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Senator Grassley to take part in hearing on cyber threats

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

From spying on the Pentagon to trying to change the course of elections, cyber-criminals are seen as a growing and significant threat.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says members of Congress are doing their best to remain vigilant on multiple fronts. “Every day there are reports, yesterday it was about Russians, but who knows?” Grassley says. “It could be Bulgaria, it could be Romania, it could be North Korea, it could be China. You read about China all the time, probably trying to get our military secrets.”

This afternoon, Grassley will take part in a hearing before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism on cyber threats to our nation’s critical infrastructure. “We have oversight of so many things dealing with voting that it’s a concern of my committee,” Grassley says, “and so we’re pursuing it.” Hackers who could gain access to computers in the Department of Defense create a very obvious threat, but Grassley says online criminals who try to shift the course of an election are dealing in a different kind of warfare.

“Americans, at least from the standpoint of influencing elections or challenging our democracy, Americans ought to be certain that we don’t have that sort of outside influence,” Grassley says. “Changing votes would be the worst thing that could probably happen.” It comes down to political ideology, according to Iowa’s senior senator.

“These autocracies that most of these people operate out of, they don’t like democracies,” Grassley says, “so they want to discourage your confidence in our representative form of government and our Constitution.”

Today’s hearing is scheduled for 1:30 P.M./Central time. Grassley says it will be the 7th full committee or subcommittee hearing on election protection.

 

Senator Grassley supports Space Force if it is needed for national defense

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll back a Trump administration plan to create a Space Force as a new branch of the U.S. military.

Last week, Vice President Mike Pence outlined a proposed effort which would be established by 2020 to face “emerging threats on this new battlefield.” Grassley says the way Pence describes it, America is losing ground in the field where we were once the world leader.

“The United States is behind other countries as far as our concern about outer space, both from a military and an educational and a scientific point of view,” Grassley says. “We need to do more to protect our interests in space.” The Space Force would become the sixth branch of the U.S. military, following the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

The administration plan would have the Space Force established as soon as 2020. “I’m a strong believer in a strong national defense and if there’s a need to set up a separate branch of the military, I guess I’m willing to do it,” Grassley says, “just because of my interest in the number-one responsibility of the federal government: to defend our citizens.”

One concern Grassley raises is that there would be no duplication of duties between the new entity and existing divisions within the current military system. Grassley says he has concerns about our future security. “I can tell you, China is looking at all of this stuff in space and using it for defense, besides the scientific advantages you can have or the communications advantages you can have,” Grassley says. “Particularly, if they move ahead, we can’t cede space to any of our adversaries.”

The last time a new branch of the military was created was the Air Force in 1947, shortly after the end of World War Two.

 

Grassley says passing Farm Bill this year would provide farmers continuity

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Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley points to a tractor while touring the fairgrounds.

Senator Chuck Grassley says the chairman of the Senate Ag Committee has assured him the 2018 Farm Bill will become law before year’s end.

“And I sure hope so, because I don’t want to do what we had to in 2013 — extend the Farm Bill for one year,” Grassley says, “because farmers need that continuity you get from a five-year Farm Bill and farmers also would (get) a bit of good news if they had a five-year Farm Bill, considering the anxiety they have about the tariffs.”

Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Joni Ernst, is serving on the conference committee of House and Senate members that are trying to craft a final version of the bill that could pass both

Grassley has been touring the Iowa State Fairgrounds this morning, visiting with fairgoers.

Senator Grassley investigating alleged mistreatment of woman in Buffalo Center nursing home

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

The death of an elderly nursing home resident from alleged abuse and neglect in northern Iowa is prompting U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley to investigate the case, which he calls “heartbreaking.”

Eighty-seven-year-old Virginia Olthoff died in February at the Timely Mission Nursing Home in Buffalo Center. Grassley says, “We want more information into what happened and what steps will be taken moving forward to stop it from happening to anyone else.”

A state inspection report says Olthoff was in severe pain for days before she died, and went several days without water, suffering from critical dehydration.  Grassley says the report is “very disturbing.” “Three things can make a difference between quality of life in a nursing home or a life that doesn’t have quality,” Grassley says. “One is not to have malnutrition. Number two is to not have a lack of water. The other one is, make sure you don’t have bedsores.”

The state had proposed fining the nursing home nearly $30,000 but did not do so in order for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS, a federal agency, to investigate. As yet, no action has been taken by CMS against the home. Grassley is asking the center for answers.

“Nursing homes in Iowa and throughout our country need to be sure they do everything possible to prevent this sort of abuse,” Grassley says. “If they fail, they ought to face severe consequences.”

The CMS reportedly gave Timely Mission its highest five-star rating, despite the home being fined for multiple violations in 2017. At least eight residents at the Winnebago County facility claimed they were physically and verbally abused by staff.

 

U.S.D.A. announces short-term $12 billion aid package for farmers

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The Trump Administration is announcing direct payments to farmers who’ve taken a financial hit due to international trade disputes.

The U.S.D.A. also plans to buy dairy products, pork and other commodities like fruits and nuts for distribution to food banks. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke with reporters this afternoon by telephone.

“This, obviously, is a short-term solution that will give President Trump time to work on a long-term trade policy and deal to benefit agriculture as well all sectors of the American economy,” Perdue said.

Perdue said up to $12 billion is available for the effort and it does not require congressional approval.

“This program is intended to off-set the trade damage that we’ve seen facing our farmers in a number of commodities,” said Rob Johannson, the U.S.D.A.’s chief economist.

Direct payments will be made to dairy and pork producers as well as farmers who grow soybeans, sorghum, wheat and cotton.

“What this will do is provide some hope to farmers and ranchers that the president and the secretary do have their back,” said Greg Ibach, the U.S.D.A.’s undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.

U.S.D.A. officials say more details about this plan, including how farmers are to be paid, will be released in the coming days.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican, says farmers need a long-term trade strategy, not a short term fix. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, called the proposal “encouraging for the short-term,” but Grassley also said farmers ultimately want access to markets rather than “government hand-outs.”

Several other Republicans in the U.S. Senate have issued sharper critiques. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said this is “welfare for farmers.” Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse said Trump’s tariffs have cut the legs out from under farmers and these federal payments amount to “golden crutches.” Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said farmers want trade, not aid and he suggested the Trump Administration was steering the country’s free market economy toward a “Soviet-style” system where “commissars” decide how to “sprinkle” out government benefits.

Senator Grassley says new Veterans Administration secretary supports whistleblowers

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After years of trying to fix critical problems in many of the nation’s Veterans Affairs hospitals, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says confirming Robert Wilkie on Monday as the new VA Secretary is a big plus.

Grassley, a Republican, says Wilkie has proven himself as being a supporter of whistleblowers and he doesn’t retaliate against those who speak out when there’s trouble. “Respect for whistleblowers, because we wouldn’t have known anything about everything that was happening that was so tragic down in Arizona four or five years ago if whistleblowers hadn’t of come forward.”

A report issued earlier this month found almost 700,000 veterans were waiting more than 30 days for appointments at VA facilities, while 76,000 veterans had waited more than six months. Only the Pentagon is larger than the VA, so in a bureaucracy of that size, Grassley says it can be a difficult process to identify and remove people who are part of the problem.

“When things are wrong, if heads don’t roll, nothing changes,” Grassley says. “It’s going to be easier under existing law for the VA to fire people, so when something’s wrong, you send a real strong signal if you fire people.” In a news release, Grassley says, “Wilkie has dedicated his life to defending and serving his nation as a member of the armed forces and a distinguished public servant.”

The Choice program that was set up in the VA in 2014 isn’t working the way it should, according to Grassley, and he trusts Wilkie to make the needed corrections. “Getting that straightened out so people can have access to private medical care when the VA can’t deliver it within 30 days for a non-emergency situation ought to be a top priority,” he says.

Wilkie becomes the fourth VA secretary in five years. The inspector general’s report found more than 23-hundred job openings in VA clinics nationwide. In recent years, some officials in VA hospitals were accused of falsifying wait times and at least 40 veterans died while waiting for care. A VA report released in June found the suicide rate among veterans in 2011 was 16 per day, while now, up to 20 veterans take their own lives each day.

 

Senator Grassley says President Trump wasn’t tough enough with Russian president

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says President Trump missed multiple opportunities during the just-concluded talks with Russia to hold that nation responsible for attacks on our democracy.

Grassley says Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a liar” and is “no friend to the United States.” Referring to Trump, Grassley says “the president has made a lot of mistakes…in trusting Russia.” “Russia is an enemy,” Grassley says, “and most of the time since World War Two, I think it’s very clear that they are, but particularly once again under Putin.”

Following talks between the two nations’ leaders in Finland on Monday, Trump made it clear he accepted Putin’s denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Grassley remains unconvinced. “I think Putin is a liar and I think the president had a missed opportunity to very clearly tell them about the interference in our election,” Grassley says, “and if it continues, there’s going to be greater consequences than has already been bestowed upon Russia.”

Last Friday, the U.S. Justice Department indicted a dozen Russian agents for taking part in an alleged hacking scheme during the election. Grassley says Trump should have used the talks to ask for the transfer of those “criminals” so they can be brought to the U.S. to stand trial. Grassley says Trump should have challenged Putin and simply didn’t, a move that’s bringing harsh criticism of Trump from members of both parties.

“I hope when we learn more about what went on in the private sessions, if there’s any reports that come out and I hope that there will be reports, then maybe that will relieve some of our fears,” Grassley says, “but right now, he wasn’t tough enough.”

 

 

Grassley may ask Supreme Court nominee about cameras in the courtroom

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Senator Chuck Grassley. (file photo)

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll likely use the opportunity of chairing the confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee to forward a personal crusade.

For years, Grassley has pushed to have videocameras in federal courtrooms and the Republican says he’ll probably quiz Judge Brett Kavanaugh for his opinions on the topic. “They aren’t the most important questions I ask, but I usually bring it up when I get an opportunity to,” Grassley says. “Sometimes, it brings a chuckle about because I’ve been on this kick for so long of a period of time.”

Grassley says he’s tried to make the argument for cameras in the courtroom with several previous nominees who’ve come before his Judiciary Committee. “You kind of get an answer like, ‘Well, what would you expect me to say to you,'” Grassley says, laughing. “I’m not sure whether they give me a candid answer or not.”

He maintains allowing cameras in the courtrooms will make the federal judiciary more transparent, accountable and accessible. “It’s something that I’m going to continue to promote,” Grassley says. “I might not be successful at it, but every opportunity, I bring it up and I’ll probably bring it up with Judge Kavanaugh and if I don’t bring it up in our oral discussion, I’ll probably submit a question for answer in writing.” Last week, Grassley asked the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court to make court proceedings more open by immediately releasing audio from oral arguments. Audio from those arguments is now released at the end of the week.

 

Grassley says confirmation process for Kavanaugh will be expeditious

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Senator Joni Ernst tweeted a “pre #SCOTUSpick selfie at the @WhiteHouse w/@chuckgrassley”

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says he has a “favorable” impression of President Trump’s nominee for the opening on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I’ve been following him on the D.C. Circuit Court and he’s been pretty much a person that believes in the Constitution as basic law and something to protect the people from their government,” Grassley said this evening during an interview with Radio Iowa.

Grassley was at the White House tonight as Trump revealed Brett Kavanaugh was his pick for the opening on the nation’s highest court. Trump said he wants “swift confirmation” in the Senate for Kavanaugh. Grassley, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will lead the confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh.

“We’ll just be very expeditious, but we’re going to do it with certainty to do our constitutional job, so we can’t rush it just for the sake of rushing,” Grassley told Radio Iowa. “We’re going to give due consideration, as you would expect us to do.”

Kavanaugh has been a federal appeals court judge for the past 12 years and has written more than 300 opinions. Grassley says his committee will hire additional staff to conduct a thorough review of Kavanaugh’s judicial record. During a speech on the senate floor earlier today, Grassley criticized Democrats in the Senate who’ve been saying they could not support any of the 25 candidates Trump was considering for the court.

“Just thought it was ridiculous. I think I used the word silliness,” Grassley told Radio Iowa tonight.

Senator Joni Ernst, who was also present at the White House for tonight’s announcement, issued a written statement. Ernst said Kavanaugh is “highly-qualified, well-respected” and someone who deserves “timely confirmation” to the Supreme Court.

Groups in the “Why Courts Matter Iowa” coalition issued a far different assessment, calling Kavanaugh “as far from mainstream as you can get” and “handpicked” to overturn the 1973 court ruling that legalized abortion.

Grassley pushes U.S. Supreme Court to release audio of proceedings

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Senator Chuck Grassley (file photo)

Senator Chuck Grassley is prodding the U.S Supreme Court to release all audio recordings of the oral arguments it hears — on the same day the lawyers appear in the courtroom before the justices.

The Supreme Court has released audio in the past, in a few cases. “What’s the big mystery?” Grassley asked yesterday during a telephone conference call with Iowa radio reporters.

The court released the audio recordings of the lawyers making arguments on President Trump’s travel ban on the day the lawyers appeared before the court. Otherwise, audio of U.S. Supreme Court proceedings are posted online on Fridays during weeks when the court is hearing legal arguments.

“Why they would need extra days to release the arguments that are made, I don’t know. but my point of view comes from the standpoint that transparency brings accountability and the sooner that accountability is available to the public, the better off we are,” Grassley said. ”

Grassley has been calling for getting cameras into federal courtrooms for years.

“There’s some mystery about the judicial branches of government and when TV can be in the courts, as it is in 46 of 50 states, I think that helps people’s understanding of it,” Grassley said.

A few federal judges are allowing cameras in their courtrooms, but they’ve never been allowed in the U.S. Supreme Court. Grassley, a Republican, is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the panel’s top Democrat has joined with Grassley in this new push for the release of audio recordings from court proceedings.