2019m not done working toward that goal. Rural America is counting on us.\n\n\u201cFarmers don\u2019t throw in the towel when the going gets tough, and Democrats shouldn\u2019t either. It\u2019s up to Democrats to put politics aside, engage in good faith negotiations and accept bipartisan compromise in order to get the Farm Bill passed in the Senate this year. I\u2019m hopeful the committee can improve the bill and vote again when the Senate returns in September to achieve a more positive outcome.\u201d\n\nA broadcast quality video statement from Grassley on the Farm Bill is available HERE.", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-joins-lankford-to-introduce-bill-strengthening-and-protecting-military-chaplains-ministry", "Grassley Joins Lankford to Introduce Bill Strengthening and Protecting Military Chaplains\u2019 Ministry", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), to introduce the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026 (MCMA), which would codify the purpose, role, duties and professional qualifications of military chaplains and protect chaplains from being forced to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\nThe legislation is additionally cosponsored by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives, and the bill was included in the House-passed Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\n\u201cMilitary chaplains provide a vital service to the patriots who sacrifice for our country every day. By standardizing a chaplain\u2019s role, this commonsense legislation clarifies their duties and protects chaplains from unfair censorship. Like all Americans, our men and women in uniform have the God-given right to observe their religious beliefs, especially as they put their own lives on the line to defend our nation. Our legislation reinforces those rights,\u201d Grassley said.\n\n\"For our country\u2019s 250-year history, military chaplains have walked alongside our service members through the hardest moments of their lives, offering prayer, counsel, and hope in isolated posts and combat zones alike,\" Lankford said. \"Chaplains serve because they are called to it. Congress has a responsibility to make sure they can carry out that calling faithfully, without being forced to violate the tenets of their faith and without fear of retaliation for holding to what they believe. This bill honors the men and women who minister to our heroes who defend our nation.\"\n\n\u201cMilitary chaplains shouldn\u2019t have to check their faith at the door when they put on the uniform,\u201d Cramer said. \u201cThey play a vital role in supporting the moral and spiritual well-being of our servicemembers, and their ministry and the men and women they serve are strengthened because of their faith. This legislation protects their ability to minister according to their beliefs and ensures those freedoms are always preserved.\u201d\n\n\"Military chaplains serve a unique and important role in our armed forces, providing spiritual guidance to our men and women in uniform. That is why it is imperative that their deeply held religious beliefs must be protected throughout their time in the military. I'm proud to support this legislation and the faith leaders who serve in our Armed Forces,\" Britt said.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe bill is supported by the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, which provides advice and recommendations to Department of Defense officials on issues regarding the free exercise of religion\n\nThe Military Chaplains Modernization Act:\n\nCodifies the purpose, role, duties and professional qualifications of chaplains across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force.\n\nGuarantees that chaplains may conduct worship, provide counseling, teach, deliver sermons, minister and offer prayer in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs and the tenets of their religious-endorsing organization, free from censorship, undue restriction or fear of retribution.\n\nProhibits any member of the armed forces from requiring or assigning a chaplain to perform any rite, ritual, ceremony, sermon, speech, task or action contrary to the chaplain's sincerely held religious beliefs.\n\nProtects chaplains from retaliation or adverse personnel actions, including denial of promotion, letters of reprimand and negative entries in the chaplain's record, for refusing to violate their beliefs.\n\nEstablishes that violations are subject to prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.\n\nCodifies the ranks and roles of the Chief of Chaplains and Deputy Chief of Chaplains as principal advisors to their respective service secretaries and chiefs of staff.", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-shaheen-colleagues-issue-statement-regarding-escalating-pressure-on-the-srebrenica-memorial-center-and-human-rights-defenders", "Grassley, Shaheen, Colleagues Issue Statement Regarding Escalating Pressure on the Srebrenica Memorial Center and Human Rights Defenders", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), along with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), as well as Reps. Bill Keating (D-Mass.) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio), to issue a joint statement after 26 current and former staff members and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center were summoned for police questioning by the Zvornik Police Department.\n\n\u201cWe are deeply concerned by reports that current and former employees and associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center have been summoned for questioning by Republika Srpska authorities. The scale and timing of these actions are troubling, particularly because the work of the Memorial Center is central to preserving the truth, honoring the victims and defending human rights. We call on the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, respect the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s institutions and ensure the Memorial Center can carry out its essential mission free from intimidation.\n\n\u201cThe House and Senate have been unequivocal: the Srebrenica massacre was genocide. More than 30 years later, we have a solemn responsibility to remember the victims, stand with their families and ensure this tragic history is neither denied nor erased. Rewriting history for political gain deepens divisions, inflames ethnic tensions and threatens peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We call on the administration to implement the mandatory sanctions passed in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act to hold individuals to account for destabilizing behavior and undermining democratic institutions.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/08/05/2026/ernst-padilla-celebrate-national-farmers-market-week", "Ernst, Padilla Celebrate National Farmers Market Week", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2\u20138, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week to celebrate the hardworking farmers and ranchers who feed our families, fuel our communities, and strengthen rural America.\n\n\u201cAgriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,\u201d said Senator Ernst. \u201cI\u2019m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans\u2019 tables every day.\u201d\n\n\u201cCalifornia is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cWe cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I\u2019m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmers Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.\u201d\n\nIn 2023, Senators Ernst and Padilla announced the first-ever congressional resolution to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, which was adopted unanimously by the Senate and celebrated again in 2024 and 2025.\n\nU.S. Representatives David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cThe Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation\u2019s food on less than one percent of America\u2019s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don\u2019t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,\u201d said Representative Valadao. \u201cFarmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.\u201d\n\n\u201cFarmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,\u201d said Representative Pingree. \u201cBy connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine\u2019s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good\u2014and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.\u201d\n\nRead the resolution here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ernst-joins-vice-president-vance-white-house-task-force-to-wage-war-on-fraud", "Ernst Joins Vice President Vance, White House Task Force to Wage War on Fraud", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Joni Ernst", "E000295", "www.ernst.senate.gov", "ernst", "https://www.ernst.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined Vice President J.D. Vance and the White House Task Force to discuss how Republicans are putting fraudsters out of business.\n\nDownload more photos of Senator Ernst HERE\n\nDuring the roundtable, Ernst applauded Vice President Vance\u2019s leadership and how the Task Force has successfully clawed back billions of dollars:\n\n$22 billion in suspected fraudulent pandemic-era loans\n\n$6.3 billion in suspected fraudulent government contracts\n\n$600 million in suspected fraud by 447 hospice providers and 23 home health agencies\n\n$51.6 million in suspected avoided customs duties on gold alone\n\nErnst also highlighted her leadership of a comprehensive anti-fraud package, the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, which would return over $240 billion to taxpayers.\n\n\u201cBad actors have been scamming American taxpayers for far too long,\u201d said Ernst. \u201cFrom fake child care centers in Minnesota to incarcerated convicts collecting unemployment checks, fraud has become so pervasive that, if it were a government agency, the \u2018Department of Fraud\u2019 would rank as the fifth-largest federal department by spending. I\u2019m grateful for the leadership of Vice President Vance and the Trump administration for cracking down on fraud across the country and sending scammers to the slammer. Now, Congress must pass my anti-fraud package to protect taxpayers. Every single day we delay, fraudsters steal more than $1.4 billion.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nErnst has long led efforts to eliminate government waste and ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. As chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, she has continued her decades-long mission to expose waste, fraud, and abuse and advance reforms that hold Washington accountable.\n\nFor over a decade, Ernst has exposed wasteful government spending through her monthly \u201csqueal\u201d awards, highlighting examples of taxpayer dollars being misused and pushing for accountability across the federal government.\n\nOver the past year, Ernst has heard testimony from independent investigative journalist Nick Shirley about fraudulent child care services provided by Minnesota\u2019s Quality Learing Center and from investigative reporter Luke Rosiak about Ohio personal care companies that received financial support from the Small Business Administration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/capitol-hill-report-08-05-26", "Capitol Hill Report, 08-05-26", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "Audio from this morning\u2019s call is available HERE.\n\nTopics include: the Farm Bill, the Sanders-Grassley Audit the Pentagon Act, Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination to be U.S. Attorney General, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Iran and mail-in voting.", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-questions-witnesses-at-senate-finance-committee-hearing-on-addressing-social-security-solvency-urges-bipartisan-cooperation", "Grassley Questions Witnesses at Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Addressing Social Security Solvency, Urges Bipartisan Cooperation", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned witnesses about the need for bipartisan cooperation to address Social Security\u2019s long-term solvency.\n\nDuring a floor speech last week, Grassley noted retirees will see a 22% cut in benefits around late 2032 unless Congress takes action.\n\nVIDEO\n\nOn bipartisan cooperation and commissions:\n\nFor any Social Security reform proposal to succeed, it will require the support of at least 60 senators. So, that means both parties working together to find a solution.\n\nOutside of the 1983 commission, are there examples of a commission or other special process that successfully sparked bipartisan cooperation and action?\n\nOn ways to promote bipartisanship and identify solutions:\n\nI understand you both oppose any sort of commission-based process. Instead, you contend Congress should address Social Security through regular committee and floor processes. I respect that view. I'm open to any process that will facilitate the bipartisan cooperation that's necessary, with emphasis upon the word bipartisan.\n\nWhat are some actions your groups are taking or plan to take to help foster bipartisan cooperation and discussion of Social Security?\n\nOn the importance of taking immediate action to protect Social Security\u2019s future:\n\nI see a lot of AARP ads on television. I\u2019ve got a little bit of advice for you. But, you're no different than a candidate Trump and a President Biden. They all ran on a platform of \u201cWe're not going to do anything about Social Security.\u201d And your TV advertisements are saying, \u201cWe aren't going to cut Social Security.\u201d\n\nI don't blame you for defending the program that way, but we\u2019ve got to wake this entire nation up to the fact that there's going to be 22% cuts if we don't do something right now.\n\nAnd you ought to spend some of your money waking up people to the fact that there's a crisis down the line. And you say don't cut Social Security, but it's going to be cut automatically if you don\u2019t wake the people of this country up. And, that's what I advise you to do because you\u2019ve got a big voice.", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-leads-iowa-delegation-in-call-for-expedited-disaster-aid-in-four-iowa-counties-following-july-floods", "Grassley Leads Iowa Delegation in Call for Expedited Disaster Aid in Four Iowa Counties Following July Floods", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), along with Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) today called on President Donald Trump to approve Governor Kim Reynolds\u2019 disaster declaration request following severe weather and heavy rainfall between July 1-4, 2026.\n\nThe weather produced high winds, severe flash flooding, and massive overtopping across central Iowa\u2019s river basin, causing significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.\n\nIn addition to requesting hazard mitigation statewide, Governor Reynolds is seeking funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance program to rebuild damaged public infrastructure and public facilities and to cover costs for emergency clean-up efforts.\n\nThe FEMA Public Assistance program was requested for Jasper, Polk, Story and Warren counties.\n\nRead the delegation\u2019s full letter to the president HERE.\n\nSBA\u2019s Disaster Loan Program:\n\nOn July 24, Governor Reynolds announced the Small Business Administration granted her request to provide assistance for eight counties impacted by the severe storms: Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren counties. Learn more HERE.\n\nDisaster loan applications can be submitted online at lending.sba.gov or in person at designated assistance centers.", 1, "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-judiciary-committee-advances-todd-blanches-nomination-to-be-attorney-general", "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Todd Blanche\u2019s Nomination to be Attorney General", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination to be U.S. Attorney General, by a vote of 12-10.\n\n\u201cTodd Blanche\u2019s Justice Department has reprioritized the safety of Americans after the Biden administration opened the borders to violent criminals and turned a blind eye to the heinous crimes that were happening around the country\u2026 Today, I\u2019m not only voting to advance Todd Blanche\u2019s nomination. I\u2019m voting for the safety of the American people,\u201d Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said.\n\nBlanche\u2019s nomination is supported by over 670,000 law enforcement officers, 300 Angel Families and more than 100 bipartisan U.S. Attorneys and DOJ officials spanning eight administrations. Under his leadership at the Department of Justice, the United States\u2019 homicide rate has fallen to its lowest level in over 125 years, and every major violent crime category has dropped below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nWatch the executive business meeting HERE. Read Grassley\u2019s opening statement HERE.", 1, "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"], ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-grassley-durbin-bankruptcy-legislation-to-support-small-businesses-and-american-families", "Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Durbin Bankruptcy Legislation to Support Small Businesses and American Families", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are applauding the Senate\u2019s unanimous passage of their Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026 to restore Americans\u2019 access to critical bankruptcy programs by reinstating modern debt limits for Subchapter V and Chapter 13.\n\n\u201cOur nation\u2019s bankruptcy code should work for Americans, not against them. By eliminating barriers to reorganization and restoring modern debt limits, the bipartisan Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act would provide American families and small businesses the tools they need to regain their financial footing in a quicker, more streamlined process,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cI thank my colleagues in the Senate for their unanimous support of our legislation, and I urge the House of Representatives to swiftly pass this needed legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cBankruptcy is often a painful last resort for small business owners. This bill makes permanent a quicker and cheaper pathway for entrepreneurs to settle debts, keep the lights on, and keep serving their neighbors. It also expands eligibility for Chapter 13 bankruptcy to help more families manage rising costs, stay in their homes, and get back on their feet. With unanimous passage in the Senate, I encourage the House of Representatives to quickly pass this bill\u2014and for the President to sign it into law,\u201d Durbin said.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).\n\nBill text can be found HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Grassley-Whitehouse Small Business Reorganization Act, signed into law in 2019, established Subchapter V within Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Subchapter V streamlined the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process for small business owners by reducing procedural burdens and lowering filing costs. Legislation signed into law in 2020 allowed more small businesses to qualify for these streamlined procedures by increasing the upper debt limit for Subchapter V to $7.5 million.\n\nIn 2022, the Grassley-Whitehouse Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act was signed into law, extending the $7.5 million debt limit for small businesses filing under Subchapter V and establishing a new debt limit of $2.75 million for individuals and families filing under Chapter 13. 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